Idea: Mock Parliament

[afleitch]

3 bilingual mixed blood public servants/teachers/centrists so far... who knew I'd actually wish for crazies to join in...

Will an Ernie Bevin/Arthur Deakin type do?

Yes

Probably makes it more fun if we have a welfare state/nationalisation tradition that half the island want to get rid of and the other half defend. It certainly makes for exciting policy. Kudos on the map btw!

[afleitch]

Suggestion for 'arms' of the nation with Colonial/heraldic influence. Top is for Portugal, centre for England/Britain, bottom for France. No Hindi etc representation because...well, slightly tainted past I'm sure

[Josh/Devilman88]

Name: Marco Rossi
Province of Birth: Limeria
Ethnic Background: Portuguese
Religion: Roman Catholic
Political stance: Populist(Left)
Party: None

Background.

Born in Port Valjean, Limeria on July 5, 1978. Born into a lower class Portuguese family, Marco of course had little to no money growing up. Marco's father wanted him to take over the small family business, but of course Marco had bigger dreams. At the age of 19 Marco left home to go to college in London, England. He study History and Political Science there for 4 years. After college he return home to be with his family. At this time his Father was very ill, and a year after returning home his Father die. Marco sold his Father business to his best friend.

[Sibboleth]

The Gros Pitons, the eastern range, are actually higher than the wester Nieves range. The highest mountain in Arcadia, Mount Hannover, is 5,340 feet and is located on the border between Hesperia and Arcadia. Other than that it pretty much fits with my description of it. One other thing, Rocheport is right on the border with Arcadia, its on the Limer River, which forms the border with Arcadia.

You may also want to add in Charlesville in the valley to the east of Fort Rochier. It has a population of 38,429.

All of which should be easy to fix. I was going to do it now, but my computer is doing what it usually does around 11 o clock (ie; being bloody stupid) so I'll wait till the morning.

[Colin]

The Gros Pitons, the eastern range, are actually higher than the wester Nieves range. The highest mountain in Arcadia, Mount Hannover, is 5,340 feet and is located on the border between Hesperia and Arcadia. Other than that it pretty much fits with my description of it. One other thing, Rocheport is right on the border with Arcadia, its on the Limer River, which forms the border with Arcadia.

You may also want to add in Charlesville in the valley to the east of Fort Rochier. It has a population of 38,429.

All of which should be easy to fix. I was going to do it now, but my computer is doing what it usually does around 11 o clock (ie; being bloody stupid) so I'll wait till the morning.

Well it's alright. You did well for me only giving snippets of the terrain.

If you want to know a rather accurate representation of where Antillia is Google Maps can give you an idea.

[afleitch]

If you want to know a rather accurate representation of where Antillia is Google Maps can give you an idea.

Suprisingly close to where the Titanic sunk (well close as in several hundred miles) Was a major cross Atlantic shipping lane - we would undoubtedly have a large port and possibly shipbuilding/repair industries in the past.

Sorry to be 'Mr Questions' tonight; but was Antillia at one time a British colony/territory/protectorate?

[Hashemite]

While we're on questions, any ideas on government structure (eg legislature [monocameral or bicameral?], executive, local, etc?)

[Colin]

Sorry to be 'Mr Questions' tonight; but was Antillia at one time a British colony/territory/protectorate?

Yes of course. Basque fishermen were most likely the first people to sight and land on Antillia, as its location on the route to the Grand Banks cannot be overlooked. However it was officially discovered by a Portuguese captain named Luis Pires in 1504 and named Antillia, since it was thought to be the actual mythical island that was supposedly settled by seven Iberian bishops in the 8th century though no remains of the so-called "Seven Cities of Antillia" was ever found. The Portuguese never had a real interest in the island though it did become a battleground between the Spanish and Portuguese in the 16th century as both nations thought they had a claim on the island through the Treaty of Tordesillas. In 1625, as part of the Thirty Years War, France made claim on the island and set up the first permanent settlement on the island at Port Valjean. This led to a time of French immigration and development of Antillia.

Antillia remained in French hands after the Seven Years War, along with many of the French Caribbean posessions, but would be taken by the British in 1803, at the very outbreak of the Napoleanic Wars. The British government was very concerned about its use by the French to disrupt trade with the Americas and act as a base for the French Navy in the Atlantic. While the French tried to retake the islands in 1805, they were unable to suceed. France officially recognized the British claim on the island at the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

So that's a short overview of pre-British Antillian history.

[Colin]

While we're on questions, any ideas on government structure (eg legislature [monocameral or bicameral?], executive, local, etc?)

I think a unicameral, centralized government would probably work best for this idea as it stands now but a federal system is probably needed. If this really was a dictatorship for some time then the two options are either that it has elected to stay outside the Commonwealth, and elect some sort of executive, or has voted to rejoin the Commonwealth and now acknowledges Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Antillia.

[Bacon King]

While we're on questions, any ideas on government structure (eg legislature [monocameral or bicameral?], executive, local, etc?)

I think a unicameral, centralized government would probably work best for this idea as it stands now but a federal system is probably needed. If this really was a dictatorship for some time then the two options are either that it has elected to stay outside the Commonwealth, and elect some sort of executive, or has voted to rejoin the Commonwealth and now acknowledges Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Antillia.

Personally, I'd prefer the latter.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

for the time being can the Parliament haters realize that we have very few people so a single house would be best for now, and a UK type (with just the Commons) would work well.

[ilikeverin]

While we're on questions, any ideas on government structure (eg legislature [monocameral or bicameral?], executive, local, etc?)

Idea: first legislative issue is a new constitutional convention.  We can decide this there after posting our bios (@(#*&$ college visits=no free time )

[HappyWarrior]

Name: Robert Hill
Province of Birth: Reginia
Ethnic Background: Scottish
Religion: Roman Catholic
Political stance: Populist
Party: Social Democratic Party

Background.

Born in the mountains of Reginia, Robert grew up in a lower-middle class family.  Forced by his parent's lack of money to pay for a college education, young Robert, Rob to his friends, majored in politics, seeing it as his way out.  Due to his father's career as a farmer, Rob embraced an agrarian and worker oriented political policy.  A practicing catholic, he does not let his religion and politics interfer with one another.  Three years after college, at the age of twenty eight, Rob ran for, but lost a city council seat by one vote.

[Josh/Devilman88]

Am I going to be the only non-white guy here?

[Jake]

Graham Stokes - Robera
Largely Scottish and Protestant background
Socially conservative and economically social democrat

English language political boss in Robera.

[Sibboleth]

Name: Arthur Ernest Watson
Province of Birth: New Wales
Ethnic Background: rural Anglophone
Religion: Methodist
Political stance: Democratic Socialist
Party: Antillia Labour Party

Background: Watson is a cloth-cap wearing Trade Unionist with no formal education, a thick West Coast accent and little knowledge of the French language. He is known for his dislike of the Antillian Establishment, for his hatred of Communism.
He was born into rural poverty in the Nieves Mountains, and moved to New Merthyr (an industrial suburb of Wellington) to find work at a young age. After working in various manual occupations, fell in with the growing Trade Union movement. Watson rose through the ranks of the Transport & Industrial Workers Union (TIWU) becoming its General Secretary at the age of 34 and later helped (in a behind-the-scenes way) to orchestrate the creation of the Trades Union Federation (TUF) and the Antillia Labour Party.

Antillia Labour Party

The ALP is a large Democratic Socialist (or Social Democratic if thee prefers; in generic terms there's no real difference. And we are just at a generic stage as these things go, right?) party, based around Trade Unions and local Party machines and with a great deal of working class support.
Suspected Communists are thrown out of the Party (sometimes literally) and the Party has aquired an interesting habit of organising marches of miners, dockers and so on through towns on election days.

Policy stuff:

The ALP is in favour of economic development, the Welfare State and so on and so forth. It is officially neutral on "social issues" (in practice it tends to lean somewhat conservative on them, but things vary from province to province). And so on and so forth.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Hooray we've got our first competition.

[Sibboleth]

Name: Arthur Ernest Watson

Arthur: Arthur Deakin
Ernest: Ernie Bevin
Watson: Sam Watson

Just to give an idea what this individual is going to be like...

[afleitch]

Arthur: Arthur Deakin

My grandfather - 'He's nae Frank Cousins that yin'

As for the character he seems the sort of Socialist that would inhabit Antillia; theres something pleasantly old school (I had that phrase so much but can't think of another) in the air in this island that makes politics interesting.

[Hashemite]

Graham Stokes - Robera
Largely Scottish and Protestant background
Socially conservative and economically social democrat

English language political boss in Robera.

Party?

[Jake]

I'll see what emerges first.

[Colin]

Am I going to be the only non-white guy here?

Last time I checked Portuguese people are white. The Portuguese who settled here are white Portuguese, really I don't know any other type. Many are from Africa but they were white settlers in places like Angola or Mozambique, like Tereza Heinz Kerry's family actually.

[afleitch]

Am I going to be the only non-white guy here?

Last time I checked Portuguese people are white. The Portuguese who settled here are white Portuguese, really I don't know any other type. Many are from Africa but they were white settlers in places like Angola or Mozambique, like Tereza Heinz Kerry's family actually.

True; given it's location it's unlikely to be as settled from the African continent as the Carribean. Though of course the exception to the rule is Bermuda, which also has a significant Portugese population. Climate wise, Antillia would be peloarctic/temperate in nature, not unlike Western Europe and warmed by the Gulf Stream which should give it a mild winter. It would be ideal for sheep, dairy farming etc.

[Colin]

Am I going to be the only non-white guy here?

Last time I checked Portuguese people are white. The Portuguese who settled here are white Portuguese, really I don't know any other type. Many are from Africa but they were white settlers in places like Angola or Mozambique, like Tereza Heinz Kerry's family actually.

True; given it's location it's unlikely to be as settled from the African continent as the Carribean. Though of course the exception to the rule is Bermuda, which also has a significant Portugese population. Climate wise, Antillia would be peloarctic/temperate in nature, not unlike Western Europe and warmed by the Gulf Stream which should give it a mild winter. It would be ideal for sheep, dairy farming etc.

The southern peninsula, LeGran, extends down to about 38 degrees North, about the same latitude as the Azores, and has a pseudo-Mediterranean climate. Most of the North has a martime climate, with pockets of temperate and alpine in higher areas. Both the Gros Pitons and the Nieves ranges would most likely be snow covered in the winter.

As for the Portuguese, prior to 1975 only .4% of the island's population was Portuguese. In 1975 Angola and Mozambique acquired independence. Both colonies had large white settler populations. In order to attract immigration, and to project government control on certain areas like LeGran province, the first military regime gave incentives for these "refugees" to come to Antillia. Roughly 50,000 or so heeded this call and mostly settled in LeGran and Clairive.

[Platypus]

Al-we already have the Social Democratic Party-maybe you should join that instead? I am doing so, anyway.

Name: Vijay Prabhusanjil
Age: 28
Province: Reginia
Ethnic Background: Indian, Part Sikh
Religion: Agnostic, raised with Hinduism and Sikhism
Political Stance: Minority politician, center-left.
Political Party: Social Democratic Party

Born into a prominent family within the Indian community at Lorient, Vijay was one of the few non-English students at the Lorient Academy for Academics, before attending university in the United Kingdom. He has expereinced the pressures of minority but also seen that communities can fully integrate and wishes the same for the people of Antillia. His personal wealth is partly through inheritance, but also through his highly succesful business interests-at 24 he built a website which he has recently sold for $5,800,000 allowing him to enter the political arena at a relatively young age.