Difference between revisions of "New Genoa"

Revision as of 20:59, 13 February 2005

New Genoa

Flag of New Genoa
Motto: Uh-oh... it's seeping in!
New Genoa
Region	The Allied Powers
Capital	New Genoa
Official Language(s)	English, Italian
Leader	President Derek Jackson
Population	3.5+ billion
Currency	Allied Credit
NS Sunset XML

The Free Republic of New Genoa is a modern representative democratic republic, based on three large islands and a series of smaller ones. The nation is densely populated by several billion people of a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

New Genoa is notable for its incredibly lax social laws, including legalized recreational drugs, prostitution, and gambling. While the government of New Genoa tends to be a pacifist non-interventionist, it has engaged itself in several economically and psychologically crippling wars, the most notorious being the New Genoese involvement in the Coalition War that led to an enormous loss of life. Traditionally a regulated capitalist nation, initiatives by neo-liberal president Derek Jackson have changed the nation's economic standpoint to a more free-market capitalist (benefitting many New Genoans by cutting the ridiculously high income tax instituted by former Liberals, although many regulations have yet to be abolished.

New Genoa is a member nation of several political and economic organizations. It is the founder and long-time member of the Allied Powers Treaty Organization, a regional alliance. New Genoa also founded the now defunct NAIA, which dealt with combating needless imperialism. And once again, New Genoa founded the Human Rights Council, a highly under-funded and inefficient (to date) effort to document the myriad of crimes against sentient beings. New Genoa was also a weak member of the United Alliance of Progressive States. New Genoa is sternly against weapons of mass destruction, as indicated by its refusal to develop any nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons and its signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. And lastly, New Genoa is a signatory of the Knootian International Stabilisation Treaty, originally under the Fair trade clause, a status that has been changed to the Free trade clause as proposed by current President Jackson.

Current Issues

Geography

Topography

New Genoa consists of three large islands: New Genoa Island, Genoa Island, and Blaine Island [see map]. New Genoa Island is the central, enormous island where most cities and people live. To the north of New Genoa Island are the Northern Mountains, and to the east is the gigantic Lake Genoa. Temperatures are usually warm to temperate. The coastline of New Genoa Island is under sea level while the interior is mostly above sea level. To the northeast of New Genoa Island is Genoa Island, a significantly smaller island equally split between New Genoa and New Sardinia. New Genoa owns the western portion while New Sardinia owns the eastern portion of the island. Accompanying the center of this island is the dense Flemcon Rainforest. Most of Genoa Island's land is coastal lowlands, with most land under sea level. To the very north of New Genoa Island is Blaine Island (named after Thomas Blaine). Blaine Island is a mostly flat island under sea level with temperatures similar to New Genoa Island.

Most of New Genoa's population is based around its cities, most of which are situated along the coastline. Many suburban towns dot the interior of the islands. The most densely populated areas, however, are located in south New Genoa Island, clustering around the capital city of New Genoa. The most important cities, in order, are as follows:

• New Genoa [capital]
• Blue City [poorest city]
• Southport [richest city]
• New Rome [tourist center]
• New Venice [tourist center]

Concerning natural resources, New Genoa doesn't have an ample supply of any particular resource. There are smatterings of gold, silver, zinc, copper, and timber. New Genoa does have a supply of exotic woods gathered from Flemcon Forest. Uranium is also mined in areas of the Northern Mountains.

The distribution of the land is as follows:

• Arable land: 27.82%
• Permanent crops: 0.58%
• Other: 71.6%

Government

Structure

Politics

Culture

Race and ethnicity

Religion

History

Ancient New Genoa Island (called Ethericos by its inhabitants) was populated by a myriad of quarreling tribes, divided into six culture sets: the Eastern Tribes of Ethericos, the Western Tribes of Ethericos, the Lake Peoples of Ethericos, the Kallite state of Ethericos, the Tropic Tribes of Genoa Island, and the Blainon peoples of Blaine Island. Out of these many cultures, the Kallite state was the only true nation to emerge and form a civilized and highly developed nation. The Kallite state existed from about 200 BCE until its destruction in 1519 CE by Italian explorers, namely the Genoans. Around 4 CE, the Romans reached Ethericos, colonizing the area around Lake Genoa as Roma Nova, founding the city bearing the same name (a near replica of Rome itself). Roma Nova existed as officially as a Roman colony until 421 CE, but in reality, it had gained complete autonomy by the 100s CE. At first, the Kallites were eager to exchange ideas with the Romans, but soon relations soured and many wars were fought, weakening both sides. The Romans didn't officially fall until the arrival of the Pacificans, but remained as weak state after the Italian arrival.

Once Italian explorers from the various small city-states of Italy arrived in New Genoa, headed by Alfonso Lombardi, and defeated the Kallites, various colonies along the coastline were established. By the 1600s CE, several hundred colonies (many city-states owned multiple territories) were scattered along a now densely populated coastline, the most populated around the city of New Genoa, which served as the former capital of Kallium, Kallium [city]. By the 1650s CE, many of these colonies had declared independence formally or informally as their mother nations struggled to maintain contact with their colonies. By the time the Pacificans arrived to colonize New Genoa, most colonies were operating as independent states. The result, however, of Italian colonization led to the introduction of Italian culture, language, and diseases that mixed with the tribal and Kallite peoples of ancient Ethericos. The arrival of the Italians also introduced a branch of Christianity, Catholicism, to Ethericos.

The next era in New Genoese history was marked by the arrival of peoples from a former English colony based on an island chain in the Pacific (mainly, though, on the island of Pacifica). These people, known as the Pacificans, had forged an incredibly large empire, and by 1712 CE, led by a man named Bruce Wallace, the Pacificans attacked and colonized all of modern-day New Genoa. Their reign led to the introduction and adoption of the English culture and language, a language used by all New Genoans. Their arrival also marked the beginning of Protestant dominance as a main religion. By 1725 CE, the colonization had been completed after a series of brutal wars with the Italian lords.

For 142 years, many colonists from Pacifica came to New Genoa, increasing the population to well over forty million. However, since New Genoa remained a colony, not a province, of the Pacifican Empire, colonists were had less rights than Pacifican citizens. This, compiled with a revolutionary fervor incited by two men named Clyde Vaughn and Charles Dahlm, led to the New Genoese War of Independence that lasted from 1867-1870. Independence was granted by the Treaty of Pacifica, marking the war's end.

Originally, the former colony divided itself into four different republics: the Free Republic of New Genoa in the south and Genoa Island, the Kingdom of New San Marino in the west, the Republic of New Rome around Lake Genoa, and the Federal State of Blaine on Blaine Island. The division didn't last long. By the early 1890s, talk of unification was widespread, and an official constitution was drafted on January 11, 1899. It was finally ratified on May 1, 1899. From this time until January 1, 1900, the new nation of New Genoa was governed by Congress, until polls closed sometime in November and conservative Neil Hanson was elected as New Genoa's first president.

Terms lasted for four years, and presidential elections were held as such (modeled after the United States except that presidents were chosen by a popular vote). However, by 1936, a nationalist (more so fascist party) had gained popularity with a little over half of New Genoans under the banner of the Freedom Party. A man named Di Dame was elected and on January 2, 1939, Conservative leader Harold Venn was assassinated by Dame, due to his dropping approval ratings. On February 15, 1939, elections were outlawed and congressional sessions suspended (and many anti-Dame senators and representatives killed), thus beginning the New Genoese Civil War. On February 22, 1939, the first revolts in the city of Southport were crushed by Army Troopers. However, this defeat fueled even more dissent, leading to the formation of the People's Army of New Genoa, the PANG, during March, 1939 by Daniel Vanne. From March, 1939 until October, 1940, civil war raged, resulting in the deaths of thousands of New Genoans. On October 11, 1940, Di Dame was assassinated and six days later, the Freedom Party surrendered. Congress resumed on October 28, 1940 (under a temporary Congress) and from that time until November 30 of the same year, the nation was governed by Congress. Presidential and congressional elections were held on November 7, 1940 and Daniel Vanne took the oath of office as president on November 30, 1940.

After Vanne took office, the rebuilding era began, and continued for about twenty years. It was by this time that New Genoa had entered its modern era, a new golden age. New contacts were established. The nation was shaped into what it is today during this period of time. Wars, many minor with the exception of Coalition War, were fought. The APTO was founded during this time period, and New Genoa remained its delegate for quite some time until it stepped down in early 2004.

For more information:

• Ancient Ethericos: overview of the tribes and culture of the ancient Ethericans
• Kallium: overview of New Genoa's first empire
• Italian Era: overview of the era of Italian colonization
• Pacifican Era: overview of the Pacifican colonization and independence war
• Four Republics Era: overview of the short era of New Genoese history, dealing with the four nations
• Fascist Era: deals with the rise of the Freedom Party and the New Genoese Civil War that followed