Factbook of Ateala

The island was originally inhabited by native islanders, shipwrecked castaways, and a handful of isolationist hermits from larger countries. The area along the northern coast was discovered and colonized by Blackacre. Once Blackacre discovered the island in 2003, Maxtopia, Bigtopia, Brancaland, and Marche Noir quickly occupied other parts of the island building a dozen colonies in all alongside Blackacre. The countries involved in the island used the colonies to wage war against one another in order to gain more territory. The citizenry of these colonies eventually united and claimed the island for themselves in a bloody revolution that founded the Atealan Empire.

Ateala is a developed country quickly rebuilding after the end of the Atealan War for Independence. Business thrives as the government helps support entrepreneurial endeavors by its citizenry. While the emperor allows little in the way of political freedom the populous enjoys an abundance of civil freedoms including the legalization of recreational drug use. The government also allows for blanket insurance coverage and free education for all citizens. The economy of Ateala benefits from an abundance of mineral, agricultural, and aquatic resources. The empire has recently taken an interest in space exploration pouring money into a newly established space program called Imperial Air and Space Administration (IASA).

Etymology

The name "Ateala" originally referred to the native nomadic peoples of the island state. During the revolution the native Atealans used their superior knowledge of the island to aid colonial forces. While most of the native culture was destroyed during the war the newly founded empire took on the name Ateala in honor of their bravery.

The standard way to refer to a citizen of Ateala is as an "Atealan."

History

DESCRIBE HISTORY

Geography

Ateala is a mostly rocky land with large valleys, mountains, and large sprawling coniferous forests. The coasts of Ateala are characterized by sheer cliffs and outcroppings of geometric rock beaches. The only sandy beaches are at the northern inlet of Turtle Bay which has a black sand beach and the eastern inlet of Cape Fox which has a red sand beach. Both Turtle Bay and Cape Fox have numerous ports for military and civilian use. The highest point in Ateala is the peak of mount Attilus. Near the peak of mount Attilus is a small valley taken up almost entirely by Lake Titus which is regularly frozen by the cold temperatures near the peak. Lake Titus is a freshwater lake that has a river running down into the ocean creating brackish water near the mouth. The waters from Lake Titus are pure from natural filtration. Adjacent to the cliff faces leading into Turtle Bay is Decker Island which is mostly used for defense by the Atealan navy. Lake Snow is a saltwater great lake near the base of Mount Attilus. The waters of Lake Snow come from the ocean via a large underwater cave system that runs beneath the ground. Lake Snow also has a river crossing the land between it and the ocean. Adjacent to Lake Snow is Lake Kane. Lake Kane is a freshwater lake regularly refilled by melting snow from the mountains and annual rainfall. A river runs from Lake Kane into the ocean creating brackish waters near the mouth of the river. Off the south east coast is a small quay called Hatch Island that is very popular amongst tourists for its abundance of sea glass. The country is covered in a large number of rivers mostly freshwater.

Most of inland Ateala boasts a subtropical highland climate. Higher up into the mountains there is an alpine climate all the way to the peak of mount Attilus. The coniferous forests are made up primarily of pine with small deciduous areas mostly of aspen at higher altitudes. The salt lakes, particularly Lake Snow is home to a number of tropical fish. The forests themselves are home to large populations of deer, elk, and black bear. At higher altitudes are fox that come down into the forests during colder months.

Demographics

Population

Ateala has a steadily growing population of 442 million.

Language

The primary language of Ateala is English. A significant portion of the population speaks a variety of Asian and European languages and Arabic.

Religion

The majority of the population is Christian (68%) predominantly protestant (80%). 8% of the population identifies as Muslim and another 10% identifies as Buddhist. The remainder consists of a large number of smaller religions. The constitution of Ateala allows for freedom of religion barring actions that violate the penal code. The current emperor has also implemented a zero tolerance policy concerning discrimination against any race or religion.

Race

The population is predominantly of European or North American descent (70%). Most of the population is made up of immigrants or the offspring of immigrants from other countries. There is a growing Middle Eastern (10%) and Asian (15%) population throughout the country. There is a small number of Native Atealans (5%) that are stubbornly trying to retain what is left of their decimated culture.

Government

The Empire of Ateala is ruled by a semi-democratic monarchy. The emperor acts as head of state and is elected for life barring impeachment or abdication. The prime minister acts as second in command and temporarily takes power if the emperor dies until a new emperor is elected. Ateala in its short history has had three emperors thus far, Titus Carlisle who was acting monarch during the time of the interim government, Natasha Stralia who abdicated after three years, and Gerhard Verberne who was impeached after two years for trying to carry out religious pogroms. Titus Carlisle was recently re-elected as emperor. The emperor holds near authoritarian power that can only be overruled by a unanimous vote from the council of ministers. The emperor can make and repeal laws at will. The emperor can create government projects and use the authority of their office to force completion unless overruled by a unanimous vote from the Council of Ministers or the Imperial Diet. Government spending is allocated by a budget committee made up of noble house delegates, the minister of finance, and headed by the minister of the treasury. The emperor can willfully reallocate government funds but the decision to do so can be overruled by a unanimous vote from the budget committee.

The judicial branch of the government is called The Magisterium. It is headed by the Chief Magistrate (currently Nicolas Montaigne). The magisterium is in charge of judicial proceedings throughout the empire. The High Court is a group of magistrates headed by the Chief Magistrate that presides over trials that cannot be handled in normal courts or have been escalated by previous courts such as when a member of the legislature, magisterium, or the emperor is on trial. The High Court during trials acts as a singular body though members can still preside over normal court cases or be assigned to preside over high court cases where the full body is believed to be unnecessary. In High Court cases where a popular ruling cannot be made the Chief Magistrate counts twice. It is the duty of the High Court to decide if any law called into question is legal within the bounds of the Atealan Articles of Governance.

The legislature is split between two houses The Council of Ministers which is the upper house and The Imperial Diet which is the lower house. The Council of Ministers is made up of the emperor’s cabinet of ministers who run the various ministries in the Atealan government. The ministers are appointed by the emperor but if an emperor chooses to they can release the decision to The Imperial Diet. While the emperor is technically part of The Council of Ministers they are only given power when there is a tie vote in which case the emperor will be the tie breaker. The speaker for The Council of Ministers is the Prime Minister (currently Cyrus Zeeger). The council can create bills and vote to have them ratified into law but the emperor reserves the power to veto a bill unless they are overruled by a unanimous vote from the council. The emperor can suggest changes in taxes to the council but the council can overrule the change with a 2/3 vote.

The Imperial Diet is comprised of representatives of The Noble Houses. Each province elects a representative for each noble house by popular vote. The speaker and head of The Imperial Diet is The Minister of The Diet (currently Thaddeus Beck) who serves on both the diet and The Council of Ministers and is elected by the diet exclusively but can be appointed by the emperor if the diet cannot make a decision. The diet can overrule a decision made by the emperor in a unanimous vote. The diet can also create and vote on bills to be ratified but all bills must also be approved by The Council of Ministers and even then can be vetoed by the emperor. The diet can force a bill into law if it receives a unanimous vote in the diet and is accepted by 2/3 of the council or gains support of the chief magistrate. The diet can also independently propose and create government projects accepted by popular vote within the diet. Any projects proposed by the council must be accepted by the diet by popular vote. The diet can also make changes to tax policy unless overruled by 2/3 vote from the council.

Ministers, cabinet members, the emperor and representatives of the diet must be part of a noble house. Noble houses are much like mafia families. A noble house is established by and named for a specific family with a member of the family often being the head of the house. Members from outside of the family can be accepted at the discretion of the house. There is no set organization to the house the only law concerning organization is that no individual can be excommunicated on grounds of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Noble houses must have a set of interests and their actions must be oriented towards these interests (e.g. House Carlisle focusing on charity work). Anyone can establish a noble house but it must be ratified by the diet. In order to establish a noble house a person must prove to be beneficial to the empire. A person can prove to be beneficial through charity work, being a high ranking officer in the military, serving in elected office or showing valor and exceptional character in times of crisis and other unlisted actions. Houses can be sponsored for ratification by any governor, council member, diet member, or the emperor themselves. Sheriffs can suggest that a governor sponsor a noble house and communities can make suggestions to sheriffs to give to governors. When a noble house is established the person that it is established around can willingly choose who is a member regardless of their relation to the new head of house. The head of house organizes the house and establishes rules and regulations that are then registered with The Ministry of Noble Houses which tracks the entire history of a house. If a house proves to be a liability or harmful to the empire the diet can motion to have the house abolished but harm and liability must be proven with hard evidence. The only house to have been abolished thus far is House Verberne for their attempts to "purify" the country through religious pogroms. House Dubois is the only house to have ever been founded after the death of its namesake. There are currently 17 Noble Houses

House: - Interests: - Reason for Establishment:
House Carlisle - ecology, education - charity work, valor during the revolution, service as interim emperor
House Zeeger - defense - service as general in colonial military
House Beck - business - mediator in peace talks after liberation of Ateala
House Montaigne - law - writer of The Atealan Articles of Governance
House Spirit - medicine - founder of first hospital, founder of armed forces medical corps
House Jefferson - banking - founder of first bank, designer of solidus
House Radek - diplomacy - ambassador to foreign powers, earned foreign support during revolution
House Stralia -marine biology - first naval commander, established navy
House Decker - crime, forensics - founded first sheriff’s office, head of military police
House Snow - art - built first opera house, built first theatre, founder of writers’ guild
House Kane - space, aviation - head of IASA, founded air force, scheduled for first astronaut
House Hatch - psychology, history - head of imperial archive, built first library, built first museum
House Khan - criminology, investigation - first chief of police, built first police station, co-wrote penal code
House Steele - espionage, computer science - first imperial spy, founded Atealan Intelligence Service
House Gutenberg - commerce, economics - built trade agreements, support for nationwide entrepreneurship
House Dredd - education - founded first university
House Dubois - diplomacy - valor and heroism, house and international airport named after late Gregory Dubois post mortem

Ateala is broken up into individual counties which are then grouped into provinces. Each province has a governor elected by popular vote. It is the duty of the governor’s office to enforce the law and protect the rights of the people as guaranteed by The Atealan Articles of Governance using the Sheriff's department and local police forces. Each county has an elected Sheriff with deputies who act as police for the entire county. Members of the Sheriff's office can cross county lines in the performance of their duties if necessary but must report the incident as soon as possible to the office of the county they enter.

Local police forces are founded in towns and cities with substantial populations. Local police cannot leave their city or town limits in the performance of their duties.

All wilderness areas are under the jurisdiction of the Atealan rangers which will cooperate with other law enforcement or military agencies as needed. The rangers use these areas for continued survival training in preperation for their regular physical and mental evaluations.

Foreign Relations and Military

Ateala is part of The East Pacific region. The Empire keeps a neutral isolationist foreign policy. As a rule Ateala does not involve itself with other countries except for matters of trade or expansion.

Ateala's military is comprised mostly of infantry and air force with a small navy. The government has historically focused on education and healthcare. Emperor Carlisle has been pushing to increase military spending especially in naval and air force recruiting by cutting welfare expenses but has been stonewalled by the legislature. The emperor has managed to circumvent this by discretely re-allocate small amounts of funds from other departments to defense boosting military spending to 15%.Despite the legislature's best efforts Emperor Carlisle has vehemently forbidden the export of Ateala's uranium for fear of foreign powers using said uranium against them. Carlisle has instead forced the construction of a massive nuclear arsenal using all uranium mined in the empire. Despite pressure from foreign powers the emperor has assured diplomats that the arsenal is a deterrent and nothing more.

The Atealan Rangers are a special forces unit directly under the command of the office of the emperor. The rangers are one of the best equiped and best funded units in the world. The Atealan Rangers were based on the U.S. Green Beret's and the British SAS. Potential rangers are often chosen from the 1st Recon sniper unit. Candidates must be able to score in the 95th percentile or above in marksmanship and score high marks on numerous physical and written examinations. Potential candidates may refuse to join no questions asked. Rangers are trained in guerilla tactics, unconventional warfare, and psychological warfare. They are taken to the harshest environments in the world for survival training. The physical and psychological training was designed to break the candidates and force them beyond their normal limits. Many "washouts" who could not complete the training require therapy for extended periods especially after the anti-interrogation and anti-torture portions. Because of the harsh environment there are only a handful of rangers at any one time. The unit is attached to the 22nd tactical battalion along with the 1st Recon snipers. Rangers are required to swear a loyalty oathe to the emperor and must be regularly tested to remain in the unit.

As per the Atealan Articles of Governance in times of war and crisis the government can organize firearm owners into militias for imperial defense increasing infantry size exponentially.

Economy

Ateala's economy relies on agriculture, mining, and the wine making industry along with tourism. Large deposits of coal, uranium, and copper have been found in and around the mountainous regions. There is widespread offshore oil drilling. The main agricultural staples from farming are grapes, corn, pecans, various peppers, potatoes, tea, coffee, sugar beets, and Atealan olives. Atealan horticulturists also bred a new species of olive which is much hardier and can withstand the cooler weather of Ateala and are becoming popular world wide. Aside from cash crops Ateala has a large but monotonous livestock industry. Sheep farming provides wool and mutton. Cattle ranching provides leather, beef, and dairy. Tax cuts have been given to agriculturalists who allow the government to harvest excess tea, coffee, and manure that is then composted into very rich fertilizer. The government also owns a thriving honey industry by giving tax cuts to farmers who allow government owned apiaries to be built on farms. Grapes meant to be a food product are exported around the world but grapes meant for wine are kept exclusively in Ateala to be used in domestic wineries only being exported or composted when there is excess.

Culture

Ateala's government is very liberal on civil freedoms allowing a multitude of cultures and ideologies to foster throughout the empire. Cultural norms stem mostly from European societies especially French, German and English. There are a number of middle eastern and Asian highlights that many people have embraced regardless if they hold the same beliefs or not.

Atealans are individualistic and quickly embrace anything that makes them unique. This individualism and self expressionist movement has been promoted by Emperor Carlisle. The emperor often changes his hair color before every event he attends and is often wearing what may be considered eccentric accessories. Keffiyeh and Hijabs are popular amongst men and women of all backgrounds though some do not take it as seriously as others. Yoga and Zen traditions are embraced by many people of varying ideologies.

Flag

The flag of Ateala is royal purple and depicts a mint green Atealan olive tree.

Food

Atealan food is western in style but heavily influenced by Japanese, Greek, and Irish cuisine due to similarities in agricultural staples. Fish is the main source of protein. Meals usually have potatoes, corn, and dairy in some form. Meals also feature hot jalapeno peppers or sweet bell peppers.

Sports

Tourists and locals alike make use of Ateala's natural attractions. Hiking, rock climbing, and camping are popular year around. During warmer weather kayaking, white water rafting, and boating are enjoyed. Ice skating, hockey, skiing, and snowboarding are popular in winter.

Infrastructure

A sizeable portion of the money gained from the emperor’s "Project Eden" is used to build and maintain Ateala's infrastructure. Personal transportation is split between automobiles and bicycles. The automotive industry in Ateala is small so most vehicles are owned by businesses and the government for goods and public transportation. Larger towns and cities have public busses and in some cases subway and monorail systems. Airlines are privately owned by businesses both foreign and domestic.

Energy

When the empire was first founded Ateala was powered almost entirely by fossil fuels. Over the last five years Emperor Titus Carlisle has implemented an ambitious project called "Project Eden" which has moved the majority of the country to alternative sources of energy. The project has built a large number of solar and wind farms and hydroelectric plants. Offshore oil platforms are being used as a foundation to build adjacent offshore wind parks, the oil platforms are replaced with more wind parks when they are no longer needed. The last stages of the project is funding research for hydrokinetic generators and moving to ethanol as a replacement for gasoline. While the mining industry has suffered the government has prevented job loss by buying up products that have become obsolete due to the project and selling them to other countries for a profit.

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