Republic of Arcacia

Facts in Brief:



Capital: Providence
Official Languages: English and French
Population: 201,000
National Anthem: "I Vow to Thee, My Country"
National Symbols: Superb Blue Wren and Grevillea
National Holiday: Constitution Day, July 4
Money: Basic Unit - Dollar

Arcacia was first settled in 1810, jointly by British and French explorers. Since then it has grown to a nation of nearly 200,000 people.

Discovery
In 1810, an English ship sailed up Australia's East coast in order to complete a close survey of the coast. The expedition was led by Admiral James Cliffton who was now at odds with New South Wales Governor Arthur Phillip. Phillip sent Cliffton on the survey as a means to get him out of Sydney and thus, out of his hair.

On August 9, 1810, upon finding the islands, Cliffton decided to port in what is now the town of Founder's Cove where he and his crew, made up mostly of freed convicts now working for the British Navy, decided not to return to Sydney. A day later, a team of French explorers let by Jean le Neuf crossed the short stretch of water between Australia and Arcacia to land in what is now Redding City.

Settlement
It was not long before the British and French met on the plains in what is now the city of Yorke. Cliffton expressed his desire not to return to Sydney and said he could not return to England either, as he would no doubt be hung for treason having essentially stolen a British Navy vessel. Le Neuf also expressed his unwillingness to return to France, a voyage of at least 6-8 months. The two men quickly became friends and decided to settle the new land themselves and keep it secret from both governments.

The English settlers established Providence as a collection of tents on what is now Capitol Island. The French built a small fort in Redding and the two settlements decided that the plains of Yorke would be ideal for mutual agriculture.

Word soon spread of this new colony that was not under the authority of either England or France and freed convicts and even some escapees trickled into Arcacia, causing the population to rise to over 2,000 in under a year. By 1812, there were 2,500 settlers. Providence was now a thriving town, Redding was a formidable fortress and the town of Yorke had sprung up as a base for the countries agriculture.

Council of Providence
On July 1, 1812 Cliffton and le Neuf met in Providence to discuss the future of the colony. This was due to the ever present danger of a British invasion. It was decided that a constitution should be written and Arcacia declare itself an independent nation. A short document was written which defined Arcacia's territory, set Providence as the capital and described a simple form of democracy. A short bill of rights was also included. The constitution was adopted and Arcacia's first flag was raised on July 4, 1812.


Aracia's First Flag

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Economy
Arcacia's economy is made up of tourism, agriculture, hi-tech industry and overseas investments. Arcacia also has one of the world's largest gold reserves, making it one of the richest countries per capita in the world. Arcacia is also at the forefront of environmentally friendly electricity with 100% of the grid using renewable energy sources. Arcacia has the lowest carbon footprint of any country in the developed world.

Currency

The currency of Arcacia is the Arcacian Dollar. Arcacia measures it's currency against the Gold Standard, the only country in the world still to do so. For this purpose, one Arcacian Dollar is valued the same as 1/1000th of an ounce of gold. At the time of writing, this equates to about AUD$1.27 or USD$1.16. The Arcacian Dollar is divided into 100 cents.

Denominations:

Bank notes - $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, $1000

Coins - 1c,2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c

The $500 and $1000 notes can be exchanged for gold ingots weighing 1/2 an ounce and 1 ounce respectively.

Government
Arcacia is a non-partisan unicameral representative direct democracy. People vote for their representatives directly and there are no political parties. The President is also voted for directly and elections happen every 5 years. At the national level, the government is divided into three branches: The Senate (legislative), the Executive Council (executive) and the High Court (judiciary).

Arcacia is divided into four districts, each with their own governments. The districts are, in order of population size: Redding, Yorke Bay, Providence and the Northern Islands. Each district has its own capital, which are Redding City, Yorke, Providence and Dianovia respectively. Each district has its own unicameral legislature, known as a Cabinet. The leader of a district is called a Governor. The Governor is elected by the people and he or she then appoints their cabinet based on merit. Districts also have their own courts.

Twice a year, a special meeting takes place in Providence called a Round Table. The President of the Republic, Vice President, Speaker of the Senate, Chief Justice of the High Court along with the Governors of all four districts meet in an informal manner to discuss policy. The idea behind the round table is that every member has an equal say and a right to be heard.

Demographics
Arcacia has a young population with the largest group being in the 25-40 age range and it is estimated that their are an average of 2.3 children per family. Most Arcacians list their birthplace as Arcacia, with Canadian, European, Australian and New Zealand making up the majority of emigrants. English is the most widely spoken language with French being the official second language of Arcacia, though it is only spoken as a first language by approximately 5,000 people, all of whom live in the District of Redding.

Religion

Arcacia is a secular nation with no State religion. Most people in Arcacia are not religious with 81% of respondents in the 2008 census answering Agnostic/Atheist on the question of religion. Of the remainder, Christianity makes up the largest minority with 18%, of which 9% said they were Catholic, 7% Protestant and 2% Other Christian. Jews and Muslims make up less than 1% each, as do other religions.

Culture
Arcacians are laid back and known for their humour. Due to the high level of literacy with the vast majority of people going on to do tertiary study (Arcacia has the highest rate of PhD acquisition per capita in the world), Arcacians are very wary of anything that they call "woo." This includes sprituality, psychics and so-called "natural" remedies. It is illegal to sell homoeopathic remedies in Arcacia, or to make claims about medical worth of any "natural" alternative without solid scientific evidence.

Ice hockey is Arcacia's national sport and games are extremely popular events. Many Arcacian children play for local leagues and there are also several amateur clubs for adults. Sailing and other water sports are also commonly enjoyed.

Resources
Given Arcacia's rich volcanic soil, it has enjoyed tremendous agricultural success with wheat, barley, corn, fruits and vegetables being grown in plentiful supply. Government subsidies mean that locally produced food is always cheaper in supermarkets than imported goods. Despite this, there is always an excess which is exported to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Arcacia has no mines, but has invested heavily in high-tech industry and so exports technology. Four large technology parks in Redding, Broadalbin, North Providence and Dianovia produce consumer electronics, white-goods and carry out research. The Arcacian Government has all but phased out dirty industries.


Transport
Arcacia has one airline - Arcacian Airlines - that operates out of the four airports in Arcacia. Redding and Providence both have major international airports with flights to the Pacific, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Yorke and Broadlabin both have smaller airports with flights to Australia and the Pacific.

Public transport in Arcacia is free and managed by two publicly owned companies. The Arcacian National Railway operates the country's intercity rail, ferry and bus servies whilst MetroCorp operates subways, light rail and bus networks within most cities and towns. In towns where MetroCorp does not operate, private bus companies transport passengers, but are still free thanks to government subsidies.


Map of ANR Network

Military
Arcacia has no military. Security is the responsibility of the Arcacia Police Force and Arcacian Coast Guard. Due to Arcacia's location, it is protected by the Australian, New Zealand, French and United States Navies.

Space Program
The Arcacian Space Agency, based in Yorke, is responsible for space research, launching satellites and astronauts on a fairly regular basis. Arcacia's first manned space flight occurred in 2007, with astronauts Kyle Lockwood from Castlekeep, Yorke Bay and Melanie St Claire from Redding City completing three complete orbits of Earth before splashing down in the Pacific ocean. Arcacia is hoping to put astronauts on the Moon and is also planning to go to Mars. At the moment, the main occupation of the observatories in Yorke is the search for planets outside the Solar System.

Looks great.

Facts in Brief:
Capital: Providence
Population: 50,000

Providence is the third most populous District of Arcacia and the location of its capital city. It was first settled by the British in 1810 and the city of Providence was named as capital on July 4, 1812. The district is made up of five islands and is bordered to the West by Yorke Bay and the Northern Islands to the North. The Coral Sea lies to the East and Crescent Bay to the South. Several government offices are located in the city of Providence, including the Presidential Manor, the Senate and the High Court. The Arcacian Stock Exchange is also in Providence.

Facts in Brief:
Capital: Yorke
Population: 60,000

Yorke Bay is the second most populous District of Arcacia. It was founded mutually by British and French settlers as the hub of Arcacian agriculture. It is home to the vast majority of Arcacia's tourist attractions and is a popular local destination. Known for it's relaxed lifestyle and natural beauty, Yorke Bay is known as the Heart of Arcacia. It is bordered by Redding to the West, Providence to the East and the Northern Islands to the North. The Tasman Sea lies to the South.

The city of Yorke, the district's capital has been chosen by the Arcacian Government to bid for the May 2010 Simlympics. Surrounded by farmland, Yorke is home to half the district's population. The Arcacian Space Agency also calls Yorke home.

Facts in Brief:
Capital: Redding City
Population: 76,000

Redding is the most populous district of Arcacia. It was first settled by French explorers in 1810 and is bordered by Yorke Bay to the East, the Northern Islands to the North and Australia to the West. Lennox Bay lies to the South. The district is made up of 4 islands and Redding City is the only major population centre.

Facts in Brief:
Capital: Dianovia
Population: 15,000

The Northern Islands is the smallest District of Arcacia. It is bordered by Redding, Yorke Bay and Providence to the South and Australia to the West. The Coral Sea lies to the North and East. It was settled jointly by British and French settlers to prevent the colony of New South Wales from acquiring them. The District is made up of three islands with Dianovia being the only major city.

As well as the Arcacian National Railway, MetroCorp operates mass transit within most cities and towns.

National Railway:


District of Providence:


District of Yorke Bay:


District of Redding:


District of the Northern Islands:

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