NationStates Jolt Archive

The Union of Samcoa is the official name given to the island situated on the North Atlantic ridge, south of Iceland, west of Ireland, east of the USA. The island is home to some six and a half million inhabitants. Through the years the population has tended to lean towards either a democratic or conservative political approach, though the Socialist Union is currently in power, serving its second term. The capital city is Samcoa City, with 2.2million inhabitants.

HISTORY.
It was in World War Two that American forces took control of much of Samcoa, using it as an airbase midway between the USA and Germany. The choosing of Samcoa was in part down to the fact that Samcoa was neutral during wartime, yet still faced the prospect of eventual capture. The then American president talked of "Giving Samcoa the chance to wipe her debt" by letting the troops use the island, if the islanders themselves were unprepared to go into battle. And so it was done. Unfortunately this made Samcoa something of a target for German air raids as they tried to stop the American advance.
By 1946 the war was over Samcoan dignitaries were pleading with American officials to give the island back to its people. The USA decided that Germany was going to need a lot of rebuilding and investment, and so agreed to relinquish all control over Samcoa. The Union of Samcoa was then established, with the first post-war elections being held in September 1946. The eventual winners of the election - the Conservative Alliance (back then a conglomerate of politicians seeking to preserve Samcoan independence) - had the title Union of Samcoa ratified. Unfortunately in the post-war period leading up to the election, many Dutch, French and Italian natives had made their way to the island in search of solace and security. The island was now a multicultural place to live, so protecting the island as the CA saw it would be rather more difficult than first envisioned.
The Conservative Alliance was strong in the early years but so-called teething troubles led to costly mistakes. The Democratic Union took power for some time before the Socialist Union took over, instigating women's voting rights in 1966. The UOS has resisted the call of international unions but the present government is very keen to join indeed. The Union has never hosted a major international sporting event, though has developed its own football (soccer) league and a speedway league. The 6.5million-strong population partakes in other sporting activities besides, leagues for which are regional or local.

PRE-WAR HISTORY.
Although parliamentary elections have been around since the mid-1800s in Samcoa, the island was previously ruled by a self-appointed monarchy. It is thought that the earliest monarch was King Willem I, in around 1200 AD. Back then the population is estimated to only have been in the region of five to ten thousand people. Some of the monarchs were very colourful characters indeed - but in 1855 the very sensible Queen Rita handed power to an elected government, out of respect for the wishes of her late husband, King Jan, who died in 1851. His vision was that Samcoa should become a total democracy by the turn of the next century. Queen Rita sped the process up, as next-in-line (after her) was a prince increasingly desperate to commence his reign of terror. It is thought that Rita received many gifts after her reign was over and that she was helped through life until her death in 1876, some twenty-one years later. All monarchs lived in Samcoa's largest and southermost town, Kingston.
In 1855 a democratic government was elected, which relocated all political powers to a new base in the expanding settlement now called Samcoa City, and every five years thereafter an election was held. This lasted right up until the 1940 elections, after which American troops seized the island and government was effectively disbanded. In 1946 the newly-named Union of Samcoa took up the new four-yearly elections, with several former ministers returning to frontline politics. In addition, all interest in the USA and the UK was abandoned, as the Union looked to the new world and a new start.

UNION OF SAMCOA.
LAND MASS: ...... 144,00km (the same size as Bangladesh)
POPULATION: ..... 6,466,000
CAPITAL: ........ Samcoa City
CURRENCY: ....... Samcoan dollar (S$)
MAIN EXPORTS: ... Transport components
GNI/CAPITA: ..... US $52,000
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 75yrs (men); 80yrs (women)
MAJOR LANGUAGE: English
MAJOR RELIGION: Christianity (34% but falling)

POLITICAL PARTIES.
The Christian Union
The Democratic Union
The Nationalist Union
The Socialist Union
The Conservative Alliance
The Liberal Party
The Green Party

PRESIDENT OF THE UNION OF SAMCOA.
President Mick Harford, Socialist Union.
First elected: 2002
Re-elected: 2006
Next election: 2010

Please welcome us to your world!:)

Thanks,
Samcoa.:cool:

Could you make a map?

Hopefully I can upload it when my internet cooperates...

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8376/uos3fx5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

In the mountainous region there are three dormant volcanoes, several mountain and eight lakes (nicknamed The Eight Lakes). One of these lakes is apart from the rest (the biggest) and lies quite close to Horicon on the east coast. The map shows the capital city - Samcoa City - and the southernmost city of Monticello, the southernmost town of Kingston (where all monarchs lived during the country's monarchy), the westernmost city of Fortuna, the northernmost city of Fincastle, and the easternmost settlement, a town called Horicon.

UNION CHRONICLE: ONLINE.

PENSIONERS IN PROTEST!
Pensioners within the Union of Samcoa took to the streets today in an effort to get more money for their retirements. Pensioners currently receive 120S$ per week (about £104GB), but are demanding an increase. Samcoa City played host to the protesters, who made their way through most major streets there, disrupting traffic and the daily business of other citizens in the process. Some passers-by said they'd never seen anything quite like it, as doddery old souls with zimmer frames and walking sticks paraded (very slowly) before the nation.

In parliament, Pensions Minister Colin Schwarzer said he thought the time was right to increase state funding of Samcoa's elderly citizens. He said his own government would be held accountable in future years should the aged creep closer to the poverty line - and something must be done to prevent that. For the good of his party and his people, President Mick Harford should consent to increased expenditure on the elderly of the Union. Before anyone else could jump in, Finance Minister Brian Fong said he personally would make sure that a greater allocation of money be made available to the country's senior citizens. A round of applause from all Socialist Union members went up.

This was, however, met with some stern opposition, in the form of the Conservatives, whose MP Alexander McCabe feared Mr Schwarzer's plea wasn't really being answered by Mr Fong. He said: "The kind offer from your Finance Minister to tackle this problem head-on concerns me greatly, for it was only two months ago that he announced a very small increase in the bluntly-titled death tax. It seems to be that you would all be more than happy to increase expenditure on the aged, if it means you could regain even more back when they die. I would like to remind all members present that the Conservative Alliance pledged to scrap death tax upon re-election in 2006 and also to increase the minimum wage by a considerable amount, therefore ridding future generations of the same problems that are being protested at this very minute in time".

A war of words ensued, with Vice President Steven Steiner suggesting Mr McCabe wished the Socialist Union to take Conservative policy and use it for their own good. This provoked laughter around the room. He said "The simple fact of the matter is that the old people in this country aren't happy - but we know we can put that right, and we don't need to scrap death tax to set their minds at ease, either. These people know a decent proposal when they see one - they've been living long enough, afterall".

The proposal, made by Finance Minister Brian Fong, is to allocate 200S$ (about £160GB) to every pensioner, once a week. He called this offer "generous" and the sum "plentiful", before going on to wish the elderly of Samcoa a long and happy retirement, inwhich money troubles are of no concern. "These people lived through war for the workers of today. They did not take part in it, so much as suffer from it. They deserve our unconditional support and respect."

FOOTBALL FANS CAMPAIGN FOR FOREIGN PLAYER PERMITS.Football fans from across the country have pleaded with SUFA officials to allow foreign players into league teams here in Samcoa. Many claim that only using Samcoa nationals in the football teams is harmful to the game's developmental progress both domestically and internationally, citing increased motivation as one of the probable outcomes of a policy change. Agreeably, the Samcoan Union Football Association (SUFA) has vowed to look into the issue, saying that they will research the matter carefully before making a decision ahead of the 2008/2009 season.

Currently eighteen teams play in Samcoa's Division 1, and fourteen in Division 2. The bottom two teams from Division 1 and the championship-winning team of Division 2 (together with the winner of a four-way knock-out between the second, third, fourth and fifth teams) trade places between seasons. The league system was heavily revamped during 2000 following a very messy collapse of the old league in 1999. In 2001 the new SUFA League was inaugurated, and has produced 32 brand-new football clubs in Samcoa.

The most successful club to date has been one of the four Samcoa City-based teams: the Samcoa Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have won the SUFA Cup once and the Division 1 title three times. Their manager since 2001 - and also manager of the national team - Sylvain Marbach, has attacked plans to bring foreigners into the game. He said: "Anyone with a Samcoan passport who is male - which must account for around three million people - is eligible to play, if they're good enough. The fact that they're not all top goalscorers doesn't mean we should go poaching other nation's best players. We simply have to train harder, work harder and play harder. Success will be given to no man - but every single one will have the chance to take it".

Other managers have also shown early opposition to the proposal. The Samcoa Typhoons' boss Henri Haapalainen said: "I'm not really in favour because I have made a decent team out of U-o-S nationals. Why can't everyone just try that? We all know that the Hurricanes are the best in the land. We should aspire to beat them through fair means". Monticello Diamonds boss Emmet Azzola was, however, in favour: "Yes, bring in the foreign players. If they are good, let them shine here in our leagues. And I hear what Henri Haapa' has said about me and I think actually if he checks the league history he will find Monticello Diamonds are right now the best team here in Samcoa".

For all the Hurricanes' successes, Monticello Diamonds did indeed win the league last season. We await with interest the final decision that SUFA will take...

FIRST SHOOTING STILL CAUSING CONCERN.
In 2007 only one shooting has been recorded in all of Samcoa City. It happened in late August during a seige on a supermarket store. A tramp, whose associates said had recently received donations totalling almost 40S$, was shot in the line of civil duty as he ordered three gun-wielders to point their weapons away from the faces of two young checkout girls. More than three months on, tabloid newspapers are still calling for more to be done to help the homeless get off the street - to avoid such gun-pointing terror in the future. The subject comes up again and again in parliament, with the Conservatives having outline a typically straightforward way of dealing with the problem.

"We don't want tramps on our streets. So we'll house them. We'll build centres with beds and kitchens and we'll house them there. We'll allow them to use these centres as a permanent address, and this will allow them to open bank accounts, which in turn will permit them to gain employment. They will be making money again in no time, via legal means, and then they'll be able to afford low grade housing of their very own. No more will the homeless need to remind us of their plight by interrupting gun seiges." These were the words of Conservative Alliance leader George Simo.

In protest, though looking flustered, the Interior Minister Sarah Lancaster said much was being done to help the homeless - but she also insisted that "some people just don't want to be helped". She promised that the government was doing all in its power to improve the situation for the homeless of Samcoa. In addition, she said that gun ownership was still extremely low in the nation and thanked God that only one fatal shooting had been recorded all year long in the capital.

The cries from the opposition benches - mainly from the Christion Union - asked what punishment would be given to the shooter, when caught. Justice Minister Pascal Dassin expressed his desire to leave that to the courts, though promised a jail term would be served by each of the three young men involved in the incident. Christian Union leader Cardinal Josef Jovarauskas said jail would not be enough to cover up this devastating travesty, and warned all members that God would punish them upon their entry to the afterlife.

In a short statement at the end of the parliamentary session, President Mick Harford said he was proud of the low number of fatal incidents recorded not only in the capital - but in the nation - during 2007. He said he was, however, sorry for those which had occured, and expressed his condolensces to the other tramps of Samcoa City for their loss.

JENNIFER TO BE SACKED BY GOVERNMENT?
Calls are coming in thick and fast from irate members of the general public after primetime quiz show assistant Jennifer Pizzuti made a "guest appearance" in a pornographic film at the weekend. The film, entitled Fingers On Buzzers, centres around three quiz contestants hoping to win big money. However, during a rehearsal for the show, tensions mount and passions flare... Jennifer is sucked into a lavish orgy with the contestants, which means scenes of sexual intercourse with all three - one of whom is another woman. The people want to know: how can this be allowed?

Jennifer's role was exposed to the media by an industry insider, who said it was an honour to watch a great tv personality such as her in a pornographic setting. Hardly a personality, and more of a glamourpuss, Jennifer's career move has been slated by thousands who are calling upon the government to throw her off the air. She was asked to defend her actions and, in attempting to do so, said: "I like porn; lots of people do. I don't want to turn my back on my career in quiz show television, but everyone should be open to new ideas once in a while".

Clergyman and politician Cardinal Josef Jovarauskas was quick to condemn the 23-year-old girl's actions, calling her "a moral shame" and saying she would be "consigned to Hell". He also said he feared the reputation our nation would gain internationally for this disaster. Seemingly in her defence, Socialist Union minister Margarita Vara (Sport & Culture) said: "She is a strong, independent woman looking after her own interests and following her own path in life. It's not what families or pensioners want to see - but if they're only watching the daily quiz show, they won't... If, however, they watch Union Channel 9 late at night, they just might get a fright".

You can have your say on all of today's top stories by following the links on the homepage to our chat forums. Should the pensioners have been given their money? Do you want to see foreigners in Samcoan football? Should a memorial be made in honour of the tramp shot in summertime? Should the blonde bombshell be expelled from television for mixing work with pleasure? Have your say!

UNION CHRONICLE: ONLINE.

NATIONAL MOTORSPORT TO BE TELEVISED - NATIONALLY!
The state-controlled television channels (Union Channels 1 - 9) have given the go-ahead to showcase the national single-seater motorsport series, Union Klass Racing. An official spokesperson claims the 'K' is to halt any possible confusion with the URC (Union Rally Championship, which is even smaller and less well known). Union Klass Racing is a single-make series that permits the use of different engine suppliers. Two cars are entered per team, and then they race over a 10-stage calendar. Currently only four proper road courses exist in Samcoa, which means each track is used twice (once clockwise, once anti-clockwise) and that two additional tracks are made out of existing roadways, known as street tracks. Currently seven teams compete, giving a total of fourteen runners per event.

The series, begun in 2001, has seen the Teams' Championship won by only two teams, while the Drivers' Championship has been taken by five different drivers. Speedway, a potential rival (on motorbikes and dirt track ovals) has already found popularity as an alternative to football with the nation. So why should UKR interest them, too? According to a leading politician, Mr Vince Haskell (Minister for Health): "It's going to promote fitness among competitors and fans. That's important for our nation, isn't it? Speedway is a lot of run and it's admired by a lot of people - but this should be just as exciting. Four wheels are bigger than two, so crashes are more likely. The speed is phenomenal in these cars. And there's competition amongst engine makers, too. This series has it all. And have you seen the drivers? Some of them are real live-wires!"

Indeed they are. During UKR's short history, five inter-driver brawls have taken place during or after a race event. The chairman of the series, Mr Mikhail Zborowski, has issued a warning to all competitors to clean up their act, as Union Channel 8 prepares to broadcast the latest series in 2008. "We're going live on national tv now, so the time has come to start thinking about your image within the media." The series has also received the backing of automobile manufacturer Alpha, which will be joining as a team in 2008 for the new series. Until now, Alpha has only been an engine supplier, along with fellow car producers Rotham and Satullo. Next season, however, it will become the first car manufactuer to join up as a team in their own right, though will continue to supply engines to other teams.

In contrast, one UKR team is preparing to go the other way. The Vulkan team has been fortunate in winning six titles in a row - but team boss Max Milburn has signalled his intention to broach the automotive industry with his first attempt at a road car: the Luxor. He has allocated some staff to the R&D of this car, and its production, and is calling the road division of his vehicular business Condor. The Condor Luxor will be an order-only car, which means your local high street dealer will not be selling it. Mr Milburn clarifies: "I haven't the money to produce a million of these beauties. At the moment, we've only built five units - so people will need to start buying them before we can build anymore. But it represents great value for money. All of our testing suggests that they will be reliable cars, with lots of power, a large fuel tank, a tasty 29 miles per gallon and space enough inside for your entire family and their possessions".

Mr Milburn thinks his cars rival Rolls Royces and Bentleys on looks, and says it will be more affordable and a better performer than both. According to his personal website "Samcoa has never known a machine like it, let alone driven one". It is hoped that the car, priced at 100,000S$ (or £80,000), will appeal to the wealthy of Samcoa, who previously have had to pay huge tolls on having foreign cars shipped in. Luxury is now accessible: the Condor Luxor has arrived.

Back to the racing, and Alpha is looking to win the Drivers' and Teams' Titles in its first year of competition. Alpha's car history stretches back some 25 years now, making it the oldest manufacturer in the country. Some industry insiders, however, comment that the cost of racing and the diversion of their attentions to the track (from the road) could cost them massively in the marketplace, as other car manufacturers' ideas begin to come together.

If you'd like further information on buying new road cars from Alpha, Baxter, Satullo or Auto Kong, new sports cars from Delta, Nitro or Rotham, or new luxury cars from Churchill or Condor, please start a search on our "Online Search" page.

SAMCOA BIDS FOR WORLD CUP GLORY.
Samcoa has forwarded an application to compete in the 39th football World Cup, which will be the first appearance in the nation's history. The Samcoan Union Football Association (SUFA) chairman, Mr Philippe Clermont, has said, in a public statement, "Now is the time to make that leap". The national side will hopefully compete in the Baptism of Fire Cup before heading into the World Cup finals, and the national manager couldn't be happier...

"This is a great time to be involved with football here in Samcoa. Everyone is talking about it. Fans want foreign players in. Some managers do. Some managers don't. There's a lot of debate. There's a real buzz in our country now. To take part in the World Cup - the oldest and biggest footballing competition in the multiverse - would be something special." The manager, 58-year-old Sylvain Marbach, who is also the manager of Samcoa Hurricanes, the capital city and country's most successful football team since the inception of the new leagues in 2001, is not expecting great success on an international level, though is adamant that now is the time to make that move. "We must take it to them. We must try. There's a lot taking place in Samcoa, politically, and this progress in our little footballing world will help that. Next we'll have privately-run tv channels and an open debate about a full integration with Europe. Samcoa is the biggest thing that the rest of the planet hasn't yet discovered."

More news will follow as things progress for the side.