Post by automaticz on Oct 23, 2010 20:55:09 GMT -5
Flag Of Automaticz
Brief History
Automaticz was founded when several small countries with a shared language joined together to create one larger, more powerful nation at a time when smaller nations were becoming increasingly vulnerable.
Automaticz, or the Peoples Union of Automaticz as it is officially known, started off as a moderate Socialist country but through the years the definition of democracy has been modified and today the nation represents a dictatorship, this is denied by the government who have "elections" every 5 years which have always had the same outcome since the nation was created.
Government
The Government is a cabinet of 12 ministers, one of whom is the Premier. There is a Parliment however, realistically its authority is minimal and it is seen as a rubber stamp for the cabinet's decisions.
There are elections every 5 years, the right to vote is given to all citizens when they reach the age of 21 but this right can be removed by courts in addition to custodial sentences etc. For example if convicted of murder you will be sent to prison and your right to vote will also be permanently removed, the removal of this right is also often added on to more minor offences such as taking part in anti government activities, which may explain why the Communist Party has won every election since the nation was created.
Freedom
Officially Automaticz citizens should be the most free and equal in the region, the truth is very different. Freedom of Speech etc are all part of the constitution but the interpretation of this has changed over time, now any anti government activities are illegal and travelling to other countries is frowned upon. While there are no national laws regarding religion, there are no official places of worship in Automaticz and many religious leaders are imprisioned for their "anti revolutionary teachings", it is also not uncommon for openly faithful individuals to be harrased by the authorities and occasionaly arrested. There are secret police in every town and city, it is known for some questionable people to disappear and never be heard of again.
Economy
The Economy is industrialised and heavily reliant on the manufacturing industry and the export of coal but is relatively stable. The Government often invests in foreign companies, sometimes buying majority shares, as part as their programme for foreign influence.
Most of the countries energy comes from coal which it has vast reserves of. There has been some effort to switch to green energy, tidal being the most successful in the countries northern gulf but there has been no major overhaul.
Automaticz was previously a very agricultural nation but now the country manages to feed itself from the countryside farms with nothing left to export, periodically when the harvest is bad the country will import food to fill the gap.
The one weakness in the economy is the lack of an oil reserve, there are small reserves of oil, usually near coal but they are so minor that they are often ignored as the cost of drilling to them would be too high in comparison to the amount of oil.
Military
The Military is strong, funded by the stable economy. The largest and most powerful sector is the army with a healthy supply of troops and equipment such as tanks and artillery.
The navy is the second strongest part of the military, the size of the navy is seen as acceptable for the size of Automaticz.
The weakest part of the military is the air force, the small air force is optimised for defence and is not very capable of offensive action. The entire country is covered in radar and an early warning system is in place.
This military set up gives the impression of an old school communist military with most of the focus on the army.
Foreign Affairs
The countries foreign policy can be seen as harsh which allows it to make enemies quickly, it mainly seeks alliances for personal gain and is seeking to increase its foreign influence, the favourite tatic is to buy state shares in foreign companies which also has the plus of benefiting the economy if the company is successful.
Back in the early years of Automaticz the country was created out of fear of vulnerability, as such most of the waters near Automaticz were mined by the navy, the navy has de-mined most areas but the waters near Automaticz around Kazzerland, Apollo and the CIW have been left mined and the exact location of these mines are unknown, this has caused problems for shipping in the area. Automaticz refuses to de-mine these areas saying they are a problem for the respective countries.
Geography and Wildlife
The Countryside, the site of the majority of the agriculture, is mainly in the east because the main river from the southern coastline provides irrigation for crops and plants, and also in the south because the climate has more rain. The rest of the country is relatively warm and dry, there is little rain other than seasonal downpours which provide the country with most of its water supplies, if the downpour is light there are water supply issues and measures such as hosepipe bans are put in place with water rationing introduced if the shortage is very serious.
The mountainous areas are mostly uninhabited and have some wind turbines.
The capital is placed strategically in the centre of Automaticz, this was done purposely when the nation was formed, it was thought it would make the capital harder to capture in the event of an invasion, because of this strategic decision the capital is not the largest city in Automaticz, that title belongs to the most north westernly city in the country near the northern river.
The country is famous for its Penguins who flourish in the mountainous areas and are periodically spotted in the eastern and southern countryside. In old folks law the penguins are thought to secretly maintain a high intelligence and harming a penguin is said to bring eternal hardship and bad luck. The government has put their own spin on the nations love for the Penguins, adding them to the coat of arms and saying that the Penguin represents the spirit of Automaticz, they travel great distances and have a life filled with individual hard work but when hard times such as severe coldness come, they group together to ride it out, showing that the citizens of Automaticz do their best for the country as individuals but also work together as a nation to advance forward.
