Soveriegn States

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Soveriegn States
soveriegn_states.jpg
Flag of Soveriegn States
Motto: "A Free People Know No Limits"
[1]
Region Excalbian Isles
Capital Jefferson
Official Language(s) English
Leader President Thomas Caine
Population Over 3 billion
Currency The Gold Sov (γ§) 
NS Sunset XML


The Confederation of Sovereign States is a technologically advanced nation located in the Excalbian Isles. A decentralised liberal democracy, the Confederation follows a generally libertarian policy that favors free enterprise, limited government and a high degree of personal freedom. The C.S.S. is a federal union composed of six sovereign states that have a great deal of autonomy from the central government, notwithstanding the controversy surrounding the recent Saxmere secession crisis. While the Confederation's economy is booming, its government - especially its internal security and defence apparatus - is somewhat underdeveloped.

Geography

Location and Climate

The Excalbian Isles rise from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the Northern Atlantic, southwest of Iceland and southeast of Greenland. The location of the islands ensure mild summers with long days and cool winters with long, dark nights. The flow of the ocean currents, however, keeps the island far milder than Greenland, located to the northwest.

Environment and Topography

The main island – known as Excalbia – is roughly the size of France, Germany, Switzerland and the Low Countries, making it one of the largest islands in the world. The Borodea Mountains split the island from north to south along the path of Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Highlands and foothills extend from the range to the west across much of the island. To the north of the highlands are plains and tundra; to the south are grasslands and forests. East of the mountain range, the terrain drops rapidly to foothills, pine forests and rugged coastline.

The Confederation lies east of the Borodea Mountains and is composed of mountains in the west, a rugged coastline in the east and grasslands in the south. Large tracks of forest have been lost in the last hundred years as more land has been converted to agricultural use and as mining has expanded in the western mountains. Environmental legislation is nearly non-existent at the national level, although some states - particularly Saxmere and Deandra - have enacted some environmental legislation.

People and Culture

Early Settlement and Ethnicity

The Excalbian Isles were first settled by the Celts around the 6th century. By the early 10th century, they formed a number of stable, agrarian tribal groups, located mostly in the Southwestern grasslands and along the rugged Eastern coast.

In the late 10th century, a second wave of settlers – Norsemen – arrived from their colonies in Iceland and Greenland. While the earlier arrivals, now known as the Lowlanders, remained along the coast and in the grasslands, the Norsemen migrated into the highlands.

The 17th century brought a third wave of settlers beginning with Dutch whalers, who settled along the largely deserted Northern coast. Dutch merchants later established trading outposts along the Southern and Eastern coasts, while Anglo-American traders and missionaries settled in the Southwest. A mixed group of escaped African slaves and freedman settled on the island of Deandra in the Southeast in the early 18th century.

While modern immigration has brought people, both human and non-human, from around the world, the largest ethnic groups remain Nordic, Celtic, Anglo-American and African.

Religions

Christianity was introduced to the Excalbian Isles in the 12th century. While Catholicism found many adherents among the villages of Eastern coast, which eventually formed the Grand Duchy of Saxmere, most of the inhabitants remained pagan until the early 18th century, when the son of King Ragarth converted to Christianity and proclaimed Christianity the state religion.

While the roots of the Confederation’s independence from the Holy Empire of Excalbia rest equally with republican idealists and Christian dissenters from the Church of Excalbia , religion is largely in decline in the C.S.S. There are, however, three notable exceptions to the general trend. In the state of Saxmere, Catholicism remains the majority religion, while Protestantism, especially the Baptist and Church of Excalbia branches of Protestantism, remains important in the states of Deandra and Southland. Recently, the Church of Dana has begun gaining significant numbers of adherents in the state of Trondgaard.

Statistically, nationwide the Roman Catholic Church accounts for 14% of the population, while the National Baptist Convention claims 13%, the Southland Baptist Convention 10%, the Church of Excalbia 7%, Judaism 5% and Danaanism 2%. Other religions, including minor Christian denominations, Islam, and Humanism make up 15% of the population.

The Excalbian Isles Before the Confederation

First Settlers

Celtic settlers arrived in the Excalbian Isles in the 6th century, but mostly remained in the Southwestern grasslands and along the rugged Eastern coast, where they formed stable, agrarian tribal groups. These "Lowlanders" were followed by Norsemen, who migrated into the highlands.

Despite relative isolation from Europe, new arrivals continued to land on Excalbia. These included a small group of Scots, who moved into the highlands and submerged into the Norse Highlanders, and some Irish monks, who in the 12th century introduced Christianity among the Lowlanders on the Eastern coast. The Lowland villages converted to Catholicism and eventually formed the Lowland Grand Duchy of Saxmere.

Highland Dominance

By the 13th century, the island’s social structure was well established. The Highland clans were warriors, herders and artisans and dominated the Lowland farmers. Clan warfare in the 15th and 16th centuries produced Excalbia’s first monarch, King Alsgood, the Great, who established his capital at Excalbia Castle, also known as Citadel Excalbia.

In the 17th century, Dutch settlers from the United Provinces of Knootoss established small whaling colonies on the baren Northern coast and trading posts on the Eastern and Southern coasts. The presence of these outposts led the Knootian Admiral Jongmans to seek refuge in Southport during the Second War of Insolence. In general, however, the presence of Dutch colonies did little to interfere with Highland dominance. However, their presence in the Southeast did leave a lasting impact on the region and echoes of their cultural and economic outlook can still be seen in the Confederation.

By the 18th century, a number of European and North American merchantmen had visited Excalbia, but finding little worth trading along the coast had generally ignored it. In 1798, a small group of Virginia Baptist missionaries took an interest in Excalbia and booked passage on a Yankee merchant ship familiar with the islands. A storm, however, crashed the Narwhal against the Western coast. Stranded, but alive and still possessing much of their goods and supplies, the missionaries began working to convert the Lowlanders to Christianity and the crew of the merchant ship began establishing control of the local trade routes and building alliances with the local tribes.

Founding of the Holy Empire of Excalbia

In 1801, the newly assertive Lowlanders, joined by Saxmere and backed by the missionaries and the guns of the ship’s crew, came into conflict with the Highland king, Ragarth. Low-level conflict continued until a truce in 1807, by which time the new American arrivals had reestablished contact with their homeland, bringing in new supplies for themselves and their Lowland allies. Seeing the balance of power tilting to the Lowlanders, Ragarth undertook a diplomatic mission to the Lowlanders’ new capital, where his son converted to Christianity and adopted the Christian name Joshua.

Joshua married the daughter of a missionary in 1808 and became king in 1809. At that point, he engineered a union between the Lowlanders and their allies and the Highland kingdom. On Christmas Day in 1809, Joshua proclaimed the Holy Empire of Excalbia.

19th Century History

Establishment of the Confederation of Sovereign States

In 1817, a mixed group of American settlers and Lowlanders began demanding a republican government. In order to avoid violence, the Emperor extended a land grant to the republicans east of the Borodea Mountains and a patent to establish an autonomous republican government. The republicans accepted the grant and establish New Virginia.

By 1828, a second settlement, known as Southland and dominated by extremely devout Christians, had been established. Meanwhile, another settlement, known as Deandra, had been founded by a mixed group of escaped African slaves and Freedmen on an island south of Excalbia.

Despite lingering racial prejudices, New Virginia, Southland and Deandra, along with the Lowland Grand Duchy of Saxmere and the Highland settlements of Alud and Trondgard, declared themselves independent states and immediately formed a Confederation of Sovereign States in 1829. The C.S.S. adopted a Constitution based on a modified version of the U.S. Constitution that created a weak central government with strong guarantees for personal liberty.

Courtland's Rebellion

In the first few decades after its founding, the Confederation operated more as a coalition of nations than as a single country. This led to great disparities between the sovereign States of the C.S.S. and rising civil tensions. The State of New Virginia quickly emerged as the most prosperous and most advanced of the States. This fueled a number of disputes between New Virginia and its neighbors.

By the late 1840's and early 1850's, many citizens of New Virginia were disgruntled with the State's response to these problems. Many felt that, in the absence of a strong central government, New Virginia needed an assertive State government that would respond to the rising sense of crisis. The Governor and the state legislature, however, believed that the State should continue to pursue a minimalist agenda. They also believed that, since their capital served as the capital of the Confederation, they should maintain a low profile within the Confederation.

In 1856, Peter Courtland, commander of the New Virginia State Militia, was tried and convicted for treason for attempting to use the threat of military force to secure the resignation of the Governor and install himself as the new Governor. Before he could be imprisoned, Courtland, along with a number of supporters fled across the mountains to the sparsely inhabited plains of the northwest. By 1862, a number of settlements had been established in the region. Following Courtland’s death in 1870, leaders of these new settlements proclaimed the Dominion of Upper Virginia.

20th and 21st Century History

While the nations of the Excalbian Isles avoided World War I, they did suffer under the the Great Depression. Both the Holy Empire and the C.S.S. backed the Allies in the World War of the 1940s and sent small forces to join the fight in Europe.

The remaining decades of the 20th century were a period of peaceful economic expansion and political stability.

The Caine Administration

The President of the Confederation is Thomas Caine of the Liberty Party. Caine recently won a hotly contested election, unseating former President Ilmar Alderson. Alderson was running as a write-in candidate after earlier unexpectedly losing the Liberty Party nomination to Caine.

The Liberty Party won the largest number of seats in the lower house – the House of Representatives – but failed to win a majority. The Democratic Party, a radical left-wing that faired surprisingly well in the elections, formed a coalition with the New Liberal Party, the former majority part in the House. The Sovereignty Party, which also did better than expected, has withheld its support from either the Liberty Party or the Democratic-New Liberal coalition, effectively allowing the Democratic-New Liberal coalition to take the post of Speaker of the House. Congressman Joseph Sumners of the New Liberal Party is Speaker of the House. All four parties hold seats in the House of the States with none being able to exercise a majority.

Alliance with Knootoss and Rumours of the Invisible Hand

Following the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss’ intervention in Tanah Burung against radical international terrorists, The Holy Empire of Excalbia declared a boycot of Knootian goods. The Empire also attempted to bar Knootian-flagged ships from the waters of the Excalbian Isles, including those belonging to the other nations of the Isles.

President Caine, in a gesture of independence from Excalbian domination and a show of support for free trade, traveled to Knootoss shortly after his inauguration to sign the Knootian International Stabilisation Treaty (KIST). This has caused Excalbia to nullify the Treaty of Jefferson, a long-standing mutual defence pact between the Empire and the Confederation. Many organizations and international observers believe that the Confederation's sudden alignment with Knootoss is due to the influence of the Order of the Invisible Hand. It has long been rumoured that the Order's influence was growing among the Confederation's business leaders.

Church leaders in the Confederation and Excalbia have been the most vocal critics of the Caine administration and have been among those most likely to claim that the Order is influencing Confederation politics. After the election, Ryan Edelmann, the former Presidential Chief of Staff under President Alderson, became the Caine administration and the Order's most vocal secular critic.

Saxmere Secession Crisis

Opposition to the Caine administration and the presumed influence of the Order in Confederation politics, led the state parliament of Saxmere to enact a provisional declaration of independence. Meanwhile, in New Rome, Pantocratoria, James Kennan, the Baron of Cambera and heir to the title of Grand Duke, began forming a grand ducal government in preparation for his return to an independent Saxmere. The Confederation government denounced the move as a ploy by Excalbia and its ally Pantocratoria to weaken the Confederation and create another puppet monarchy in the Excalbian Isles.

In response to the secession, the Caine administration sealed the borders around Saxmere and closed its airspace. This, in turn, led Excalbia to declare a naval blockade of the Confederation. When Knootoss came to the defence of the C.S.S., the crisis nearly escalated to war.

War was averted when, in bold gesture, President Caine traveled to the Saxmerean capital to speak directly with it leaders. Negotiations facilitated by the Teutonic Empire of Lavenrunz followed, leading to a provisional agreement and further negotiations in Upper Virginia.

These negotiations quickly reached an agreement to resolve the secession crisis through a three-part referendum that would allow the people of Saxmere to chose between full independence, greater autonomy or the status quo, as well as between a republic government or the reinstatement of the grand ducal throne. Further negotiations, however, were needed to reach agreement on a general peace treaty. The Treaty of Courtland was finally agreed upon and signed at the conclusion of the negotiations. The treaty holds the promise of avoiding further such conflicts in the North Atlantic.

When the referenda were held a few weeks following the signing of the treaty, the people narrowly defeated full independence and overwhelmingly approved a new relationship of greater autonomy within the Confederation. Somewhat vexingly, the people also narrowly approved the reinstitution of the grand ducal throne. How Saxmere will function as an autonomous Grand Duchy within a republican Confederation remains to be determined. Nevertheless, plans have been made to crown the exiled Baron James of Cambera as the new Grand Duke.

You can find more information on the current political situation here: NS forums

Politics and Government

Political Facts

Official Name: Confederation of Sovereign States

Short Name: Confederation; C.S.S.

Founded: 16 June 1829.

Type of Government: Federal Republic. The Confederation consists of six “sovereign” states, which possess a high degree of local autonomy.

Constitution: Written constitution adopted in 1829 at a Constitutional Convention in the city of Jefferson in the state of New Virginia.

The Executive

Head of State and Head of Government: The President of the Confederation. The President is indirectly elected through an electoral college once every four years. The current President is Thomas Caine.

Cabinet:

Secretary of Foreign Affairs: Janice Rudeles

Secretary of Commerce and Trade Promotion: Anton Binks

Secretary of Defense: Thornton Dorn

Secretary of Treasury and Home Affairs: Rachel McQuinn

Attorney General: Allen Robertson

Secretary of Technological Development: Bryce Williams

The Legislature

A bicameral legislature with a lower house, known as the House of Representatives, and an upper house, known as the House of the States.

The House of Representatives is composed of 450 members, directly elected in single-member districts apportioned among the six states. Currently, the Liberty Party (LP) holds 173 seats, the New Liberal Party (NLP) 95 seats, the Democratic Party (DP) 91 seats and the Sovereignty Party (SP) 91 seats. The House of Representatives is led by the Speaker of the House. The current Speaker is Congressman Joseph Sumners of the state of Deandra.

In the House of the States each state is represented by two delegates directly elected on a state-wide basis. The Liberty Party holds 4 seats, the Democratic and Sovereignty parties each hold 3 seats and the New Liberal Party holds 2 seats.

Political Parties

Party Leader(s) Description Seats in the House of Representatives (out of 450) Seats in the House of States (out of 12)
New Liberal Party Congressman Joseph Sumners, Speaker of the House The New Liberal Party (NLP) is the leader of the controlling coalition in the lower house of the Confederation legislature. The NLP is a centre-left party that officially supports expanding social guarantees and doing more to regulate business in order to ensure the economic security of workers. The party has historically supported the right of the states to exceed Confederation minimal social guarantees and to provide additional benefits for the people and has traditionally been strongest in Deandra and Saxmere, where the state governments have adopted far more extensive social guarantees. In foreign affairs, the party advocates maintaining the Confederation’s traditional neutrality and free trade policies, while tempering free trade with protection for workers at home and abroad. Since the election of 2004, however, the party has led the House of Representatives with the tacit support of President Caine’s Liberty Party. In return, it seems as if the NLP has allowed much of the president’s legislative agenda, which is diametrically opposed to the party’s official ideology, to pass with little opposition. This has led some of the NLP supporters to seek a new home. 95 2
Democratic Party Congressman Michael Igewbo and Delegate Evan Coombs The Democratic Party (DP) advocates extensive economic and social reforms to address what it sees as the social inequities in the Confederation. It favours the nationalization of the health care industry, strict environmental curbs on industry, a broad programme of workers’ rights and transferring control of the schools away from the states to the Confederation. The DP supports fair trade as opposed to free trade and supports reasonable trade barriers to protect jobs and industries from unfair competition. Following the 2004 elections the DP entered into a coalition with the New Liberal Party to constitute a controlling plurality in the House of Representatives. Without a majority, however, the coalition has had to reply on the tacit support of other parties. This has forced the DP to accept several unpalatable compromises. 91 3
Sovereignty Party Delegate Dainis Zaicevs The Sovereignty Party (SP) advocates a minimalist government at the Confederation level, responsible only for national defense, foreign trade and foreign relations. However, the SP has traditionally supported the right of each state to adopt their own rules and culture, even if they result in widely contradictory laws. However, since the election of President Caine, the SP has tended to place greater importance on limiting government intervention in the economy than on the rights of states. As a result, it is increasingly seen as falling into the orbit of Liberty Party. 91 3
Liberty Party President Thomas Caine The Liberty Party (LP) has traditionally been the party of laissez faire capitalism, Federalism and individual liberties. The party has dominated national politics for the last forty years. Since businessman Thomas Caine surprisingly snatched the party’s presidential nomination from then-President Ilmars Alderson, however, the party has advocated a much stronger national policy of business promotion. Following President Caine’s election and his alliance with Knootoss, many have come to associate the party with the Order of the Invisible Hand. 173 4
National Renewal Party unofficially, former-President Ilmars Alderson The National Renewal Party (NRP) is newly formed party that has called for a restoration of the Confederation’s traditional constitutional balance favouring the power of the states over that of the central government. While the NRP says it would retain the Confederation’s membership in the Knootian International Stabilisation Treaty, it would step back from the current alliance with Knootoss and cultivate better relations with Excalbia and Pantocratoria. While he has yet to join the new party officially, former President Ilmars Alderson is closely associated with the NRP. 0 0
Democratic Labour Party Sean Collins The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) was created in the Autonomous Grand Duchy of Saxmere following that state’s vote for greater autonomy and the restoration of the grand ducal throne. The centre-left DLP is closely associated with the Saxmerean Confederation of Trade Unions and believes that the New Liberal Party, long a friend to labour in Saxmere, and has been tainted by its leaders' cooperation with the Caine administration. The DLP promises to be a truly independent and authentic advocate for the rights of working men and women. While the party is primarily based in Saxmere, it is working to establish affiliates in the other States of the Confederation. 0 0

Other Key Officials

Presidential Chief of Staff: Rihards Krauklis

Special Advisor to the President: Ruth Adeyole

Presidential Press Secretary: Shannon Coles

Chief Bishop of the Church of Excalbia in the Confederation: Bishop Aigars Ormann

Catholic Archbishop of Umbra: Gregory Cardinal Thrain

Catholic Archbishop of Cambera: Archbishop Patrick Kiernan

Catholic Bishop of Galloway: Bishop John Ireton

Catholic Bishop of Cesis: Bishop Peter Riekstins

The Military

The Confederation of Sovereign States is prosperous and well-developed country, with a large population and a booming economy. The C.S.S., however, maintains only a small military, with the bulk of its troops serving in the militias of the various states.

Economics and Business

Economic Facts

National Currency: The Gold Sov (γ§).

Exchange Rate: 1 γ§ = $1.9963

GDP: 127,340,501,441,063.44 γ§

Per capita GDP: 23,114.99 γ§

Tax rates: There is no income tax or corporate taxes. Each state charges a nominal sales tax of between 2 and 3 percent. The rest of the government's revenue comes from user fees, rents and other fees.

Government Expenditures: 14,570,164,722,403.34 γ§

Defence and Security Expenditures: 364,254,118,060.09 γ§

Exports and Imports

Total Exports: 14,668,895,574,715.04 γ§

Leading Exports: Advanced information technology, software, entertainment and media.

Total Imports: 14,903,651,569,622.80 γ§

Leading Imports: Automobiles, machinery, agricultural goods and textiles.

Leading Companies

The largest company in the Confederation is Confederated Enterprises - CE. The Chairman of CE is John Hayes, one of President Caine's biggest financial backers. CE owns a number of other companies, including Liberty House Multimedia. The former CEO of Liberty House is Rihards Krauklis, the current Presidential Chief of Staff.

Other large companies include Confederacy Uranium, Ltd and New Hope Consumer Products Group. Ruth Adeyole, owner and former CEO of NHCPG is now a Special Advisor to the President.