Pilon

{{Infobox X2 Nation | subject_name=[1] | flag= | motto=The greatest power lies in the genetic code. | map= | region=The Planet Mars | languages= Pilonese, English, Aquan| capital= Transhumana | leader= Headspeaker | leadername= [[Pilias Simber] | total area= 15,500,000 KM³ on Mars| water area= 99% | pop=7 Billion | density= 1,500/KM³ | GDP= ∏246,400,000,000,000 | Per Capita= ∏35,000 currency=Pi | domain= .ndlk }}

The People's Greater Hegemony of Pilon, referred to more often simply as Pilon, is a Virtual Democracy located primarily in the Northern Ocean, surrounding the Lyot Crater on Mars. In addition, Pilon has a number of smaller colonies and outposts spread throughout the solar system and beyond. Among Pilon's neighbors are Tiburon, R'yleh, The Snel, and the Neutral Northern Ocean Trade Waters.

The Martian territories are treated with total equality, with the colonies and outposts only receiving a larger amount of the total resources of Pilon due to a majority of the population residing on Mars. The citizens of Pilon are usually called Pilonese. The Nation is an economic powerhouse on Mars, conducting trade with as many other nations as possible not just on Mars, but with also with off world nations too. The Government of Pilon is heavily influenced by the corporations in Pilon, many of whom have joined together into powerful Megacorps.

The nation of Pilon was founded upon the principle of taking control of one's life and nature around them by embracing certain technologies including bio-engineering, bio-augmentation, and social engineering (highly developed with the full understanding of the Human psyche, late in the 21st century). The Secret Society that later became Pilon adopted these priciples forming a splinter group of Transhumanism in the early 21st century on Earth.

When space travel was developed the nation left the cradle to settle on the soon to be Terraformed Mars in the hopes of starting anew without the interference of an already existing biosphere. That experiment grew into what is now known commonly as the Eco-Jungle, a voracious underwater biosphere, with millions of competing species all precisely controlled and adjusted over time. Their work is unparalled in Human history.

In addition the pivotal piece of Pilonese technology is called the Nodelink, which is a collective knowledge base accessed through use of implanted Nodes or Node-Ports. The Nodelink gives a person access to the common knowledge of the people of Pilon, even allowing the sharing of thoughts, feelings, even providing a place for communication with not just other Pilonese, but also the Eco-Jungle around them. This connection to their environment gives the Pilonese people a unique perspective on the world, often an alien one to other cultures that is somewhat unnerving to those not used to their culture. In addition the liberal viewpoints on Sexuality, Nudity, Capitolism, and even Genetic Engineering make it very difficult for them to get along with some of their less liberal neighbors.

History

History of Pilon

Pilon was formed following a social movement within the inhabitants of the Burmese Highlands that pushed for a society that would focus on the advancement of technology towards the creation of a superior human being. This was an offshoot of the Transhumanist movement. Eventually, due to persecution from the conservatives who controlled the government and the religious elite of the Burmese Highlands, the Pilonese people left on a mass exodus eventually settling in the swampy lowlands, where they built a city, known as Pilon, named after the pilons that supported it.

As time passed the small settlement grew into an industrialized nation, taking advantage of the rich underwater resources in the area. This focus on underwater technology, and underwater habitation that quickly followed, transformed the society into an aquatic civilization.

The technologies that allowed Pilon to expand underwater were found to be easily adapted into spacefaring technologies and within 3 decades were sending colony ships out in search of new areas to settle. This entire time a single concept weighed most heavily upon the Pilonese people, the "Grand Experiment", which was a fully independant ecosphere developed by Pilonese scientists, without the interference of an already existant system. They found the perfect place for such an experiment on Mars, within the Lyot Crater.

The "Grand Experiment" continued on Mars and as it quickly became apparent that it was a success Pilon moved its capitol there, leaving a significant portion of its population on Earth. From that time on the focus was mostly on Mars and Martian affairs. As the population grew, the Earth population moved from its origanal site to Sisgardia where other technology focused nations were gathering, and settled in the ocean of that region.

With the invention of the Node, Pilon developed at an exponential rate. They quickly developed their technologies and rapidly advanced their knowledge. About this same point the primordial versions of the Eco-Jungle were first developed out of the "Grand Experiment" and Pilon began the process of conversion from their traditional technology to one that was completely based off of Biological Components grown instead of built.

During the Civil War the autocratic Council of the Wise was forced to concede power to the populace, transforming the government into the current Democratic Government. Also during this time certain destructive technologies were banned due to their use in the fighting, where a reported 250 Million people died.

Since that time Pilon has seen a steady increase in both international influence and economic power on Mars. Joining MFTA, MIDAS, and more recently the MDI and the Concordat. Pilon has small trade ports scattered throughout Mars and built the Hellas Tunnel which connects the Nothern Ocean to the Hellas Sea.

Government and Politics

Government of Pilon, Politics in Pilon
The GPH of Pilon is a Virtual Democracy, meaning it is a government where every citizen has a true voice in the passing of laws and debating of issues. Every sentient citizen in Pilon who is not currently a part of one of the other branches of government is part of the Legislative Branch, called the Assembly.

The other three branches of the government are:

The Executive Branch - Headed by a council of 7, appointed to their positions by the assembly. Generally these are some of the most wise or skilled people in all of Pilon. There is a precedent to maintain a balance of speakers, choosing a specialist in specific fields to replace the previous speaker however it is not a requirement for them to do so.

The Judicial Branch - A series of courts headed by the High Court which has 9 Supreme Judges residing over it. They make the final decisions on rulings. Judges are appointed to their positions by the Executive Branch.

The Directive Branch - The Arbitrators make up this branch of the government. Every branch of the military, corporation, and research project is given a single seat in this parliment. They debate and cast votes in a similar fashion to that of the Assembly, however once the votes are cast a directive based on the majority vote is issued which offers guidelines on specific courses of action that should be taken. In addition the Directive Branch carries to power to veto decisions made by other branches of government. Arbitrators vary in how they are appointed to their positions, ranging from picking out of a hat (general tactic used by research projects) to political positions vied for in corporate politics.

Although political parties exist in Pilon, laws have been passed to prevent them from extending political influence over more than specific issue, and membership is allowed in multiple parties. Due to these restrictions political parties are much less influential in Pilonese Politics than in most other Democratic Governments.

Geography

Geography of Pilon

A majority of Pilon's territorial claims are on Mars, Mars B, and Nertheril. The GPH also has small colonies in the Asteroid Belt, the Kuiper Belt, and the Oort Cloud, as well as an orbital research station in orbit over Mercury. A splinter colony of Pilonese also live on the Sisgardian Craftworld, Omeldor-1. All of Pilon's major holdings are underwater. The Pilonese have lived in an aquatic environment for most of their history and feel as comfortable in that environment as most feel above water.

Most of Pilon's territory is tropical in climate, making the arcologies extremely humid and wet.

Economy

Economy of Pilon Pilon has an extremely prosperous Free Market style economy, with a per capita GDP that is one of the highest on Mars. In the recent years Pilon has seen a slight economic decline due to a series of economically damaging events namely the Volaria Incident.

The Pilonese Pi has seen a steady increase in value over the years. The Economic scene is dominated by a couple of megacorps that control vast swaths of Pilonese capital and nifrastructure including the military.

Before this most recent decline the economy has seen a steady increase for the 150 years. Unemployment is still low, hovering around 3%. The largest sectors in the Pilonese econonmy include Gambling, Defence, Automobile Manufacturing, Book Publishing, and Food.

Culture

Culture of Pilon

The primary basis of Pilonese culture is the pursuit of pleasure in its many forms. They have been described by many other nations as a decadent culture that is more interested in satisfying "carnal pleasures" then in fighting with othes, and most of their international policy is centered around pleasure in one sense or another.

Pilonese cuisine is characterized by its extreme diversity. The variety ranges from rare aquatic fish and other creatures to more traditional hydroponic foods grown in giant food farms spread through Pilonese territory. Approximately 20% of Pilon's territory is dedicated to food products. In addition to its wide variety, Pilon is also one of the major suppliers of spices both unique to Pilon and commonly used in cooking throughout Mars.

One of the better known cultural traditions in Pilon is the practice of nudity. Recent liberal movements have rid Pilon of the restrictive laws that required nudity within Pilon, mostly to better suit the international community. Now though it is still widely accepted to be nude a thriving textiles industry based on silk and other comfortable clothes.

Pilonese literature|Pilon's literature]] is now mostly written in digital form that is trasmitted via the Nodelink, however prior to the implementation of the Nodes, Pilon had a large writing tradition, producing a wide variety of books in almost every Genre. Most of the novels written center around questions involving aspects of society, new technological advances or even alternate history texts exploring how history might have been. These are all widely popular and read throughout Pilon, even traded to other nations where there is sufficient demand.

Pilon's music tends to be primarily instrumental, usually emulating the sounds produced in nature. When vocals are used, they tend to be accompaniment to the instruments and not the primary focus in the song. Though no longer widely in use, movies mostly tended to bring to life popular novels or plays not just in Pilon, but anything thought to be a good story, going all the way back to historical sources in Earth history.

The nightlife of Pilon is almost as active as the regular "business day" as when their regular labor time for the day is put in, most Pilonese head out to enjoy themselves. The evening meal is only rarely shared at home, they prefer to go out into the social atmosphere and be with their friends and family. Another huge aspect of Pilon's nightlife is their love of games of chance, spreading the practice of gambling throughout Pilon. Most large Pilonese facilities sport a large casino which serves as the center of entertainment for its customers.

Pilonese Sexuality

Pilonese Sexuality is understood to be a natural part of life and is not only accepted but is embraced by its people. Due to this attitude many forms of sexuality generally seen to be out of the norm by other cultures are mainstream and widely practiced.

Demographics

International Rankings

Copied directly from nation. Repeated rankings will be copied over last entries.

(October 3, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 164th in the world for Largest Timber Woodchipping Industry.

(March 3, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 274th in the world for Largest Mining Sector.

(October 6, 2005) Pilon is ranked 17th in the region and 109,266th in the world for Most Compassionate Citizens.

(October 24, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 1,037th in the world for Healthiest Nations.

(October 10, 2005) Pilon is ranked 16th in the region and 63,366th in the world for Most Politically Free Nations.

(December 14, 2005) Pilon is ranked 7th in the region and 1,301st in the world for Rudest Citizens.

(October 30, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 170th in the world for Largest Basket Weaving Sector.

(November 4, 2005) Pilon is ranked 18th in the region and 110,536th in the world for Best Weather.

(October 17, 2005) Pilon is ranked 4th in the region and 368th in the world for Most Eco-Friendly Governments.

(October 18, 2005) Pilon is ranked 4th in the region and 828th in the world for Most Subsidized Industry.

(October 19, 2005) Pilon is ranked 23rd in the region and 110,333rd in the world for Stupidest Citizens.

(March 8, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 225th in the world for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector.

(October 21, 2005) Pilon is ranked 3rd in the region and 778th in the world for Fastest-Growing Economies.

(November 23, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 165th in the world for Largest Soda Pop Sector.

(February 22, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 124th in the world for Largest Information Technology Sector.

(November 28, 2005) Pilon is ranked 10th in the region and 18,739th in the world for Safest Nations.

(October 27, 2005) Pilon is ranked 7th in the region and 11,778th in the world for Highest Police Ratios.

(October 28, 2005) Pilon is ranked 8th in the region and 2,496th in the world for Largest Agricultural Sector.

(January 5, 2005) Pilon is ranked 21st in the region and 109,970th in the world for Most Devout Nations.

(November 26, 2005) Pilon is ranked 11th in the region and 14,577th in the world for Greatest Rich-Poor Divides.

(November 2, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 121st in the world for Most Rebellious Youth.

(November 3, 2005) Pilon is ranked 19th in the region and 110,425th in the world for Most Politically Apathetic Citizens.

(November 7, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 525th in the world for Largest Nations.

(November 14, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 5,236th in the world for Most Comprehensive Public Healthcare.

(November 18, 2005) Pilon is ranked 8th in the region and 21,745th in the world for Most Liberal Nations.

(January 19, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 199th in the world for Largest Retail Sector.

(November 21, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 490th in the world for Most Cultured.

(February 20, 2006) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 449th in the world for Largest Defense Forces (per capita).

(September 16, 2004) Pilon is ranked 6,043 in the world for Environmental Spending.

(February 10, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 165th in the world for Largest Pizza Delivery Sector.

(May 18, 2004) Pilon is ranked 50,121 in the world for Nudest country.

(February 1, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 75th in the world for Largest Trout Fishing Sector.

(February 7, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 89th in the world for Largest Furniture Restoration Industry.

(December 15, 2005) Pilon is ranked 10th in the region and 50,887th in the world for Most Corrupt Governments.

(December 19, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 121st in the world for Largest Cheese Export Sector.

(January 24, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 697th in the world for Largest Public Sector.

(January 3, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 34th in the world for Largest Gambling Industries.

(January 30, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 28th in the world for Largest Publishing Industry.

(January 27, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 129th in the world for Largest Insurance Industry.

(January 23, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 201st in the world for Largest Arms Manufacturing Sector.

(February 2, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 1,404th in the world for Largest Welfare Programs (per capita).

(February 22, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 180th in the world for Largest Retail Sector.

Links

Pilon's Blog