Republic of Saint-Germaine
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| The Republic of the Commonwealth of Saint-Germaine La République du Commonwealth de Saint-Germaine | |
| |
| Flag | |
| Motto | |
| "Laissez-nous être Unis" (French: "Let us be United") | |
| Anthem | |
| "La Belle Cathrine" | |
| Short Name | Saint-Germaine |
| Demonym | Germainian |
| Capital City | Sainte-Croix des Champs |
| Largest City | Ville-Deux-Îles |
| Official Language | Français (Québécois) |
| Land Area | 11 km² (approx.) |
| Population | 211 (as of 2011 census) |
| Religions | Christianity (97.6%) Judaism (2.3%) |
| Time Zone | UTC -5, -4 |
| Internet Domain | .qc |
| Calling Code | (+1) |
| Government | |
| - Type of Government | Federal Republic with Cantonal Direct Democracy |
| - Prime Minister | Cédric Dyer |
| - Minister of the Interior | Marc Dallaire |
| - Minister of Foreign Affairs | Henri Charron |
| - Legislature | The Populace (in the form of the Assemblée Nationale) |
| Elections | |
| - Last Election | 1 April 2012 |
| Economy | |
| - Currency | Saint-Germainien Franc (₣)(SGF) |
| - GDP (total) | $1,566,830 (USD) ₣2,005,543 (SGF) |
| - GDP (per capita) | $5,530 (USD) ₣7,079 (SGF) |
| - Currency Value | 1.28 Germainian Francs (SGF) to the United States Dollar (USD) |
| Establishment | |
| – Foundation | 25 March 2012 |
| – Constitution Ratified | 26th of MArch, 2012 |
| Notes | This nation is a member of the Organisation of United Micronations |
| Website | Website of the Government of the Republic of the Commonwealth of Saint-Germaine |
The Republic of Saint-Germaine was founded on the 25th of March, 2012 with the adoption of its Constitution by a vote of 198 to 13.
Etymology
The name Saint-Germaine comes from the name of the patron saint of Paris Saint Germain. Many of those who came to the area were member of the church Saint-Germain in Paris and thus they named the land Saint Germain. The origin of the presence of the e at the end of the name is not known.
History
Before there existed Saint-Germaine, there was a small group of parisien settlers who arrived in 1793 from France to escape the tyranny of Roi Louis XVI. These people settled on the banks of Lac-à-Dîner in what is now known as Saint-Germaine. Saint-Germaine came into existance in 2012 when its citizens held a referendum to secceed from the Dominion of Canada. The citizens occupied two small areas of land totaling around 11 square kilometers. They decided to declared the land separate of Canada but not of Québec. They named their capital to be Ville-Duex-Îles named for the two small islands which are visible from the banks of Lac-à-Dîner. Later the capital was moved on the 9th of July, 2012 to Sainte-Croix des Champs.
Government and Politics
Government
Saint-Germaine is technically not an independent nation. They are a Commonwealth which has declared its independence from The Dominion of Canada yet have not declared independence from the Province of Québec. The government of Saint-Germaine still considers itself to be under the legal jurisdiction of Québec. Despite this the land Saint-Germaine has claimed does have defined borders within Québec to show separation from Canada.
The government of Saint-Germaine is run as a type of Confederation. There are two federally elected officials who jointly run the government. These are the Prime Minister and the Chief of State (or President). The Prime Minister and Chief of State both serve a term of two years and may be re-elected without limit. These two offices have cabinets underneath them which help the official carry out his duties of office. Underneath the Prime Minister there are two bureaus: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of Defense.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles all foreign relations of Saint-Germaine (see International Relations). The Minister of Foreign Affairs reports to the Prime Minister weekly on international happenings and it is discussed how Saint-Germaine will respond.
The Department of Defense deals with the military needs of the state. This department is responsible for arming the militia and patrolling the borders. In the event of war the Department of Defense is responsible for conducting dialogue with the adversary. The head of the Department of Defense reports monthly to the Assemblée Nationale on security threats to Saint-Germaine.
Below the Chief of State there are also two bureaus which comprise his/her cabinet. These are the Ministry of the Interior and Department of Welfare.
The Ministry of the Interior handles all affairs related to the domestic needs of the government such as taxation, the facilitation of elections, and the facilitation of the meetings of the Assemblée Nationale.
The Department of Welfare handles all affairs related to the domestic needs of the people. Their responsibilities include the management of the Clinique Nationale de Santé (National Health Clinic), and the distribution of Welfare and Unemployment funds.
In addition to these two federally elected officials there is also one elected official from each canton that has the responsibility of voicing the ideas of the majority at the Assemblée Nationale.
Politics
In Saint-Germaine there are no political parties. This is due to a to a cultural belief that taking sides in a fight only makes the fight larger. Many people in Saint-Germaine live by the biblical concept of treat others the way you would like to be treated and thus put the interests of others before themselves creating no need for political parties.
Cantons
There are two areas of land (cantons) claimed by the Republic of the Commonwealth of Saint-Germaine. These two regions in size total about 11 square kilometers. The government of Saint-Germaine has plans to acquire the land which divides the two cantons to unify the country.
Champs Sacrés
Champs Sacrés, The northern-most canton, is home to Saint-Germaine's capital Sainte-Croix des Champs. This canton is known for it's many farms and is responsible for producing nearly 90% of Saint-Germaine's food.
Lacs du Sang
Lacs du Sang, the southern-most canton, is known for an abundance of glacial lakes the largest of which is Lac-à-Dîner; the lake by which the people of Saint-Germaine met to declare their independence of Canada. The name literally means "Lakes of Blood" and is believed to have its roots in an old Québecois folk tale.
Courts and Law
Saint-Germaine has a single court use for the resolution of both civilian matters as well as government matters. There are on this High Court, five judges one of which is appointed head judge. Judges in Saint-Germaine are appointed for terms of 5 years after which them may be reappointed by the Chief of State. The current Head Justice of the High Court is Stéphane Pépin. The other four judges are as follows: Mme. Claire Godard, M. Jean Lachaise, M. Étienne Defleur, M. Jacques Chevalier.
The law of Saint-Germaine is as stated in its Constitution which was ratified the 25th of March, 2012. The Constitution is not currently available for viewing by the public.
International Relations
Saint-Germaine is open to "all serious and legitimate Micronations" according to M. Henri Charron, Saint-Germaine's Minister of Foreign Affairs. Saint-Germaine also has friendly relations with many political bodies in the international political community. These are namely between the Canadian provinces of Québec and New Brunswick. Saint-Germaine also prides itself in having contacted the Palestinian National Authority and having continued dialogue with it.
Saint-Germaine has very little diplomatic activity in the micronational community. Currently the only micronation fully recognized by Saint-Germaine is the Federal Commonwealth of Havnesgade-Amager.
Military and Police
Saint-Germaine has a small police force of 14 members. This police force also doubles as the nations military. In the event of war any citizen over the age of 18 will be drafted into the armed force. The annual budget allows their military to acquire basic arms. The primary arm used by the police is a re-curve bow produced by a local québécois bow-maker. Guns are not used by the police any longer. However there is still an arsenal in the event of a war*.
Geography and Climate
Because of its location in northern Québec, Saint-Germaine has a moderately long winter with a summer equal in length to the spring. The concept of autumn exists however rarely occurs as there is an almost immediate jump to winter as summer ends. Average temperatures during the months of October through February are well below -10 degrees Celcius.
Economy
Saint-Germaine is very economically active within the world for a Micronation; trading unofficially with a total of 8 countries, these being Canada, Mexico, France, Québec, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and India. Saint-Germaine exports very few goods and is thus very reliant on towns in Québec which surround it. Despite this it's main exports are lumber and granite. It's estimated per capita GDP is 5,530 USD with a growth rate of 0.22%.
Culture
Germainien culture is very unique to the area in which they live. Most of it's citizens are devout catholics. Every sunday the people meet on the banks of Lac-à-Dîner for a weekly town meeting to discuss weekly happenings and to have mass. This is a tradition started by the parisien settlers going back to the foundation of the colony near Lac-à-Dîner.
*Private ownership of firearms is legal in Saint-Germaine and is guaranteed under the 4th article of Saint-Germaine's Constitution