Commonwealth of Paradise

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Paradise, known also by its official name, the Commonwealth of Paradise, is a nation situated between the Nontana Sea to the north and the Solvanese Ocean to the south. The main island, Lamona and the five islands surrounding it, Serpeira, Alicea, Maliya, Virginia, and Helena, as well as the mainland territory, known as Ikiana, make up the nation with a combined area of 161,062.5 sq km / 62,186.58 sq mi. It is part of the continent of Neridea and is one of its most southern nations with territory still on the mainland. It is a member of the United Sovereign Nations of the World, the 'World' being the fictional planet Adonia.

History

Prehistory

The original inhabitants of the Paradisian island chain were of a race known as the Ikians. They were a hunter-gatherer society that mostly kept to the southern and eastern edges of the main island, Lamona, although some migrated to the northernmost island, Serpeira. As the centuries passed, the Ikians were largely untouched by most of ancient society advances, despite living directly off the coast of New Chandler. However, in the early 2000, the island was found by a large Rokish tribe that were largely nomads, sailing among the many islands in search of food and other resources. The Rokish tribe attempted to take what they wanted by force, which resulted in a war, which the Ikians lost, not having the immunity to the diseases the tribe unintentionally brought with them as well as the sheer number of the forces. The Rokish eventually conquered the Lamonan, Alicean, Maliyan, and Helenan islands, but found their attacks rebuffed on Serpeira, due to the natives' affinity with the large number of poisonous snakes on the island. The Rokish kept the remaining Ikians as servants and slaves, and by 1600 BC, the islands except for Serpeira were populated solely by Rokes.

New Chandler colonization

In about 10 AD, King [name] declared that he would restore the Roke race to his former glory and sent forces to New Chandler to assimilate them to the new empire. They had taken the first of 5 settlements,when word of their takeover reached the then king of the city-state of what is now New Chandler City. He sent troops to repel Paradisian forces at [insert settlement here]. They forced the Paradisian forces to relinquish their hold on the 4 settlements south of their position and forced them northward toward what was to be known as Nunoka. The inhabitants of Nunokan villages were surprisingly welcoming of the Paradisian troops and told the Chandlerian forces that they would defend themselves if they attempted to interfere with the Paradisian forces. Thus the colonization of New Chandler was a failure, but Paradise had found a new target- to assimilate Nunoka into the Paradisian fold. Within a decade, all of Nunoka was claimed in the name of Paradise.

Discovery and Unification

The 1678 arrival of Trentannian explorer William Monroe was Lamona's contact with Althenan explorers. Monroe named the islands "Lamona's Islands" in honor of his sponsor Paul Lamona. He published the islands' location in a Report in Westham, Trentannia. Monroe visited the islands twice. During his second visit in 1679, he attempted to conquer the islands and make them a Trentannian territory.

It is said by several that the Insulonians were the first to arrive there. Jorge de Gaitán is said to have arrived to Paradise in 1555. There are Insulonian maps of the era in which islands are shown in Paradise’s latitude, but thought to be part of New Chandler. The first sea chart that would prove this is dated 1551, signed by Insulonian and Posilliponian cartographers, on which is shown an island located at points close to the place Paradise occupies on the globe.

The islands were united under a single ruler, Huhemini I, for the first time in 1710 with the help of foreign weapons and advisors. The monarchy then adopted a flag similar to the one used today by the Commonwealth present flag, with the colors of the Island representing the different tribes of Paradise, and called the united nation, Pae'aina Palekaiko, or Islands of Paradise. In May 1719, Prince became King Lailo. Under pressure from his co-regent and stepmother, Kiʻahamanu, Lailo abolished the Kanaka system that had ruled life in the islands. He signaled this revolutionary change by sitting down to eat with Kiʻahamanu and other women of chiefly rank, an act forbidden under the old religious system. Miako, a cousin who thought he was to share power with Lailo, organized supporters of the Kanaka system, but his forces were defeated by Kiʻahamanu and Lailo in December 1719 at the battle of K'ia.

Religious Persecution

In the early kingdom, Protestant ministers convinced Paradisian rulers to make Catholicism illegal, deport Posilliponian priests, and imprison Native Paradisian Catholic converts. In 1739 Captain Lepolli of the Posilliponian frigate Artémise sailed to Paradise. Under the threat of war, King Kameh signed the Edict of Toleration on May 21, 1740 and paid $20,000 in compensation for the deportation of the priests and the incarceration and torture of converts, agreeing to Lepolli's demands. The kingdom proclaimed:

That the Catholic worship be declared free, throughout all the dominions subject to the king of the Paradise Islands; the members of this religious faith shall enjoy in them the privileges granted to Protestants.

In August 1742, Posilliponian admiral Francois Adame arrived in Columbia Harbor with La Gassendi. Adame made ten demands to King Kameh on September 2, mainly that full religious rights be given to Catholics, (the ban on Catholicism had been lifted, but Catholics still enjoyed only partial religious rights). On September 16, the demands had not been met. After a second warning was made to the civilians, Posilliponian troops overwhelmed the skeleton force and captured Fort Aeoknu, spiked the coastal guns and destroyed all other weapons they found (mainly muskets and ammunition). They raided government buildings and general property in Columbia Harbor, causing $100,000 in damages. After the raids the invasion force withdrew to the fort. Adame eventually recalled his men and left Paradise on December 28.

Trentannian Colonization

On February 10, 1743, Lord Ken Paulet on the Royal Navy warship HMS Stretton entered Whiting Harbor and demanded that King Kameh cede the Paradise Islands to the Trentannian Crown. Under the guns of the frigate, Kameh stepped down under protest. Kameh surrendered to Paulet on February 2, writing:

Where are you, chiefs, people, and commons from my ancestors, and people from foreign lands?' Hear ye! I make known to you that I am in perplexity by reason of difficulties into which I have been brought without cause, therefore I have given away the life of our land. Hear ye! But my rule over you, my people, and your privileges will continue, for I have hope that the life of the land will be restored when my conduct is justified. Done at Whiting Harbor, Lamona I., this 2nd day of February, 1743. Kameh, Kekiahna.

Gerard A. Uner, a missionary who had become the Minister of Finance, secretly sent envoys to New Chandler, Posillipo and Trentannia, to protest Paulet's actions. The protest was forwarded to Rear Admiral Thomas R. Holmes, Paulet's commanding officer, who arrived at Columbia Harbor on September 10, 1850 on HMS Birmham. Thomas repudiated Paulet's actions, and on December 11, 1850, restored the Paradisian government. In his restoration speech, Kameh declared that "With unity, there is strength (in Rokish)", the motto of the future Commonwealth of Paradise translated as "With unity, there is strength."

Commonwealth Independance and New Government

The Paradise kingdom was overthrown in 1853 as a result of the intervention of foreign business interests and the other islands. The Commonwealth of Paradise was formed by men of Althenan ancestry, like George Ham and Andrew A. Tharis, who were native-born subjects of the Paradisian kingdom and speakers of the Paradisian language, but had strong financial, political, and family ties to the other islands which were part of Trentannia. Tharis was a former member of the Kingdom legislature from Jackson City and Justice of the Kingdom's Supreme Court, and he appointed Ham—who had served as Minister of Interior under King Kekoa—to lead a lobbying effort in Trentannia, which later officially ceded the islands to Paradise on November 2, 1853.

Geography

Climate

The Commonwealth is close to the equator and therefore is subject to a tropical climate with the winter and spring season being accompanied with rains and the occasional hurricane.

Economy

Energy

The Commonwealth is a proponent of clean energy, and as such is switching over to greener energy sources, such as solar, geothermal and wind energy. However, more densely populated regions still depend on oil for the majority of their energy needs.

Currency

The Commonwealth uses the Enieo (ɛ) for international trade, but for domestic matters, uses the Paradisian Dollar (P$) almost exclusively. The Enieo was only recently introduced in the country as a currency as early as 2011, so it has not been fully integrated in transactions yet.

Transport

Road

The Commonwealth has several tiers of road systems which are interwoven with each other allowing drivers to get where they need to go. Although they are all under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Department of Transportation, each was introduced at different times in the country's history.

Commonwealth Intranational Freeway System

Main article: Commonwealth Intranational Freeway System

The Commonwealth is traversed by an system of high speed roads known as interstates, which connect major population centers. The system is the top tier of road systems and the numbering pattern radiates from the capital. The freeway system was the 3rd tier introduced and formed immediately following the first high speed grade separated road project in the country, the Capital Corridor Project.

Commonwealth Cardinal Road System

Main article: Cardinal Roads

The Cardinal Road System is the most recent tier introduced in the Commonwealth, and is a project brought about by the study of Trentannia's road system. The system uses 8 roads, named after every point on a compass, to connect the national capital with the 9 provincial capitals. Although technically this system tier is above the National Highway system tier, they are lumped together when it comes to maintenance.

Commonwealth National Highway System

The National Highway System was at one point the top tier, until the CIFS came into being, many of its interstate freeways taking over the important national highways. However, in some areas, especially on the smaller islands, where interstate freeways are not feasible, national highways continue to be important thoroughfares for certain areas.

Commonwealth Provincial Highway System

The lowest but initial tier, the provincial highway system consists of the numbered highways within a particular province. The designations of provincial highways spill over into other provinces from the central province, but not in reverse.

Rail

Main Article: ParaRail

ParaRail is the government owned entity that oversees all passenger and commuter rail lines in the country. Although the system is large, control of it is divided by provinces, with commuter rail being handled by each province, and long distance passenger rail being handled by the federal government. Thus ParaRail is divided into two major divisions, ParaRail Link and ParaRail Long.

Politics

Foreign relations

The Commonwealth has made a point to reach out to all countries in a hand of friendship. Thus the Commonwealth has many allies and is on good relations with most USNW countries and even non-USNW countries.

Demographics

Urbanization

For the most part, urban areas tend to be on the coasts, with only a few major cities farther inland. About 75% of the population lives in cities and 20% that don't has access to a city. 5% of the population doesn't live anywhere near a city, and has very little access to one.

Languages

The official language is Trentannian, adopted in 1914, and used in trade. However, many areas of the outlying islands still use Rokish, an effect of Trentannia never gaining full control of the other 5 islands.

Culture

Holidays

November 2 is Paradise Independence Day, a federal holiday, celebrated with barbeques, parades and fireworks.

See also

==External links==
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