Makaar
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| Flag of Makaar | |
| Motto: Constitutional Monachy and my Rights! | |
| Region | The YoungWorld |
|---|---|
| Capital | Hamblegroun |
| Official Language(s) | Makaarian Northern Dialect, Makaarian Southern Dialect, Makaarian Central Dialect, Makaarian Official |
| Leader | James Brown |
| Population | >3 billion |
| Currency | Sovereign |
| NS Sunset XML | |
Makaar, or the Monarchial Assembly of Makaar, is a constitutional monarchy. Its current King, James II, came to the throne in 2005 when his uncle, William II, was shot dead in Area 69C by natives on a state visit there. The current Prime Minister, James Giles, was elected in 2005 after a brief civil war which ended in the removal of the previous Prime Minister, William Ranford, and attempted military coup, and currently serves in his first term. The next election is scheduled for 2007.
Contents
Government
The Monarch
The Monarch of Makaar is not elected; instead, they come to power by birthright. However, whilst this position once wielded absolute power over the nation, the Monarch must now abide by the Constitution of Makaar, which states that he or she has no power over any governmental affairs. However, in a ceremonial role, the monarch still acts as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as Head of State. They are therefore tasked with opening Parliament at the beginning of each session (sessions start November 1st and end August 31st, which is a national holiday) and closing it at the end. The monarchy also recieves 0.1% of taxes, which is taken from the surplus, though the money can be taken from them by the State for any reason.
The Prince/Princess Heir Apparent
As the monarch's second, the Prince/Princess Heir Apparent (commonly referred to as simply the Heir Apparent) is the second in line to the throne. This position no longer wields any power; however, the Heir Apparent is expected to join the Royal Navy of Makaar.
The Monarch Selection Process
When a new monarch ascends to the throne, their family line and heritage have been extensively checked to ensure that they are the closest living relative to the previous Monarch and should therefore recieve the throne. When the new monarch is selected, the line for selection stands like this:
1. Eldest son of the previous monarch
2. Eldest daughter of the previous monarch
3. Subsequent sons and daughters (dependant on age, not on gender)
4. Eldest brother of the previous monarch
5. Eldest sister of the previous monarch
6. Subsequent brothers and sisters (dependant on age, not on gender)
7. Eldest nephew of the previous monarch
8. Eldest niece of the previous monarch
9. Subsequent nieces and nephews (dependant on age, not on gender)
10. Eldest male cousin of the previous monarch
11. Eldest female cousin of the previous monarch
12. Subsequent cousins (dependant on age, not on gender)
13. Eldest blood-related uncle of the previous monarch
14. Eldest blood-related aunt of the previous monarch
15. Subsequent blood-related aunts and uncles (dependant on age, not on gender)
16. Eldest marriage-related uncle of the previous monarch
17. Eldest marriage-related aunt of the previous monarch
18. Subsequent marriage-related aunts and uncles (dependant on age, not on gender)
If no living relations exist, then the Duke or Duchess of Hamblegroun, the Makaarian capital city, is chosen. The Duke or Duchess is appointed by the government upon the ascension of a new monarch, or the death of the previous Duke or Duchess.
History
Prehistory - 0 AD
Many historians disagree on the exact date of human colnisation of the island of Makaar. Many believe that colonists arrived across a long-removed ice bridge sometime during the ice age. Others believe that, due to continental drift, the island broke away after humans arrived. Both theories are credible.
The caves of Makaar may give some clues. Though they are open to interpretation, many seem to depict people walking through forests to reach their caves. As ice bridges cannot grow forests, people are beginning to believe that the island broke away from the main continent, and the theory is getting more credit.
Archeological finds in the Dajabuti cave system, one of the largest in the world, have repeatedly drawn a blank when answering questions about Stone Age Makaar. Few artefacts have been found, though a large number of mummified corpses and mass graves have been found. Many appear to have died violently, and all are marked with two small red dots on both forearms. This practice seems to have gone on for millenia.
Medieval History
In 1207, the Province of Makaar, part of Rakaaria, was granted semi-autonomy by the Rakaarian King Edmund. The move was extremely controversial; the rest of Rakaaria did not want the grant. However, the Rakaarian war with neighboring Jagor had cost the country dearly, and holding onto the province completely was impossible. While Makaar agreed to continue acting as part of the country, it was given control over its own taxes and allowed to raise an independent army.
In 1300, another war with Jagor meant that Makaar thought it would be granted full autonomy. It managed to avoid donating its army to Rakaaria, and, when Rakaaria was in the middle of halting an invasion, Makaar took the opportunity, striking the Rakaarian border and pushing Rakaarian forces back. They then closed the border and proclaimed themselves an independent nation, naming Duke of Makaar Patrick Goodson as their King.
In 1475, the Goodson family's rule was challenged by a young Rakaarian Prince Micheal. His country was still occupied by Jagor, and he believed that if he took control of Makaar, he could remove the Jagorians from his country. On 23rd August 1475, the armies of the King and Prince Micheal met for battle. At the height of the battle, the Prince was pulled off his horse. Instead of being killed, he was sold back to Rakaaria, where he was captured and executed by Jagorian forces.
In 1509, King Harold I came to power. He went completely mad with power, forming a Board of Advisers and sending them back home after only two days. He took complete control of the army, and began a new drafting policy. He became extremely unpopular, and he was soon presented with a document by his dukes. It became known as the constitution, and the King finally accepted it. It limited his power and forced him to call his board of advisers to help him rule.
Industrial Revolution
The most deciding chapter of Makaarian history occured in 1799. After misinterpreting a passage in the bible, the Christian community in Makaar became convinced that the world would end on the 1st January 1800. The fear soon spread, and was not helped when the King ordered that new fireworks, recently ordered from Proken, should be set off at midnight. Anarchy ensued, and the King, who was only 20, was shot when a group of peasents broke into the army stores and captred several thousand gunpowder cartridges and three hundred guns, as well as five cannons.
The King died without an heir, and when the world had not ended by the 10th January, a new King had to be named. Instead of the most powerful duke being named King, the Board of Advisers decided to allow the people to elect a new King from three noble candidates. The winner was Quarter-Duke Joseph Friedland. He was the second-least powerful duke in the country, but was crowned on February 2nd 1800. He signed almost all of his power over to a new institution which he created, called Parliament, and allowed the people to elect his ministers.
Eventually, the First Minister title became commonplace for the Domestic Minister, the chief minister and the minister in charge of running affairs of the country. First Minister became Prime Minister, making Makaar as it is today.
Modern History & Shaping the Modern Makaar
In 1922, Makaar intercepted a message from Rakaaria to Jagor, saying that Rakaaria planned to invade Makaar and called for Jagorian help. Makaar made a pre-emptive strike, disastrously attacking the Rakaarian town of Grouton. The battle that followed led to a humiliating defeat of Makaarian soldiers. Rakaarian and Jagorian troops began their push towards Hamblegroun.
On 12th June 1922, the war ended. Rakaarian forces destroyed the city walls around Hamblegroun and captured the Prime Minister and the King. The Prime Minister was later executed, and the King stripped of his wealth and sent into exile. Rakaarian forces once again occupied Makaar.
In 1928, though, Rakaaria was sent into another war with Jagor. Siezing the opportunity just as they had done at the birth of their nation, the Makaarian people attacked Rakaaria and drove their troops out. As the Jagorians advanced slowly with a huge force into Rakaarian controlled land, the Makaarian Defense League (a militia force made up of men from 15 to 70) made skirmish attacks along Rakaaria's borders. Before long, the Makaarian forces had pushed far into Rakaaria, and took control of the Rakaarian capital before the Jagorians could get there.
Rakaaria was split into two control zones: Makaarian Rakaaria and Jagorian Rakaaria. The Makaarian zone was significantly bigger than the Jagorian zone, a fact which made the Jagorian dictatorship jealous.
On 3rd May 1930 the Jagorian troops attacked Makaarian border stations all along the border. Makaar responded with the full force of their army, destroying several towns in Jagorian controlled Rakaaria. The Jagorian forces suffered defeat after defeat, and on 28th May, Makaarian forces controlled the whole of Rakaaria. They continued their push, destroying most of the Jagorian army and finally taking control of the major cities in Jagor, forcing their surrender on 12th July 1930.
Having taken control of both Rakaaria and Jagor, Makaar set up administration controllers in both countries, and the King returned to Makaar.
Rebel forces continue to oppose Makaarian occupation of both countries, and a date for the end of this occupation has not yet been set. Rakaaria lost its protectorate status in 1982, being downgraded to a "Colony" of Makaar. Jagor still maintains its protectorate status, and recieved semi-autonomy in 1982.
Language
Makaar' languages have evolved from an early Rakaarian dialect. It uses a lot of "k" sounds, especially when words are used in emphasis.
There are three Makaarian dialects. The most common, Makaarian Northern Dialect, is spoken by about half of the people in Makaar. What makes it different from the other dialects is that it used a different grammar structure. The verbs always come at the end, so:
Makaarian Official: Enna esk malk Makaari
Makaarian Northern: Enna esk Makaari malk
English: I am talking Makaarian
The verb "to be" is also conjugated differently.
ENGLISH MAKAARIAN OFFICIAL MAKAARIAN NORTHERN
(I) Am Esk Esk
(You) Are Eka Eka
(He/She/It) Is Ak Kaa
(We) Are Eka Nos
(You plural) Are Enna Nose
(They) Are Enka Naka
The Makaarian Southern Dialect is spoken by about a third of Makaar, mainly by the farmers of the southern region. It is almost exactly the same as Makaarian Official, but has almost 200 words for "carrott" and 513 words for "farm". The sentence structure is the same, except that the word being used for "farm" will always come at the beginning of the sentence, and will have no "a" or "the" word in front of it.
Makaarian Central Dialect is very much Makaarian Official Dialect spoken with a heavy accent. As well as "k", the "b" sound is ofen used, mostly to express frustration and despair, and the sound has become a word in itself. Makaarian Central is the dialect spoken in Hamblegroun and in the surrounding towns and villages. It is spoken by only a sixth of the Makaarian population.
Makaarian Official Dialect is spoken by all people all over Makaar in addition to their regional dialect. It is a formal language and allows communication between people from different dialects. It is a combination of early Rakaarian and English.
People
Makaar is home to a wide range of people because of its absence of immigration laws up until 1905. There are 14 major ethnic groups (they are listed below by size):
1. Makaarian
2. Rakaarian
3. Jagorian
4. Prokenian
5. Gloobanian
6. Mirobanian
7. Roman Catholic
8. Protestant
9. Muslim
10. Buddhist
11. Hindi
12. Makaarian Seperatist Church
13. Sikhism
14. Judaism
15. Other
Racism is almost non-existant because of strict laws on anti-religious behaviour.
The country is almost perfectly divided into three parts. The north of Makaar is almost entirely industrial based, and pollution is high. In some areas, the pollution has had some towns temporarily evacuated by the army.
The south of Makaar is more agricultural, with very low pollution. Health is generally higher, and the average life expectancy is 5 years more than in northern Makaar.
Central Makaar is Hamblegroun and the surrounding towns and villages. It is more high-tech than Northern Makaar, as the government is beginning an anti-pollution project. The outlying towns and villages were included within the central area as part of the Constituencies and Districts Act 1999.
