Six and a Half Islands
24-06-2008, 20:49
This Factbook is produced and published by the University of Cardena Press, Cardena, on behalf of the Subcommittee for Trade and Tourism, the Government of the Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands.
The Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands
"Archipelagos are Fab"
International Factbook, 1st Edition
SUMMARY
The Commonwealth of Six and Half Islands is a grouping of semi-autonomous islands in a remote part of the equatorial oceans, whose citizens aspire to create a happy, prosperous, anarcho-socialist ecotopia. Interestingly, many of its constituent islands are in fact mini-archipelagos themselves, so in fact the Commonwealth comprises many thousands of islands, atolls and reefs (2367 permanently above the waterline at last count); however the “Commonwealth of Two Thousand Three Hundred and Sixty Seven Islands” would clearly invite ridicule, and thus our country's name only refers to its major constituent political communities.
HISTORY
The Commonwealth of Six and Half Islands was briefly someone's colony during the colonial period – we honestly forget whose; they didn't trouble us much, and so we didn't trouble them – but as the high-tide of imperialism receded the archipelago fell off the international map completely. In recent years the various villages, townships, cities and islands of the archipelago decided they wished to play a larger role in world affairs; and that to do so there would need to be some kind of common government to represent them. The Commonwealth was set up to this end, but the political system remains highly decentralised.
GEOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW - see a map here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellinks/2597560503/)
Size: 614 km from the most southerly point to the most northerly; 351km east to west (excluding Shark Atoll Sea Mount)
Population: 6, 786, 871 at last census
(Addendum – Censuses are not particularly popular in the Commonwealth and are therefore held infrequently; there is often a suspicion that some outlying communities simply make up their figures, as indicated when Alderman Rock Lighthouse, surface area 10 sq. m, reported a population of 330 last time round, whilst the capital city of Kalla reported none – Subcommittee for Counting Things, the Government of the Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands.)
Territorial Waters: The government asserts complete jurisdiction over all oceans falling within the baselines of the archipelago, classing these as internal waters, and then the more normal 12 miles of territorial waters, 24 miles of contiguous waters and 200 miles of Exclusive Economic Zone beyond that. As the islands sit on volcanic sea mounts, no claim is made to sea bed beyond the EEZ limit, as there is no continental shelf to speak of. The Commonwealth also lays claim to the Shark Atoll Sea Mount 1400km west of the Archipelago, and its associated waters. As it is a good 1500km to the nearest bit of land beyond that, there are currently no territorial disputes involving the Commonwealth. Foreign vessels cannot fish anywhere in our EEZ, and we reserve the right to expel, impound or sink any that we find, as we see fit.
(Addendum – Foreign warships are not allowed to cut through internal waters; show some courtesy and go around! - Maritime Hazards and Lighthouse Maintenance Council, the Government of the Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands)
Languages: 17 languages are officially recognised in at least part of the Commonwealth, likely to rise to 18 when the Senate on Cerre Reef debates recognising Latin – proposed “because its been a slow afternoon” - later this year. Foreign relations are conducted in English, but the government will make fluent Esperanto speaking a requirement for all jobs in the diplomatic corps within five years.
b) CONSTITUENT ISLANDS
The Commonwealth consists of Six and a Half major communities, each of which is in turn comprised of any number of often overlapping political units (see political system below), and each of which is in fact a grouping of several islands in its own right.
Malak: The biggest and most populous community. The islands of this group tend to have rolling forested hills. The biggest city is New Stockport, which houses an international Zeppelin Port, a major harbour and many government committees and agencies.
Esse: The second most populous island is flatter and dominated by agricultural production; this is generally no-till farming or forest gardens. The biggest city is Marianna, situated on Lake Tzue, which is linked to the sea via a canal running through the heart of the city.
Yansar: A rugged mountain ridge runs down the spine of Yansar's main isalnd, but the flatter southern end is a series of lakes, lagoons and rivers, now supplemented with canals. The city of Cardena sprawls through this wetland area, and much of the city is built on stilts or boats.
Zara: Most northerly island of the group, with mountains soaring to over 2500m. The city of Rainbow Bay sits below a waterfall plunging 500m down cliffs into the sea, and is overlooked by three majestic extinct volcanoes.
Kalla: Another mountainous main island. Not all of Kalla's constituent communities voted to join the Commonwealth so around half the island is not technically part of the Commonwealth, although the Kalla Senate covers the whole area. The half / half division is not a line on the map, but a very messy tangle of overlapping jurisdictions. The major city is Liberation Point, all of which is in the Commonwealth, except a few westerly suburbs and Rise Street in the city centre.
(Addendum – those parts of Kalla not belonging to the Commonwealth are not Terra Nullis, nor an independent national state in themselves; for the purposes of international relations the Government of the Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands can be assumed to speak for the whole of Kalla unless stated otherwise. Visitors do not require any additional paperwork to visit non-Commonwelath parts of Kalla, but if they get in trouble the Commonwealth will not necessarily be able to assist – Subcommittee on Obscure Legalities, the Government of the Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands)
Cerre Reef: Comprises of a lot of small islands and even larger amount of water. The largest city is West Haven. The remote southern end of the reef is currently under consideration as the location for a rocket launching facility.
The Tick-Tock Group: An extensive sub-archipelago; great to visit, so much so that not many people bother to come back. The gateway to the Tick-Tocks is the city of Erassia.
POLITICAL SYSTEM
Complex but fun. Must people are members of a whole string of overlapping communities and committees, and issues are decided at the appropriate level, sometimes by one person one vote, sometimes by indirect representatives and sometimes by a combination of methods. Each of the six and half major constituent communities has a Senate. Anyone who can get enough seconders can impose a referendum at an appropriate level; we frequently hold referenda about referenda.
The Commonwealth government is primarily responsible for international relations and coordination between other governmental functions where this is beneficial. The supreme authority is the Islands' Congress (which is elected on a constituency PR basis), which meets most Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Island's Congress appoints a range of Committees, Subcommittees, Councils and Agencies to deal with specific aspects of government. The most important of these is the Committee for Coordinating Committees, which meets at least three times a week.
Chairmanship and membership of these committees rotates rapidly, so inquiries are best addressed to a committee rather than an individual (a short list of some of the most significant is available as an appendix). If in doubt, external inquiries should always be addressed to the Committee for Foreign Affairs and Miscellaneous Happenings.
Committees tend to also rotate the location of their meeting s to maximise participation in open sessions. For this reason there is no permanent capital for the Commonwealth.
Outsiders should note that this system does not guarantee a fast or consistent decision-making process, but Commonwealth residents are proud of the fact they have the highest number of votes per capita of almost any country in the world.
Government Expenditure (international calculating methods and currency):
Administration: $768,093,924.00
Social Welfare: $1,254,553,409.20
Healthcare: $384,046,962.00
Education: $51,206,261.60
The Environment: $128,015,654.00
(Reference - http://nseconomy.thirdgeek.com/ to produce comparable statistics for your nation; the figures here do not necessarily reflect Commonwealth accounting methods)
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
As a relatively small and new state governmental priorities include expanding its diplomatic presence – see here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=559323) if you would like an embassy, and link pending if you would like a direct freight / passenger Zeppelin link from your nation to ours, provided by the Commonwealth National Zeppelin Agency.
In the long run, environmental measures to protect the marine environment and prevent overfishing are high on our agenda, as, of course is the threat of climate change.
Our Committee for <<Grands Projets>> is always interested in international collaborations on suitable projects – fusion power or international space stations. As a small nation we are not yet in a position to fund these ourselves.
Treaties we are party to are available as an appendix to this document. Whether or not to join the WA is currently a vexed question.
ECONOMIC OVERVIEW
World measures rate our GDP deceptively low. This is for the following reasons:
1. Our Committee for Gross National Happiness does not calculate GDP in the internationally standard format (conventional measures of GDP add everything – e.g. the factory that produces pollution and makes money + the company that cleans it up and makes money – and we don't) and does not pursue “growth” for the sake of it.
2. Our economy is highly decentralised; our “Happy Sunshine” program to put a solar panel on every roof is not yet complete, but measures like this clearly reduce the scope for selling energy services, even though the energy is still being produced for consumers.
3. We have a huge “off-books” amount of economic activity going on; lots of food is produced by the people who consume it in “Community Gardens” and the like; people are likely to borrow / lend items like boats when / if they need them, rather than hiring or buying them.
We are aiming for an entirely self-reliant carbon neutral economy within a decade. This does not mean we will not trade externally, simply that we have no intention of becoming dependent on such trade for our well-being.
Six and a Half Islands Economic Statistics (international calculating methods and currency):
Exchange Rate: 31.3235 magic beans = $1
Gross Domestic Product: $5,067,767,564.89
Government Budget: $2,695,066,400.00
Government Expenditures: $2,560,313,080.00
(Reference - http://nseconomy.thirdgeek.com/ to produce comparable statistics for your nation; the figures here do not necessarily reflect Commonwealth accounting methods)
MAJOR IDUSTRIES
Zeppelin Manufacture and Support Services, Renewable Energy, Fishing (not for export), pharmaceuticals derived from our tropical forests, shipping
ENERGY
The Commonwealth has no fossil fuel resources, and relies heavily on micro-hydro, wind, geothermal and solar power. Most power is generated off grid within local communities.
We have a research program at the University of Rainbow Bay actively exploring the possibility of fusion power, but we have no conventional nuclear power program. We are also exploring the prospects for wave energy.
TRANSPORT
Internally we have an excellent public ferry service, serving all our communities, and a Zeppelin service that is second to none. On land, bicycles, mopeds and electric vans are the most popular form of transport.
There are over 100 lighthouses and 50,000 navigation buoys registered with the Committee for Transport and Navigation.
CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT
The Commonwealth has a fantastic conservation record – it was the success of the Quagga Conservation Agency that indirectly led to the founding of the Commonwealth by showing what we could do if we worked together..
We also have over 50% of our waters as permanent no-fishing areas, this has led to a marked increase in catches after just five years as populations recover.
Global warming is a major concern for some of the more low lying parts of the territory.
EDUCATION
A highly educated population loves nothing more than a pointless academic debate. As one of the negotiators of the original Commonwealth Convention said: “ask 2 different archipelagians what they think about something and get seventeen different answers in the first five minutes.”
We have four main universities: New Stockport, Marianna, Cardena, Rainbow Falls
We like to think that the following research institutes are world class:
- Institute for Zeppelin Technology & Logistics, New Stockport and Rainbow Falls
- Conservation Biology and Cryptozoology Research Council, various locations
- Zara Observatory for Radio and Optical Astronomy, Rainbow City and Mount Cerna
- Oceanography and Oceanic Engineering Institute, University of Cardena
- Rocketry Commission, West Haven Technological Institute, West Haven
- Energy and Entropy Research Group, various locations
- Biotechnology Foundation, Liberation Point
Other subjects where we have contributed a lot to international scholarship include pharmaceuticals, geographic surveying, publishing and Esperanto studies. Foreign students are very welcome to study at any of our universities, institutes or higher education colleges.
“MILITARY”
The Commonwealth maintains a small Crisis Management Force of 10,000 volunteers, primarily deployed in two Rapid Reaction Forces (fighting complement 1000, total complement 3000) and two Engineering Corps (complement 2000). In addition we have various civil law-enforcement agencies and island-specific state militias that can be mobilised in extreme circumstances. Military forces have only been deployed to date on disaster relief and peace-keeping / nation building operations.
Our territorial waters are policed by a small flotilla of patrol boats and the government can commandeer any other vessels if the need is there - we have an extensive fishing fleet and merchant marine. In addition there are a number of government owned research vessels. There is no shortage of trained personnel for sea operations.
Our extensive civilian Zeppelin fleet can be used for transport or logistic support if required. In addition we constantly keep a small number of scout Zeppelins on patrol over our ocean approaches, some of which are armed. There is no shortage of trained personnel to support Zeppelin operations.
Our most advanced weaponry at present is our “firefly” test missile system. Although primarily designed as part of our nascent space program, it currently has an unerring tendency to splash down in the sea; woe betide you if your boat happens to be underneath when it does.
APPENDIX I – A very abridged list of Commonwealth Governmental Committees and Agencies
With several thousand to choose from, and more being created by the Islands' Congress every week, this is a far from comprehensive list, however, the major committees are:
- Committee for Coordinating Committees
- Committee for Environment, Nature and Cryptozoology
- Committee for Foreign Affairs & Miscellaneous Happenings
- Committee for Research, Technology and Academia
- Committee for Grands Projets
- Committee for Gross National Happiness
- Committee for Education and Circus Skills
- Committee for Health and Holidays
- Committee for Transport and Navigation
- Committee for Energy and Accounting
- Occasional Committee for Unfortunate Events
Other committees and agencies of interest might include:
- Quagga Conservation Agency
- Cryptozoological Research Licensing Agency
- Resource Use and Scenic Views Council
- Subcommittee on Foreign Entanglements
- Special Committee for Oversight of the Space Elevator Feasibility Study
- Subcommittee for Pedantry and Grammar Fascism
- National Zeppelin Agency
- Maritime Hazards and Lighthouse Maintenance Council
- Subcommittee for Counting Things
- Special Committee for Military Unpleasantness
- Subcommittee on Obscure Legalities
APPENDIX II – Treaties to which we are party
The Commonwealth has not yet joined any international treaties. World Assembly membership will be put to popular referendum over the coming months.
APPENDIX III – Countries with which we have direct diplomatic representation
Please see here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=559323)
APENDIX IV – International and overseas Zeppelin routes
Please see link pending
The Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands
"Archipelagos are Fab"
International Factbook, 1st Edition
SUMMARY
The Commonwealth of Six and Half Islands is a grouping of semi-autonomous islands in a remote part of the equatorial oceans, whose citizens aspire to create a happy, prosperous, anarcho-socialist ecotopia. Interestingly, many of its constituent islands are in fact mini-archipelagos themselves, so in fact the Commonwealth comprises many thousands of islands, atolls and reefs (2367 permanently above the waterline at last count); however the “Commonwealth of Two Thousand Three Hundred and Sixty Seven Islands” would clearly invite ridicule, and thus our country's name only refers to its major constituent political communities.
HISTORY
The Commonwealth of Six and Half Islands was briefly someone's colony during the colonial period – we honestly forget whose; they didn't trouble us much, and so we didn't trouble them – but as the high-tide of imperialism receded the archipelago fell off the international map completely. In recent years the various villages, townships, cities and islands of the archipelago decided they wished to play a larger role in world affairs; and that to do so there would need to be some kind of common government to represent them. The Commonwealth was set up to this end, but the political system remains highly decentralised.
GEOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW - see a map here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellinks/2597560503/)
Size: 614 km from the most southerly point to the most northerly; 351km east to west (excluding Shark Atoll Sea Mount)
Population: 6, 786, 871 at last census
(Addendum – Censuses are not particularly popular in the Commonwealth and are therefore held infrequently; there is often a suspicion that some outlying communities simply make up their figures, as indicated when Alderman Rock Lighthouse, surface area 10 sq. m, reported a population of 330 last time round, whilst the capital city of Kalla reported none – Subcommittee for Counting Things, the Government of the Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands.)
Territorial Waters: The government asserts complete jurisdiction over all oceans falling within the baselines of the archipelago, classing these as internal waters, and then the more normal 12 miles of territorial waters, 24 miles of contiguous waters and 200 miles of Exclusive Economic Zone beyond that. As the islands sit on volcanic sea mounts, no claim is made to sea bed beyond the EEZ limit, as there is no continental shelf to speak of. The Commonwealth also lays claim to the Shark Atoll Sea Mount 1400km west of the Archipelago, and its associated waters. As it is a good 1500km to the nearest bit of land beyond that, there are currently no territorial disputes involving the Commonwealth. Foreign vessels cannot fish anywhere in our EEZ, and we reserve the right to expel, impound or sink any that we find, as we see fit.
(Addendum – Foreign warships are not allowed to cut through internal waters; show some courtesy and go around! - Maritime Hazards and Lighthouse Maintenance Council, the Government of the Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands)
Languages: 17 languages are officially recognised in at least part of the Commonwealth, likely to rise to 18 when the Senate on Cerre Reef debates recognising Latin – proposed “because its been a slow afternoon” - later this year. Foreign relations are conducted in English, but the government will make fluent Esperanto speaking a requirement for all jobs in the diplomatic corps within five years.
b) CONSTITUENT ISLANDS
The Commonwealth consists of Six and a Half major communities, each of which is in turn comprised of any number of often overlapping political units (see political system below), and each of which is in fact a grouping of several islands in its own right.
Malak: The biggest and most populous community. The islands of this group tend to have rolling forested hills. The biggest city is New Stockport, which houses an international Zeppelin Port, a major harbour and many government committees and agencies.
Esse: The second most populous island is flatter and dominated by agricultural production; this is generally no-till farming or forest gardens. The biggest city is Marianna, situated on Lake Tzue, which is linked to the sea via a canal running through the heart of the city.
Yansar: A rugged mountain ridge runs down the spine of Yansar's main isalnd, but the flatter southern end is a series of lakes, lagoons and rivers, now supplemented with canals. The city of Cardena sprawls through this wetland area, and much of the city is built on stilts or boats.
Zara: Most northerly island of the group, with mountains soaring to over 2500m. The city of Rainbow Bay sits below a waterfall plunging 500m down cliffs into the sea, and is overlooked by three majestic extinct volcanoes.
Kalla: Another mountainous main island. Not all of Kalla's constituent communities voted to join the Commonwealth so around half the island is not technically part of the Commonwealth, although the Kalla Senate covers the whole area. The half / half division is not a line on the map, but a very messy tangle of overlapping jurisdictions. The major city is Liberation Point, all of which is in the Commonwealth, except a few westerly suburbs and Rise Street in the city centre.
(Addendum – those parts of Kalla not belonging to the Commonwealth are not Terra Nullis, nor an independent national state in themselves; for the purposes of international relations the Government of the Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands can be assumed to speak for the whole of Kalla unless stated otherwise. Visitors do not require any additional paperwork to visit non-Commonwelath parts of Kalla, but if they get in trouble the Commonwealth will not necessarily be able to assist – Subcommittee on Obscure Legalities, the Government of the Commonwealth of Six and a Half Islands)
Cerre Reef: Comprises of a lot of small islands and even larger amount of water. The largest city is West Haven. The remote southern end of the reef is currently under consideration as the location for a rocket launching facility.
The Tick-Tock Group: An extensive sub-archipelago; great to visit, so much so that not many people bother to come back. The gateway to the Tick-Tocks is the city of Erassia.
POLITICAL SYSTEM
Complex but fun. Must people are members of a whole string of overlapping communities and committees, and issues are decided at the appropriate level, sometimes by one person one vote, sometimes by indirect representatives and sometimes by a combination of methods. Each of the six and half major constituent communities has a Senate. Anyone who can get enough seconders can impose a referendum at an appropriate level; we frequently hold referenda about referenda.
The Commonwealth government is primarily responsible for international relations and coordination between other governmental functions where this is beneficial. The supreme authority is the Islands' Congress (which is elected on a constituency PR basis), which meets most Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Island's Congress appoints a range of Committees, Subcommittees, Councils and Agencies to deal with specific aspects of government. The most important of these is the Committee for Coordinating Committees, which meets at least three times a week.
Chairmanship and membership of these committees rotates rapidly, so inquiries are best addressed to a committee rather than an individual (a short list of some of the most significant is available as an appendix). If in doubt, external inquiries should always be addressed to the Committee for Foreign Affairs and Miscellaneous Happenings.
Committees tend to also rotate the location of their meeting s to maximise participation in open sessions. For this reason there is no permanent capital for the Commonwealth.
Outsiders should note that this system does not guarantee a fast or consistent decision-making process, but Commonwealth residents are proud of the fact they have the highest number of votes per capita of almost any country in the world.
Government Expenditure (international calculating methods and currency):
Administration: $768,093,924.00
Social Welfare: $1,254,553,409.20
Healthcare: $384,046,962.00
Education: $51,206,261.60
The Environment: $128,015,654.00
(Reference - http://nseconomy.thirdgeek.com/ to produce comparable statistics for your nation; the figures here do not necessarily reflect Commonwealth accounting methods)
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
As a relatively small and new state governmental priorities include expanding its diplomatic presence – see here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=559323) if you would like an embassy, and link pending if you would like a direct freight / passenger Zeppelin link from your nation to ours, provided by the Commonwealth National Zeppelin Agency.
In the long run, environmental measures to protect the marine environment and prevent overfishing are high on our agenda, as, of course is the threat of climate change.
Our Committee for <<Grands Projets>> is always interested in international collaborations on suitable projects – fusion power or international space stations. As a small nation we are not yet in a position to fund these ourselves.
Treaties we are party to are available as an appendix to this document. Whether or not to join the WA is currently a vexed question.
ECONOMIC OVERVIEW
World measures rate our GDP deceptively low. This is for the following reasons:
1. Our Committee for Gross National Happiness does not calculate GDP in the internationally standard format (conventional measures of GDP add everything – e.g. the factory that produces pollution and makes money + the company that cleans it up and makes money – and we don't) and does not pursue “growth” for the sake of it.
2. Our economy is highly decentralised; our “Happy Sunshine” program to put a solar panel on every roof is not yet complete, but measures like this clearly reduce the scope for selling energy services, even though the energy is still being produced for consumers.
3. We have a huge “off-books” amount of economic activity going on; lots of food is produced by the people who consume it in “Community Gardens” and the like; people are likely to borrow / lend items like boats when / if they need them, rather than hiring or buying them.
We are aiming for an entirely self-reliant carbon neutral economy within a decade. This does not mean we will not trade externally, simply that we have no intention of becoming dependent on such trade for our well-being.
Six and a Half Islands Economic Statistics (international calculating methods and currency):
Exchange Rate: 31.3235 magic beans = $1
Gross Domestic Product: $5,067,767,564.89
Government Budget: $2,695,066,400.00
Government Expenditures: $2,560,313,080.00
(Reference - http://nseconomy.thirdgeek.com/ to produce comparable statistics for your nation; the figures here do not necessarily reflect Commonwealth accounting methods)
MAJOR IDUSTRIES
Zeppelin Manufacture and Support Services, Renewable Energy, Fishing (not for export), pharmaceuticals derived from our tropical forests, shipping
ENERGY
The Commonwealth has no fossil fuel resources, and relies heavily on micro-hydro, wind, geothermal and solar power. Most power is generated off grid within local communities.
We have a research program at the University of Rainbow Bay actively exploring the possibility of fusion power, but we have no conventional nuclear power program. We are also exploring the prospects for wave energy.
TRANSPORT
Internally we have an excellent public ferry service, serving all our communities, and a Zeppelin service that is second to none. On land, bicycles, mopeds and electric vans are the most popular form of transport.
There are over 100 lighthouses and 50,000 navigation buoys registered with the Committee for Transport and Navigation.
CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT
The Commonwealth has a fantastic conservation record – it was the success of the Quagga Conservation Agency that indirectly led to the founding of the Commonwealth by showing what we could do if we worked together..
We also have over 50% of our waters as permanent no-fishing areas, this has led to a marked increase in catches after just five years as populations recover.
Global warming is a major concern for some of the more low lying parts of the territory.
EDUCATION
A highly educated population loves nothing more than a pointless academic debate. As one of the negotiators of the original Commonwealth Convention said: “ask 2 different archipelagians what they think about something and get seventeen different answers in the first five minutes.”
We have four main universities: New Stockport, Marianna, Cardena, Rainbow Falls
We like to think that the following research institutes are world class:
- Institute for Zeppelin Technology & Logistics, New Stockport and Rainbow Falls
- Conservation Biology and Cryptozoology Research Council, various locations
- Zara Observatory for Radio and Optical Astronomy, Rainbow City and Mount Cerna
- Oceanography and Oceanic Engineering Institute, University of Cardena
- Rocketry Commission, West Haven Technological Institute, West Haven
- Energy and Entropy Research Group, various locations
- Biotechnology Foundation, Liberation Point
Other subjects where we have contributed a lot to international scholarship include pharmaceuticals, geographic surveying, publishing and Esperanto studies. Foreign students are very welcome to study at any of our universities, institutes or higher education colleges.
“MILITARY”
The Commonwealth maintains a small Crisis Management Force of 10,000 volunteers, primarily deployed in two Rapid Reaction Forces (fighting complement 1000, total complement 3000) and two Engineering Corps (complement 2000). In addition we have various civil law-enforcement agencies and island-specific state militias that can be mobilised in extreme circumstances. Military forces have only been deployed to date on disaster relief and peace-keeping / nation building operations.
Our territorial waters are policed by a small flotilla of patrol boats and the government can commandeer any other vessels if the need is there - we have an extensive fishing fleet and merchant marine. In addition there are a number of government owned research vessels. There is no shortage of trained personnel for sea operations.
Our extensive civilian Zeppelin fleet can be used for transport or logistic support if required. In addition we constantly keep a small number of scout Zeppelins on patrol over our ocean approaches, some of which are armed. There is no shortage of trained personnel to support Zeppelin operations.
Our most advanced weaponry at present is our “firefly” test missile system. Although primarily designed as part of our nascent space program, it currently has an unerring tendency to splash down in the sea; woe betide you if your boat happens to be underneath when it does.
APPENDIX I – A very abridged list of Commonwealth Governmental Committees and Agencies
With several thousand to choose from, and more being created by the Islands' Congress every week, this is a far from comprehensive list, however, the major committees are:
- Committee for Coordinating Committees
- Committee for Environment, Nature and Cryptozoology
- Committee for Foreign Affairs & Miscellaneous Happenings
- Committee for Research, Technology and Academia
- Committee for Grands Projets
- Committee for Gross National Happiness
- Committee for Education and Circus Skills
- Committee for Health and Holidays
- Committee for Transport and Navigation
- Committee for Energy and Accounting
- Occasional Committee for Unfortunate Events
Other committees and agencies of interest might include:
- Quagga Conservation Agency
- Cryptozoological Research Licensing Agency
- Resource Use and Scenic Views Council
- Subcommittee on Foreign Entanglements
- Special Committee for Oversight of the Space Elevator Feasibility Study
- Subcommittee for Pedantry and Grammar Fascism
- National Zeppelin Agency
- Maritime Hazards and Lighthouse Maintenance Council
- Subcommittee for Counting Things
- Special Committee for Military Unpleasantness
- Subcommittee on Obscure Legalities
APPENDIX II – Treaties to which we are party
The Commonwealth has not yet joined any international treaties. World Assembly membership will be put to popular referendum over the coming months.
APPENDIX III – Countries with which we have direct diplomatic representation
Please see here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=559323)
APENDIX IV – International and overseas Zeppelin routes
Please see link pending