Torvaldia

OVERVIEW: Founded in December 2003 by separatist hackers and disgruntled progressives, the Open Source Republic of Torvaldia stretches across three climate zones from the fertile woodlands to the majestic mountains directly south of Great Gay Lake. Originally, the progressive government was consistently a staunch supporter of educational opportunity, environmentalism, and social responsibility. It's expansive (though mostly powerless) police force, coupled with visionary social policies and a lack of laws in general, kept crime nonexistant from inception until the Assassination. Since the rise of the Peace Through Preparedness party, formally chaired by Senior Advisor to the PCS Jonas Frakes, the government has shifted considerably to the right, drastically increasing military spending and police powers, implementing near-universal conscription, and passing "moral decency" laws.

Since assuming power, the PTP has enacted policies to encourage the development of a free market. The socialist foundations of the nation have hampered their efforts, however. Indeed, many citizens complain that the only result of the PTP's policies have been to erode the civil liberties and social programs carefully cultivated under the previous administration. Torvaldia's environmental rating, once consistently highest in the region and placing in the World 100, has slipped considerably as business and industry encroach on the wildnerness areas. The Temperate Penguin, indiginous to Torvaldia, still thrives but reports exist of mutations and maulings as human settlements expand into previously protected habitats.

GOVERNMENT: The government is a democratic republic, with each province having one representative in the nation's parliament. The true power resides with the Prime Code Slinger (PCS) and his appointed advisors, known collectively as the Kernel. Founding father Jack Ihn served as PCS from the beginning of the nation until his assassination. Lance Johnson served as Acting PCS until the election of Flynt Winchester, the current PCS.

Although there is no shortage of political parties, four have been dubbed the most influential: the Torvaldia Hackers Union, the Technopagans of Torvaldia, the Peace Through Preparedness Party, and the Brick-Throwing Queens. The THU and ToT controlled the parliament through a coalition in the early years of the republic, until THU leader Chip Pooler dissolved the alliance and triggered the special elections which swept the PTP into Power. Because of its long-standing links to suspected terrorist Sappho Dianic, the ToT lost most of its members and all of its seats in parliament. The BTQ, led by outrageous drag queen and talk show personality Winnie Tucker, gained two seats in Parliament.

HISTORY: Torvaldia's short history has not been without it's fair share of turmoil. When the Carnivorous Shrub Invasion began in late 2004, Torvaldia was forced to abandon it's isolationist policies and enter the arena of international politics. A team led by Dr. Dieter Wierdmitten developed an opalescent goo which immobilized the ravenous bush, allowing the regional strike force to finish off the vile vegetation. The victory was to be a bitter one, however, when it was discovered that Environmental Director and Wiccan High Priestess Sappho Dianic had absconded with a live sample of the shrub and taken hostage a Buffysylvanian scientist, thus raising the specter of environmental terrorism across the region.

On 11 June 2005, the nation entered its darkest period, when PCS Ihn was assassinated by an as-yet unknown gunman. Civil Director Lance Johnson quickly stepped in and prevented the nation from descending into chaos. Due to the dissolution of the ruling parliamentary coalition, special elections were held for all government offices. Though the THU was expected to win, the PTP achieved a clear majority in parliament and Flynt Winchester, former Security Kommissar under the Ihn administration, was elected PCS. The Technopagans, being ousted from government and depleted of members, are rumored to have moved to the Southern Wilds, the territorial sector aquired under the Landgrab Act, Torvaldia's implementation of the region's territorial expansion program.

As the national population is approaching the threshold required for further expansion, it has been rumored in certain underground chatrooms and BBSs that the Kernel will maneuver to annex the territory formerly occupied by Buffysylvania, whose de facto commander-in-chief became the target of the personal animosity of then SK Winchester after refusing to share a mysterious jamming device found in Queersylvania after its unexplained mass depopulation. Conspiracy theorists hold that that the PCS intends to exorcise the few remaining citizens of Buffysylvania in a childish vendetta. The Kernel refutes such claims and maintains that they have not decided on a sector to annex under the forthcoming Landgrab Act II.

Torvaldia has spent considerable resources in attempting to track down Sappho Dianic, who recently promised "Ragnarok" (the Norse equivalent of Armageddon) to nations in Gay who did not adhere to her strict environmental standards. Although she claimed to have tainted at least one nation's food supply with Octopus Cabbage, the plant believed to be the source of Carnivorous Shrubs, no nation has reported anything untoward. This has led some to believe that the bush sample Sappho has is inert, though it has not diminished fears of attacks by members of her cult, currently estimated at 12.5 million members regionwide.