Taerkasten

Royal Kingdom of Taerkasten
National flag	Pax et abundantia
Motto	One nation, one people
Capital (and largest city)	Taerkast City
Languages   - Official   - Recognised	English Spanish, Italian
Demonym	Taerkast, Taerkastani
Government   - King   - Prime Minister	Absolute Monarchy Benjamin Hudson Cassandra Meadows
Formation	1667 A.D.
Area   - Total   - % water	4,987,165 km² 13.7%
Population   - Total (2007)	6,471,000,000
GDP (FY2007/08)   - Total   - GDP per capita	$105,847,457,727,976.05 $16,372.38
Gini	23.1
HDI	0.480
National animal   - English name	Trichoglossus haematodus Rainbow lorikeet
National tree   - English name	Arecaceae Palm tree
Currency	1 Datar = 100 cents
Time Zone	TKS +0600 / +0700
International abbreviation	TKS
Naval craft classification   - Military   - Civilian	HMS TCS
Internet TLD	.ts
Calling code	+450

The Royal Kingdom of Taerkasten is a nation located in the Taerkast Sea, west of Atlantian Oceania, formed by the Unitary War of 1667. Covering an area of 4,987,165 km², Taerkasten is a particularly large island nation with enormous quantities of untapped natural resources, although its significantly high population are densely packed into the various cities strewn across the island.

Although political power resides with the monarchy, Taerkasten is renowned for affording its citizens with extensive civil and economic liberties, although punitive taxation rates have recently become an issue. The chief royal residence and the home of the legislative government is located at Hudson Palace in Taerkast City, which is the largest city in Taerkasten and also its de facto capital.

The current King of Taerkasten is King Benjamin II, who can trace his lineage back over three hundred years to the Hudson Family and the first king of the Royal Kingdom of Taerkasten, and has reigned since 1992.

History

Ancient Taerkasten

The first people to inhabit the Taerkasten landmass were tribal nomads, thought to have arrived via the use of a transatlantic land bridge somewhere between ten and twenty thousand years ago. Much of southern and northern Taerkasten remained uninhabited right up until the first century, however the central, eastern and western areas were heavily inhabited. Many of these tribes swept across the central regions of Taerkasten waging war against lesser tribes, though it was not until 100 B.C. that any stable political powers came into being.

It was roughly at this time that the first true civilisation to reign over any significant portion of Taerkasten came into being, known as the Hisskos, who achieved power by uniting numerous other tribes together and establishing permanent settlements on the coast of what is now known as Taerkast Minor. Thanks to their ideal fishing location on the coast, and thanks to being surrounded by many smaller settlements with which to conduct trade, the Hisskos achieved a high degree of prosperity and were responsible for much of Taerkasten's early technological development.

The Hisskos reigned over several thousand kilometres of territory between 122 B.C. and 1299 A.D. when they were conquered by another rising power, the Keblosians. By 1423 A.D. they had regained their independence, but became a secondary power to the Keblosians for many years to come, and were often overshadowed by their newer neighbours, the Taerkasts.

Few of these tribes or kingdoms ever developed further than the iron age, and appeared to remain in a period of technological stagnation for hundreds of years.

Colonisation

In 1641 A.D. Taerkasten was discovered by English explorers, and quickly small coastal settlements were established in the west. Spanish and Italian settlements also began to develop as word of the new land spread. As a large landmass found to have substantial resources, it attracted keen interest from overseas investors and private individuals alike, and more colonies were planned. The largest of these endeavours was committed by Duke George Hudson of England, who personally moved his family and fortune to the new land in an expression of his confidence.

Blocked off from the Hisskos and the Keblosians by the centralised Kingdom of Taerkast, these early colonists were only able to make contact with the Taerkasts initially, and developed good relations with them over the years, even trading basic supplies with them. Although the colonists secretly regarded the natives as "primitive and unsophisticated", they took advantage of their hospitality for many years. Over the next few years, dozens more transport ships arrived, depositing more colonists and equipment onto Taerkasten and building up a sizeable number of towns.

When the Hisskos and the Keblosians finally learned of the European colonists in 1561 A.D. after sighting an exploration vessel on a cartographic mission near the east coast, they believed that the Taerkasts were conspiring with the foreigners to invade them, and so the rulers of both Kingdoms united and issued an ultimatum to the Taerkasts - they were ordered to either sever all ties with the European colonists, or face military action.

Meanwhile, several colonies were being united under Duke George Hudson, who had designs on ruling over the entire island. Gathering support from smaller settlements, and making use of his own private army, Hudson's forces began sweeping across the other colonies and absorbing them. When Hudson received word of the ultimatum that the Taerkasts had been issued, he promptly took advantage of the opportunity and offered to station colonial forces in Taerkast City for their protection. The King of Taerkast accepted, and European troops were garrisoned in their capital shortly thereafter.

Enraged that the Taerkasts had not only failed to comply with the terms of their ultimatum, but had even gone so far as to play host to their new enemy, the Hisskos and the Keblosian coalition launched a full-scale attack against Taerkast borders. Hudson's forces joined the Taerkast militia in repelling the coalition, and once they were driven out Hudson convinced the Taerkast king that with their combined forces, they could defeat both Hisskos and Keblos together. Enthusiastic about the prospect of ridding himself of two persistent enemies, the Taerkast king promptly agreed with Hudson.

Over the five years that followed, the armies of Taerkast and Duke Hudson made deep attacks into the coalition territories, pushing back their armies and ultimately laying siege to their capitals. In 1666, both the Kingdom of Hisskos and the Kingdom of Keblos formally surrendered to the Kingdom of Taerkast. Their royal families were executed, and their nations merged into the Kingdom of Taerkast as the administrative shires of Taerkast Minor and Keblos respectively.

However, while the Taerkast militia concluded the wars in their new territories, the Taerkast king found his capital full of Hudson's troops. It was not long after the defeat of the coalition that Duke Hudson met with the king, and informed him that he had claimed the Taerkast throne. Outnumbered and surrounded, the king abdicated his throne and surrendered himself to Hudson. As soon as they returned home, the Taerkast militia was either executed or imprisoned, depending on whether they resisted.

In 1667 Duke George Hudson was crowned King George, first sovereign of the new Royal Kingdom of Taerkasten. No longer a duke, King George became absolved of his loyalties to the English crown, and promptly declared the island of Taerkasten an independent nation under his direct rule.

Royal Kingdom of Taerkasten

While small pockets of native resistance were quelled over the five years that followed King George's coronation, the bigger problems were the remaining European settlements that had not yet declared their support of the new kingdom or been engulfed by his armed forces, despite King George's insistence that they fell under his jurisdiction regardless. With his troops busy securing the vast lands that he now commanded, King George was forced to take a different approach to quelling their insubordination.

A blockade of the entire west coast was ordered using the few frigates he had at his disposal. Those ships delivering supplies to loyal settlements were searched but allowed to continue, whilst any ships delivering supplies to non-aligned colonies were immediately detained and confiscated by the Kingdom, to be converted into additional warships. Once the new docks began building additional warships, King George was able to establish a firm blockade of the remaining colonies. The English government had long ago lost interest in the island, lacking the resources to commit to its security and being more concerned with the Americas, which left the colonists without the chance for support in the future. Once starvation began to set in, the settlements had little choice but to finally open their gates and submit to the Kingdom's rule.

Mere months after the remaining European settlements were merged with the Kingdom, expeditionary parties in the south reported encountering another native civilisation - the Kingdom of Pascital. Having been separated from the other three native civilisations by the thick tropical forests in the south, Pascital had gone undiscovered and unheard of by the Europeans. Although technologically primitive by comparison, the Pascitalis were numerous enough to outnumber the Taerkastenis by a significant margin, and their location amidst difficult terrain made the prospect of conquering them even more difficult.

Nevertheless, King George ordered a full mobilisation and had his forces proceed south, where they began systematically defeating Pascital's outer settlements. Although casualties caused by the enemy were light, the difficult terrain made the war a protracted affair, and it took some seven years for the king's soldiers to sack Pascital City. King George died of old age just three months before the end of the war, however, and his successor - King Henry - presided over Pascital's defeat and conversion into an administrative shire of the Kingdom.

By the 1800s the Kingdom had completely consolidated its control over the entire island, and despite two probing attacks by the British Navy, had remained at peace since the last traces of native civilisations had been quelled. Taerkast City had been rebuilt from the ground up into a modern city, and had become the home of the Hudson family and the de facto capital of the country, whilst many new towns and cities had been established all over the island, including the previously-uninhabited jungles of the north and south, and the Kingdom has enjoyed a period of peace that has lasted until the present day. Maintaining trade links with the Old World, Taerkestan joined in the industrial revolution in the 1870s, and became a marginally powerful industrial force. The royal family and their legislative parliament made significant efforts to improve the quality of life for their subjects in the 20th century, creating various welfare systems, encouraging racial and gender equality, and generally increasing civil and economic liberties.

Government

</div>The Royal Kingdom of Taerkasten is an absolute monarchy, with King Benjamin as both head of state and de facto head of government. At his disposal, the king has a bicamaral government similar to parliament, with an upper house and a lower house.

The Taerkasten Royal Council is the 'upper house' and executive branch of the government, and consists entirely of earls, dukes and other noble representatives of the boroughs. The Royal Council is largely removed from modern politics, and serves more as a prestige organisation which advises the king on national policy. Their greatest responsibility is ensuring the king sees the acts passed by the lower house and advises him on what course to take.

The Kingdom also has an elected legislative branch which represents the interests of the people, with a Prime Minister appointed by the king to serve as its leader. This Advisory Council is the 'lower house' of the government, and has limited powers when compared to the legislative branches of democratic countries, however in modern times it is largely trusted with the day-to-day running of the country. It was originally created by King Alexander III, in his efforts to take the well-being of his subjects to heart. Council ministers are elected democratically to represent the various administrative divisions of Taerkasten, and are given the power to draft new laws, propose adjustments to existing laws, as well as suggest the reversal of older laws which no longer have relevance. Although any action they take must first pass through to the Royal Council, and then gain the approval of the king, as of the 21st century the Advisory Council's decisions are rarely interfered with.

The position of Prime Minister does not have the same meaning in Taerkasten as elsewhere; rather than being the head of the government, he is the appointed representative of the king in the Council. It is the task of the Taerkast Prime Minister to ensure that royal interests are served, and to report on any dissension immediately to the king. In modern times the Prime Minister takes on a role more similar to that of a speaker, presiding over Council sessions and moderating debate. It is considered to be more of a symbolic role than anything, although it is still highly honourable to hold the position. The Advisory Council is elected via a party-based first past the post system, and the three major parties presently in office are the Taerkast Conservative Party, the Taerkast Worker's Party, and the Taerkast Green party. These three parties, along with numerous other minor parties vie for control over 861 available seats.

Although Taerkasten does not have a written constitution, the Royal Bill of Rights is a set of documents which have mostly been created over the last half century by the monarchy. They stipulate the basic human rights of the citizens of Taerkasten, and the rights of the monarchy over them. In essence, they prevent the monarchs from abusing their power over their subjects, and afford the people some important rights, such as the right to a fair trial.

Administrative Divisions

The Royal Kingdom is divided into six 'shires' (named, in order of population; Taerkast Proper, Taerkast Minor, Keblos , Pascital, Northern Forests of Gaia, and Great Forests of Gaia) which are a mixture of arbitrarily-created divisions and conquered native nations, each of which is governed by a royally-appointed duke. Although the dukes have some power over local laws, they largely answer to the king in all matters and since the increasing prevalence of the Advisory Council, have lost some powers they traditionally had.

Each of these shires is then further divided into many boroughs, of which there are 861 at present. Each borough is presided over by a royally-appointed earl, who, like the shire dukes, have some power over local issues but otherwise answer to their superiors - the dukes and, ultimately, the king. Each borough has a citizen's council which debate the day-to-day issues facing their communities and report on these issues to their earl. Additionally, each borough elects a minister to serve on the national Advisory Council every five years.

Law

The Royal Kingdom of Taerkasten has a hybrid legal system, based mostly on English common law but also incorporating significant elements of civil law.

While technically and traditionally the Royal Household's Crown Court is the highest court in the country for all civil and criminal cases, which would see the king himself act as judge on high-profile cases, in more recent years (partially as a result of the precedent set by the Royal Bill of Rights) it is rare for any cases to go above the Royal Assembly Court of Justice.

Most civil and criminal cases are headed by the Taerkast Court System, which has minor courts in all parishes and boroughs, as well as a single major court to represent each shire. Day-to-day cases such as law suits or criminal cases dealing with minor infractions are typically dealt with in these parish and borough courts, with bigger cases such as murder more frequently reaching the shire court level. All courts with the exception of the Royal Crown Court are based on the judge and jury system, affording both the plaintiff and the defendant equal opportunities to make their case in an unbiased environment.

Foreign Relations

The Royal Kingdom of Taerkasten is not presently a member of any international alliances, nor has it signed any treaties or accords. Taerkasten does consider herself to have cordial relations with members of Atlantian Oceania, although this relationship has never been official reciprocated nor has it ever been formalised. By and large the Royal Kingdom has remained in a period of political isolation for decades, although King Benjamin has expressed an interest in changing this recently.

Geography

The Royal Kingdom of Taerkasten lies several hundred miles to the west of the Atlantian Oceania region. It is entirely contained on Taerkasten Island, with only a few very minor and uninhabited islands lying off its main coast. The Royal Kingdom is geographically large, comprising an area of 4,987,165 square kilometres, and is located at the heart of the Taerkast Sea.

Topography

Taerkasten is a large island made up of numerous varieties of terrain. Much of its central and western regions are grassy lowlands with a few subtropical forests dotting its surface, with a large mountain range separating the central and western regions. Further north are the Northern Forests of Gaia, which are massive rainforests, tipped by a large mountain range which runs across much of the northern coast. The east is somewhat more hilly than the west, with large grasslands interspersed with boggy regions and some mountains. Most of the south is overgrown with the Great Forests of Gaia, tropical rainforests of even greater size than those in the north.

By far the largest tropical rainforest in Taerkasten is the Great Forest of Gaia, which officially covers a 700,000 square kilometre portion of the island, however much of it continues into the shire of Keblos for a further 100,000 square kilometres, creating a natural forested barrier between Keblos and Pascital. The Northern Forest of Gaia covers roughly 600,000 square kilometres, although due to a somewhat incomplete canopy in the south is occasionally difficult for humans to traverse due to a thick jungle undergrowth.

The highest mountain is Mount Hudson, measured at just over 3,618 metres in height and located in the Taerkast Proper Mountain Range that forms the natural barrier between the central and western regions. Contrariwise the deepest lake is Lake Taerkast, an enormous lake which is 252,028 metres across and 1,856 metres deep. Taerkast City lies on the south-western coast of Lake Taerkast, near the entry point of River Moountembaum.

Thanks primarily to these large rainforests, Taerkasten has an extremely diverse ecosystem, and is considered to have one of the highest numbers of species of animals in the world.

Climate

Most of Taerkasten has a tropical or subtropical climate, particularly in the northern and southern rainforests, and the central and western regions. The eastern region is somewhat closer to a temperate or Mediterranean climate, but still experiences high temperatures, high humidity and prolific rainfall, especially during summer months.

On average Taerkasten has an annual rainfall of 1500mm, and a temperature which rarely dips below 25°C, with this climbing as high as 40°C or sometimes even 50°C in the summer.

Cities

Taerkast City is the capital of Taerkesten and its largest city, with a population of over 500,000,000 and covering an area of over 50,000 square kilometres. It is located in the shire of Taerkast Proper, on the south-western coast of Lake Taerkast.

Each shire has its own capital, and each shire capital tends to be amongst the largest in the country. They are listed below.

• Taerkast Proper - Taerkast City, pop. 500 million
• Taerkast Minor - Hisskos City, pop. 430 million
• Keblos - New Wolverhampton, pop. 210 million
• Pascital - Preece, pop. 112 million
• Northern Forests of Gaia - Barringer Settlement, pop. 35 million
• Great Forests of Gaia - Halesowen City, pop. 8 million