Difference between revisions of "The Coral Islands"

Revision as of 17:49, 10 August 2005

The Principality Of The Coral Islands (PCI) is a small democratic country located near the equator. Its capital city is Päs. Over two million people call the PCI home, almost half of whom live in Port Mosaviu on the PCI's South Coast. The dominant languages are English, German, and Turkish. A very small Spanish-speaking minority has a great deal of economic and cultural power.

The Coral Islands

Flag of The Coral Islands
Motto: From The Sea To The Stars
Link To PCIWeb Flag Page
Region	Commonwealth Of Abendland
Capital	Päs
Official Language(s)	English, German, Turkish
Leader	Kie Turtlecrest
Population	2250026
Currency	Conch
NS Sunset XML

Politics

Coralians vote every five years in late December for a 100-member national Parliament. On the first day of sitting in January, the Parliament elects from itself a Principal and a Cabinet. The Principal is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the PCI's small military, Speaker of the House in Parliament, and Prime Minister Of Cabinet. Counting the Principal, the Cabinet has ten members. Although its members may be shuffled if need be, its portfolios are rarely changed in any major way. Unlike many in the world, the Coralian Parliament sits for the entire school year (January to May and then August to November). The current Principal is Kie Turtlecrest, a wildly popular politician and former journalist who made Coralian history by being the only Principal voted to the position unanimously.

Provincial and municipal politics are not a large issue in the PCI, mostly due to the fact that almost all government actions are delegated to the national level. They are also unpopular for their sometimes un-democratic methods, such as the aristocratic legislative courts that have developed in some areas. In general, provincial government is considered to be an opportunity to have "fun and pomp" with low-stakes politics. Very few politicians move from provincial politics into the national arena, although the reverse is not true. The government in Päs, however, does draw about half of its legislation with input from the provincial level. In many cases, a potentially national programme is put to a provincial pilot project before being widely implemented.

Economy

The PCI is almost totally self-sufficient due to its remote location and utter lack of strategic importance. Its colonial overlords were relieved to grant the Coralians complete political independence approximately four days after they requested it. Primary Industries include farming and forestry, as well as fishing; all of which are centered around the Eastern, Northern, and Western coastal provinces. The brunt of the PCI's industrial complex is in Port Mosaviu, which is the country's only international port. Government and other tertiary industries are located primarily in Port Mosaviu and Päs. Päs is also the home to the country's only aerodrome. Personal motor vehicles are forbidden in the PCI, which has a very extensive rail system. The most common form of transportation is the bicycle, followed by in-line skates, and hang-gliding. Ferries tend to be more popular than bridges. Even without cars, however, Port Mosaviu and Päs are prone to traffic jams. The currency of the PCI is the Conch, which has never traded on the international money markets. The PCI's only local Chartered Bank, the CXB, estimates what the Conch would be worth if it were traded, and reports that it is roughly on par with the Euro or slightly below most of the time.

Military

The PCI maintains a small navy of seven ships, two dirigibles, and one submarine for coastal defence. It has seen little action since the World War II. The PCI has no air force, but it does have a conscription-based reserve ground force used only in the event of major emergencies. Coralians spend the first Summer after their completion of high-school in reserve training, and are thereafter only called as needed. Entry into the very small group of professional officers is highly competitive and requires a special degree granted jointly by three universities. The PCI plays an almost non-existent role in international peacekeeping and policing, but it funds several UN projects. Rumours of a secret Coralian spy-agency are vehemently denied by both the government and the military, but the existence of such a group is often inferred from a line in the annual budget which sets aside over six million Conchs for "other unortodox and top-secret intelligence operations".

Geographics And Demographics

The PCI has seven provinces spread across one large island and several smaller ones. The primary island has a mountainous centre and sloping beaches of sand and stones. The Southern Coast is very windy, particularly along its central portion.

Almost a million people live in Srytta Province, most of whom live in Port Mosaviu, the PCI's only true cosmopolis. Rural Srytta Province is famed for the Sryttatal, the wide valley where most of the PCI's sheep ranches are located.

The national capital city is located in High Province, across a river from the provincial capital (Sandy Canyon). High Province is located in the centre of the country, is characterised by mountainous terrain. Rain is very common in some areas of the province and occurs rarely in other parts. Over 500000 Coralians live in High Province.

Kacaka is the capital of the PCI's third-most populous region, Leidif Province. Almost 210000 people live in Leidif. Kacaka is a cultural centre; famous for its cuisine, sporting events, music, and research-intensive university.

The Easternmost part of the PCI is the timber-laden Eljung Province. Its capital, Teak Beach, is the only one located on a separate island. Other large centres (on the "mainland" portion of Eljung) are Greentree and Tidea. The entire province has very close to 200000 residents.

Nässa Province is renowned for its farmland and is widely known as the "breadbasket of the PCI". Principal Kie Turtlecrest is the Member Of Parliament for the small capital city of Green Corner, where he was born and raised. The provincial population is just over half the size of Eljung's.

Kint City is the capital of the mostly-wooded and hilly Kint Province. It is very much a "frontier-town", retaining much of its early colonial feel. Of special note are its wooden sidewalks. Although the second-largest province, Kint has the second-smallest population, with only 73000 residents.

Much of the PCI's electrical power is generated in windfarms located on the magnificent Southern Coast of Lakeshore Province. The close proximity of Lennach, the province's capital and only major municipality, to Port Mosaviu make it little more than a sleeper town. In all, fewer than 55000 Coralians live in Lakeshore. It is, however, a popular tourist destination, with a temporary population nearly three times its regular level during the heigh of tourist season.

People And Culture

Due to their precarious position on the edge of civilization, Coralians are disposed to share with each other and shy away from interaction with foreigners. Coralian culture is very musical, with traditions of live music and dance enjoying broad popularity. The Coralian diet is somewhat restricted by the limited amount of farming and fishing potential of the Islands. A combination of prevailing social trends and government encouragement have led to a very stable population growth rate; with an average of four children per family with children, and a trend of only half the families having children at all. Important families in the Coral Islands include the Xir family of Port Mosaviu, well-known for its influence in financial circles long before Luis Xir became Port Mosaviu's mayor and Kalissa Xir became the national Financial Minister; Kacaka's Rey family, with its commercial empire; the Cassa family, with its ties to the logging industry in Eljung Province; and more recently the Turtlecrest family of Green Corner, Nässa Province.

The PCI government website is at Pciweb