The Commonwealth of Eleutherian States (Updated 11/23)

[M4346]

Here we go again... venturing into the world of MDing. Do I know what I'm letting myself into? Do you know what you're letting yourself into..?

Table of Contents

[tabular type=2][row][head]Number[/head] [head]Title of Update[/head] [head]Page Number[/head][/row]
[row] [data]1[/data] [data]Introduction and Historical Overview[/data] [data]1[/data][/row]
[row] [data]2[/data] [data]National Symbols[/data] [data]1[/data][/row]
[row] [data]3[/data] [data]Politics and Government[/data] [data]1[/data][/row]
[row] [data]4[/data] [data]The Shores of Lake Kainji[/data] [data]1[/data][/row]
[row] [data]4.1[/data] [data]Hey! They stole our flag![/data] [data]1[/data][/row]
[row][data]4.2.[/data][data]Statement from the ES Department of State on the Military Coup in Mauritania[/data][data]2[/data][/row]
[row][data]5.[/data][data]Kukuwa, Borno (Overview)[/data][data]2[/data][/row]
[row][data]6.[/data][data]Commonwealth rocked by Secession[/data][data]2[/data][/row]
[row][data]7.[/data][data]Jefferson City, Jefferson - Ekandustria Development[/data][data]2[/data][/row]
[row][data]8.[/data][data]Eleutherian Transport Authorities[/data][data]3[/data][/row]
[row][data]9.[/data][data]Jefferson City Metropolitan Area - Chiromba and Otomola[/data][data]3[/data][/row]
[row][data]9.1.[/data][data]Jefferson City Metropolitan Area - Chiromba and Otomola: A Closer Look[/data][data]3[/data][/row]
[row][data]10.[/data][data]Jefferson City Metropolitan Area - Ekandustria Development[/data][data]4[/data][/row]
[row][data]10.1.[/data][data]Jefferson City Metropolitan Area - Savannah (Teaser)[/data][data]4[/data][/row]
[row][data]11.[/data][data][url=http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=5310.msg200657#msg200657]ukuKhululeka Island[/data][data]4[/data][/row]
[row][data]11.1.[/data][data][url=http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=5310.msg201937#msg201937]A Zulu on my Stoep[/data][data]5[/data][/tabular]

To be updated as we go along...

[M4346]

1. Introduction and Historical Overview

The Commonwealth of Eleutherian States, usually referred to as Eleutheria or the E.S., is a constitutional federal imperial republic comprising thirteen states and a Federal Capital Territory, as well as a number of islands in the Central Atlantic Ocean. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. The capital city is Eleutheria.

The people of Eleutheria have an extensive history, and archaeological evidence shows that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC. The Benue-Cross River area is thought to be the original homeland of the Bantu migrants who spread across most of central and southern Africa in waves between the 1st millennium BC and the 2nd millennium AD.

History

Early History

The Nok people in central Nigeria produced terracotta sculptures that have been discovered by archaeologists. A Nok sculpture resident at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, portrays a sitting dignitary wearing a "Shepherds Crook" on the right arm, and a "hinged flail" on the left. These are symbols of authority associated with Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, and the god Osiris, and suggests that an ancient Egyptian style of social structure, and perhaps religion, existed in the area of modern Nigeria during the late Pharonic period. In the northern part of the country, Kano and Katsina has recorded history which dates back to around AD 999. Hausa kingdoms and the Kanem-Bornu Empire prospered as trade posts between North and West Africa.

The Yoruba people date their presence in the area of modern republics of Nigeria, Benin and Togo to about 8500 BC. The kingdoms of Ifẹ and Oyo in the western block of Nigeria became prominent about 700-900 and 1400 respectively. However, the Yoruba mythology believes that Ile-Ife is the source of the human race and that it predates any other civilization. Ifẹ produced the terracotta and bronze heads, the Ọyọ extended as far as modern Togo. Another prominent kingdom in south western Nigeria was the Kingdom of Benin whose power lasted between the 15th and 19th century. Their dominance reached as far as the well known city of Eko, later named Lagos by the Portuguese.

In the Southeastern part of Nigeria the Kingdom of Nri of the Igbo people flourished from the controversial date of around the 10th Century AD till 1700 AD. The Nri Kingdom was ruled by the Eze Nri.

Colonial History

Portuguese explorers were the first to reach Nigeria, giving Lagos its present name after the Portuguese town of Lagos, in Algarve. Portuguese surnames remain very common in Nigeria. Following the Napoleonic Wars, the British expanded trade with the Nigerian interior. In 1885 British claims to a West African sphere of influence received international recognition and in the following year the Royal Niger Company was chartered under the leadership of Sir George Taubman Goldie. In 1900 the company's territory came under the control of the British Government, which moved to consolidate its hold over the area of modern Nigeria. On January 1, 1901 Nigeria became a British protectorate, part of the British Empire, the foremost world power at the time.

In 1914, the area was formally united as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Administratively, Nigeria remained divided into the northern and southern provinces and Lagos colony. Western education and the development of a modern economy proceeded more rapidly in the south than in the north, with consequences felt in Nigeria's political life ever since. Following World War II, in response to the growth of Nigerian nationalism and demands for independence, the great wave for independence that was sweeping across Africa, and the Wilsonian emphasis on national self-determination, the Nigerian people insisted on independence from the colonial powers.

However, much of Nigeria's native population was displaced by the continually arriving settlers from the United Kingdom / Great Britain and Continental Europe, especially from the Netherlands, Germany and France as the two world wars made many Europeans flee to greener pastures.

Post-Independence

With the thirteen regions within the former Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria proclaiming themselves "states," they issued the Declaration of Independence on 15 September, 1958. The rebellious states defeated Great Britain in the Eleutherian Revolutionary War (The name "Eleutheria" is derived from the feminine form of the Greek word ελεύθερος (eleutheros), "free"). A federal convention adopted the current Commonwealth of Eleutherian States Constitution on September 15, 1967; its ratification the following year made the states part of a single republic.

Recent History

Eleutheria, emerging from decades of civil war and internal conflict, is currently engaged in an intense effort to reconstruct and develop the country. These efforts include the changing of the location of the federal capital (from central Eleutheria to the coast) and the complete re-development of infrastructure, agriculture and the reconstruction of the nation's economy and other strategic sectors.

Democratisation and the re-drafting of the Nation's Constitution has been done under the supervision of the United States of America, a nation that Eleutherians look up to as is evident in their inspiration for the national flag, national seal / coat of arms and many political institutions. Major cities and children are often named after American political and social figures and there is a huge emphasis on westernisation of the nation following the American model. This is partially inspired by Kwame Nkrumah's famous phrase: "we must run while they walk," inciting great optimism in Eleutherians as they aspire to construct a viable developmental state.



Okay, so this is my new MD. Yes, it took over the whole of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and is giving the area / nation an alternate history. Yes, it is heavily based upon the example and history of the United States.

Despite being very busy this semester I have decided to give this a go, on the condition that updates will not be as regular. I can say, however, that I do have Tuesdays off and it will provide me with some opportunity to play the game and update this. I cannot and will not make any promises, so we'll just have to take it as it comes...

I do, however, hope you enjoy it as we go along.

-M-

[CasperVg]

Looks like your off to a very good start, I really enjoyed am enjoying reading the history.

[Yoman]

Wooo! Excellent start here, I see that your visit seems to have left an impression on you 

[bat]

Welcome to the MD-section, -M-!

And wonderful start there of your MD!

Looking forward to more...

[TheTeaCat]

Excellent you've started a MD

Great background info so far. It really sets the tone
Looking forward to what you do here mate


TTC

[M4346]

Thank you all for your responses, I appreciate you stopping by! I hope that, with your continued support, we could turn this MD into something worthwhile. 

I know you're all eager for in-game images, but let's just get this out of the way first, shall we? 

2. National Symbols

Due to intense American involvement in the post-Civil War reconstruction of Eleutheria, many of the symbols, institutions and nomenclature of the newly reborn nation is inspired by the history of the United States of America.

National Flag

Obviously based on the flag of the United States in its basic design, the symbolism of the colours are purposely based on the pan-African colours of red, gold, green and black. The red represents the blood of those who died in the country's struggle for independence, the gold represents the mineral wealth of the country, the green symbolises the country's rich forests and natural wealth, and the black in the stars reflect the country's African origins and location. The great black star stands for the lodestar of African freedom, while the thirteen little black stars along with the thirteen horizontal lines represent the thirteen states of Eleutheria.

Great Seal / Coat of Arms

The Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Eleutherian States (both the obverse and the reverse) is most obviously based on the Great Seal of the United States, especially as they share a common historical feature in that they were both founded by thirteen states. The number thirteen therefore features strongly in national symbolism of Eleutheria. The colours, however, have been replaced with pan-African colours where appropriate.

The official motto of the country, differing from the United States' "In God We Trust" is E Pluribus Unum which is Latin for "Out Of Many, One," signifying the merger of the original 13 states in the federation / commonwealth and also the unification of various languages, religions and cultures in a single Eleutherian idea.

National Anthem

The National Anthem of Eleutheria is the English patriotic song (and unofficial anthem of England) contextually styled "Eleutheria, land of hope and glory" although composed by Edward Elgar and set to his Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1.

However, only the first two verses (traditionally the refrain and chorus) is used in the Eleutherian National Anthem and are as follows:

Men

    Dear Land of Hope, thy hope is crowned.
    God make thee mightier yet!
    On Sov'reign brows, beloved, renowned,
    Once more thy crown is set.
    Thine equal laws, by Freedom gained,
    Have ruled thee well and long;
    By Freedom gained, by Truth maintained,
    Thine Empire shall be strong.

All

        Land of Hope and Glory,
        Mother of the Free,
        How shall we extol thee,
        Who are born of thee?
        Wider still and wider
        Shall thy bounds be set;
        God, who made thee mighty,
        Make thee mightier yet
        God, who made thee mighty,
        Make thee mightier yet.

For audio files of the national anthem click here -> Click! (1911 version performed by Clara Butt, approx. 500kB) or here -> Click! (Library and Archives of Canada version, approx. 1.7MB)



Next update:

Politics of Eleutheria and the political division of the country.

[Yoman]

Once again your photoshopping is incredible. I particularly like the take on the Pyramid/ Eye side.

I know that In God We Trust is the official motto of the United States, but I think E Pluribus Unum is an unofficial one, at least its on our coins

[bat]

Nice second update there! Great work on it!

Looking forward to the third...

[M4346]

Owen / Yoman: Thanks for stopping by! I know that "In God We Trust" is the official motto as decided / accepted by Congress some time in the mid-20th century, and that E Pluribus Unum is an unofficial and de facto motto. 

Bat: Thanks Bat! I hope you'll like the next one then... 



Now, I know some of you want in-game pics and you want them now! But, please, be patient and let me get the overview and introduction done first, and done thoroughly, so as to give you a general idea, feel and mood of the country. 

3. Politics and Government

Government

Eleutherian government is spread out over three levels (national / federal, state and local) and in three tiers / branches at each level, namely the executive, legislative and judicial branch. Because the CES is an Imperial Republic, the Emperor, His Excellency Emperor Ethan McCarthy Rhodes, has a number of ceremonial and symbolic functions and responsibilities and serves as the Head of State.

Emperor Ethan McCarthy Rhodes addressing a joint-session of Congress during the spring of 2008

Political Division

Eleutheria has 13 States and one Federal Capital Territory:

Branches of Government

The National Executive consists of the President, the Deputy President as well as the cabinet ministers as heads of their respective national departments. The President is elected every four years for a four year term. Any Eleutherian citizen (natural born or naturalised) over the age of 20 may run for the presidency and may serve only two terms in office, whether concurrent or not.

The bicameral National Legislature, or Congress, consists of the House of Representatives and its 100 members and the Senate and its 40 members.

The Senate consists of three senators from each state and one senator from the Federal Capital Territory. A Senator's term is eight years, and half of the senate seats are up for re-election every presidential election / four years. There is no limit on the number of terms a senator may serve.

The House consists of 100 representatives each one from a congressional district covering a specific territory determined by population. A Representative's term is four years and all House seats are up for election along with every presidential election.

Due to the lack of official population data the 2006 congressional elections apportioned the congressional districts (based on estimated population data) as follows:

North: 4 Representatives (includes the States of Sokoto, Katsino-Kano and Borno)
Central: 7 Representatives (includes the States of Gongola, Bauchi, Central and Burke)
South: 9 Representatives (includes the States of Leir, Aveiro, New England, Delta, New Haven and Jefferson)
FCT: 6 Representatives

The Congressional Boundaries will be redrawn after the 2009 census before the 2010 elections.

The national Judicial branch of government consists of:

The Constitutional Court, which rules on all matters that pertain to the federal constitution. The Court consists of 12 Justices.

The Supreme Court of Appeal which is the federal court of appeal and the last and highest court in the country for general matters. The Court has 7 Justices.

Other national courts include the Labour Court and the Equality Court and they deal with those jurisdictions respectively.

Furthermore, each state has a High Court (with three judges) as the highest court in the state, and each local government district has a District / Regional Court and each municipality has a Magistrate's Court. Each court has particular jurisdiction.

Political Parties and Elections

Elections

Although the country draws inspiration for its political institutions and national symbols from the United States, the political scene is very much European and is regularly characterised by coalition building preceding or following elections because of the failure of any one party to gain a majority of the vote (i.e. 50% + 1). A further difference is the existence of three major parties in the CES, unlike the two-party system in the US, with each party dependent on another (or one of the smaller, peripheral and narrow-issue political parties) to constitute government.

Congressional Elections

In 2006 the Commonwealth of Eleutheria had its first democratic elections after the period of civil war and domestic unrest. The system is fairly new and the results were as follows.

Senate

House

Presidential Elections

Presidential elections are to be held every four years, according to Constitution, and winning the presidency is quite a complicated process. Winning the presidency is not achieved by a mere simple majority.

Each party contesting the presidential elections (as discussed below) announces its candidate (after either primaries, caucuses or whatever means chosen by the party). When the presidential election results are announced, the three two candidates or all candidates with 20% or more of the vote (depending on the outcome) are then presented to a joint-session of the Eleutherian Congress and the President is elected by Congress. It is therefore in Congress where coalition-building is extremely important and also where a Presidential election can go any way as senators and representatives (like in the US system and unlike the Westminster system) are not as strongly bound by party loyalty. The election of the President in Congress is a mandotary / forced vote and abstentions are not permitted, however votes may be spoiled but this rarely happens. The vote is also by secret ballot.

The president then appoints / selects his cabinet (including the Vice-President) which is approved by Congress by a simple majority.

Mr Samuel Morgan Daniels, President of the Commonwealth of Eleutherian States

The current president, Samuel Morgan Daniels, came to power in the 2006 elections when his centre-left Eleutherian Democratic Party (EDP) formed signed a coalition agreement with the left-leaning Commonwealth Social Democratic Party (CSDP) and the Green Party to oust the incumbent John C Davis and the then ruling Christian Union-Conservative Party coalition.

Politics

The Commonwealth can be broadly divided into three distinct areas, namely the north, central and south in terms of these regions' politics. The north is predominantly Muslim, conservative and traditional. However, due to the sparse population the region fails to make a significant impact on the country's population. The Central area is largely Christian conservative, and the rural nature of the four states in this region makes it relatively traditional, favouring minimal government interference and low taxes. The South is largely post-Christian (following the trends of post-Enlightenment and modern Europe), very liberal and more inclined towards state welfarism and social permissive in their outlook on social issues.

[TheTeaCat]

This is a great start to your MD. Full of interesting facts and excellent skills with PS.
You are certainly laying the Foundations well so I am looking forward to seeing the pics of the the region.

Hopefully soon


TTC

[CasperVg]

You gave me the feeling I need to follow English courses again, a very interesting article to read. You are certainly keeping us teased 

[bat]

Yes, interesting information there in that newest update! It is a nice one!!

Looking forward to more of your MD...

[pipishere]

It's a pleasure to see your new MD. A very full and rich history you've done there along with an awful lot of detail on your new nation.

I look forward to seeing more

[M4346]

TTC: Thank you very much, and... your wish is my command.
Casper: Thank you Casper, and thanks for your, well, devotion to the MD thus far!  As a tutor and aspiring academic I personally believe in putting down a very solid foundation. 
Bat: Thanks Bat! And thank you for continuously stopping by, I appreciate it very much!
Pip: Always a pleasure to have you Pip, and I hope you do stop by more often!



Today I've decided to mix foundation with images, if you will... and I hope you will enjoy it very much.  Today our travels take us to Western Eleutheria, to the shores of Lake Kainji. Okay, you won't be seeing much of the shore, but still, it sounded nice! 

4. The shores of Lake Kainji

Kainji Lake, in western Eleutheria, is a reservoir on the Niger River, formed by the Kainji Dam. It was formed in 1968 and is a part of the State of Burke (7). Kainji Lake National Park (KNLP), situated around the lake, is Eleutheria's oldest National Park, established in 1976.

Location            Western Eleutheria
Coordinates    10°22′N 4°33′E
Primary inflows    Niger River
Primary outflows    Niger River
Basin countries    Eleutheria (State of Burke)
Surface area    max. 1,243 km²
Max. depth    12.1 m
Water volume    15 km³

Dam
The Kainji Dam is situated in the south of the State of Burke and generates power for most towns in western and north western Eleutheria. It was built from 1964 to 1968 and cost about 209 million dollars, a quarter of which was used to delocate the original population. Together with a smaller dam for a minor stream, it is 10 km long and 65 m high in the middle. It has a capacity of 12 turbines producing a total of 960 MW, but only 10 were installed, producing 800 MW. Part of the production is sold to the neighbouring country of Niger.

National Park
Kainji Lake National Park (KNLP) is situated 560 km north of Eleutheria City, close to the border with the Republic of Benin. It comprises two sectors which are separated by Kainji Lake. Only the western sector is currently used for tourism; the eastern sector lacks infrastructure, including access roads. The topography of the park is gently undulating with a general decrease in elevation from west to east. The Borgu sector is drained mainly by the Oli, Timo and Doro rivers and their tributaries, while the Zugurma sector is drained by the Maingyara and Nuwa Tizururu rivers. The vegetation of the park is typical of the Sudan-Guinea Savanna, although in some areas it appears more Sahelian. Riparian forests occur on the banks of the larger watercourses.

There are a number of towns on the eastern side of the lake, and despite an attempt to kick-start industrial development in the region development has been slow due to lack of investment and pressure from environmentalist groups. Conservation is a key issue in the state and the growth of commercial farming on the eastern banks of Lake Kainji has caused concern in recent years.

Conservation
Although the area around the park has a relatively low population density, numerous human activities adversely affect the park. These include deforestation, uncontrolled burning and illegal grazing and are particularly prevalent in the eastern sector. Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks. As mentioned, commercial farming has also gradually started to have an immense impact on vegetation, soil quality and the pollution of the lake.

uKahlahmba Local Council

Location of uKahlahmba Local Council in the State of Burke on the shores of Lake Kainji.

The uKahlamba Local Council (Zulu for "Barrier of Spears," for the mountain at the eastern tip of the peninsula) is situated on a peninsula-type extension on the eastern shore of Lake Kainji and has been marked by rapid agricultural expansion - particularly commercial farming - since the reconstruction of Eleutheria started. The State of Burke, despite pressure from environmentalist groups, have invested large amounts of capital into the development of the area (both agricultural, industrial) and then particularly in attempts to make it a tourist mecca, hoping to encourage various recreational activities on the lake. The current population of the council is estimated at about 10 000 inhabitants, most of them in the low-income bracket. However, accurate population data is very difficult to obtain due to the fact that there are numerous informal settlements and villages in the area.

Politically the area is a Christian Union stronghold and the representative for the broader Lake Kainji county was voted in on the CU ticket.

Section 14
The council is divided into 16 local districts with an executive mayoral council elected for each section. District 14, commonly called Harrisburg Municipality because of the prominence of the city of Harrisburg, has the largest population in the uKahlahmba Local Council and industrial development is here the most prominent to date.

Harrisburg Municipality is on the western border of uKahlahmba Local Council. The Municipality is predominantly, however, a farming community and is particularly known for its citrus, grape, sugar cane, wheat and corn production.

The central business district of Ladysmith, one of the larger towns in District Fourteen. St. Benjamin Anglican Church is visible in the centre of the image, across the street from the Harrisburg Farmers' Bureau. The architecture in the town is primarily late 19th century American-style architecture.

A suburb of Ladysmith with the permanent county fair grounds and the waste processing plant.

The Mamelodi informal settlement to the east of Ladysmith. Informal settlements in the district are the primary sources of labour on the surrouding commercial farms.

The eastern part of Mamelodi.

Farms to the south of Ladysmith. Here the cultivation of pumpkins, lemons and grapes are depicted.

A lone orange farm in an isolated part of the district.

Vast stretches of corn along the main road through the county.

A corn and banana farm.

Another informal settlement to supply labour. Infrastructure is gradually being improved to increase the prospects of their meagre existence.

More farms...

...and more informal settlements to supply labour.



I hope you are satisfied, for now...

[Simpson]

Wow I love the region and the city is looking really good
I love the nature

[NASCAR_Guy]

I don't think Niger is going to love you stealing there flag,especially since they border you

[M4346]

Just a small interlude to respond to NASCAR_Guy who was so keen as to notice...

4.1. Hey! They stole our flag!
OR How Burke got its name and flag...

The Eleutherian State of Burke, prior to being integrated into the Commonwealth of Eleutherian states, was part of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria (as mentioned previously) under the name of the state of Niger (not to be confused with the sovereign, independent nation-state or country, Niger).

However, after the lengthy period of civil unrest and internal strife, and the gradual settlement of predominantly white Europeans along the fertile banks of the Niger river, the state became increasingly westernised and upon joining the Commonwealth - drawing from its conservative and Christian background - named itself the State of Burke, after the Anglo-Irish philosopher and 'father of Conservatism' Edmund Burke.

To retain its ties to the Niger river and the pre-colonial name for the state, the newly elected state government of Burke voted to adopt the national symbols (with minor alterations, of course) of Eleutheria's sovereign, independent neighbour to the north, which is of course Niger. The relevant authorities were contacted, it was discussed with them, and both parties arrived at an agreement and this is the end result:

The state symbols of Burke with the flag on the left and the coat of arms to the right.

So that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Burke got it's name and flag! 

[bat]

Another fantastic update there, M!

And the pictures are looking really great!

Looking forward to more...

[dedgren]

Marius, hey!  Now I know how to define a "good day."  A good day is one when I go wandering through the MD sections and find that you've started the successor (and a worthy one, at that, based on the great work you've done in just a few short days) to Elytheria [linkie].  I predict that this MD will attract a crowd right from the get-go, and that its readers will be well-rewarded for their time spent here.

Did I say I'm impressed?  Good Luck, my friend!


David