NationStates Jolt Archive

History

Rojo (Red) Quisqueya is a new nation built in part from one of the oldest independent nations in the Americas (Haiti) by combining it with the more prosperous ex-Spanish colony that became the Dominican Republic. Terrible poverty in the once profitable land of Haiti and rampant corruption and inequality in its eastern neighbour provided fertile ground for rebellion, even if agricultural potential had been left to go begging. A Haitian radical named Victor Wiltord rose to the fore in a new rebel army in that troubled country, and the force distinguished itself through Wiltord's leadership thanks to relatively serious planning and controlled violence. In contrast, Vicente Batistuta's sudden and shocking brutality across the border in the traditionally more stable Dominican Republic rocked that nation from its foundations upwards, and cross-border co-operation between the two groups soon put the men at the head of Haitian political life. From there, the more difficult Dominican revolution was conducted with the help of a relative haven in the west.
Soon, the issue of unity became central to both revolutions as westerners saw the east's facade of relative prosperity and easterners saw the movement towards equality and against corruption already taking hold in the west. Initial talk of a united Hispaniola gave way to the title Rojo Quisqueya, Quisqueya being the pre-colonial name given to the island, re-taken so as to avoid total reliance upon any one of the three major languages spoken by the people of the two involved states.
Following the revolutions and unification, the Quisqueyan Red Party was established as the government of the island of Hispaniola and its more than seventeen million people with Wiltord swept into the Chairmanship on a tide of revolutionary favour and the forcefull Batistuta becoming Premier of Rojo Quisqueya.

Geography

Location: Caribbean, the island of Hispaniola
Area: 76,430sq.km.
Climate: Tropical maritime, seasonal variation in rainfall, semi-arid in small western areas where mountains cut-off trade winds
Terrain: Mostly mountainous and rough rugged highlands with some fertile valleys
Elevation extremes: Lago Enriquillo -46m, Pico Duarte 3,175m
Natural resources: Nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, copper, calcium carbonate, marble, hydropower potential
Land use: Permanent crops 11%, arable land 25%, other 64%
Irrigated land: 3,290sq.km
Natural hazards: Lies in the hurricane belt and is subject to severe storms from June to October, occasional flooding and earthquakes, periodic drought
Environmental issues: Deforestation, soil erosion, water shortages

People

Population: 17,100,000
Growth Rate: 1.75%
Median age: 22 years
Life expectancy: male 61 years, female 62.5 years
People living with HIV/AIDS: 350,000
HIV/AIDS deaths: 30,000
Nationality: Quisqueyan(os)
Ethnic composition: 50% black, 10% white, 40% mixed
Religions: Majority Roman Catholic, some Protestant, few other, growing atheist minority; significant part of the population also practices Voodoo to some degree
Languages: Spanish, French, Creole (all official); English increasingly spoken in some circles
Literacy: 70% and rising

Government

Country name local long-form: Republica Rojo Quisqueya
Government type: Single party state with limited representative elements
Capital: Pedernales. A small town on the south coast, experiencing rapid growth and development
Other cities: Santo Domingo (2,400,000), Port-Au-Prince (1,900,000), Santiago (1,000,000), Cap-Haitians (600,000), La Vega (250,000), La Romana (140,000), San Pedro de Macorís (125,000), San Francisco de Macoris (100,000), Haina (90,000), Barahona (65,000), Higuey (35,000), Gonaives (34,000), Les Cayes (34,000), Monte Cristi (25,000), Elias Pina (20,000)
Chief of State: Premier Vicente Batistuta
Head of Government: Chairman Victor Wiltord
National Anthem: A modification of Quisqueyanos Valientes (Valiant Sons of Quisqueya)
National Motto: Unitas! Pregreso! Fureza! (Unity! Progress! Strength!)

Economy

GDP per capita: US$4,000
GDP total: US$68.4bln
GDP real growth rate: 0.5%
Agricultural products: Sugarcane, coffee, tobacco, cotton, rice, corn, beans, potatoes, bananas, other fruits, sorghum, wood, pigs, cattle, dairy products, eggs
Industries: Sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, tobacco, cement, textiles, flour milling, light manufacturing
Oil consumption: 135,000bbl/day
Export commodities: Ferronickel, gold, silver, sugar, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, mangoes, other fruits, meats, consumer goods
Major trade partners: Cuba, Venezuela, China
Currency: Quisqueyan peso
Notes: Rojo Quisqueya has inherited Haiti's primitive agricultural economy, beset by under-investment and natural disasters; and the Dominican Republic's increasingly service-based economy with massive inequality and significant banking fraud. The new leadership has begun to tear-down the recently unstable tourist industry and to replace some service sector pursuits with industrial efforts, and to mechanise the west's primarily subsistence farming economy.
Though the Rojo Quisqueyan economy is on the face of the matter growing at a gradual rate, this lays only a thin mask over on-going difficulties. The 0.5% over-all growth rate is dwarfed by 1.75% annual population growth: worth $68.4bln this year, the Republic's economy caters to 17.1 million people; next year it is expected to be worth something approaching $68.75bln, but shall cater to 17.4 million people. An extra three-hundred thousand Quisqueyans can expect to be answered in just $350 million of extra productivity, equating to roughly $1,166 per head, compared to this year's average $4,000. This means that while over-all GDP is expected to be up to $68.75bln, the per capita figure may be slightly down (to just over $3,950).
Still, the new government insists that it is the western region -formerly Haiti- with its agricultural economy and long-term neglect that drags down the averages, and serious efforts are under way to bring it in line with the rest of the nation by migration and public works-lead industrialisation, which is also being used to reduce unemployment and the most severe poverty.

Communications

Telephone lines: 1.1million with 1.5million aimed-for in near future. International service soon to be accessible only from certain government buildings
Radio broadcast stations: AM 65, FM 27, shortwave 3
Television broadcast stations: 5 These reduced figures for television and radio reflect enforced closure of many stations accused of supporting the oppressive and devisive old order
Internet users: 500,000. Heavy use of blockers already in effect and sale of personal computers is being discouraged in favour of state-run facilities

Transportation

Railways: Only a few hundred kilometres in standard gauge, with significant expansion programmes under way. A couple of thousand kilometres of narrower gauge rails are given-over to industrial use
Highways: Also under expansion, presently totalling almost 20,000km, with around half yet being paved
Ports and harbours: Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc, Barahona, La Romana, Manzanillo, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo Domingo
Airports with paved runways: 17
Over 3,047m: 3
2,438 to 3,047m: 4
1,524 to 2,438m: 3
914 to 1,523m: 6
Under 914m: 1
Airports with unpaved runways: 27
1,524 to 2,438m: 3
914 to 1,523m: 9
Under 914m: 15

Military

Branches: Patriotic Army including Navy and Air Force
Military manpower fit for service: 2.35million males age 18-49
Military manpower reaching military age annually: 190,000 males
Military expenditure as percent of GDP: 10.8%
Military expenditure in dollar terms: $7.4bln
International disputes: Claims US-administered Navassa Island. Premier Batistuta has made allusion to possible ambitions on other Caribbean islands such as Jamaica and Puerto Rico, but no official claims exist.

BUMP to announce the new state.

The commandante would like to encourage Hispaniola to sign a treaty with Peopleita treaty (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=434029)

I'm not sure if this is the best time of day or night for a bump, but it can't hurt, right?

I have long searched for a Carribean nation to host a medium-sized fleet stationed in the Americas, yet have so far found none acceptable. A Haitian or Dominican port would fit the bill perfectly, and would open up the host nation for many, many opportunities, economically and militarily.

Should you wish to persue further discussion on opening a port to Reaver forces, negotiations on Panteran funds being made available to Rojo commercial and idustrial developments.

Dayne the Evenstar
Lord Reaver of Pantera
Drag the Waters of War

I'm not sure if this is the best time of day or night for a bump, but it can't hurt, right?

*hits rojo with a stick*

Ah! God damn it!
All right, next time I'll add new content before bumping! :)

Edit! But perhaps if anyone wants to ask questions, that'd be another good way of introducing the nation, yes? Worth a try.

Well, I lied. This is a bump without any new information: the next section is on the RQ military, and is taking an eternity to compile. Look out for it, next, hopefully!
Still open to questions and comments, of course.

I have long searched for a Carribean nation to host a medium-sized fleet stationed in the Americas, yet have so far found none acceptable. A Haitian or Dominican port would fit the bill perfectly, and would open up the host nation for many, many opportunities, economically and militarily.

Should you wish to persue further discussion on opening a port to Reaver forces, negotiations on Panteran funds being made available to Rojo commercial and idustrial developments.

Dayne the Evenstar
Lord Reaver of Pantera
Drag the Waters of War


(Wow, sorry! I honestly never saw that post until right this moment! I don't know what's wrong with my eyes!)

Pedernales' response to the Panterans was greatly delayed by the horrible nature of post-revolutionary communications infrastructure as many facilities lay in smoking ruin thanks to sabotage or desperate government intervention and others were silenced by the new government, intent as it was on controlling the media. When it eventually came it was not far from accomodating: Batistuta had grand ambitions for his new state, and it made sense to him that totally outside powers should be convinced to support him. He didn't want to play second fiddle to the selfish ambitions of local powers.

Belatedly, a communiqué was dispatched to the Lord Reaver inviting his grand nation to set foot officially on the revolutionary soil of the new state with a view to securing future co-operation. The language was perhaps a little above the station of a government over just seventeen million souls, but Batistuta was, as they say, on cloud nine following his victories, and disinclined to portray himself as a junior in any international agreements.

In short, Rojo Quisqueya was prepared to host Panteran officials interested in establishing basing rights, and was hopeful that the new government's increasingly steely grip on its population would not be regarded as problomatic.

OOC: Dude. Loads of info. I should do something like that.

Anyway, watch this space for an official statement-thingy.

Official Statement from The Imperial Union
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/7619/tiorseal0ja5xi.png

To, the Republica de Hispaniola

The Imperial Union consisting of the Island of Rose, New Rose, New Roska, and New Eltengrad would like to establish relations with the Republic. We, like yourself, are an Island, well, the the Imperial Rosian Republic of the Island of Rose is anyway. But besides the point, we notice that you will need an Armada for protection.

We offer in return for trade, to house the 14th BattleFleet consisting of twenty five watercraft to protect you. In return, we would like trade. Not only that, we would like to pursue an alliance with you.

But we've also noticed that you have a steel grip on the population, or, at least that's what the rumor is in IRIS. We do not mind allying ourselves with dictators, on the contrary, we are allied with one or two very powerful dictators. We just hope nothing... bad happens to the populace. We hope for more communications soon.

We hope for a reply soon, it would be sad if this was refused.

Yours in Peace,

Alexander Roska
Member of The Imperial Council
Chancellor of Foreign Affairs

Finally, an hispanic state!

(Go for it, Verghastinsel... I'm impressed to see a national name more difficult to spell than is our own ;) A warning, though, figuring-out just exactly what your military can afford and what makes sense is a gigantic pain in the backside!)


The Rosian Foreign Affairs chancellery received a response a little more quickly than had been true for the Panterans, and this was possibly due to the passing of recent storms that had previously disrupted communications and distracted the new government.

Pedernales certainly didn't want to make Quisqueya a battleground for two larger states (I intend to keep RQ's population at roughly 17.1million unless we actually make conquests or suffer tragedy), but Batistuta was quietly of the opinion that having two big forces balanced on Hispaniola may protect his Republic from excessive manipulation by either one. The idea of basing the Panterans on the north and the Rosians on the south (or vice-versa) or one in former Haitian and one in former Dominican territory was actually an interesting one, and Pedernales agreed to host a Rosian visit.

One would see that life -especially in the western one-third of the island- was tough, but put into context it was perhaps more understandable: Haiti had been the poorest nation anywhere in the western hemisphere, and beset by decades of totally uncontrolled violence until the revolution. The peace now enjoyed was thus far being welcomed by the people. Much as Mussolini's trains ran on time and the Taliban crushed Afghanistan's drugs production, so the Red Republic was able to give its people something up front as crime and violence was forcibly stamped out. The price to be paid was at this early stage not entirely clear, and the facade was one of a miracle of stability.

Senatus Populusque Verghastus
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Verghastinsel/VerghastEagle.jpg


The Republik of Verghastinsel congratulates Premier Batistuta and Chairman Wiltord on their successful revolutions against the corrupt former governments of the island. May they guide their people into a new and peaceful era of industry, trade and understanding.
Verghastinsel sees an opportunity for both our nations. A major factor for any fledgling nation, especially one so crippled by the economic slump of recent years, is electricity. Verghastinsel contains significant deposits of uranium ore, and we believe that with the assistance of the Verghastan College of Military Engineering, a nuclear power station can be constructed within five or six years. This will provide invaluable experience for our personnel, whilst creating jobs and generating enormous amounts of energy for Rojo Quisqueya. Training in the plant's operation an maintainance can be provided, courtesy of Verghastinsel's own highly-trained nuclear technicians.
Doubtless the soldiery of Quisqueya lacks nothing in eagerness and patriotism, but, we expect, is limited to small arms in the style of the AK47, FN FAL and HK G3. These rifles, though deadly in the right hands, will not expel a determined, professional force. I propose that veteran drillmasters of the Verghastinselheer, along with a training Legio, train the young patriots of your country in modern infantry and armoured warfare alongside our own. In time this will provide Quisqueya with a professional force of highly-trained, highly-motivated and multi-skilled personnel with which to defend herself and her people, react to natural disasters (Which I understand are a fairly large factor) and gain respect from the international community. In return, Verghastinsel will be able to train it's military personnel in jungle warfare, a vital part of a modern army.

Sincerely,

Benedikt Koch
Chancellor of the Republik

The 14th BattleFleet never saw much action, no. Ever since President Frederick von Hattensberg proclaimed the Pax Rosa, the Imperial Union prospered in semi-isolation and big buckets of cash. The Imperial Citizens of the Union were especially enjoying this peace. For years, possible decades, the Imperial Union (and before that, the Island of Rose) has been involved in conflict after conflict, using the United Imperial Armada (and before that, the Rosian Navy) to enforce its will.

But now, the Imperial Union was in a state of consolidation. The Imperial Rosian Republics were being united slowly through its large legislative body, the unicameral United Imperial Assembly. Every few days they meet in Rose City, the capital of the Imperial Union and the Island of Rose. They would decide bills that would carry power in four states.

It also had a few ports in other regions. In the Middle East, it had a port in Israel. In Europe... meh. . In the Pacific, a port in Wake Island. In Asia, a port in... well, not so much. And in the Carribean Sea, Jamaica. Well, it used to be Jamaica. With the collapse of Jamaica, the United Imperial Armada didn't have a port in the Carribean, and thus no influence in the region. Of course this changed, with the establishment of the Hispaniolan Republic, the Imperial Union was able to afford a port.

So now the 14th BattleFleet would be sailing into the nearby city of Tortuga, which if I remember correctly is a city in Hispaniola. But who led this BattleFleet?

Meet Admiral Geraldo Rivera, 42 years old, he was rather average in age matters. Of course he was special in the United Imperial Armada, he was Hispanic! Oooh, aaah. That means he knew Spanish. And English. And whatnot. Nice tan, average build, white Admiral uniform, and a fancy hat to top it off. Yep. How did he look? Imagine Geraldo Rivera in an Admiral uniform, and sexier.

Look it's hard to make up names okay? So thus he sent out a message from the very large Carrier, the IRS Batonical.

To: The City of Tortuga
From: Admiral Geraldo Rivera

We shall be arriving soon to the Port of Tortuga in a few hours.
We expect the Port to be ready for the arrival of said fleet.
We carry 3 Rosktai Class Submarines, one Rose Class Heavy Carrier,
three Roska Class Light Carriers, two Alexander Class Battleships,
one Enviromental Class Guided Missile Light Battleships,
three Red Class Destroyers, one Hammer Class Cruiser,
two Elten Class Ammunition Ships, one Josef Class Oiler Ship,
one Rosa Class Hospital Ship, and seven Garland Class Frigates.
We hope to see you there.

In Peace,

Geraldo Rivera
Admiral of The 14th BattleFleet
Captain of The IRS Botanical

The Verghastinselian approaches found Pedernales in even better mood than had the previous contacts. Nuclear power had seemed a distant ambition when the Red Party took power, but would not be ignored in the short-term as the opportunity presented itself.

Rojo Quisqueya was very keen to see this project become reality, and hoped to situate power stations deep in the mountains of the main island. Along with planned hydropower projects, these things would almost eliminate Rojo Quisqueya's reliance upon fossil fuels for power generation.

As to the military... the Republic maintained a massive 300,000 man military in all branches, required -apparently- because Quisqueyans were so badly out-numbered by nations around them. The Dominican Republic's army had actually used the G3 rifle, so a good many of these were now in Red hands, while the AK47 had more or less been chosen as the new standard arm, almost entirely because it was cheap and reliable, which seemed to be what a large, moderately trained force would need...

Oberfeldwebel Leon Dekker of the 50th Training Legion stood on the training grounds of Camp Sonnenbrand, sweating in the midday heat. Thirty natives lay prone in front of him on cleared ground, all peering over their gunsights at paper targets thirty-five metres distant. They'd been issued with scorecards, pencils, and Verghastan StG88M3 rifles for the excercise. He turned to his translator-sergeant.

"Give the order to fire. One volley only"

The dark-skinned man saluted, before yelling to the platoon in Spanish.

"¡Pelotón! ¡Un voleo en mi comando! ¡...Fuego!"

A rattle of gunfire sounded, and 7.62x51mm rounds ripped through the targets and into the trees beyond. The sergeant shouted a second set of orders.

"¡Pelotón! ¡Marque sus cuentas!"

The thirty men dropped their rifles, and walked down to the end of the range with their scorecards. After they'd all marked their scores, they returned to their rifles and stood facing Dekker and his sergeant.

"Sergeant" said Dekker.

"Sir!" snapped the sergeant, saluting and staring over Dekker's shoulder.

"Going from ten to one, have the platoon hold a hand in the air for their scores"

"Yessir!" The sergeant turned back to the thirty, "¡Todos que anotaron una diana, levantan una mano!"

A short hispanic man tentatively raised his right hand.

Dekker reached down to the small crate of bottled water at his side, ripping open the plastic and taking one bottle in hand. He threw it to the man, who caught it in both hands and took a deep draught. Dekker turned back to his sergeant.

"When a man scores a bull, give him a bottle of water. Keep the whole platoon firing. I don't care if you have to keep shooting during the night, but I will have thirty bullseyes by tomorrow afternoon!"

The sergeant smiled as he saluted, a water flask hanging from his hip.

"Yessir"

OOC: Bump.

(Sorry about vanishing, there, I haven't just created a nation and then lost interest, I swear! Right, where are we up to? Verghastinsel troops providing training, very good.)

Quisqueyans trying to get to grips with their revolution could be well advised to take one of the few contracts available for professional military service, for it was the (primarily conscript) armed forces that were making the most progress early on, and seeing the most radical change. It was said that change would sweep on through the rest of society with similar force once the revolution was secure, teathered to the mountainous island by the Patriotic Army's three services and three hundred thousand warriors.

While many conscripts could be seen hanging about, smoking cigars and wondering when their rusty Sherman or T-34 was going to turn into something that worked (Premier Vicente Batistuta assured them that Libya's long-standing policy of stockpiling arms for politically-favourable re-export would see them in T-72s before they knew it), others -such as those in the growing capital city of Pedernales- were looking more like professional security agents, parading in formation and armed with modern 9mm weapons bought from Latin American sources such as Chile's FAMAE or Brazil's Taurus range. These men were usually amongst those likely to pick-up an StG and pay attention to an officer from Verghastinsel as the Patriotic Army tried to build an elite core to protect the government and perhaps provide a competent officer corps.

Military aircraft are flying over-head for the first time in any significant numbers, as Rojo Quisqueya takes-up limited production of some aircraft of largely ex-Yugoslav origin, with Soko G-4 Super Galeb advanced/combat trainers being most evident under the Caribbean sun. Premier Batistuta has plans for a thousand machine airforce in the future, as a point of pride he hopes to match with future nuclear power-generation facilities.

Large areas of mountain and forest terrain meanwhile are earmarked for mass training exercises and grounds cleared for habitation by training missions from Verghastinsel, as Pedernales tries to impress upon foreign powers the potential importance of Republica Rojo Quisqueya. No questions to be asked on the issue of whatever happened to whomever may have lived in regions now made military districts, whether it was a coincidence that those areas had been rumoured strongholds of support for the deposed old orders, or whether that returning Pucará was bothering to carry empty napalm tanks when it took-off...

(Up for interest in the new Red Republic)

Satement from the Department of Exterior Affairs, Kilani
Welcome to the International Community, Comrades! It is always good to see mroe people have thrown off the oppressors. We wish to establish diplomatic ties with you. Possibly an alliance and we would expecially like to begin trade.

Pedernales proves willing to consider trade and other associations with the Kilani nation, but it will not take long to realise that the Quisqueyan economy is increasingly tightly controlled by the Red Party, which exercises fairly protectionist measures.

Still, there were minerals, sugar, cocoa, tobacco, and coffee that had to go somewhere, especially as new state-run and co-operative farms transformed Haiti's landscape of subsistence agriculture into one with product to spare.

International disputes: Claims US-administered Navassa Island. Premier Batistuta has made allusion to possible ambitions on other Caribbean islands such as Jamaica and Puerto Rico, but no official claims exist.

We of the United Socialist States of Navassa wish to declare that we are an independent nation, but if you wish to form an economic or defensive bloc, we would be happy to consider it. And if you help us get the USA to recognize us, we will help your fine nation take Puerto Rico

Joe
Acting Premier- USSN

OOC: Actually, this thread has been defunct for three or four months! I went away, and when I came back RQ had more or less dropped off the radar because it was so new when I briefly left.

I started again, hoping to do better this time, and the revolution was played out from the start. You can find it by clicking here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=446702). The fighting and such is at the start, and if you skip to the end you'll see the union of the two rebel forces (in Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and the establishment of a new state that has so far only been recognised by about one minor nation.

I'm probably going to play RQ less aggressive than I implied in this thread, but you are still welcome to contact the revolutionary forces there :)