Greater Acadia
The Federation of Greater Acadia | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: Apertum et liberum | |
| Anthem: The Great Open Land | |
| Capital | Federation City |
| Largest | Port Royal |
| Official languages | English, French |
| Recognised national languages | English, French, Spanish, Dutch |
| Demonym(s) | Acadian |
| Government | Federal Constitutional Parliamentary Republic |
| Jean Pierreault | |
| Guillermo de Casca | |
| Timothy Gargant | |
| James Gutierrez | |
| Establishment | |
• First Republic of Greater Acadia | July 14th, 1770 |
• Second Republic of Greater Acadia | TBD |
• Federation of Greater Acadia | August 22nd, 1969 |
| Population | |
• 2021 census | 86,883,426 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | 3.697 trillion |
• Per capita | 42,556 |
| HDI (2021) | 0.965 very high |
| Currency | Greater Acadian Dollar (GAD) |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +1 |
| Internet TLD | .gad |
Greater Acadia, officially The Federation of Greater Acadia (FR: La Fédération de Grande Acadie) also known as Acadia, is a country located in western Hesperida. It consists of 11 Provinces and two federal territories. It's capital city is Federation City, and it's largest metropolitan area is the Greater Port Royal area, which comprises the cities of Port Royal, Caliburn, and Montrouge. Most of the country's 86 Million people live along the nation's coastline.
Archeological evidence of Paleo-Aboriginal settlement within the territory of modern Acadia dates to 8,000 years ago, though it is theorized the first settlers to the land arrived as early of 12,000 years ago. Colonization from [REGION] began in the 16th century, and the Colony of Acadia was formally incorporated into the French Empire in 1604, after which it was ceded to United Kingdom in 1658. Ethnic tensions between English-speaking and French-Speaking colonists, as well as increases in taxation led to the Acadian Revolt of 1760. This in turn led to the official Declaration of Acadian Independence in 1768 and the War of Acadian Secession (1766-1770), which lead to the country gaining independence from the English Crown. This involved the incorporation of numerous other neighboring colonies into the Federation of Greater Acadia following the war's conclusion.
Greater Acadia is a Federal Republic and a Parliamentary Democracy. The country's head of government is the Prime Minister - who holds office by their ability to hold the confidence of both the elected House of Representatives and Provincial Council. The President is the head of state, is elected by popular vote, serves for set five-year terms and may sign executive orders, but is otherwise beholden to the legislature.
Greater Acadia ranks among the highest internationally in government transparency, civil liberties, economic freedom, quality of life, and education. It is one of the most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations as a result of large-scale immigration throughout it's history from many other countries. It has a highly developed economy, a product of the country's abundant natural resources, economic equality, extensive social programs, and robust international trade networks. The country is notable for its world-class educational institutions and national healthcare service.
Etymology
The first known use of the word "Acadia" (FR: Acadie) dates to dates to 1508 from the French Explorer Charles Vérace du Poiriers, who named the lands after the Greek Arcadian District, meaning "refuge" or "idyllic place". The name Acadia was utilized again by the Dutch Explorer Mannes Eerkens to denote the same region. The name Acadia was officially codified with establishment of the Colony of Acadia, centered on the present-day city of Port Royal, on June 16th, 1604 under the French Crown.
The term "Greater Acadia" was first utilized on March 3rd, 1762 by Revolutionary Writer and printing magnate Martin Baker. It would be published in an article by Baker's newspaper The Port Royal Daily expressing the desire to see a "Greater Acadia free from the tyranny of the English Crown." It is possible that the term was used prior to this, however, no documented evidence has been uncovered supporting this claim.
In 1767, Revolutionary leader Arthur Moulnier de L'Acadie would use the term "Greater Acadia" in his first draft of the Articles of Independence, stating "The name of this Nation shall be the 'Republic of Greater Acadia'." In 1770, revised versions of the Articles would be sent to revolutionary leaders in Montrouge for ratification, declaring "these independent lands shall be known as the 'Federation of Greater Acadia'." The latter was first used by Martin Baker, who was then operating under the newspaper "Red Letter" in Montrouge, following the capture of the fort at Eerkanesburg, New Hampton.
The terms "Greater Acadia" and "Acadia" are used interchangeably in modern parlance. The name "Arcadia" is also often used erroneously outside of Acadia.
Government
The Federation of Greater Acadia is a federal republic and representative democracy comprising 11 provinces and two Federal Territories. Politics in Acadia has been characterized in recent years for it's emphasis on social justice, economic equality, and peaceful, good government. The political scene has been dominated by the Conservative and Acadian Social parties, which represent the center-right and center-left in Acadian politics. Far-Left and Far-Right politics have not been a major force in Acadian politics since 1996. In Acadia's federal system, citizens are subject to three levels of government: federal, provincial, and local.
At the local level, governments are usually municipal, though exceptions exist in the form of First Nation's Territories, which have their own regional constitutions which protect the rights of First Nations peoples and their rights to land. Provincial governments are unicameral and operate under the parliamentary traditions present in the federal House of Representatives. The party which holds the plurality of seats may then select their candidate for Premier, which heads the provincial government.
The Federal Government is split among three co-equal branches of government:
- Legislative: Represented by the bicameral Parliament, made up of the Council of Provinces and the House of Representatives, makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, may grant or withhold federal funding and may impeach a sitting President or Councillors.
- Executive: The President is the commander-in-chief of the military, appoints members of the Cabinet (subject to parliamentary approval) and other officers, who enforce federal law and policies.
- Judicial: The Acadian Supreme Court and lower federal court, whise judges are appointed by the president with Parliament approval, interpret laws and overturn those they find unconstitutional.
The Acadian Parliament contains 362 Representatives and 33 Councilors, both of which are elected by ranked choice voting in an electoral district or riding. Representatives and Councillors are elected separately, though both are elected by simple plurality vote. The Prime Minister and and President are elected based on the number of seats held by their party in the House or Council respectively. The President and Councillors hold office for five year terms, whereas the Prime Minister and House Representatives hold office for five year terms unless a representative election is called. Such elections may be called either due to a vote of no-confidence passing the House or at the behest of the Prime Minister. By contrast, the President and Councilors may be removed only in the case of impeachment, at which point they will be replaced by either the Vice-President or their Council Aides respectively.
Foreign Relations and Military
Greater Acadia employs a professional, volunteer military force of approximately 165,000 active personnel and 70,000 reserve personnel. The unified Greater Acadian Defense Forces comprise Land Forces Command, Naval Command, Air Command, Strategic Defense Command, and Intelligence Command. In 2020, Acadia's military expenditure totaled 83.54 billion dollars, or around 1.4% the national Gross Domestic Product. This is up from 0.9% of GDP in 2000 to cover a modernization of the GADF. This modernization will entail the development and acquisition of new vehicles, aircraft, and ships starting in 2016, and is expected to be completed by 2025. The Defense Forces are oriented primarily towards home defense and area denial, though it does maintain some limited capacity for power-projection and international intervention. Total military expenditure is expected to reach 101.7 Billion by 2028.