Pommpistan
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| Flag of Pommpistan | |
| Motto: Pars initi quae iam dicta est (Latin: the bit of start which is already said) | |
| EP Map | |
| Region | The East Pacific |
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| Capital | Oroborus |
| Official Language(s) | English, French |
| Leader | Lieutenant-General Pommpie Malahos |
| Population | < 100 million |
| Currency | Pommpistani Quatloo (PQ) |
| NS Sunset XML | |
Pommpistan (or, more properly, the People's Republic of Pommpistan) is a small nation located in the East Pacific region of the world, directly to the south of the large nation of Packilvania. Pommpistan is bordered on the east by the East Pacific regions 99 and 101, and to the south by the small region 97. To the west, Pommpistan has direct access to the Indian Ocean. As a relatively recent nation which has undergone several years of internal strife and serious difficulties before finally emerging in its present form, Pommpistan has little history to speak of, but the area itself no doubt has its own stories to tell.
Pommpistan's capital and largest city is Oroborus, population 1.1 million. Other relatively large cities include Cartilegh and Prownton. 44% of Pommpistan's citizens live in urban areas.
Note for the reader: some of this information will necessarily be very dry, factual, and Social-Studies-textbook-like. This is because the Wiki page must serve as a reference as well as entertaining reading. If it's Pommpistan, and it's probably useful for somebody in a roleplay situation to know, it should probably be here.
Pommpistani History
To date, most of the history of Pommpistan is merely 'prehistory', however, as time goes by, this will no doubt change.
Pre-Confederation 'Pommpistan'
Before future leader and Head of State Pommpie Malahos unified the small area, Pommpistan was inhabited largely by tribes of innocent and unorganized peoples. While by no means primitive, they were disorganized and requently run over roughshod by the events of the world, without having so much of an iota of influence on the affairs of greater powers. This was by no means an unusual state, as there are only a finite number of governments in the world compared to a far greater number of people. The area that would be known as Pommpistan was merely yet another uncontrolled wasteland, of complete unimport.
A few leaders in the area, of course, tried to unify their neighbouring nomads into a concrete nation, but these people were generally crushed by their own ambitions. Pommpistan, as so many nomadic non-states were, was the very incarnation of freedom. Cities were ruled by a government of their own, but restrictions were usually light, and chaos could run rampant if the populace was even slightly out of sorts. Only the large city of Oroborus, the only Pommpistani city with a population of greater than one million, had any resemblance to an ordered society.
This state of affairs, in a dynamic and changing world, could not be a permenant one. Sooner or later, something would happen to bring a people who had always been linked by language and culture together into an actual government. And, eventually, it did.
The Pommpistani Conquest
The military in Pommpistan was every bit as disorganized as its populace. Large groups of population usually had a militia to protect them from overaggressive neighbours and often to double as a police force, but these militias were small and poorly equipped. There was no real military institution to speak of, and clashes between groups of Pommpistanis were noteworthy for the relatively small number of troops involved and the bloodlessness of the encounters, as most of the militiamen simply wanted to get back to their farms or other businesses.
The city of Oroborus, being the most organized of the Pommpistani population, also had the largest and most modern military. Although a true nationstate would have run through Oroborus as if it were merely a speed bump, by the standards of its un-unified neighbours it was a colossus. One of its rising officers was then-Colonel Pommpie Malahos, who despite his grandoise title commanded a group of men little larger than a regular platoon. However, Colonel Malahos was a world traveller (at least, by Pommpistani standards), having moved around the East Pacific on semi-official business and having seen several genuine militaries from as close as he could get. This, combined with some more formal military training and a natural knack, gave him a degree of insight into military affairs which his Pommpistani comrades could not, or more likely did not bother to match.
Just as importantly, Malahos was ambitious. He gazed upon the lands he would eventually control and he saw only discoordinated peoples, peoples in danger of extinction should the mighty power to their north suddenly launch an endeavour of expansion. Fortunately, the premier of Oroborus at the time was also an ambitious man, and when Malahos laid before him a plan to use the full strength of the Oroborian militia at last and take the lands surrounding them, there was no objection of any kind. Malahos was created a Lieutenant-General, and took his army of 5,000 men and women into the field.
Victory came easily. The coastal city of Oroborus was on many trade routes and did brisk business with ships passing through. As a result, it had access to financies much of Pommpistan did not have, and the army was relatively modern. Oroborus had Pommpistan's only air force, and its mere presence was intimidating even if its practical use was doubtful. Malahos's forces hardly had to fire a shot, and thanks to the assimilation of less loyal militia elements even grew, until they were hundreds of miles north of Oroborus, when one tribe tried to flee to the northern mountain fortresses (built by a coalition of the tribes several years ago). Thanks to good air reconaissance and superior vehicles for mountain travel, the Oroboran army beat their foes to the almost unoccupied fortresses, and when the only real opposition arrived to what they thought would be their salvation, they found the fortresses barred and held against them. The Oroboran army, now numbering 8,500, drove off an initial attack by the 2,000-strong resistance, which caused the almost immediate surrender, en masse, of the only domestic army which could possibly hope to stop Oroborus.
For the first time ever, within two years of setting out, Lieutenant-General Malahos had created the 'nation of Oroborus' and achieved exactly what he had tried to do. But he was not content.
Pommpistan Is Born
Malahos returned to a hero's welcome. The Premier of Oroborus, now the ruler of a significant country, presented Malahos with the highest honour the city had to offer, the High Cross of the West. All of the pomp and circumstance, though, did not distract Malahos from his goal. He confided to a friend that he saw the Premier as "a fool from the start" and said that "the only country he's fit to rule will be his coffin". For his part, the Premier, unwisely, did not see Malahos as a threat, believing that he would be content in his role as a hero who need never work another day in his life.
Two days after Malahos received the High Cross, the Premier's personal guards burst into his bedchamber while he slept and opened fire, killing him and his mistress. Elsewhere in the Premierial estate, his family, servants, and guards loyal to him were rounded up, sent to the wine cellar, and dispatched. Throughout the large city, the army came out of their barracks, hunting down known anti-Malahos elements and executing them. The proper Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Field Marshal Ernst Ortirl, had always been a Malahos supporter and in fact supported the coup, but was forced to take a considerable reduction in rank.
By the time the sun came up, Malahos's elements controlled the media and the entirety of the capital. The new nation had no national apparatus to speak of, and with most of the important posts held by soldiers who were loyal to Malahos anyway, there was no real work to be done outside of the capital. Malahos's success, and Marshal Ortirl's endorsement, had given him the loyalty of the vast majority of the military. The industrialists and much of the government liked Malahos because his efforts had brought them greater success. It was, in short, one of the simplest coups ever executed.
By two in the afternoon, thirteen hours after the coup had been launched, Malahos's control was complete. Broadcasting from the Premier's old chambers, he announced that the country would henseforth be known as "Pommpistan" and that he would control it as a personal dictatorship. Ortirl was made his deputy and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A Nation's Youth
because Pommpistan is very new, this section will necessarily be short
From the start, Malahos has tried to reach out to the larger East Pacific community. He has stated his belief in "multi-lateral solutions to international problems", and has said that he considers himself to be "a small man trying to help a larger community". Pommpistan has not ratified any formal alliances, but is a proud member of the region and of the United Nations.
Internal Facts and Policies
Pommpistan's social policies are seen by some as ruthless, autocratic, and stifling personal freedom at the expense of a nationalist attitude. However, Malahos would disagree with those people. Obviously.
Government
Pommpistan is, at heart, a dictatorship. The leader holds the title of Premier of Pommpistan, and is currently Lieutenant-General Pommpie Malahos. The Premier has ultimate decision making power over every detail of the state (although, of course, he usually delegates off much of this). The Cabinet is the main advisory and decision-making body to the Premier, and is appointed by the Premier for a two-year term. As a safeguard that Malahos put in the constitution in case his successors got funny ideas, a Minister cannot be dismissed until his two-year term is up. The major Pommpistani ministries, each represented in the cabinet, are:
- Premiership of Pommpistan: Pommpie Malahos
- Vice-Premiership of Pommpistan: Ernst Ostirl
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: minister Ernst Ostirl
- Ministry of Provincial Relations: minister Gregor Philir
- Ministry of the Interior: minister Pjorod Grant
- Ministry of Education: minister Jasor Markham
- Ministry of Environment and Health Care: minister Juan Pablo Mistinivich
- Ministry of National Defense: minister Pommpie Malahos
- Ministry of the Media: minister Vincent Rorgram
- Ministry of Industry and Commerce: minister Raina Perloshi
It should be noted, as clearly seen above, that a minister can occupy multiple positions in Cabinet. The nation's two top leaders, Malahos and Ostirl, also hold another major cabinet post. Some cabinet ministers also rule smaller, less important ministries that are not listed. The Cabinet meets on at least a weekly basis in the Premiership Building in Oroborus, with the exception of a one month summer vacation.
The Pommpistani government does have a democratic access in the form of its People's Constituencies. Pommpistan elects 100 representives from 50 consituencies across the country, who sit in the Chamber of the Commons in Oroborus. For the most part, the Constituencies have little real power, and can only advise the Cabinet, who in term advise the Premier. However, a 75% mandate from the Constituencies is required to change any aspect of the Constitution, which includes a number of limiting impacts on the Premier's power. The Constituencies also have jurisdiction over affairs of strictly local interest such as road construction.
There are three levels of judiciary in Pommpistan: local courts, provincial courts, and the Grand Court, which is the court of last resort. Local and provincial judges are appointed by those levels of government, while Grand Court justices are appointed for life by Cabinet on the recommendation of the Premier.
Local mayors and provincial commandants are elected by the populace in these regions, as are their parliaments in a way similar to the system in use in real-life Canada. However, the Premier reserves the right to replace any mayor or premier he finds unsuitable at any time with a candidate of his own selection.
Military Strength and Policy
The core of the Pommpistani army is the 10,000-man Pommpistani Elite Guard, made up entirely of troops hardened during the conquest of the country as a whole and during the minor struggles that inevitably resulted from Malahos's coup. These troops are the best trained and equipped of Pommpistan's land forces, and are full-time soldiers. At any given time, only 1,000 men are on leave, while the remaining 9,000 rotate in and out of garrisoning major areas (2,000 troops) and garrisoning the northern fortresses (7,000 troops). A small detachment, a few hundred strong, is usually assigned to the Premier for personal reasons, while others around the world guard Pommpistani embassies and consulates.
Pommpistan also boasts a "full-time" army of 25,000 men, a respectable total for their population. However, the term "full-time" is in this case misleading, as many of them are professional soldiers who are 'assigned' to help with farming and in state-owned factories, and the like. All receive comprehensive military training like that of a regular soldier in most armies, but leave time is more frequent than that in the Elite Guard. There are also 5,000 men assigned to the Navy and Air Force altogether, for a total of 45,000 professional soldiers of all ranks and divisions in a population of six million. Although the exact numbers are unclear, a competent intelligence service would be able to gain that information as a benchmark.
Pommpistan has universal military service, with every man between the ages of 18 and 45 being a member of the Pommpistani Militia. Militia training is two days a week, three hours per day, and is generally limited to simple subjects such as the operation of one type of automatic weapon, and basic battlefield discipline. This gives Pommpistan a large theoretical reserve to draw back on in case of invasion, and every member of the Militia at some point cuts their teeth in the northern fortresses or other important assignments.
Military Defenses
The core of Pommpistan's visible military defense plan are the northern fortresses, previously referred to several times, in the mountains. These fortresses should not be confused with a proper defensive line like the Maginot Line of 1930s-era France, as they are not that extensive. The objective for the fortresses is to provide a center for resistance to an invasion, and a safe place for the army to mass if needed. Every major pass through the northern mountains is guarded by one of these defensive fortresses, but it is possible to enter the country going around them (although difficult for a large invading force, mountains being what they are). This is most of use to smugglers, criminals, and others of ill repute.
For reasons that should be stupefyingly obvious, most of Pommpistan's military defenses are classified. It is known that there is a deep bunker under the Premiership building in Oroborus, presumably for the purpose of carrying out a desperate last-stand defense of the capital, but by the time it came to be of significant use the campaign probably would have deteriorated so far against Pommpistan that it wouldn't much matter.
Military Policy
Pommpistan's army is not an aggressive one. Its small size and proximity to a considerably superior power makes any significant offensive likely a futile one, and the emphasis placed on the northern fortress hints at a country merely trying to secure its own borders from attack rather than extend them...in any direction. To date, the Pommpistan military has never attempted a military invasion of any state.
Because of the fact that Pommpistan is immature, but potent, as a united nation economically, the emphasis in terms of military spending has been on the army, where the need for new equipment is less dire. The Navy, however, is clamouring for a large shipbuilding program, saying that it will both stimulate the economy, provide an entirely new domestic industry, and greatly increase the military potency of Pommpistan.
In a curious note, policing in Pommpistan is handled by the military...in a way. The Pommpistani national police force is referred to as the "Civil Militia" and is made up of full-time army officers trained in law enforcement. However, their responsibilities and powers as police officers are strikingly similar to that of a Canada-esque democracy. They carry standard police equipment, and not military gear and assault rifles. They also receive special uniforms to identify them as distinct from their real military brethren, and the only real difference between a 'regular' police officer in another country and a Civil Militiaman is that a Militiaman is as much a warrior as a cop.
Military Tradition
The uniform consists of, at the bottom, a long-sleeved green sweater, with gold rings denoting rank near the right wrist and pads at the bottom of the wrist. The more rings, the higher in position the officer in question is. On top of the sweater, the officer wears a sleeveless and featureless white tunic with a padded collar. Finally, the officer pulls on a small red tunic, with a number of gold buttons which are also a signal of rank (again, the more buttons, the higher-ranked the officer is, with buttons on the top brass being doubled up).
The remaining parts of the uniform are altogether simpler. A black leather belt goes around the waist in the standard way, with a gold buckle in the style of the sun on the Pommpistani flag. Black trousers cover the legs with a gold-coloured stripe going down the outside of each leg, and smart shiny boots top it all off. A grey cap is optional, but is usually only worn on parade and other similar functions.
The flagship of the Pommpistani navy is the destroyer PNV Premiership, which is one of the largest ships in the navy to date. The navy of the small nation is mostly intended to protect shipping routes from extra-governmental armed interference, and to put on a show when it goes abroad. The Premiership does not usually cruise into situations where combat may go down except when every ship is really needed, and when the Premier or Vice-Premier travels by sea, they occupy a special suite onboard the Premiership rather than have their own national yacht.
Social Spending
Pommpistan spends large sums of money on education, and offers free post-secondary schooling for those who pass the requirements. The requirements for a Pommpistani school, however, are notoriously high, and this has the effect of keeping enrollments down. However, those who do go generally agree that the education they receive is top-notch. The nation's most respected university is the National University of Cartilegh, and it has a science program that is extremely well-respected. However, for those who are not able to pass the rigorous academic requirements to enter a Pommpistani university, there is no recourse. In keeping with Pommpistan's oligarchal beliefs, Pommpistani universities have no room for those who are incapable scholastically.
Public health care in Pommpistan exists, but is in its infancy. There is still a great deal of debate in the Cabinet over where the national health program should go, and with only so many quatloos available to be allocated, it is likely to be a strenous debate. The construction of public hospitals is continuing, however, and doctors are slowly being trained up. As a result, if you get sick, there is a reasonable chance that it won't kill you.
By contrast, there is no sympathy whatsoever in the top ranks of Pommpistan for the poor and inpoverished. Pommpistan does maintain a foreign aid budget, but it is mostly to developing nations and not those which have foundered around the bottom of the tables for some time. The national welfare system is extremely restricted, and many unemployed Pommpistanis receive no government support of any kind. Minister of the Interior Pjerod Grant firmly believes that the welfare system is intended to keep good workers from dying until they get a job, and beyond that, they can rot. In one of Pommpistan's most controversial public policies, people on the street who seem to be on the verge of death are taken in by the Civil Militia and usually never seen again. This generally keeps the streets clear, but is a slightly unsettling policy to many.
Social Policies
Officially, Pommpistan believes that the individual must have a chance to make his way in life, but if he fails that he is to be treated as the lowest of the low. The welfare system (detailed above) is very restrictive, and is designed to even out sheer misfortune and not personal inabilities. Businesses receive bonuses for hiring only those with confirmed secondary education from a Pommpistani school or recognized foreign nation, making it very difficult for a drop-out to find work. The education system is strictly regimented, and, as in many authoritarian states, children are indoctrinated into the Pommpistani way of life (although the real education can be extremely difficult for some).
Pommpistan has an official "System for the Mentally Disadvantaged", run by the Ministry of the Interior, and something that raises the hackles of some foreign observers. Official Pommpistani policy believes that those who, through no fault of their own, have a genetic disability have the right to work. The System exists to allocate these workers around the country. Invariably, these jobs are extremely menial, but good enough for the worker to make an independant living. The Ministry has defended this measure by pointing out that, in several allegedly 'free' countries, these workers are discriminated against in the job market and drain society while giving nothing back. The administrators of the System are proud to boast that every disabled Pommpistani capable of working at something, is.
Note: please don't send me angry messages saying "YOU'RE HORRIBLE!" I'm trying to create a fictional country here, and when I was thinking about the sort of thing they might do, this popped into my head. If you think this is horrible, be grateful you're not living in my fictional Internet country.
By strictly enforced law, Pommpistan does not keep slaves or pursue slavery. This runs counter to their belief that the individual should have a chance to make his own way, so long as they help society while doing it.
Public disturbance is heavily controlled in Pommpistan. Those who would hold a demonstration must apply for a permit (which, when the group is not a known trouble-maker, is usually given), keep within a certain area, and behave with a certain decorum. The Civil Militia, and even the Army, can and do intervene with lethal force if a demonstration ever turns into a riot. This, combined with strict and effective government controls on the media, do a lot to keep down rioters and rabble-rousers.
There are two dozen television stations broadcasting around the country twenty-four hours a day, as well as several of local interest. All of these are controlled by the government Ministry of the Media, and this prevents critical words from getting out with great effectiveness. The upshot of this is that all networks in the country are entirely commercial-free, and a surprisingly high amount of government funding is dedicated to generating quality television programming. Although information that could be harmful to the government is obviously censored, Pommpistan actually allows surprisingly critical looks of the government on the news, for instance, an anti-government demonstration will sometimes be shown, and pundits on the news network can, with a large degree of freedom, argue against government policy. Foreign television is permitted in Pommpistan, but cannot be broadcast directly. It must be filtered through the Pommpistani media office, meaning that foreign broadcasts are usually rather shorter, shown on a dedicated Pommpistani network, and delayed by about twenty-four hours.
Radios, newspapers, and other forms of media follow a similiar model.
Alcohol, and several drugs including cocaine and heroin are entirely legal, and taxed, in Pommpistan. All domestic product is produced by government-owned firms, and the government does not permit foreign entities that are illegal in their own state to sell in Pommpistan. However, drugs for which the 'second-hand' effect is considered harmful such as smoking tobacco are banned.
Environmental controls in Pommpistan are not particularly strict, and the environmental agency is funded very poorly. Most systems for reduction of greenhouse emissions are voluntary, and only rules against dumping in drinking water are enforced with any degree of sincerity.
Freedom of religion is general, with only a few religions that run counter to the ideals of Pommpistan being banned. However, the nation is officially atheistic.
The Economy
For a small, young state, Pommpistan has a good economy with about a 20% taxation rate. Its presence on a major trade route along the Indian Ocean is a powerful economic force for it, and vacationers the world over frequently stop in Pommpistan to take advantage of Prownton's legalized gambling. Until Pommpistan joined the United Nations, prostitution was also legal, and even today laws against it are not enforced and several "extra-governmental agencies" oversee the prostitution trade. As a result, tourism and especially gambling does extremely well in Pommpistan, and is a major source of revenue.
Apparently because gambling isn't controversial enough, Pommpistan's arms industry is also considerable. Many of the arms produced in Pommpistani factories are officially intended for export (because how many guns does a nation of six million need?), but exports are controlled by the government to nations not seen as posing a threat to Pommpistani interests, or to allies. The majority of Pommpistani guns are not of high military design anyway, and aside from some respected artillery pieces, almost all exported Pommpistani weapons are best suited for the casual sportsman or firearms enthusiast.
Pommpistan officially supports free trade.
Foreign Affairs
Pommpistan is too new to really have them. It is, however, a voting member of the United Nations.
Geography
The nation of Pommpistan is located in the East Pacific region, and tries to be as active in the region as possible. Pommpistan's dominant northern nation is mighty Packilvania, stronger than little Pommpistan by orders of magnitude. Her other neighbours are less imposing, with several miles of uncontrolled region dominating the eastern landscape. Pommpistan's nearest neighbour to the east is the small, Packilvanian island of Hoophoopland, while the Tyrsis Imperium and the Seekers of G-d dominate the near southeast. To the west is the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, which one may hop across in relative coastal safety to arrive at the impressive port nation of Govindia. The west is Pommpistan's major sea access, although it also controls an extremely small sliver of southern coast between Region 97 and Region 101. The nearest southern neighbours are the Free Pacific States.
Pommpistan's geography and position can be compared to real-life Burma, of which Pommpistan occupies the most of southern third. Like Burma, Pommpistan is quite mountainous throughout its entire inland area, although some flat terrain around the major Pommpistani river allows the nation to maintain a passable agricultural sector. Premier Malahos has often grinned at taking over "a bumpy little piece of rock", but the defensive advantages of a mountain nation are obvious, and the nearest considerable chunk of flat land is halfway across the continent, so Pommpistan had best get comfy.
