Jonquiere-Tadoussac

!!!!UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!!

Founded in 1618, the Constitutional Monarchy of Jonquiere-Tadoussac is a growing nation of fiercely patriotic Francophones. The country is devoted to social values and equality above all else.

History

Founding

In 1617, an expedition of French settlers enroute to the colony of New France were swept off course, and landed on the shores of a strange new land, later to become the International Democratic Union. After much recuperation and laying of blame, the leader of the group, Roland Chantal, managed to rally most of the settlers and found a settlement at Jonquière. The settlers invested him with the title of Most Divine Imperial King Roland I, Monarch of Jonquiere. (This title was subsequently shortened to a simple 'King' after Roland I had to spend several weeks icing his arm having signed too many documents in the past month). The dissenters travelled to the coast, where they founded the port settlement of Tadoussac, hoping to acquire enough supplies to set out for New France again. After the first decade, despairing of their chances, the residents of Tadoussac set up a democratic republic, gaining their own lands in opposition to Jonquiere.

The Great Clash

The two city-states were able to go alone for many years. Each reestablished contact with the outside world, and became local powers in their own rights. Other settlers were drawn to the lands of Jonquiere and Tadoussac, looking for new lands and possibilities. Eventually, there was no new land to take. In 1759, High Consul Thédric of Tadoussac met with King Georges III of Jonquiere in an attempt to work out an agreement on land division. Unfortunately, tempers quickly mounted as each side's bombastic leader demanded more than the other was willing to offer. As a result, each went back to their respective capitals to prepare for war. The Great Clash lasted for four years, until 1763. The loss of life on both sides mounted into the tens of thousands, and fortunes were spent to bring mercenaries in from abroad to fight for each power. Eventually, the new High Counsel Roger and King Georges IV met in the Jonquierois border city of La Baie to negotiate a peace treaty. Both sides recognized their culpability in the conflict, and thus each gave ample considerations to the demands of the other. The resulting treaty led to very few changes in the border, but many changes in attitude.

The Fusion

The two powers existed in peace until 1837, when radicals on both sides attempted to reignite a war, this time with the goal of devestating the other power. The leaders of both city-states were opposed to this: High Consul François of Tadoussac was a dedicated pacifist and peacemaker, while King Roland XXXIV of Jonquiere had several sons, including his heir, married into Tadoussacain families. With the goal of peace in mind, the two leaders met in La Baie, on the 74th anniversary of the original treaty, to come to a new peace agreement. What resulted was entirely unexpected: the two leaders agreed to fuse their states together. The agreement came to be known as the Fusion Accord of 1837. This new decision came from several fronts. The stated purpose was to remove all reasons for hostilities between the two governments. However, it was well known at the time that Jonquiere had more land to use, while Tadoussac had more resources on its current territory. Joining made best use of these strengths, creating a synergy. Finally, states were coming dangerously close to the borders of both powers, and threatening their sovereignty. The leaders obviously remembered the old adage: "United We Stand, Divided We Fall". The agreement wasn't automatic, however. Several points were required by both sides before they would approve of the deal. Jonquiere wouldn't give up its long line of illustrious monarchs, but Tadoussac wanted an elected leader, as they had seen for the last 200 years. The solution: keep the King (or Queen), but make the position elected and not hereditary. The other major decision was on the national symbols. The Silver-Cross-On-Green of the Tadoussacain flag was merged with the Red-Cross-on-Yellow of Jonquiere to create the nation's current flag. The national animal was adopted as Tadoussac's beluga, while the currency was named for the Rue St. Dominique in Jonquière, a major centre of commerce.

Government

National Structure The Fusion Accords of 1837 created a federal state, with two provinces. These were originally autonomous regions under a weak central monarch. The Princedom of Jonquiere and the Consulate of Tadoussac each kept to their own affairs, with only National Defence and Maintenance of the Peace (police) being under Federal control. Newly settled areas also fell under Federal jurisdiction; it was because of the growing population here that the central government was able to wheedle control over most areas away from the provinces. Today, the Federal government keeps control of most areas, with labour resources, transit, and natural resources being the main provincial areas of jurisdiction. The country now composes five provinces, created as the population spread into uninhabited areas. These are Jonquiere, Chicoutimi, La Baie, Tadoussac, and Alma.

Federal Government The Government of Jonquiere-Tadoussac is based in the city of Jonquière, with some administrative departments based out of Tadoussac. This level is responsible for most areas of government activity, including, but not limited to, National Defence, Education, Taxation, Criminal Law, and Health Care. The Executive is comprised of the King or Queen and his or her Royal Council. (Point of Interest: the first female elected as Head of State was Queen Nathalie I, elected in 1928) The Royal Council act as advisors to the monarchs and the heads of the bureaucracy (analagous to Ministers or Secretaries in many other democracies). It is composed of the previous ten living monarchs of the country. The monarch is elected in biannual elections, and are chosen from among the general population. Each reigns for only one term, before being relegated to the Royal Council. This continuation allows for the pursual of policies despite the short term of office, while the lack of reelection means that the monarch can concentrate on governing instead of reelection. (The term limit was a stipulation of Tadoussac in 1837, as this had been their previous practice. The Royal Council came from Jonquiere) The monarch reigns largely absolutely during their stay in office, though with many constitutional restraints on their actions. A further limitation on their power comes from the National Assembly, which can block their actions on a 4/5 vote.

Last Update: 2005/05/11, 2345MST