Difference between revisions of "Praetonia"

Revision as of 10:10, 12 February 2006

The Democratic Imperium of Praetonia
& Commonwealth Realms

Flag and Coat of Arms of the Democratic Imperium
Motto: Vox Populi, vox Dei
Spoken Languages  - De-facto	Latin, English, Composite Praetonian
Capital	Praeton
Monarch	Rex et Imperator Sarius I
Prime Minister	Sir Tiberius Polax
Area  - Total  - % water	10,374,236 km² 17.23% water
Population  - Total (2005)	3,905,000,000 (Haven: 18th)
Establishment  - Current Form  - Original	17th March 1761 Antiquity
Government Type	Westminster System
Constitutional Form	Constitutional Monarchy
National animal  - Official (Parliamentary)  - Alternative (Royal)	Praetonian Field Cat Lion
GDP (2005)   - Total (USD)   - GDP/capita (USD)	$175,070,738,114,472 (Haven: 9th) $44,832.46 (Haven: 3rd)
GDP Growth Rate:	5.25% per annum
Unemployment:	2.55% (Haven 4th)
Currency	1 Praefeli (Pr) = 20 Shillings (s) = 5 Denarii (d)
International Abbreviations	IMP, IP
Naval Craft Classification   - Imperial Navy   - Imperial Merchant Navy   - Royal Naval Flotilla	PWS IMS RNS
National Anthem	For Thee, Oh Pleasant Land
Internet TLD	.ip
Calling Code	+45

The Democratic Imperium of Praetonia is a country located off the North-East coast of the central Haven continent. It is surrounded by the Vascian Gulf - a sea which encompasses Praetonian territorial waters and Her Economic Exclusion Zone. The sea contains numerous small islands claimed as Crown Dependancies, many of them housing small naval and INSFC bases.

Praetonia has no land borders and proposals to build a tunnel to nearby Feline have been consistently debunked due to national security concerns. Mainland Haven has proved unstable in recent years, but Praetonia has managed to avoid any unwanted involvement in these conflicts due to Her naval power and island status.

Praetonia has several colonies in a state of nominal union known as Commonwealth Realms. They pay no taxes to Praetonia except in times of war, but maintain very strong cultural and private economic links with mainland Praetonia, whose Government has ultimate power over all the local Parliaments. Praetonia also has strong economic and diplomatic ties with Sarzonia, Questers, Skinny87 and Scandavian States, as well as numberous others through the Woodstock Pact.

History

Main article: History of Praetonia

Praetonia has been a nation since far back into antiquity and its origins are largely unknown. Records first emerged of a Feudal state which initially progressed rapidly, bringing all areas of Praetonia - even those outside the restrictive mountains surrounding the Praeton Peninsular - under a single central Government in Praeton by means of wholesale decentralisation of non-vital powers. This state produced a large intellectual class of poets, artisans and engineers.

The later Kingdom, however, began to stagnate and it is estimated that by 1200AD food production was at a lower level than it was in 920AD. The Fuedal Monarch's grip on power as also beginning to slip as the country became more and more divided, and the Praeton Peninsular more and more isolated once again. The nation could well have collapsed entirely, had explorers not arrived from foreign lands. These explorers attempted to colonise Praetonia, resulting in a series of pitched battles where Praetonian heavy cavalry and pikemen successfully pushed back foreign troops equipped with firearms through a serious of skilled strategic manouvers.

This period sparked a revival of the Praetonian national spirit and hearalded a short lived golden age in which the economy and prosperity of the nation as a whole improved greatly. This was followed by a swift collapse brought about by a series of bad harvests and inflated goods prices. This, combined with democratic ideas brought into the nation by foreign traders, sparked a civil war which ripped the nation apart and divided families between the Feudal Monarchy and Parliament.

The King was eventually defeated and Praeton largely burnt to the ground. During the course of the civil war, the outlying regions of Praetonia industrialised rapidly to produce copies of foreign firearms and cannon. In the wake of the civil war a small council of wealthy Patricians and Feudal Princes took control of the Government for a brief period. The Partricians then turned the peasants against the Princes and they and their families were wiped out.

The King was invited back to rule under Parliament's gaze and the nation entered its second golden age, lasting until the 1720s, at which point the nation started to decline as manufacturing was hit by a major recession which then became a depression. Protestors marched on Praeton and many were killed as troops fired into the grounds and cavalry were brought into action on 2 occassions to prevent Parliament being stormed.

In 1748, the King was expelled from Praeton a second time and nearly killed by Republican terrorists who threw a bomb at his carriage. The King escaped alive and the Partician Horseguards turned on Parliament, killing several Republican MPs. The army joined them and Praetonia was soon under the control of a military dictatorship. This ended in 1761 when the King, invited back to Praeton to rule over the nation in name, but under the Particians in reality. The King galvanised the army against the Horseguards and decimated their ranks. For 7 days, Praetonia was ruled under Absolute Monarchy before the King reinstated Parliament and agreed to rule in accordance with pre-1720 arrangements.

This has been viewed by many as the 'Second Civil War', although it is far more complex than that, and was the essential birthplace of modern Praetonia as a strong state with a small, professional and highly loyal standing army guarding over constitutional norms. Over the next few hundred years, Praetonia became heavily industrialised and remained fairly stable. The country grew in size and economic strength whilst remaining politically stable.

In the early 20th Century, a Socialist Government won the elections and stayed in power for several decades, abolishing the Monarchy and spending massive sums on welfare. This Government later destabilised and collapsed, and was replaced by the Liberal Imperialist Party, which gradually became more and more Capitalist, until it too collapsed relatively recently, making way for a stringently Capitalist Liberal-Tory Government. Praetonia is currently considered a leading player on the world stage.

Government and Politics

All power is theoretically vested in the Monarch, but in reality Cabinet and the Prime Minister, appointed by the King, governs the country. The Monarch plays a role in Praetonian society and is widely respected by the public, but he has little direct power - relying instead upon his influence and contacts to nudge the course of Praetonian politics in his prefered direction. The current King of Praetonia is Sarius I.

Appointed by the Corwn, the Prime Minister in turn appoints Cabinet. Each Cabinet Minister controls a Government department, and have the most direct power of any other postion in Praetonian politics. The current Prime Minister, Sir Tiberius Polax, served as Foreign Secretary under the Liberal Imperialist Government of Prime Minister Lucius Agrippa before leading an LIP splinter to form the Liberal-Tory Party, which is currently in power with a 72% majority.

The House of Commons is the only body in Praetonian politics capable of passing laws, but these must then be studied and granted assent by the House of Lords and the Crown. Backbench MPs and Lords have little direct power, but can wield a great deal of indirect power by influencing the content Government bills as a group. Cabinet and the Crown are not capable of forcing legislation through against the will of Parliament, but the promise of Cabinet posts and the threat of denying them is usually used as a way of keeping MPs in line. MPs can also be dropped from their party ticket, drastically reducing their chances of being re-elected, but this almsot never happens. Lords cannot be removed except by Court Order as a result of successful criminal prosecution.

The Courts are fully independent, and as there is no written Constitution, judges' personal views rarely have any relevence in cases, although the Courts have been known to strike down authoritarian legislation found to be in contravension of the Royal Supremacy and Praetonian Liberties Act, 1861, which is presumed to take precedence over any subsequent law unless that law directly states otherwise.

Political Parties

Economy

See also

• Haven
• Phalanx MBT

External links

• The Imperial Praetonian Navy