People's Democratic Republic of Pinesia

People's Democratic Republic of Pinesia
People's Democratic Republic of Pinesia
	Flag Emblem
	Motto: "Proletarians of all countries, unite!"
	Anthem: "Ode to Pinesia";
Status	Unrecognized state
Location	North America
Capital	None official
Official languages	English
Religion	Secular state
Demonym(s)	Pinesian
Government	Unitary Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist republic
• General Secretary	Marcus Salsbury
• President	Marcus Salsbury
• Premier	Luke Gonyer
Legislature	People's Assembly
Formation
• Establishment	14 July 2019
• Split with VISSR	18 February 2021
• Current constitution	10 October 2022
Area
• Total	0.107 km2 (0.041 sq mi)
Population
• 2022 census	14
Time zone	UTC−8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Date format	mm/dd/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+1
Internet TLD	.ca

Pinesia, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Pinesia (PDRP), is a landlocked micronation entirely surrounded by the sovereign territory of Canada. Commonly described as a communist state by outside observers, the constitution of the PDRP officially proclaims itself to be a socialist "workers' and peasants' state". The country lacks recognition from the United Nations and is not currently acknowledged by the government of any foreign power.

The history of the PDRP dates back to 2019, when it was first established by founder and current leader Marcus Salsbury. The tiny nation is a primarily agrarian society with a small but diverse planned economy. It boasts a population of 14 citizens and maintains diplomatic relations with several other micronations around the world.

Etymology

The name Pinesia takes its inspiration from the forest of pine trees that covers a large area of the country. Pine trees are featured very heavily in Pinesian propaganda and are shown on many of the country's symbols, most notably its flag and national emblem. Upon the foundation of Pinesia, its government adopted People's Democratic Republic of Pinesia as its full legal name, more commonly referred to as the PDRP for short.

History

The PDRP was established on 14 July 2019. The founder of the nation, Canadian civilian Marcus Salsbury, founded the PDRP to be an experimental socialist society within a micronational framework. Joined by best friend Lucas Gonyer, the two men set about building a fledgling independent country.

In September 2019, the PDRP developed a close alliance with a fellow Canadian micronation, the Vancouver Island Soviet Socialist Republic or "VISSR". The two self-proclaimed states cooperated on several economic, military and social initiatives and effectively became a "union-state' by the end of 2019.

In February 2021, the VISSR effectively collapsed as a nation and adopted a constitutional monarchy as its new form of government, going on to become the Dominion of Vancouver Island. The PDRP announced its departure from the union-state shortly afterwards and resumed its activities as an independent nation.

On 10 October 2022, the PDRP drafted a new constitution outlining several policy shifts for the country. Leader Marcus Salsbury also announced the PDRP would be drastically expanding its social media presence and interaction within the online micronational community in order to increase its diplomatic standing.

Politics and government

The PDRP functions as a highly centralized one-party state. Its constitution describes the country as a "revolutionary socialist republic guided in its construction by the vanguard Workers' Party of Pinesia". While officially committed to the adherence of Marxism–Leninism as its formal ideology, the policies of the Pinesian government draw inspiration from a variety of sources. Core elements of Juche as well as Maoism are prevalent across all aspects of state activities.

General Secretary of the WPP

The General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Pinesia is the de facto supreme leader of the PDRP. The general secretary controls the ruling party, as well as simultaneously holding the posts of President and Supreme Commander of the Pinesian Armed Forces. The general secretary is elected by the Workers' Party Congress to a renewable term of five years.

President

The President of the People's Democratic Republic of Pinesia is the nation's head of state. While officially the most powerful position within the government, the office of president is technically subordinate to the office of General Secretary, with the latter holding both positions since the foundation of the PDRP. Presidents are nominally elected by the People's Assembly, but in reality this is a purely ceremonial procedure to formally confirm the appointment of the general secretary to the position. The term of the president is also five years and eligible for unlimited renewal.

Premier

The Premier of the People's Democratic Republic of Pinesia is the head of government in the PDRP and a close advisor to the President. The premier leads the People's Assembly and formally signs all proposed bills into law upon the advice of the president and the ruling Workers' Party. Premiers are nominated by the People's Assembly and appointed to the post by the president for two years with a maximum term limit of two consecutive terms.

People's Assembly

The People's Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the PDRP and the highest organ of state power within the government. Deputies are elected to two-year terms, with all candidates being members of the Workers' Party of Pinesia which dominates the assembly. The People's Assembly meets regularly to debate policy and propose bills for consideration. There are a total of eight deputies currently sitting in the assembly.

Political parties

The Workers' Party of Pinesia (WPP) is the founding and sole ruling party of the PDRP. The WPP also controls the Pinesian People's Army, the country's unified armed forces. The WPP is officially a communist party committed to Marxism–Leninism and "Marcus Salsbury Thought", the personal guidance and political theories of founder Marcus Salsbury. The party dedicates its efforts to the establishment of a fully socialist state, and espouses "equality and justice for all peoples" among its core political goals.

The WPP is currently the only legal political party in the country and holds a monopoly over nearly all levers of state power.

Logo		Name		Party Leader	Spectrum	Ideologies	Seats
		Workers' Party of Pinesia	WPP	Marcus Salsbury	Far-left	Communism Marxism–Leninism Marcus Salsbury Thought Socialist patriotism	8 / 8

Law and order

Military

The Pinesian Peoples's Army (PPA) is the military force of the PDRP and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Pinesia. It currently consists of four branches: the Ground Force, the Naval Force, the Air Force and the Strategic Rocket Force. Interestingly, the Strategic Rocket Force nominally oversees the PDRP's nuclear and conventional missile arsenal, despite the nation possessing no missiles whatsoever. The Ground Force is the largest branch of the PPA and is an all-volunteer force of 7 troops.

Ministries

Geography and climate

Pinesia is a landlocked country approximately 0.107 km2 (0.041 sq mi) in size. It is located entirely within Canada's borders, on the eastern coast of central Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Official access to the country is only available through a locked gate near the southern border, which also provides road access from Canada. Pinesia has dense pine forests situated along its eastern and western borders, as well as inside the country itself. The remainder of the country is comprised of open grass plains and protected marshland. It is an almost entirely agrarian society, with the only urban development consisting of the government quarter and party headquarters known as Marcus Salsbury Square.

The PDRP has a Mediterranean climate consistent with the surrounding region on Vancouver Island, with hot dry summers and cool rainy winters.

Economy

Pinesia has a command economy with the means of production being almost entirely state-owned. Being a rural society, agriculture is the nation's largest economic sector. The PDRP is dependent on neighboring Canada for nearly all of its imports, while its exports are much smaller and consist of agricultural products like eggs, fruits and vegetables harvested from its state-owned collective farm. The first of a series of "five-month plans for the development of the national economy of Pinesia" was announced in late 2022 to encourage economic development and industrial expansion in the country. These five-month plans are heavily based upon the five-year plans of China and the former Soviet Union but adapted to suit the much smaller scale of micronational economic needs.

Culture and media

The culture of the PDRP is well known for its heavy use of agitprop, socialist patriotism and revolutionary music that extols the virtues and glory of the Pinesian people. Pinesian heritage is protected and maintained by the state, which devotes sizable government assets towards the creation and maintenance of historical sites and objects of national significance. The government of the PDRP announced a drastic increase in the country's social media presence in late 2022 as part of "Project Pinesian Glory", intended to increase greater public awareness of the PDRP and its achievements.

External links