Democratic Republic of Avalonium
Democratic Republic of Avalonium | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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Motto: "Give us strength to face all danger" | |
Anthem: Hail Avalonium | |
| Capital | St. John's |
| Official languages | Canadian English |
| Demonym | Avalonian |
| Government | Unitary Semi-Dictatorial Parliamentary Republic |
• Sovereign-General | Logan White |
• First Minister | Nicolas Caiazzo (Provisional) |
• Speaker of the Legislative Assembly | Vacant |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly |
| Independence from the Dominion of Canada | |
• Declaration of Independence | 23 March 2022 |
| Population | |
• 2022 census | 3 |
| Time zone | Newfoundland Standard Time (UTC-3:30) |
The Democratic Republic of Avalonium, more commonly known as Avalonium, is a self-declared sovereign state, regarded as a micronation by the external community. Comprised of unitary territory in Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland, Avalonium was founded 23 March 2022 by micronationalist Logan White.
As a semi-dictatorial republic, Avalonium is led by the Sovereign-General, an unelected leader who acts as a "semi-constitutional monarch", despite not officially being styled as a monarch, and is involved in day-to-day operations of the state. The sovereign-general is engaged in the judiciary and legislature, and in foreign affairs. They have a reserved seat in the Legislative Assembly, the Avalonium's unitary legislature, and are active in the Sovereign Judiciary, the Avalonium's judiciary. The incumbent Sovereign-general is founder Logan White. The Government is led by a First Minister. They possess many of the same powers as a Westminster-style prime minister, appointing a cabinet and coordinating government policy. They are appointed ceremonially by the Sovereign-General, and are usually leader of the party or coalition with the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The current First Minister is micronationalist Nicolas Caiazzo, provisionally as the leader of the provisional government. The legislature of Avalonium is the unicameral Legislative Assembly, which operates under the Westminster System. Elections are held every sixty days using party lists. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly presides over the Assembly and directs sessions.The Judiciary of Avalonium is the Sovereign Judiciary.
Avalonium taxes residents and is currently undergoing a process to establish a proper economy. Currently, a virtual economy is being planned.
Etymology
Avalonium is situated on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland. The peninsula gives its name to the ancient micro-continent Avalonia of which it was formerly part of. Originally, founder Logan White had chosen "Avalonia" as the name of the nation, after the name of the peninsula, but after realizing the existence of the Republic of Avalonia, decided to change the name to Avalonium. The name Avalon comes from a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. First recorded in 1136, it was said to be the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was made.
History
Prehistory
Before the establishment of Avalonium, the territory belonged to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in the Dominion of Canada. Avalonium's current territory is located in the city of St. John's, which has a long and rich history. St. John's was first used by fishermen setting up seasonal camps in the early 1500s. The town's first significant defenses were likely erected due to commercial interests, following the temporary seizure of St. John's by the Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter in June 1665. St. John's served as a naval base during the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in St. John's on 12 December 1901 from his wireless station in Poldhu, Cornwall. During the Second World War, the harbor supported Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy ships that were engaged in anti-submarine warfare. The city has been devastated by multiple fires throughout the 19th century and has been called the "oldest European settlement in North America", however this claim is heavily disputed. Avalonium was founded March 23, 2022, and only claimed a very small bit of territory within St. John's, not greatly affecting the city in any way.
Founding
On 23 March 2022, Logan White, a micronationalist active in many micronations such as the Social Republic of Georgienstine, founded Avalonium as a serious attempt at creating a micronation, claiming a very small bit of territory located in the city of St. John's on the Avalon Peninsula. After inviting a few new citizens to help him found Avalonium, he enlisted the help of micronationalist Nicolas Caiazzo to help him set up a discord server and establish Avalonium. After appointing Caiazzo leader of the provisional government, white began to establish Avalonium, creating a government system, national symbols, and began working on a constitution. The first political party, "The Left of Avalonium", a broad left wing socialist party, was formed by Caiazzo as the first established party, followed by the United Party of Avalonium, led by Thomas Jacobs. Taxation was also introduced under the oversight of Exchequer Logan White. On 24 March 2022, "Hail Avalonium" was designated the national anthem and advancements were made in determining information such as an official language, which was designated to be Canadian English.
Government and politics
The Democratic Republic of Avalonium is a Unitary Semi-Dictatorial Parliamentary Republic with a legislature under a Westminster system. The head of state is the Sovereign-General, currently Logan White, and the head of government is the First Minister, currently Nicolas Caiazzo (provisional). The government also consist of the Legislative Assembly, the unitary house of legislature, which is presided over by the Speaker, the cabinet, appointed by the First Minister, and the Sovereign Judiciary.
Sovereign-General
The Sovereign-General is the unelected head of state, much like a constitutional monarch, and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the state. They are also involved in the Legislative Assembly, having a reserved seat, and in the Sovereign Judiciary, helping handle appeals, and weighing in on high-ranking judiciary cases. In addition to these duties, the Sovereign-General may call snap elections and must give assent to bills passed by the Legislative Assembly. They also command the Armed Forces of Avalonium. The incumbent Sovereign-General is Logan White.
First Minister
The First Minister is the head of government of Avalonium. Ceremonially appointed by the Sovereign-General, the office is usually bestowed upon the leader of the party or coalition with the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. As the Assembly is elected every 60days, the First Minister can change often. The First Minister shares many of the same powers as a Premier or Prime Minister under the Westminster system, including the coordination of government policy and the appointment of a cabinet. The incumbent First Minister is Nicolas Caiazzo, provisionally.
Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of Avalonium. Elected every 60 days, unless there is a snap election, the Assembly is presided over by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly operates under the Westminster system. The party or coalition with the most seats will usually have the First Ministership bestowed upon their leader by the Sovereign-General. The Legislative Assembly holds the power of legislation and votes on bills. Once a bill has passed the Assembly, it will be sent to the Sovereign-General for their assent. There are 11 seats in the assembly, however only 10 of them are voting seats. The Assembly meets in sessions, led by the Speaker.
Elections
The Assembly is elected every 60 days using party lists and seats are then distributed proportional to vote share. 10 seats are available for election, however only 9 of them are voting seats as the Speaker may not vote. Even though though the Assembly consists of 11 seats, one is permanently reserved for the Sovereign-General. Once the assembly has been elected, the Sovereign-General will usually bestow the First Ministership on the Leader of the party or coalition with the most seats. The Sovereign-General may also call snap elections.
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the Legislative assembly presides over the Assembly and has most powers that the speaker does under the Westminster system. The Speaker is elected by the members of the assembly. The Speaker may not vote, but they guide proceedings and sessions and appoint the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.
Clerk of the Legislative Assembly
The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly is responsible for organizing and recording the sessions of the Legislative Assembly, assisting the speaker, and ensuring proper documentation of sessions. The Clerk acts as a "mini-speaker", assisting the Speaker when necessary and helping with their duties. The Clerk is appointed by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
Makeup of the Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly is made up of 11 seats. 10 of those seats are voting seats, which means the member occupying that seat may vote in Assembly votes. One of these 10 seats is permanently reserved for the Sovereign-General, while the rest are elected. The remaining seat is the Speaker's seat, which is also elected. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly occupies this seat, and may not vote in Assembly votes. The Assembly is organized in the Westminster Style. Here is the current makeup of the Assembly:
Sovereign Judiciary
The Sovereign Judiciary is the Judiciary of Avalonium. Members of the sovereign judiciary make rulings on cases brought to them. The Sovereign-General is active in the judiciary, and helps by weighing in on large rulings, or with handling appeals.
Geography and climate
Avalonium is located within the city of St. John's, which is in the northeast section of the Avalon Peninsula. Coniferous trees such as black spruce, white spruce, and balsam fir dominate the native vegetation in St. John's. The Avalon Peninsula is a noted region for Precambrian fossils, and many Lagerstätten of the diverse Ediacaran biota are found on the peninsula.
Climate
St. John's, where Avalonium is located, has a humid continental climate with smaller seasonal variation than normal for the latitude. Snowfall is heavy, averaging approximately 335 cm (132 in) per winter season. St. John's is known for often being very foggy and windy, with heavy precipitation. Mean temperatures range from −4.9 °C (23.2 °F) in February to 16.1 °C (61.0 °F) in August. The area is also prone to tropical cyclone activity, as tropical storms from the United States often travel to it.