Keliki
15-07-2007, 03:03
OOC: I don't particularly like the 'newly discovered country; come dogpile me' threads, so I'm just going to give you folks some background and information on Keliki and you can see what your country would have done in years past [to it]. If there's any question that you think of that I didn't cover, by all means feel free to ask.
I'm sort of post-modern tech level, which means the US would have advanced beyond its current technology, discarding old ships, vehicles and weapons (today's modern stuff) for other countries it likes to use. Like Mexico, for example. Or Canada. So. . .I'm set in 2025 or so, but I'm using 2007 US equipment.
You might notice that I mention 'recoms' later on, which is slang for 'recombinant being'. For all intents and purposes, these are 'furries', and they don't number more than a couple thousand or so, total, in my reality. Each was designed with a purpose: military or companion. Nobody can actually prove the US Army was looking into the project, but it's kind of an open secret. Military recoms are based on predators, like wolves or cougars, while companion recoms are more domestic (or exotic, depending on what Reethe was trying), like domesticated dogs or cats, or odd things like cows (like General Thompson's aide). Some, when they were freed, had an identity crisis, and there was a lot of discussion about whether they should be defined as 'animal-humans' or 'human animals', and some turned feral, and either had to be killed or just kind of faded away into the wilderness if they were harmless. Those that decided they were essentially human had an exodus from the States, where they were starting to get persecuted. It generally didn't get better, but at least they're less noticeable because the news wasn't organised enough in other countries to pounce on them.
I reserve the right, here and now, to determine my nation's current position and future direction, and the right to reject any nation for whatever reason I choose, even if it is as minor as my not liking the name. Just to be clear: every other player has this right, whether or not they choose to use it, and may apply the same rule to me and mine.
As a final OOC note, I want to make sure my stance on the simulation is clear: I don't use it. At all. I roleplay based on common sense and realism--and let's face it, the sim is not real. All my information will be listed in the NSwiki factbook for Keliki, when I get it up. Until then, consider this the primary source of information.
'IC':
Keliki, officially the Commonwealth of Keliki, is the southernmost island of the Greater Antilles chain in the Caribbean. It was named in Taíno Calichi, which means 'fountain on the high mountain', after the hot springs on Mount Keliki.
History
Keliki was historically inhabited by the Arawak people, although none (or at least very little) survived the Spanish colonisation in 1595 by Christopher Columbus. Columbus' nephew, after moving away from the family home on Jamaica, established his own household on Keliki. English officers Admiral William Penn and General Venables took the island from the Spanish in their battles in the Caribbean in late 1655, establishing it as a British Crown colony. Like many Caribbean colonies in the 17th century, Keliki was a major producer of sugar (which remains its primary agricultural export to this day), by means of thousands of African slaves. Although the practice of slavery ended in the British Empire in the late 1700s, Keliki's main labour force continued to be Africans, who were descended from the slaves originally imported to tend the sugar plantations, although Indian and Chinese immigrants formed a significant part of the labour force in the 1800s. Keliki was popularised in the 1880s in the United States as an exotic vacation destination for the upper class, marking the rise of tourism as one of the country's major industries.
With the 2007 controversy surrounding Reethe Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a United States corporation, now tied up in lawsuits), many of the liberated test subjects were granted the choice to become naturalised US citizens or seek citizenship elsewhere; some remained in the United States, but most sought refuge in Mexico and the Caribbean. Others moved to Canada, and very few emigrated to South and Central America. With this emigration, Keliki and other Caribbean states were left with a significant minority of mostly untrained adults, and Keliki and Jamaica especially have struggled to support them. Notable 'recoms' include General Matthew Thompson's aide, Samantha, and 'Comet', a popular reggae singer in Keliki.
Historically, Keliki has been very nationalistic, and gained a large amount of independence during World War II and the years immediately following it, largely because of the at times violent uprisings of the island. Keliki gained independence on 7 July, 1962, remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The first political parties, the Keliki People's Party and the National Front, formed in the '60s and '70s, and power has been handed off from one to the other throughout the country's independent history, with the National Front solidly in control in the last twenty years. The first Prime Minister, Ted Blackwood (elected 1963), was a member of the National Front, and pursued closer economic and political ties with the United States and other NATO nations, but after his resignation in 1970, Harry Kinsington of the KPP came to power and immediately reversed his predecessor's decisions, nationalising many industries and seeking closer relations with Cuba and, ultimately, the Soviet Union. In 1976, after Kinsington was ejected from Parliament by a no confidence motion, Trevor Griffin took office and took up much of Kinsington's old policies. The current Prime Minister, General Matthew Thompson, is a member of the National Front.
Economy
Keliki is a poor nation, despite its strategic location, and is in much the same economic boat as its sister island, Jamaica. Struggles to improve Keliki's standard of living have been met with little success, without the benefit of foreign investment (there is some U.S. economic presence, but this is mostly comprised of branch offices of smaller insurance and banking companies). Keliki's main industries are mining, fishing, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.
Agriculture, the largest sector in Keliki's economy, is largely dominated by sugar production, with tobacco coming in as a close second. Rum, coconuts and exotic fruits are also large export commodities. Keliki's manufacturing infrastructure includes paper milling, sheet metal fabrication and ironworking, light to medium construction equipment, metal roofing and furniture fabrication. Urban centres include book publishing, glassware manufacturing and food processing.
Geography
Keliki is located in the Caribbean Sea, in the large 'bowl' formed by Central and South America and the northern Greater Antilles. 19,493 square kilometres in area, the island of Keliki is a little smaller than Cuba. Populated with 4,892,453 inhabitants, its population per square kilometre is just shy of 251 people. Keliki is formed, like all the islands in the Greater Antilles chain, from continental rock (compare with Lesser Antilles, which are sandbars and reefs). The south-east of the country is very rocky and mountainous, leading up to Mount Keliki and its hot springs near the summit, from which the name of the country is derived. The north and north-west, by contrast, is much less rocky and more flat, forming a hilly country in the northern centre of the island. The island receives approximately 450 millimetres of rain on average per year, but weekly rainfall varies greatly. Keliki, like all countries and territories located on or very near to the equator, has a wet and dry season, and experiences monsoon weather in the early months of the year, which causes large amounts of flooding in the low northlands.
Government
The government of Keliki is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch, referred to as the Queen of Keliki when visiting or performing duties overseas on Keliki's behalf. The Governor-General is nominated by the Kelikan Prime Minister and the unanimous vote of the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch. All the members of the Cabinet are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The positions of monarch and the Governor-General are mostly ceremonial roles, apart from their reserve power to dismiss the Prime Minister or dissolve Parliament. The current Prime Minister of Keliki is General Matthew Thompson, and the Governor-General is Henry Michaels. Keliki is a Commonwealth Realm, and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Historically, Keliki's parliament has been controlled by the Conservative Party, although the Liberty Party (defining itself as populist) is a notable minority. The current Prime Minister is the only politician in Kelikan history to also have served in the military.
Administrative subdivisions
Keliki is divided into three provinces: Kingston, in the centre; St. John, in the north and west; and Eastvale, in the south and east. The capital, Cliffton, has its own administrative territory.
Transport
Keliki has a developed system of transportation, although the quality of the roads and railways differs from area to area, from paved to dirt. The primary means of transportation is by road, but railways cover 328 kilometres more of the island than roads. 'Puddle jumpers' are somewhat popular for crossing the island from end to end.
Demography
Religion
Keliki plays host to Catholicism (11.3%) and various forms of Protestantism (57.9%), including Baptism (7.6% of Protestants), Pentecostalism (3%), Anglicanism (12.8%), Methodism (2.9%), Lutheranism (8.4%) and Presbyterianism (2.5%). The former is largely a result of Spanish rule, while the latter a result of British rule and United States branch congregations. Buddhists, Bahai, Muslims and Judaism are also present, and some Spiritists were recorded in the last census. Rastafarianism, while popular in neighbouring Jamaica, never took hold in Keliki.
Foreign relations
While holding membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, Keliki is also a member of the United Nations and the Caribbean Community, a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol and a member of the Group of Sixteen (OOC: G15 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group of 15) in real life).
Military
The Keliki Defence Force (KDF) is the island country's small military force, composed of the Keliki Air Defence Force (KADF), the Keliki Sea Defence Force (KSDF) and the Keliki Land Defence Force (KLDF). The KSDF currently operates four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, formerly of the United States Navy (phased out with the introduction of the Zumwalt-class destroyer), two Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates and one Ticonderoga-class cruiser, usually configured for anti-air defence. The KSDF also operates a handful of small cutters and several patrol boats. The KADF is composed of a single squadron of F/A-18s and another of F-16s, and also has one A-10 Thunderbolt II for close-air support. The KADF also owns twelve mobile anti-air defence vehicles. The KLDF, the largest arm of the KDF, is composed of one regiment of infantry with supporting Jeeps, converted for heavy weapons, and a battery of 105 mm field howitzers. The KDF also has an independent Engineer arm, which handles both maintenance and, where needed, transportation.
Culture
Kelikian culture largely reflects Jamaican culture, owing to the two countries' closely-linked history and ethnicities. For this reason, ska, reggae, jungle, mento, dub and other genres of music are popular in Keliki, and Keliki's contributions to music, including Izzswa, are also popular in Jamaica.
Sport
Keliki has a large interest in sporting, including football, cricket, rugby, equestrianism and sailing. The national football team qualified for the 1999, 2001, 2008, 2012 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, and in 2001 made it to the semi-finals before at last being toppled by France. Keliki also has a large American football following, playing under Keliki rules (called gridiron, after the American nickname for the field, or 'griddy' for short). In Keliki rules, the field has rounder edges, but is distended at the middle and is slightly larger overall. The teams are comprised of fifteen players on each 'squad' (offence or defence), instead of eleven. If a ball is fumbled, players following Keliki rules may attempt to pick it up, but cannot stop moving to do so (resulting in another player other than the one the ball was thrown to always taking up the fumble if possible, but not always on the same team), called a 'rebound'. All other rules that apply in American football apply in Keliki rules.
I'm sort of post-modern tech level, which means the US would have advanced beyond its current technology, discarding old ships, vehicles and weapons (today's modern stuff) for other countries it likes to use. Like Mexico, for example. Or Canada. So. . .I'm set in 2025 or so, but I'm using 2007 US equipment.
You might notice that I mention 'recoms' later on, which is slang for 'recombinant being'. For all intents and purposes, these are 'furries', and they don't number more than a couple thousand or so, total, in my reality. Each was designed with a purpose: military or companion. Nobody can actually prove the US Army was looking into the project, but it's kind of an open secret. Military recoms are based on predators, like wolves or cougars, while companion recoms are more domestic (or exotic, depending on what Reethe was trying), like domesticated dogs or cats, or odd things like cows (like General Thompson's aide). Some, when they were freed, had an identity crisis, and there was a lot of discussion about whether they should be defined as 'animal-humans' or 'human animals', and some turned feral, and either had to be killed or just kind of faded away into the wilderness if they were harmless. Those that decided they were essentially human had an exodus from the States, where they were starting to get persecuted. It generally didn't get better, but at least they're less noticeable because the news wasn't organised enough in other countries to pounce on them.
I reserve the right, here and now, to determine my nation's current position and future direction, and the right to reject any nation for whatever reason I choose, even if it is as minor as my not liking the name. Just to be clear: every other player has this right, whether or not they choose to use it, and may apply the same rule to me and mine.
As a final OOC note, I want to make sure my stance on the simulation is clear: I don't use it. At all. I roleplay based on common sense and realism--and let's face it, the sim is not real. All my information will be listed in the NSwiki factbook for Keliki, when I get it up. Until then, consider this the primary source of information.
'IC':
Keliki, officially the Commonwealth of Keliki, is the southernmost island of the Greater Antilles chain in the Caribbean. It was named in Taíno Calichi, which means 'fountain on the high mountain', after the hot springs on Mount Keliki.
History
Keliki was historically inhabited by the Arawak people, although none (or at least very little) survived the Spanish colonisation in 1595 by Christopher Columbus. Columbus' nephew, after moving away from the family home on Jamaica, established his own household on Keliki. English officers Admiral William Penn and General Venables took the island from the Spanish in their battles in the Caribbean in late 1655, establishing it as a British Crown colony. Like many Caribbean colonies in the 17th century, Keliki was a major producer of sugar (which remains its primary agricultural export to this day), by means of thousands of African slaves. Although the practice of slavery ended in the British Empire in the late 1700s, Keliki's main labour force continued to be Africans, who were descended from the slaves originally imported to tend the sugar plantations, although Indian and Chinese immigrants formed a significant part of the labour force in the 1800s. Keliki was popularised in the 1880s in the United States as an exotic vacation destination for the upper class, marking the rise of tourism as one of the country's major industries.
With the 2007 controversy surrounding Reethe Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a United States corporation, now tied up in lawsuits), many of the liberated test subjects were granted the choice to become naturalised US citizens or seek citizenship elsewhere; some remained in the United States, but most sought refuge in Mexico and the Caribbean. Others moved to Canada, and very few emigrated to South and Central America. With this emigration, Keliki and other Caribbean states were left with a significant minority of mostly untrained adults, and Keliki and Jamaica especially have struggled to support them. Notable 'recoms' include General Matthew Thompson's aide, Samantha, and 'Comet', a popular reggae singer in Keliki.
Historically, Keliki has been very nationalistic, and gained a large amount of independence during World War II and the years immediately following it, largely because of the at times violent uprisings of the island. Keliki gained independence on 7 July, 1962, remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The first political parties, the Keliki People's Party and the National Front, formed in the '60s and '70s, and power has been handed off from one to the other throughout the country's independent history, with the National Front solidly in control in the last twenty years. The first Prime Minister, Ted Blackwood (elected 1963), was a member of the National Front, and pursued closer economic and political ties with the United States and other NATO nations, but after his resignation in 1970, Harry Kinsington of the KPP came to power and immediately reversed his predecessor's decisions, nationalising many industries and seeking closer relations with Cuba and, ultimately, the Soviet Union. In 1976, after Kinsington was ejected from Parliament by a no confidence motion, Trevor Griffin took office and took up much of Kinsington's old policies. The current Prime Minister, General Matthew Thompson, is a member of the National Front.
Economy
Keliki is a poor nation, despite its strategic location, and is in much the same economic boat as its sister island, Jamaica. Struggles to improve Keliki's standard of living have been met with little success, without the benefit of foreign investment (there is some U.S. economic presence, but this is mostly comprised of branch offices of smaller insurance and banking companies). Keliki's main industries are mining, fishing, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.
Agriculture, the largest sector in Keliki's economy, is largely dominated by sugar production, with tobacco coming in as a close second. Rum, coconuts and exotic fruits are also large export commodities. Keliki's manufacturing infrastructure includes paper milling, sheet metal fabrication and ironworking, light to medium construction equipment, metal roofing and furniture fabrication. Urban centres include book publishing, glassware manufacturing and food processing.
Geography
Keliki is located in the Caribbean Sea, in the large 'bowl' formed by Central and South America and the northern Greater Antilles. 19,493 square kilometres in area, the island of Keliki is a little smaller than Cuba. Populated with 4,892,453 inhabitants, its population per square kilometre is just shy of 251 people. Keliki is formed, like all the islands in the Greater Antilles chain, from continental rock (compare with Lesser Antilles, which are sandbars and reefs). The south-east of the country is very rocky and mountainous, leading up to Mount Keliki and its hot springs near the summit, from which the name of the country is derived. The north and north-west, by contrast, is much less rocky and more flat, forming a hilly country in the northern centre of the island. The island receives approximately 450 millimetres of rain on average per year, but weekly rainfall varies greatly. Keliki, like all countries and territories located on or very near to the equator, has a wet and dry season, and experiences monsoon weather in the early months of the year, which causes large amounts of flooding in the low northlands.
Government
The government of Keliki is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch, referred to as the Queen of Keliki when visiting or performing duties overseas on Keliki's behalf. The Governor-General is nominated by the Kelikan Prime Minister and the unanimous vote of the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch. All the members of the Cabinet are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The positions of monarch and the Governor-General are mostly ceremonial roles, apart from their reserve power to dismiss the Prime Minister or dissolve Parliament. The current Prime Minister of Keliki is General Matthew Thompson, and the Governor-General is Henry Michaels. Keliki is a Commonwealth Realm, and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Historically, Keliki's parliament has been controlled by the Conservative Party, although the Liberty Party (defining itself as populist) is a notable minority. The current Prime Minister is the only politician in Kelikan history to also have served in the military.
Administrative subdivisions
Keliki is divided into three provinces: Kingston, in the centre; St. John, in the north and west; and Eastvale, in the south and east. The capital, Cliffton, has its own administrative territory.
Transport
Keliki has a developed system of transportation, although the quality of the roads and railways differs from area to area, from paved to dirt. The primary means of transportation is by road, but railways cover 328 kilometres more of the island than roads. 'Puddle jumpers' are somewhat popular for crossing the island from end to end.
Demography
Religion
Keliki plays host to Catholicism (11.3%) and various forms of Protestantism (57.9%), including Baptism (7.6% of Protestants), Pentecostalism (3%), Anglicanism (12.8%), Methodism (2.9%), Lutheranism (8.4%) and Presbyterianism (2.5%). The former is largely a result of Spanish rule, while the latter a result of British rule and United States branch congregations. Buddhists, Bahai, Muslims and Judaism are also present, and some Spiritists were recorded in the last census. Rastafarianism, while popular in neighbouring Jamaica, never took hold in Keliki.
Foreign relations
While holding membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, Keliki is also a member of the United Nations and the Caribbean Community, a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol and a member of the Group of Sixteen (OOC: G15 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group of 15) in real life).
Military
The Keliki Defence Force (KDF) is the island country's small military force, composed of the Keliki Air Defence Force (KADF), the Keliki Sea Defence Force (KSDF) and the Keliki Land Defence Force (KLDF). The KSDF currently operates four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, formerly of the United States Navy (phased out with the introduction of the Zumwalt-class destroyer), two Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates and one Ticonderoga-class cruiser, usually configured for anti-air defence. The KSDF also operates a handful of small cutters and several patrol boats. The KADF is composed of a single squadron of F/A-18s and another of F-16s, and also has one A-10 Thunderbolt II for close-air support. The KADF also owns twelve mobile anti-air defence vehicles. The KLDF, the largest arm of the KDF, is composed of one regiment of infantry with supporting Jeeps, converted for heavy weapons, and a battery of 105 mm field howitzers. The KDF also has an independent Engineer arm, which handles both maintenance and, where needed, transportation.
Culture
Kelikian culture largely reflects Jamaican culture, owing to the two countries' closely-linked history and ethnicities. For this reason, ska, reggae, jungle, mento, dub and other genres of music are popular in Keliki, and Keliki's contributions to music, including Izzswa, are also popular in Jamaica.
Sport
Keliki has a large interest in sporting, including football, cricket, rugby, equestrianism and sailing. The national football team qualified for the 1999, 2001, 2008, 2012 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, and in 2001 made it to the semi-finals before at last being toppled by France. Keliki also has a large American football following, playing under Keliki rules (called gridiron, after the American nickname for the field, or 'griddy' for short). In Keliki rules, the field has rounder edges, but is distended at the middle and is slightly larger overall. The teams are comprised of fifteen players on each 'squad' (offence or defence), instead of eleven. If a ball is fumbled, players following Keliki rules may attempt to pick it up, but cannot stop moving to do so (resulting in another player other than the one the ball was thrown to always taking up the fumble if possible, but not always on the same team), called a 'rebound'. All other rules that apply in American football apply in Keliki rules.