New Amargosa
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| Flag of New Amargosa | |
| Motto: Discover Greatness in Yourself | |
| Map Pending | |
| Region | Europe |
|---|---|
| Capital | Atrus City |
| Official Language(s) | D'ni, English, Spanish |
| Leader | Prefect VEOVIS II of the Surface |
| Population | 150 - 250 million |
| Currency | New Amargosan Credit |
| NS Sunset XML | |
Contents
General Information
For a brief description of New Amargosa please visit New Amargosa on NationStates.
New Amargosa is a member of the United Nations.
History
During a expedition many years ago to the ruined D'ni cavern, a group of 400 survivors had been located on an Age called Amargosa, linked to by a Book found in a secluded area on Ae'gura island. The expeditioners, having previously learned the D'ni language, planned with the survivors to make a new community where surface-dwellers and D'ni could co-exist, and the Art of Writing Ages could be passed on to a new generation.
The group settled in a small area of Europe and established their new home: The City-State of Atrus City. The new city grew at a rapid rate after the Cyan Worlds, Inc. released the game Myst and its predecessors. The games raised public awareness of D'ni culture and waves of immigrants flooded Atrus City. Eventually, it became so large that new residents were forced to found new cities near the original. As the colonial cities continued to grow at a steady rate, the council of Atrus city decided to unite them under a single government for their own mutual benefit. As a result, the City-State of Atrus City along with its daughter cities became the Socialist Commonwealth of New Amargosa on Saturday, June 6, 2005 (Leebro 7, 9661 DE).
Major Cities
Atrus City
Atrus City was founded almost 200 years ago after the D'ni expedition and survivors settled there. It existed as an independent city-state during most of its formative years. A position on the southern coast of the Western Continent of Europe off the Implarian Sea contributed to the city's reputation as a bustling port. The city main industries were imports/exports, information technology, and textiles, however a relatively large group of basket-weaving artisans developed the city into a world-reknowned center for basket art, creating different and uniquely shaped baskets.
When the Socialist Commonwealth was founded Atrus City became the capital, creating a surge of growth due to new federal and guild jobs suddenly appearing. Much of the former industrial sector was converted into guild headquarters and government buildings. However, only the dirtiest and most minor industrial complexes were removed. The majority of the citizens welcomed the change.
Ae'gura Nee
Taygana
Eder Shorath
Widely considered one of the most beautiful resort cities in Europe, Eder Shorath is a medium-sized city with a lot of class and culture.
A planned city, Eder Shorath has a very regular infrastructure. Main streets radiate out from the rounded central bay, with minor streets intersecting, running parallel to the coast of the bay. Most of the commercial zones and resorts are located close to the coast, while the residents live up in the hills surroundng the rest of the city.
Eder Shorath is famous for its clubs, discos, and parties that last into the early morning. Due to the New Amargosan government's socially libertarian traditions, certain soft drugs such as cannibis are allowed to be used in specially designated clubs that are restricted to those twenty years old or older. There are also family friendly resorts where young children can also enjoy themselves along with their parents away from the loud music and drugs of the clubs and discos.
The city is located at the southernmost area of New Amargosa. This area is rich in biodiversity and is protected by the federal government. Strict building codes and pollution quotas are imposed on most businesses and resorts in order to protect the unspoilt land that surrounds Eder Shroath. The city also sports a prestegeous university that specializes in environmental sciences.
Government Structure
Guilds
The New Amargosan government revolves around unique institutions called guilds. A guild is a vocational organization that is similar to a cross between a political party and a labor union. Each kind of career or vocation belongs to a guild, so that everyone with a job is represented in a guild. Unemployed people are still permitted and encouraged to register with a guild so that they can vote and participate in the political process. The following is a list of the guilds of New Amargosa:
- Guild of Analysts
- Guild of Archivists
- Guild of Book Makers
- Guild of Cartographers
- Guild of Caterers
- Guild of Chemists
- Guild of Engineers
- Guild of Healers
- Guild of Ink Makers
- Guild of Legislators
- Guild of Linguists
- Guild of Maintainers
- Guild of Mechanists
- Guild of Messengers
- Guild of Miners
- Guild of Surveyors
- Guild of Writers
- Guild of Actors
- Guild of Architecture
- Guild of Artists
- Guild of Bankers
- Guild of Educators
- Guild of Musicians
New Amargosan Charter
The supreme governing document of New Amargosa is called the New Amargosan Charter. It was originally drafted in order to unite Atrus City and its daughter cities under one government. The Charter outlines a representative democracy based on the old D'ni government and the governments of surface nations such as the United States of America and various democratic socialist nations like the Second Spanish Republic. The Charter divides the government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
Legislative
The legislative branch of the New Amargosan government is called the Council of Grand Masters. The members of the council are called Grand Masters and are elected directly by the members of thier respective guild. The number of seats each guild has on the Council is relative to the amount of members in the guild. Since each citizen older that twenty years old is a member of a guild, every citizen is represented in the council.
Executive
The executive branch is known as the Prefecture, and is headed by the Prefect. The Prefect is elected by the Council of Grand Masters, although there is talk of reforming the system so that the Prefect is elected directly by the people.
The Grand Masters vote for which candidate would best represent the people of thier guild. Traditionally, the Grand Masters hold a referendum to determine the candidate to whom their votes would go, but this is not mandatory. However, only in very rare cases do the Grand Masters forgo the referendum, such as a vacancy in the Prefecture during a war or other national crisis. In this way, the Council acts as a sort of Electoral College.
The Prefect is the face of the New Amargosan government. More importantly, his or her job is to approve laws passed by the Council of Grand Masters. He or she is also the Commander in Chief of the military, and is in charge of appointing ambassadors and delegates to represent New Amargosa in the diplomatic scene.
The current Prefect is Veovis II of the Surface.
Judicial
The judicial sector is called the Tribunal of Elders. The Prefect chooses 25 candidates to run in the Tribunal elections. Each citizen can vote for ten out of the 25. The ten candidates that win the most votes become the new Tribunal and serve terms of twenty years.
The Tribunal acts as the Supreme Court of New Amargosa. They interpret the laws and decide which ones comply with the New Amargosan Charter and which do not. Their decisisons also set legal precedent, which can only be overturned by a later Tribunal.
The Flag
A nation's flag is one of its most important symbols, and the Flag of New Amargosa is no exception. In fact, the government allows the citizens of the nation to submit flag designs and then vote on them so that the flag can represent the people more effectively. As such, the Flag has gone through several changes.
The First Flag
The Original Flag of New Amargosa was designed by Herat of Alsendar'en, winner of the New Amargosan Flag Design Contest. The following description of the flag's symbolism comes from Herat himself:
- "My entry consists of a black D'ni letter 'ah' on a field of white. While this design may seem simple, it contains symbolism appropriate to our new nation. The white field represents the white of the pages of our Linking Books, which are the basis of our culture. The black letter 'ah' represents the D'ni written word, which allows us to communicate and gives us access to the Ages. The 'ah' represents the first letter in 'Amargosa'."
Some critics have expressed dissatisfaction with the original Flag. They complained that the Flag was too boring and that it favored the D'ni minority while leaving out the surface-dweller majority. The government then held a new contest to replace the flag.
The Second Flag
The Second Flag of New Amargosa was chosen because it seemed to be better designed in the spirit of a national flag. The main symbol of the flag is the stylized representation of Kerath's Arch, the most important landmark of D'ni which is replicated in Ae'gura Nee.
Commercial Organizations
The Guild of Messengers News Network
The Guild of Messengers News Network, or GMNN, is the official news service of New Amargosa and is headed by Guildsman Cethus (Messengers). Originally the local news station for the Atrus City Federal Discrict, the government approved legislation to elevate the station to national status and fund it with government grants on 11 Leesahn 9661. The GMNN now has affiliate stations in the cities of Ae'gura Nee and Taygana, effectively broadcasting news to every television in New Amargosa. Plans are currently underway to add a news ticker to the KI-NET in the near future.
In addition to promoting the network's expansion, the government grant also imposes restrictions on the method in which the news is delivered. Partisan bias will forfeit the grant immediately and incur fines from the government, so in order to maintain a standard of neutrality, the GMNN administration has developed strict rules its anchors and commentators must follow. Residents of Atrus City may find the new reporting style a bit contrived at first, but Guildsman Cethus is certain that the GMNN will still be able to deliver informative news while keeping a politically neutral position.
The KI Builder Group
The KI Builder Group is one of the largest commercial organizations in New Amargosa. The KBG specializes in making KI's: a small communication device with several unique properties. In addition to making KI's, the KBG makes holographic image projectors that can interface with handheld KI units. The KI-NET, a network of all handheld KI units, allows for instantaneous transmission over distances too great for real-time lightspeed communication. The KBG is headquartered in Taygana in the same location as the central nexus of the KI-NET.
Membership in International Organizations
The ASEN
New Amargosa applied for membership in the Association of Southern European Nations on 16 Leesahn 9661 DE. Upon entry into the association, Prefect Veovis II appointed Adam Me'tharis as New Amargosan ambassador to the ASEN. New Amargosa's first official action in the ASEN was to ensorse the Treaty of Paris, also known as the ASEN Charter. Ambassador Me'tharis intends to uphold the New Amargosan ideals of equality, progressivism, socialism, and environmental conservation in the Council of Southern Europe.
The Socialist Alliance
After New Amargosa's acceptance in to the Socialist Alliance (The Union), The Prefect appointed Guild Master Nemiya (Legislators) to represent New Amargosa. Her first action in the Union was to outline New Amargosa's ideals to the Summit held in Tranquility, Alamein.
Since New Amargosa is not militaristic, the nation hopes to rely on Union forces for protection, while opening up trade to Union members in return. The government hopes to benefit from membership in the Union through improved relations with fellow democratic socialsit nations.
The EECO
The Prefect of New Amargosa began the initiative for an organization dedicated to environmental protection in order to bring together nations that value their natural assets. As a result, the European Environmental Cooperation Organization (EECO) was officially formed on 24 Leesahn 9661. Soon afterwards, the Prefect appointed Guild Master Lesain (Maintainers) to represent New Amargosa and to lead the initial formative stages of the EECO. As soon as the EECO is underway, Guild Master Lesain has promised to relegate himself to the same level as the rest of the representatives.
