Empire of Barbettia
Empire of Barbettia | |
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[[File:Flag:
 |125px|border|Flag of Empire of Barbettia]]Flag
[[File:Coat of Arms
 |85px|Coat of arms of Empire of Barbettia]]Coat of arms
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| Motto: Tros Yer Y'owei Verit (Barbettian language) | |
| Anthem: Tros Epa Laja Mindo Ril Barbettian | |
| File:Barbettia | |
| Capital and largest city | Barbettia |
| Official languages | English, Portuguese, Esperanto, Barbettian |
| Demonym(s) | Barbettian |
| Government | Diarchy (2 kings instead of one) with a mediator (President) |
| Establishment | 15 February 2016 |
| Currency | All currencies accepted |
| Time zone | (UTC -4) |
Barbettia is a green country. | |
Introduction
The Empire of Barbettia (often referred to as just Barbettia) is a secessionist micronation that was founded on 15 February 2016. The Empire of Barbettia has a constitution, active government, and developed culture. The Empire of Barbettia is a capitalist state with a free market. Barbettia's culture includes national foods, drinks, literature, and music. The government of Barbettia is unique in that it is a constitutional diarchy, led by two Kings. The Empire of Barbettia is currently enclaved by the United States of America.
History
Barbettia was founded on 15 February 2016, the date that the Original Constitution was ratified. The constitution states that Barbettia was created to "build on and preserve our culture." The Barbettian Kings saw micronationalism as an opportunity to protect and grow Barbettia's existing culture. But before the nation officially came to be, the Barbettian culture existed. A Barbettian language was conceived in 2008. Barbettian was originally developed as a secretive language that was only used by the Kings of Barbettia, but when Barbettia became a nation, it became an official language of the Empire. From 2008 to 2018, the Kings worked to add words, syntax, and grammar to the language. In 2018, Barbettian was put out of functional use and is only used for ceremonial purposes.
The original constitution was different from the current one in that it created a national currency, the Barbett, which has since been revoked. The Barbett was based on the worth and value of Barbettian assets. This total value was then divided by the number of Barbetts in circulation, assigning a certain worth to each Barbett. Barbetts were minted by the Kings of Barbettia, using hammers and cold minting techniques. They were made of metal. One Barbett was then divided into 100 centavos.
The Barbett was revoked after the new constitution of 2018 was ratified. The new constitution emphasized a free market with no regulations. The new constitution also did away with the idea of a central Barbettian bank and standardized currency. After the new constitution was ratified, there was simply no need for the Barbett when any other world currency could work in Barbettia.
In order to spread word of Barbettia's creation, the first Barbettian Arts and Culture Show was held in early 2016. It showcased Barbettian coins, documents, history, symbols, and music to foreigners.
Passports were created shortly after the foundation of Barbettia in 2016. These passports were made to permit entry to and from the temporary Barbettian territorial claim, enclaved by the United States. However, in 2017 they were revoked for a multitude of reasons. One of the reasons was that Barbettia is looking for a more permanent territory before it begins to enforce immigration laws and border security.
On 15 February 2018, a new constitution was created. It was signed on 18 February 2018. On 29 August 2018, the citizens of the Empire of Barbettia elected their first president, Adam Trencher. See "Government Structure" for more details on the Barbettian president. As of February 2019, there are 10 citizens in Barbettia.
Government structure
Barbettia has a relatively unique form of government called a Diarchy. A Diarchy is like a monarchy, except there are two Kings instead of one. The Diarchy must make all decisions together. Should they disagree, the President shall act as either a tiebreak and side completely with one King, or suggest a compromise which both Kings must agree to. The Diarchy is all powerful and is only limited by the Constitution and Laws. A King succeeds his power to his first child or a designated person at death or resignation. A President is elected by popular vote annually. The Diarchy can form new government positions by delegating any of its many powers to another citizen.
Barbettia is also unique because the Constitution gives the Diarchy nearly absolute power; however, the Kings may then delegate that power to another citizen, thus creating a new position in the government. Nearly all powers in the government are reserved under the Diarchy until the Kings wish to delegate that power to another citizen and create a new ministry or office in the government for that power.
Tbe Diarchy act as legislature for the Empire. However, legislature is also conducted at the State level. This is done democratically. States may make their own laws provided that they are not in conflict with the ideals set out in the constitution. Barbettian state legislature permits any citizen of a state to propose a law. Every three months, a state voting day is held where all citizens above the age of 14 can vote yes or no to proposed laws. Should 60% or more vote yes, the law is ratified. The executive position in a state is the Duke. The Duke has all non-legislative powers for the state, and answers directly to the Diarchy. The Duke can be replaced by the Kings.
Barbettia's government also includes territories, which are all parts of Barbettia not claimed under a state. They must follow all Barbettian laws, obey the Constitution, and will be protected by the Barbettian Guard.
Barbettia's economy is capitalist, and there is currently no legislation or regulation on Barbettia's economy. It is a completely free market that is open to business, trade, and development of all kinds.
| Position | Name | Holding Position Since | Description of Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| King | Kevin Barry | 15 February 2016 | One of the two Kings in the Diarchy. The Diarchy has absolute power and is only limited by the fact that it has to follow the Constitution and Laws. |
| King | #2 | 15 February 2016 | One of the two Kings in the Diarchy. The Diarchy has absolute power and is only limited by the fact that it has to follow the Constitution and Laws. |
| President | Adam Trencher | 28 August 2018 | Be the tiebreak in the Diarchy when necessary. Also serves as an advisor to the Kings and representative of the people. |
Culture
Language
Barbettia has a well-developed culture. Barbettia created its own language, drinks, cuisine, and music. Ceremonial Barbettian music is written in the ceremonial language, Barbettian. The Barbettian language, though once spoken as a regular language, is now reserved for ceremonial purposes. It was originally a secret language, but is now open to all Barbettian citizens. Barbettians speak Esperanto, Portuguese and English for day to day communication.
Food
One popular dish in Barbettia is Rice samosas (samosas with only rice inside of them, but cooked without the rice first). Rice, beans, and avocados are some popular foods eaten in Barbettia. Barbettian drinks include milk, ginger ale, and clove ale. Clove ale is a drink invented by one of the Barbettian Kings. It is made in a similar way to Ginger Ale, but with the flavor of cloves instead. Barbettians use a variety of spices to make their food taste good. Some Barbettians bake bread and pastries. In the spirit of self-sufficiency, some Barbettians grow their own food and support organic farming.
Activities and festivities
Barbettians celebrate Independence Day, on February 15. On Barbettian Independence Day, Barbettians celebrate their rights such as free speech, and freedom of religion and expression. Barbettian folk songs include "Grine yak doich epa grine yak hoise," and "Tros epa laja mindo ril Barbettian," and "Aboba epa ama." These songs are recited at the Barbettian Arts and Culture Show. The National Anthem of the Empire of Barbettia is "Tros epa laja mindo ril Barbettian." It consists of six verses, and is 80 words long. The anthem has piano sheet music and vocals.
Common activities in Barbettia are chess, association football, table tennis, and pong ball (a Barbettian-invented sport). Pong Ball is a team sport played on a (preferably indoor) court. There are teams of at least 2 to up to 5 players, and each team has its own goal and goalie. More information can be seen here: Pong Ball.
Literature
Barbettian literature is mostly fictional, and ranges from fantasy to science fiction, and from dystopian novels to general action/adventure novels. One type of book that makes Barbettia unique is a collaborative fiction book. This would be where one author writes a chapter, and another writes the next chapter, and so on. Another unique characteristic of Barbettia's literature would be extensive development of settings. The settings in Barbettian books are detailed and planned outside of the book. This is known as worldbuilding. Detailed pictures and models of Barbettian-created worlds are created to help the authors visualize what's going on in the story and where the characters are.
National Symbols
National animal: Dog
National sports: Association Football, Table Tennis, Pong Ball (a Barbettian-created sport).
National bird: Golden eagle.
The flag and coat of arms are symbolic, with each symbol and color having a meaning. The fleur de lise represents the abundance of Barbettian agriculture, the bow and arrow represent the strength of the military, the soccer ball depicts one of the national sports, the conifer represents Barbettia's devotion the environment, and the crown represents the power of the government.
The chess knights on the coat of arms represents the importance of chess in the Empire of Barbettia, and the golden eagle on the coat of arms is the national bird. Below the coat of arms is depicted the national motto. The crown in the coat of arms shows that the monarchs have full control over all of these things.
Military
The Barbettian military is formally known as the Barbettian Guard. It is composed mostly of Barbettian citizens. While there are only three members of the Barbettian Guard today, in the future there will be private security contractors working alongside Barbettian citizens to protect the Empire. The military of Barbettia will be trained to defend the Empire of Barbettia from both outer and inner threats. Margrave is the highest position in the Barbettian Guard, and there is only one Margrave. The Margrave controls the entire military and reports directly to the Kings of Barbettia. The Kings of Barbettia can ultimately dictate what the Margrave and Barbettian Guard do. The Barbettian military will be armed with modern weapons and will do their best to defend and protect the Citizens, Kings, and Empire of Barbettia.
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