Maracaibo
The Allied Nations of Maracaibo and Outlying Territories Allied Nations of Maracaibo Maracaibo | |
|---|---|
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Flag | |
Anthem: "Allied Advance" (English) | |
| Capital and largest city | Maracaibo |
| Official languages | Tyrannian, Sylvan |
| Ethnic groups (2010) | Sylvan (30%), Castizo (50%), Other (20%) |
| Demonym(s) | Maracaibean |
| Government | Federal Republic |
• Head of State | President George Robert Kerman |
| Establishment | |
• as Colony | 1661 CE |
• as Republic | 1910 |
• of Allied Nations | 1948 |
| Area | |
• Estimate | 4,890,300 km2 (1,888,200 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2015 estimate | 52.31 million |
| GDP (PPP) | 2015 estimate |
• Total | $1.512 trillion |
• Per capita | $24,228 |
| Gini (2015) | 20.2 low |
| HDI (2015) | 0.923 very high |
| Currency | Maracaibean Credit (MCR) |
| Time zone | SMT +6, +7 |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | 441 |
| Internet TLD | .net ; .an ; .mcb ; |
Maracaibo
The country of Maracaibo and her outlying territories, officialy the Allied Nations of Maracaibo is a federal republic located in the northeastern region of Meridia, part of Septentrion. It was initially formed as the Colony of Gran Merida by the Sylvan Empire in the 17th century. During the War of Sylvan Succession, the nation was granted its freedom, splitting Gran Meridia between Pillow and itself soon after. Following the great strife of the Pan-Septentrion War, the government was rewritten under a new constitution for the Allied Nations in 1948.
Maracaibo has the largest GDP, population, military (in both manpower and expenditure) on the Meridian continent. It is a member of the Able Vigil Accords economic alliance.
Etymology
History
Colony of Gran Meridia
xxx
Democratic Republic of Maracaibo (1910-1943)
The Democratic Republic of Maracaibo was established by royal treaty from the King of Sylva in 1910, giving the new nation charge of the entirety of Gran Meridia. However, the native peoples, largely in the western portion of the territory, were unhappy with this treaty, and formed their own kingdom of Pillowlandia. This quickly resulted in a civil war, which ended in a few months when the settler faction could not push across the Red River. A truce was called, and an understood boundary was at the Red River.
The nation lived in peace, developing its infrastructure, largely along the coast. In its lifetime, the DRM had a total of six Chancellors, ruling from Assembly Hall, in the City Center of Old Maracaibo. Only property owners could vote for representatives in the Legislature until 1937.
With the Pan-Septentrion War beginning to boil over across the rest of the globe, and the Dayashina Empire encroaching on countries around Maracaibo, Chancellor Siguenza approached the Empire with a mutual gains proposition. The Chancellor, recognizing the power of the Empire, brokered a deal with the Dayashinese. Instead of mounting an invasion, Maracaibo would remain neutral and unoccupied during the war, in exchange for oil for free or at a heavily discounted rate provided by the nation's oil companies. On it's face, this deal worked. Neutrality would provide free trade with any nation, regardless of affiliation, and Dayashina would save troops, time, and money, as well as gain a source of the much needed oil supply.
This would, however, prove to be a misstep. The Empire took advantage of its supremacy, and almost immediately rolled back on its agreement, demanding oil for its gargantuan war machine. Chancellor Siguenza was hounded by the public as the violations mounted, for his inaction and inability to negotiate a square deal. The ruling classes were angered by the Imperial Dayashinese Navy cutting off any grand prospect of free trade with Casaterra, and the lower classes and recently-legalized trade unions were worried about the Dayashinese method of labor policy.
On xxxx x, 1943, Grand Admiral xxxx Villeda, commanding the Maracaibean First Marines and with the support of the Capital City Guard, stormed Assembly Hall and arrested Chancellor Siguenza in a coup, announcing that the Chancellor had acted treasonous in his dealings with the Dayashinese, and vowed to wrest a better deal from the Empire.
When the Empire refused, the new leader declared an Interim Government, suspended most operations of the Legislature, and immediately halted all shipments to Dayashina, ordering the military to seize any Imperial ships in port, among other things. The Army, having been undergoing a major overhaul since 1939, was called to mobilization to defend against a likely invasion from the rest of the continent under Imperial control.
On April 13, 1943, the Local Defense Initiative was enacted, creating an official government militia in every town above 10000 people. In July of 1943, the Trade Union Council of Maracaibo (CSM) voted to raise partisan militia of their own, and convert the heavy industry in the northeast to war production, as word of Dayashinian atrocities came pouring in from the front line.
The Regular Army and Partisans held the Imperials back as long as possible, but DRM forces lost ground every day, and by 1945 the capital was under siege. The Dayashinians ran rampant across the country, razing almost everything not nailed down, and slaughtering four million civilians in their reign of terror. In late 1945, the Allies arrived to assist DRM forces in pushing now-weakened Dayashinese forces out of the cities and into the uncharted jungles in the nation's interior. Fighting would not stop formally until 1946, when the Empire surrendered. However, the Dayashinese forces in Meridia were ideological crusaders, and most refused to surrender. It would take until early 1947 for the foreign threat to be detained to the jungles of Maracaibo.
The Allied Nations (1948-present)
After the death of Grand Admiral Villeda in 1946, the Legislature convened to discuss the future of the country. Much discussion was had, especially among the representatives from the lower classes, on what should be done after the war's close. A conference was called to draw up a new constitution, and the long maligned contacted tribes of the west were sought out for the drafting. In 1948, the Allied Nations was born of this conference, with the first President being Rahui Irepani, an indigenous war veteran, as a show of goodwill to the native peoples.
President Irepani immediately put the nation into reconstruction overdrive, authorizing a monolithic and unprecedented Public Works Commission to employ every able bodied unemployed person in the rebuilding of Maracaibo. The capital city, already almost completely destroyed by the war, was demolished in earnest, to make room for a brand new city, on the ashes of the old. To keep costs down, the President ordered that nothing from the rubble go to waste. Recycling of everything from rubber to concrete created even more employment. The military was reorganized and most militias were disbanded, while some were incorporated into the Home Guard regiments. A massive hydroelectric dam is ordered to be built to provide a reliable power source for the southeast of the country. It would not be completed until 1959.
By 1956, the economy had fully recovered, and the life of the average person had returned to normalcy. A brand new Stock Exchange opened in the summer, signifying the end of Reconstruction. In 1958, Yago Gualterio was elected as the second President of the Allied Nations, an independent without a party. Sweeping social reform is one of the hallmarks of this presidency, though it curiously failed to address the rampant racism and intermittent lynching towards Maracaibean-Dayashinians.
In 1964, the Trade Union Council demonstrated in the streets of several cities in the province of Gancho del Cabo, protesting for higher wages for laborers. Demonstrations turned violent, and the Home Guard was called in to restore order. The Gualterio administration decided to parley with the CSM and acquiesced to most of their demands.
In 1968, the Progressive Party candidate, Ramon Rodriguez won the ticket. He platformed on increasing and revising social reform, as well as implementing liberal immigration policies. In 1969, the Maracaibo Coast Highway is completed, connecting the entire northern coast via road.
On March 3rd, 1969, Diego Costello, Conservative Governor of Golfolinea Province was assassinated, likely in response to his hardline anti-labor policymaking and harassment of unionizing oil workers with the Home Guard. His successor, Frederick Barnes Sr., implementing his natural charisma, assuaged the workers and attempted to moderate talks between the oil companies of Maracaibo and their employees. This act, along with further policymaking, built his family a political legacy that allowed his son, Frederick F. Barnes Jr. to become Governor of Gancho Del Cabo, and eventually President of the Allied Nations.
In 1970, Executive Order #645 was passed, enforcing the ability for women to serve in the military. It is also known as the Almodovar Act, named after the Pan-Septentrion War heroine, Maria Almodovar.
By 1978, the Allied Nations could be considered a regional power, and in 1981, the oil industry was monopolized by Universal Petroleum Corporation. In 1987, a new age had dawned for Maracaibo when the first nuclear reactor opened.
In 1991, tensions between the old Pillowlandian separatists and the Allied Nations soared, and the AN invaded across the Red River, kicking off the Red River War. The war lasted six months, and, under threat of foreign intervention, the Allied Nations removed troops and dropped all claims to the nation of Pillowlandia. In exchange, it was allowed to annex the western bank and several kilometers inland.
The jungles of Maracaibo yielded another threat in 1993. Drug cartels, operating from remote areas, were attempting to muscle in on civilized areas, and far flung UP outposts were getting fired upon. President Enrique Reynaldo, from the Left-National party, ordered the full force of the Allied Nations Home Guard to crush the cartels. This culminated into the Narcotics War of 1993-1997.
In 1998, the Progressive party won the presidency, and Luis Keegan assumed office. An immense corruption conspiracy haunted his presidency. This corruption and its discovery led to the success of George Robert Kerman, of the Nationalist Party, and the collapse of the Progressive Party.
Kerman ran on a policy of internal self-improvement in all sectors. What was perhaps the most controversial part of his presidency was his foreign policy. He reminded the people of the atrocities the Dayashinese had committed, and warned of a resurgence of empire. The most important document passed in his presidency is the Meridian Doctrine, which cast the Allied Nations in a Great Protector role for the Meridian continent, protecting regimes from foreign imperialism. This was in direct response to the internationalist policy of Prime Minister Noru in the Republic of Dayashina.
In 2018, the current President, Frederick F. Barnes Jr., of the Conservative Party, assumed office, inheriting a divided country from Kerman.
Geography
Maracaibo is largely a tropical nation, situated just below the equator. The vast majority of development is on the coastal plains, and most of the interior is thick jungle and rainforest. There is a mountain range and caldera with an active volcano on the interior. There are many rivers and streams in the jungle, but only a handful are navigable for any significant stretch.
Government & Politics
The Allied Nations is a federal republic, divided into nine provinces. There are three branches of government. The Executive is the President, who has the power to sign bills into law, and write laws organically. The term for Presidency is ten years, with no re-election allowed. The Legislature is the National Assembly. There are 109 representatives, with 100 of them being chosen by proportional representation. There is a 5% threshold for parties in the National Assembly. Representatives are elected nationwide every two years, and are only eligible for candidacy five times. The remaining nine are the governors of each of the provinces, and they cannot draft legislation. Governors are elected every four years, and may hold office for as long as they are reelected. The Allied Nations Supreme Court is a check on both branches, and can overturn laws that are unconstitutional. There are 15 Justices that serve for life, and are appointed by the President, and approved by the Assembly.
Political Parties
There are four major political parties in the Allied Nations.
The Nationalist Party, made popular by George Robert Kerman, is a centrist nationalist party.
The Labor Party is a center-left party.
The Conservative Party is a center-right party, of which President Barnes hails from.
The Syndicalist Party is a far-left party, sponsored by the Trade Union Council of Maracaibo. It is the most popular party in the largest province in Maracaibo.
The Progressive Party was a moderate left party that reigned supreme for most of the 20th century, until its demise in 2008.
Foreign Policy
Allied Nations foreign policy has changed with each President, but it has largely desired peace on the continent. The only exception to this was the territorial contest with the Kingdom of Pillow, and this hostility has since changed course with the close of the Red River War in 1991 and the relinquishing of claims. Verpletterant, the neighbor to the south, has always been condemned by the Allied Nations for their racist policies heavily favoring the Katmiesie peoples, however there have been no other major diplomatic rows with them. The relations with Dayashina, never fully healed even after the evaporation of most racism in the 1980s, worsened with the election of President Kerman.
Administrative regions
Provinces
- Gancho Del Cabo
- Golfolinea
- Fuerza
- Cascada
- Joya
- Dolores
- Lanza
- Suestre
- Muralla
Economy
The economy is a mixed one, between private and public affairs. There is a singular monopoly on oil production and refinery, a large chunk of the economy, by Universal Petroleum, a local corporation. While it used to rely heavily on oil, the economy has been highly diversified, entering into many different markets.
Culture
Religion
Since its reorganization in 1948, the Allied Nations government has been vehemently secular, enforcing an areligious attitude in all public settings and teaching about the evils of religion in public schools. Religion is largely practiced in the home, and buildings of worship which are taxed regularly.