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Foreign Relations of Pavonistade

The foreign relations of Pavonistade are maintained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is overseen by Minister of Foreign Affairs Laura Hammond.

Pavonistade's foreign policy is primarily semi-interventionist but, in recent years, have adopted non-interventionist stances.

Diplomatic missions

Country	Ambassador from	Ambassador to
United States of America	Steve H. Wilkins	Jason Richards

History

Timeline

• 971 BCE: Hals'se Combine unifies mainland Pavonistade
• 971-970 BCE: the Jopj Combine was founded, succeeding the Hals'se Combine
• 100: the Jopj Combine begins a military campaign to conquer the Eastern Islands, ruled by the Xatoura Combine
• 105: Eastern Islands fall to the Jopj Combine; all Pavonistadian islands are under the control of the Jopj
• 1551: explorer Henry Pavonin becomes the first modern European to land on Pavonistadian soils; before this, Pavonistade had evaded discovery from previous explorers (particularly Christopher Columbus)
  • Pavonin will make a total of three trips to the Pavonistadian islands
• 1552: early posts in present-day Eastern Islands; early interactions with the Jopj Combine
• before 1619, explorers from Spain, Portugal and France visited the Pavonistadian islands at some point; no definitive colonization took place until 1619
• 1619: the settlement of Emerson is founded and named after the colonist Walter Emerson; British Pavonistade begins, while Jopj Combine goes into a permanent decline
• 1630: Great Britain lays claims to all of present-day Eastern Islands
• 1650: by this point, diseases common to Europe (e.g. smallpox) have causes substantial devastation to the Jopj Combine; the Jopj Combine was characterized as the "nation of noble savages" by an unknown source
• 1700: Great Britain lays claims to all Pavonistadian islands
• 1680: Christian Revolution in Pavonistade; the Jopj government embraces Christianity though most Jopj and non-Jopj natives continue to practice their own religions
• 1765-1783: American Revolution; the British would be most pressured to grant Pavonistade independence during this period
• 1768: Pavonistadian Revolution begins; unlike the American Revolution, the Pavonistadian counterpart was peaceful and resulted in no military or war-related casualties; the leaders were Sir Walter Stuart (sympathetic British official) and Rujonim (Jopj ambassador)
• 1784: Pavonistadian independence

Modern Era

Pavonistade supported the United Kingdom and the Allied Powers during the First World War. The country was subject to the impacts of the Spanish Flu and the Great Depression. In the Second World War, Pavonistade sided with Allied countries and declared war on the Axis countries. The war occurred in the midst of the Pavonistadian Industrial Revolution, and the country played a recognizable economic and military role in the Allied war effort.

After the Second World War, Pavonistade helped found the United Nations and engaged in international conflicts such as the Korean War. Pavonistade sided with the United States during the Cold War and became a member of NATO. While the Pavonistadian government is divided over the amount of support appropriate for the United States, Pavonistade experienced several cultural shifts such as the counterculture of the 1960's.

After the end of the Cold War, Pavonistade remained a prominent ally of the United States and European powers. It has maintained a cautious presence in conflicts such as the War on Terror and insurgencies in West African countries. Despite an semi-interventionist foreign policy, Pavonistade has engaged both in peacekeeping operations and in offensive operations (e.g. intervention against ISIL).

Pavonistade is labelled as an emerging power with influence in the regional and, to an extent, international stage. Climate change, environmental degradation, economic disparities, changing social demographics (e.g. age) and continued cultural shifts are some of the issues currently faced by Pavonistadians.

not!Eric Oppenheim

Calvin Elmore
Calvin Elmore, pictured late January 2015
President of the Pavonistadian Provinces
Incumbent
Assumed office February 17, 2019 (2019-02-17)
Vice President	Otakta Sgriki
Preceded by	Matthew Azurite
Vice President of the Pavonistadian Provinces
In office February 20, 2011 (2011-02-20) – February 17, 2019 (2019-02-17)
Preceded by	Mattheu Azurite
Personal details
Born	Calvin Maximus Elmore (1957-07-20) July 20, 1957 Paisbury, North Pavonistade
Nationality	Pavonistadian
Political party	Democratic Party
Other political affiliations	Conservative
Residence(s)	Presidential Palace (official) Paisbury, North Pavonistade (personal)
Alma mater	University of Vadopol
Occupation	President

Calvin Maximus Elmore (born July 20, 1957) is the current President of Pavonistade. Prior to his presidency, he was the Vice President from February 20, 2011 to February 23, 2019 and he served as a Member of the Parliament for three years starting on March 16, 2009.

Elmore was born in Paisbury and graduated from the University of Vadopol. His political career began by serving on the municipal council of his hometown. He subsequently served as Mayor of Paisbury from 1997 to 2005, as an affiliate of the Conservative Front. Following his leadership in Paisbury, Elmore ran in the North Pavonistadian gubernatorial election on behalf of the Democratic Party and was elected Governor of North Pavonistade. In 2018, Elmore was elected President of Pavonistade in an upset.

While Elmore has been described as a Democratic politician and a Conservative politician in the past, he has refused to identify strongly with political labels. He asserts a centrist stance, proclaiming himself to be a friend of both the left-wing and the right-wing.

Early life

Calvin Elmore was born on July 20, 1957 in the Paisbury Hospital Center. His parents were Alexander Elmore and Helen Elmore, the former a municipal councillor and the latter a political journalist. Elmore is one of the three children in the family that also includes older brother James (b. December 1, 1955) and younger sister Fiona (b. March 25, 1959).

Elmore attended the Dextor Northwind Primary School and then the Caprara Secondary School. He graduated from the latter school in 1975 and subsequently he enrolled in the University of Vadopol, where he studied for more than four years and he received a degree in political science. The acquisition of such a degree is perhaps inspired by the occupations of Elmore's parents, although he never explicitly detailed the reasons for his pursuit.

Political career

Paisbury Municipal Council

In 1989, Elmore ran for the Paisbury municipal council. He was elected as one of the fifty municipal councillors, beginning his political career. Throughout his term, he was a member of the Wildrose Party, which was affiliated with the national Conservative Front. He quickly gained recognition for a "down-to-earth" attitude and helping pass measures which were recognized as effective. A commonly-cited example took place in 1994, when Elmore proposed mandatory and strictly-monitored participation in behavioural intervention programs for minor offenders, as well as ensuring that any behavioural interventions were tailored for unique personal needs. Both measures were later credited by the Paisbury Police Force for curbing petty crimes and recidivism rates among minor offenders.

In 1997, Elmore ran for Mayor of Paisbury on behalf of the Wildrose Party. He picked Marc Desjardins, a municipal councillor and a member of the Forward Paisbury party (affiliated with the Democratic Party, as his running mate. While the choice of Desjardins was considered unusual, Elmore believed that having Desjardins as a running mate can allow cross-party differences and issues to be better resolved. The duo won the municipal election decisively in 1997; Elmore took office on July 20 while Desjardins was inaugurated as Deputy Mayor.

Elmore's leadership in Paisbury had encountered and addressed multiple controversies, such as policing incidents. However, he managed to enact by-laws over which the city's local parties were in impasse; the Paisbury Daily had described him as the first cross-party unifier in the city's history. He won re-election in 2001, but he opted not to seek another term in 2005.

Governor of North Pavonistade

Several weeks after leaving his position as Paisbury mayor, Elmore announced that he had become a member of the Democratic Party. This represented a major shift in his ideologies, since it effectively demonstrated a break in his ties with the Wildrose Party and the Conservative Front. Elmore secured the Democratic nomination for the upcoming 2006 gubernatorial election in North Pavonistade. This success was seen as unusual by Democratic and non-Democratic members alike, as Elmore was a Democratic newcomer, though it was later viewed as welcome news for the Democratic Party. Elmore won the election with a slim majority and was soon inaugurated Governor of North Pavonistade.

As Governor, Elmore called for greater support of individual citizens and small settlements. He was considered instrumental in supporting the 2008 North Pavonistade Grants Act, which facilitated access of individuals and small businesses to provincial financial grants. He also proposed a ban on major officeholders from partaking in sensitive private sector activities (e.g. lobbying) after leaving office, citing a need to curb unfair advantages and corruption. The ban, colloquially known as Elmore's Boot, was implemented in early 2013.

Elmore was able to win re-election in 2010 and 2014. Though his governance had mostly been received warmly, Elmore promulgated several acts that were controversial. For instance, his decision to eliminate drug testing from the qualifying criteria for welfare gained significant criticism for several months. His lasting popularity and his ability to bring opposing parties together had been widely remarked upon. Dan Rotheman, the former Governor of North Pavonistade, commented that "something in him [Elmore] helps heal wounds and bridges divides between people with many parts in common."

Presidency

In 2017, Elmore announced his intentions to run for Presidency. He was confirmed as the Democratic nominee for the 2018 election; in the process, he beat other Democratic candidates considered to be forerunners. He was also able to win the 2018 election with a sizable majority. His victory was considered an upset, as the Democratic Party - expected to become the official opposition - instead won seats that were traditionally won by other parties (especially the Conservative Front).

Political positions

Calvin Elmore has been described as being more centrist than most other prominent Pavonistadian leaders. Some data aggregators such as Cooperation in Politics have indicated Elmore as also being ideologically distant from other leading Pavonistadian politicians. He is described as a Third Way politician in support of economic intervention and a mixed economy. His positions on various policies such as maintenance of "responsible Internet surveillance" have gained attention because of its contrast with the mainstream positions of the Democratic Party or Conservative Front. As with numerous left-wing and centrist politicians, Elmore rejects overt militarism and support a non-interventionist foreign policy.

Elmore had spoken regarding his positions, stating, "I am going forward and only forward, for not only myself but for all of the country, for too much of a shift to the left or to the right may prove more detrimental."

Personal Life

The official residence of Calvin Elmore is designated as the Presidential Palace. Like most Pavonistadian Presidents, he has a personal residence, which is located in his home city of Paisbury. The Paisbury residence is one of the possible vacation sites of Elmore.

Elmore's current wife is Eileen Miranda-Elmore, and both were married since May 10, 1998. They had a son, Payton Elmore, who was born on June 15, 2000 and is currently living in the Presidential Palace alongside his parents. Calvin Elmore was married to a previous wife, Gwen Wiliemns, from December 1, 1987 to August 19, 1989. Before divorce the couple had a daughter, Sarah Leons, who is not residing within the Presidential Palace.

Elmore expresses an interest in classical and rock and roll music, association football, and soft science fiction.

Velocity

Velocity is a brand of carbonated soft drink. Beverages of the brand are manufactured, bottled, and distributed by Velocity Corporation. Keith Jannard, the founder of Velocity Corporation, also formulated the recipe for the original Velocity drink, now known as Velocity Original.

Variants of Velocity include Zoom, which specialize in the flavors of several fruits; and Blast, which is described as having "increased sophistication" by the Velocity Corporation.