Difference between revisions of "United States of Mars"

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Also, see United States of Mars Topics for a more detailed list of articles on this nation.

The Extraterrestrial Democracy of the United States of Mars (usually shortened to United States of Mars or USM) is a Parliamentary Democracy on Mars.

The USM is made up of three colonies, from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, which broke away to become an independant nation. The three original colonies make up the nation's three states: Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse.

The USM is a highly industrialised economy and has one of the largest economies on Mars. It is one of the most active nations in terms of foreign affairs and is a founding member of the New Mars Treaty Organisation. It is a member of the United Nations and was, at one point, Regional Delegate for Mars.

History

Due to the fact that the United States of Mars has only been around for forty years, there is unfortunately not as much history as many Earth nations however because of this fact, all events have been well recorded.

Terraforming Mars and the Original Colonies

It was first proposed that Mars be terraformed by the International Space Agency in 2021, eight years after Humans first set foot on Mars and several months after The Aluet Corporation founded it's domed city (Mars City) on the planet. The idea was originally dismissed but was brought back to the International stage when several groups showed an interest in colonising parts of the planet and the project was approved in 2027.

Terraforming began on Mars in 2030 when drilling began to start releasing Carbon Dioxide into the air to help melt the ice caps on Mars' North Pole. The project took ten years and involved man-made volcanic eruptions, several nuclear explosions in the atmosphere and the redirecting of comets and meteorites to hit the planet. The project was completed in 2040 when the environment on Mars began to mirror Earth's with many forests and plants started sprouting and the pressure, gravity, oxygen levels and temperature became similar to earth levels.

Earth groups and nations started terraforming Mars and in 2041, the future USM state, Fosse was created as a colony of the United Kingdom. The following year the United Kingdom created another colony, Bottes, next to Mars. The Aluet Corporation became The Corporate Empire of Alutia in 2043 becoming Mars' first official nation. The Republic of Ireland created the third future state, Cropwell next to Fosse and Bottes in 2044.

The United States of Mars

On the 3rd of February 2045, the United States of Mars (at the time called the United States of Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse) was formed when the leaders of Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse signed the Unification Act, dissolved their own governments and turned each country into a State.

The Unification occurred a year after a terrible winter which was reported to plummet temperatures to -34 degrees Celsius due to a failure in the terraforming process. As each colony struggled to survive the leaders of each colony decided that the only way to survive the winter was to form a Coalition and share all supplies, technologies and materials. After the winter ended, the colonies continued the Coalition and, in June of 2044, talks started on a new alliance which would bring the colonies even closer together. The talks eventually led to the unification and creation of the country now known as the United States of Mars.

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The First President of the United States of Mars, Lisa Howard.

In the following year, a government scandal forced President Howard to resign and caused her replacement, President Henry Game to call an election, which he lost. The new President, Tom Jackson came into office with the possibility of Civil War and the three states becoming independent again and so he made several policy changes including the creation of the "Chamber of the People" and changing the name of the country from "The United States of Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse" to "The Democracy of the United States of Mars".

During his two terms, President Jackson commissioned the construction of the Presidential Home, Kantar House and massive extensions and refurbishment to be made on the parliament building in Kantar City.

During the "Trench Coat Invasion" in 2054, President Carlson made an unpopular decision not to assist Alutia in the war and this led to both bad relations with Alutia but also the President Carlson's loss of the election campaign.

When the Mars Treaty Organisation was formed in 2075, it was the decision of outgoing President Paddock not to join the Organisation, a decision which was criticised by many government officials however the Organisation later disbanded. Later that year, President Jay Daniels became the current president and the first President to have been born on Mars and not Earth. Daniels made some radical reforms, which were popular with the public, and, when it was re-formed several years later, Daniels made the USM become one of the founding members of the new Mars Treaty Organisation.

Mirror Mars War

In 2080, the terrorist attacks on the USM Parliament building, as well as several other attacks across Mars led the Mars Treaty Organisation, including the USM, to declare war on Mirror Mars after they admitted to the attacks. Later in the year, Mirror Mars set off an explosion at peace talks and began an invasion of many countries including the on going invasion of the United States of Mars. Eventually, Mirror Mars gained an ally in the terrorist group TKK which started a terrorist campaign throughout Mars, which included computer viruses amongst other attacks.

As the MTO seemed to be losing the war, Mirror Mars dropped a deadly bio-weapon over several key Martian cities, including Kantar, which was quickly disposed of by MTO forces. The attack, however, caused a massive explosion when crossing universes that made crossing into each universe impossible apart from the point where the bio-weapon crossed over. Mirror Mars’s forces were stranded and were quickly captured, giving the Martian militaries time to prepare for a counter offensive. Soon, an invasion of Mirror Mars begun and, as the MTO were invading the Mirror Mars capital city, hundreds of massive nuclear explosions were triggered in all Mirror Mars cities and towns by the government, killing most of the Mirror mars population, military and government. The war was officially announced over by MTO leaders the following day.

Clean Up

After the war, the nation was devestated because of the successful invasion in some parts of the country but also attempted to aid other parts of the planet in their recovery attempt. The nation was more or less restored within a year due to massive government funding towards private construction firms.

The money which was injected into the economy caused an improvment in the nation's economic status. The President created a new economic policy to try and create a totally free market in the nation and encourage private enterprise. This agenda paid off and the nation experienced the largest boom in it's history. The boom caused migration into the country to almost double and the nation's population rose by almost three million in just a year, the largest increase in almost twenty years.

A series of legislation concerning civil rights was passed by the government and the USM became known as a world benchmark for civil rights. It has been said that the years from 2081-2085 were the USM's golden years with massive improvments in the nation similar to those on Earth after the Second World War.

The National Anthem

The National Anthem of the United States of Mars was made official in 2059 and goes to the tune of "Jupiter" from "The Planets". Below are the lyrics:

At the start our native brothers stood on their native sands,
But they came together when they saw their hearts on one land.
Through the battle and through peacetime, we will be side by side,
The United States of Mars will stand tall!
Noble Bottes, Trusted Cropwell and Mighty Fosse,
The States come together while all others are at loss.

Government and Politics

The United States of Mars is a Parliamentary Democracy, with executive power exercised by the President and his cabinet. The President's Cabinet is made up of Constituancy Representatives who head specific governmental departments. These secretaries are drawn from and are responsible to Parliament, the legislative body, which is amde of two chambers. The Constitution of the USM governs the Parliament and the Executive body.

The President is Head of Government and Head of State and thus holds all executive power. The government is answerable chiefly to the Chamber of Representatives (CoR) which is one of two political chambers. The President Secretaries of State are elected members of the CoR known as Constituancy Representatives. The system of the USM emulates that of the United Kingdom and, to a lesser extent, the United States of America. The President is chosen as the MP who can command a majority in the CoR - usually the leader of the largest party or, if there is no majority party, the largest coalition. The current President is Jenna Murray of the Martian Democratic Party, who has been in office since 2085.

Parliament is the national legislature of the USM. It is bicameral, composed of the elected Chamber of Representatives and the Chamber of the People, whose members are members of the public selected at random. The Chamber of Representatives is the more powerful of the two chambers. The CoR houses 913 members who are directly elected from single-member constituencies based on population. The House of Lords also has 913 members, made up of members of the public chosen at random by the Office of Vice-President. The government is not connected to any church or religious organisation.

Since the country was founded, the two largest political parties in the USM's politics have been the Labour Party and Martian Democratic Party. The only other party elected to government was the Times Party which was in power for only one term.

Although many citizens of the USM consider themselves 'Martian', there are also some who consider themselves 'Bottarian', 'Cropwellian' and 'Fosser' because of the amount of people alive whilst those were separate entities. Despite this, there has been little appetite for devolved or federal power to give more power to each separate state. Plans for Kantar to be turned into a forth state have been put on hold.

Presidents

See President of the United States of Mars for the full article on this topic.''

The President is the Chief Executive of the United States of Mars and also is the Commander-In-Chief of the military and space fleet. The following is a list of all the Presidents of the United States of Mars.

The Cabinet

The United States of Mars Constitution says the following about the Cabinet:

The President shall elect a Vice President and a Cabinet of Ministers for each department. It shall be at the discretion of the President the number of Cabinet Members and the roles of Cabinet Members. The Cabinet shall meet once every seven days and each meeting should be documented however, it is the decision of the President whether the documentation shall be released. The Cabinet has the power to remove the President from Office if the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet feel it is necessary to and vote to remove the President. The Vice President shall then be granted Presidency and an election must be called with 14 days.

Currently, the President has 22 Cabinet members. The following is a list of Cabinet Members in the Presidential Order of Succession.

Local Politics

Each State has a Governor who oversees inter-state politics and is chief executive in each State. The Governer is elected by the State Council which is made up of 2 councillors from each county, elected by the public.

Even more local are Constituancy Councils which are made up of Constituancy Councillors who are elected by the public. These councils deal with much more local issues and most councillors stand as independants.

Up until 2084, Constituancy Councils were only set up in areas which needed them, generally in urban areas. However, in 2084, the CoR passed a bill to make all Constituancies have the councils.

Generally, State Council and Constituancy Council elections take place at the same time.

Constitution

The constitution of the United States of Mars is based on the constitution of the United States of America on Earth. The constitution is split into three sections: The Legislative Branch, The Executive Branch and The Bill of Rights.

See the full article for the Constitution of the United States of Mars here.

Geography

Physical Geography

One of the largest countries in Mars (by area), the United States of Mars is close to the Olympus Mont, the highest mountain on Mars, and has a large coastline along the north and east of the country. The highest point in the United States of Mars is Pegi Mont, a mountain in part of the largest mountain range in Mars.

There are three distinct climate zones in the United States of Mars, which are the cool northern part of the country, which is wet and cold in winter (10 degree Celsius average) and warm in summer (20 degree Celsius average). This area has many large forests, which have been undisturbed due to large wildlife projects. Further south, in the middle of the USM, is an area which is generally warm all year round (15-20 degrees Celsius average) apart from in winter when the temperature cools (10 degrees Celsius average). The most southern parts of the USM are hot all year round (20-35 degrees Celsius average) with no sea breeze to cool down the area. The only exception is in the southern mountains with temperatures at the mountain peaks generally reaching a maximum of 5 degrees Celsius.

The largest lake in USM in Lake Howard, in Fosse, named in honour of the first President. The lake is 2 kilometres long but often, in summer, the water level decreases making the largest lake: Lake Game, in Cropwell at 1.8 kilometres long. The many forests in Cropwell support a large variety of wildlife, most of which has been shipped from Earth however some species, such as the Furby, have been created on Mars by scientists.

Demographics

At the October 2077 USM Census, the United State of Mars' population was 36 million. This had been estimated up to 38.5 million by the Department of Statistics in 2084. Over two thirds of the population live in urban areas which were developed as the main colonies when the nation was first colonised. Developers and expanding cities have built thousands of rural communities and towns and there are many villages and hamlets across the coutnry. One of the key areas of the current government has been to improve the USM's education system. When the nation was first founded, education was given little priority and it was only in 2051 that it became compulsory. Despite this, the USM's literacy level is at 93%. Education is mandatory from ages five to eighteen.

As a British and Irish colony originally, the majority of the nation's population are white however many have migrated to the country for many reasons. Most of the cultures and races have blended togetehr to form a new national identity however as there are still many first and second generation immigrants in the country, there is still racial tension in some areas.

Langauge

The offical and predominant language of the United States of Mars is English, from the British and Irish immigrants from the nation's colonisation, however a USM dialect of the language has developed with Martian slang being used in most areas.

A new, Martian language has been adopted by a small majority, mainly in the far south of the country.

Religion

The October 2077 Census noted that 99% of the population does not have a religion. In a recent MTV survey, only 0.5% of the population believed in a god with the remainder of the religious population believing in religions without gods, such as Buddhism.

There is no offical religion adopted by the state.

Economy

The United States of Mars' economy is generally based on the British model focusing on the principles of liberalisation, the free market, and low taxation and regulation. The USM has one of the largest economies on Mars.

The main economic industry in the USM is building and construction, with the USM's builders internationally renound for the speed and quality in which they can build buildings. This is the main reason the country has been built so many cities and communities in such a short space of time. The other main industry is information technology.

The currency of the USM is Credit, represented by the letter (C). The United States of Mars Bank is the central bank and is responsible for issuing currency. The USM voted against the introduction of a single MTO market.

Security Services

The Security Services of the United States of Mars are split up into three basic catagories. The military, the police and the intelligence services.

Military

The military of the United States of Mars are known as the United States of Mars Armed Forces. Their Commander-in-Chief is the USM's President, currently Jay Daniels, and they are managed by the Department of Defense.

The USM Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United States of Mars and its territories, promoting the USM's wider security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. As a member of the Mars Treaty Organisation, the USM is obliged to help in the defense of any MTO nation under attack.

The Martian Army had a reported strength of around 70,000 in 2005 and the Martian Air Force a strength of 20,000 with approximatly 3,000 planes. The 10,000-member Royal Navy has vessels positioned around Mars and on Earth, while the elite 3,000 USM Commando Forces provide specialist operational assistance. This puts total active duty military troops in the 103,000 range including 25,000 personel in the USM Space Force which has 16 vessels.

9 Venture Class Attack Ships armed with low yield pulse weapons.

3 Pacific Class Attack Cruisers armed with low yield nuclear weapons modified for travel through space.

2 Ice Class Battle Ships armed with high yield pulse weapons and low yield particle beam weapons.

2 Exploration Class Explorer Ships armed with high yield particle beam weapons and low yield photonic missiles. One ship fitted with experimental Warp Engines capable of Warp speed 1. The ships are designed for exploration however can be used for warfare if needed.

Police Force

The United States of Mars Police Force is recognised as one of the best on Mars. Police officers must undertake training course to make sure that only the creme de la creme are picked for service. The Police are split into three sections.

Police Officers patrol the streets of all cities, towns and villages in the United States of Mars. They are the first line of defence against crime and are equipped with the latest in pulse stun weapons which can disable a target without killing them. The officers are famous for their "police buggies".

Crime Response Officers work along side Police Officers to respond to crimes. While Police Officers will deal with crimes which the encounter on the streets, CROs respond to emergency calls. They are armed with pulse stun guns and have access to a wide range of equiptment.

Crime Investigation Officers work to prevent crime and solve crimes. They generally are plain-clothed and are responsible for discovering who is responsible for crimes which have been committed.

Intelligence Services

The Intelligence Services of the United States of Mars are designed to gather intelligence in and out of the country and to prevent more serious crime. For obvious reasons, information about these agencies are kept to a minimum and below is a brief summary.

IS1 (Intelligence Service 1) deal with threats to the country which are from inside the country. This agency is similar to the American FBI or British MI5.

IS2 deal with threats to the country which involve foreign nations. This agency is similar to the American CIA or British MI6.

IS3 deal with organised crime.

IS4 is the country's anti terrorism agency.

IS5 deal with communications and codes. This organisation is similar to the American NSA.

IS6 deal with the security of and threats against the President and the government.

International Relations

The United States of Mars has taken a very active stance in diplomatic relations in Mars since the Daniels administration was elected in 2075 and has started to help in the clean-up operation on the planet after the Mirror Mars War.

The USM is one of the founding members of the Mars Treaty Organisation and is currently an active member due to the President's pro-MTO policies. The President has also taken an active role in the MTO by making himself Secretary of State for Mars and the Mars Treaty Organisation.

The USM was also the UN Regional Delegate for Mars, elected in 2081 after former UN Delegate Nerrethans left the UN. The nation stepped down from the role in 2084.

The USM has been involved in recent visits from other Mars Dimensions. A diplomatic conference was held in Mars City, Alutia, to discuss future relations.

In late 2082, the The Alutian-USM Ambassador Incident almost caused a war between the USM and Alutia after the death of the Alutian Ambassador to the USM was murdered. The situation was later resolved.

The USM has an alliance with The Greys.

As part of the MTO, the USM is a member of the Greater Prussian Empire. It is believed that the organisation may leave the empire soon though after dissatification from several key nations.

National symbols

• The flag of the United States of Mars is the Five Stars flag. It is often seen, incorrectly, as a symbol of colonised Mars by those on Earth. The flag brings together the three flags of the former nations, the Green background of Bottes, the 5 stars of Cropwell and the rectangle shape of Fosse.
• Bierkon is the national personification of the USM, originating from a story from early in the nation's history when a figure known as Bierkon was said to help the original colonies. Bierkon is represented by the figure which cannot be made out as male or female. In it's left hand, Bierkon holds a sword while it holds a scroll in the right hand. Very often, it has five stars across it's chest.
• The picture of several colony ships landing is often seen as a representation of the USM.
• The Sky Tower is often seen as a symbol of the USM's great achievments.
• The USM is renound for it's ability to build high quality buildings in a short space of time.

Other Information

• Date format: DD/MM/YYYY.
• Time format: 12-hour is generally used in casual conversation while the 24-hour clock is used for official and military purposes.
• Decimal separator is a full stop: 123.45
• Thousands are separated (formal) by a comma: 10,000

United States of Mars Factbook

The following is a factbook about the United States of Mars.

The United States of Mars Factbook

Footnotes

• ¹MEDC = More Economically Developed Country
• ²CR = Constituancy Representative.

Other Pages and External Sites

• Kantar

• Mars Region Wiki Page

• Mars Treaty Organisation

• NationStates

• The Mars Region Forum

• United States of Mars

• Current Map of the Mars Region