NationStates Jolt Archive

The Dominion of Vetaka

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The Dominion of Veteka or Vetaka or The Dominion for short is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America. Extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, Vetaka shares land borders with the United States to the northwest and south.

Inhabited first by aboriginal peoples, Vetaka was founded as a union of British colonies (some of which were formerly French colonies). Vetaka gained independence from the United Kingdom in an incremental process that began in 1867 and ended in 1982; it remains a Commonwealth Realm.

Vetaka is a federal constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy. Comprising ten provinces and three territories, Vetaka is a bilingual and multicultural country, with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. A technologically advanced and industrialized nation, Vetaka maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade — particularly with the United States, with which Vetaka has had a long and complex relationship.

Geography:

Vetaka occupies most of the northern portion of North America. It shares land borders with the contiguous United States to the south and with the US state of Alaska to the northwest, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west; to the north lies the Arctic Ocean. Since 1925, Vetaka has claimed the portion of the Arctic between 60°W and 141°W longitude; this claim is not universally recognized. The northernmost settlement in Canada (and in the world) is Vetakan Forces Station (CFS) Alert on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island—latitude 82.5°N—just 817 kilometres (450 nautical miles) from the North Pole. Vetaka is the world's second-largest country in total area, after Russia.

The population density of 3.5 people per square kilometre (9.1/mi²) is among the lowest in the world. The most densely populated part of the country is the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor along the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River in the southeast. To the north of this region is the broad Vetakan Shield, an area of rock scoured clean by the last ice age, thinly soiled, rich in minerals, and dotted with lakes and rivers—Vetaka by far has more lakes than any other country in the world and has a large amount of the world's freshwater.

Political System

Vetaka is a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II, Queen of Vetaka as head of state, and a parliamentary democracy with a federal system of parliamentary government and strong democratic traditions.

Vetaka's constitution governs the legal framework of the country and consists of written text and unwritten traditions and conventions. The Constitution includes the Vetakan Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees basic rights and freedoms for Vetakans that, generally, cannot be overridden by legislation of any level of government in Vetaka. It contains, however, a "notwithstanding clause", which allows the federal parliament and the provincial legislatures the power to override some other sections of the Charter temporarily, for a period of five years.

The position of Prime Minister, Vetaka's head of government, belongs to the leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister and their Cabinet are formally appointed by the Governor General (who is the Monarch's representative in Vetaka). However, the Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet, and by convention, the Governor General respects the Prime Minister's choices. The Cabinet is traditionally drawn from members of the Prime Minister's party in both legislative houses, and mostly from the House of Commons. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet, all of whom are sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Vetaka, and become Ministers of the Crown. The Prime Minister exercises vast political power, especially in the appointment of other officials within the government and civil service. Michaëlle Jean has served as Governor General since September 25, 2005, and James Harper, leader of the Conservative Party, has served as Prime Minister since February 6, 2006.

The federal parliament is made up of the Queen and two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed Senate. Each member in the House of Commons is elected by simple plurality in a "riding" or electoral district; general elections are called by the Governor General when the Prime Minister so advises. While there is no minimum term for a Parliament, a new election must be called within five years of the last general election. Members of the Senate, whose seats are apportioned on a regional basis, are chosen by the Prime Minister and formally appointed by the Governor General, and serve until age 75.

Vetaka's four major political parties are the Conservative Party of Vetaka, Liberal Party of Vetaka, New Democratic Party (NDP), and the Bloc Québécois. The current government is formed by the Conservative Party of Vetaka. While the Green Party of Vetaka and other smaller parties do not have current representation in Parliament, the list of historical parties with elected representation is substantial.

*^^^ Military ^^^*

From the United Socialist States of Wagdog, Official and Confidential
SIC:
Given that we do operate some Vetakan equipment in our forces, courtesy of what we captured from the USMC arsenal on Guam, we would be interested in purchasing or licensing those systems from you at whatever price you deem fair. We're Specifically interested in:
LAV-25 APCs, in all versions but especially the Coyote reconnaissance variant.
Leopard C2 MBTs, as well as the Badger AEV, Taurus ARV, and Beaver AVLB variants.
These will serve to appropriately mechanize a force that at present has only two heavy battalions, one of which (our 25 curent LAVs) must perforce serve as armored cavalry to back up our few Abrams tanks. These are also available for trade, in return for whatever number of Leopards you deem fair.
So uparmed, our forces can act as a bulwark for stability and civil order in the Pacific, especially given the threat of Japanese imperialism or reckless local governments like the one on Fiji we are regrettably at war with now. We mean no threat to you or your allies with this offer; only good and fair business.

The Dominion Diplomatic Communication:

The Dominion is interested in doing business we would be willing to sell the various the items for a total of 2.9 Billion Dominion Pounds. We understand that operational theartes and requirements can change in an instant however we must ask that you agree to do all in your power not to use these various items against The Dominion and any other NATO ally.

Yours Prime Minister James Harper

The Dominion Diplomatic Communication:

The Dominion is interested in doing business we would be willing to sell the various the items for a total of 2.9 Billion Dominion Pounds. We understand that operational theartes and requirements can change in an instant however we must ask that you agree to do all in your power not to use these various items against The Dominion and any other NATO ally.

Yours Prime Minister James Harper
SIC:
NATO's concerns are far from our theater, so that wouldn't be a problem unless Japan truly goes berserk. In which case, I doubt war with the US and NATO would be an issue since American Pacific interests would be threatened as well. We accept your sensible request.
However, what would be the manufacture-licensing price for the LAV's only then? We obviously won't be able to afford the Leopards until at least next year, after accounting for our operations costs in Fiji and such. As is, mechanization of our infantry and cavalry takes priority over more armored battalions for now. If built, the LAV factory would be in Jayapura, West Papua, where need of manufacturing jobs is most dire if our promises of sustainable development are to be fulfilled. Output for the facility would ideally be one battalion of infantry versions and one squadron (American-style) of cavalry vehicles per month; at minimum one of either per month. Although the factory would be state-owned, Vetakan investors could of course participate in the venture since Wagdog's state and private industries compete in the same fair market, as is only sane economic policy for any government of any ideology.
No deception was meant in our inquiry about the tanks, I assure you; we simply underestimated the likely price involved for licensing them. Once we can afford it, we will gladly revisit that offer in a year or so's time. Our thanks for your prompt reply.

We would like to build an embassy in your capital in order to maintain communication between our nations.