Nation/Sargossa

Republic of Sargossa
Motto: Let Them Hate Us. As Long As They Fear Us
Anthem: ‘Sargossa Unite’
National Animal Great Manta
Region		Rushmore
Capital		Soluca
Demonym		Sargossan
Government		Military Dictatorship
-	President of the Republic	Gregorio Emparán
-	Vice President of the Republic	Juan Manual Trucco
Population
-	estimate	3 billion
Currency		Dinara (Đ)
Time zone		Branta Time (BrT)
Internet TLD		.srg

Sargossa is an economically powerful nation centred in the Oygruppen region of Rushmore, with further Rushmori colonies situated in Branta, the Goose Coast and Tempalia. Major regional neighbours include Nethertopia to the South East, Candelaria And Marquez to the South West and the Polar Islandstates to the North.

Birth Of A Nation

The Official Version

Discovered by Luca Sargo during the great age of exploration the islands of the Sargossan Archipelago were gradually colonised by, predominantly Spanish, settlers from Europe. Landing on the largest island, named Sargosso after its discoverer, Sargo and his expedition quickly set up trading colonies along the southern coast and started exploring northwards towards the island’s interior and across the narrow straits to the south east to the neighbouring island of Cormino.

Shortly after penetrating deeper into the larger island contact was made with the island’s inhabitants, the Mitizo. These native were absorbed into the rapidly expanding European enclave, often unwillingly. As more and more settlers poured into Sargosso’s ports the European influence extended both north and south, bringing Larissa and Midea into the fold five and six years respectively after the first colony was founded.

The western island of Inca, along with its ruins of a much older civilisation, was added a year later. With the full integration of Quella some ten years after the first colony on Sargosso was founded the nation achieved the borders it still holds to this day. And it did indeed become a nation in its own right as, unnoticed by the already colony heavy European powers, the new land now known as Sargossa quietly cut its ties with its European masters.

There followed decades of civil unrest, Mitizo uprisings and eventual brutal and bloody conflict, the so-called Unification Wars, between the various islands before Sargossa finally settled into life as the nation it is today. But the exploration bug never really left and Sargossan sailors once again set out into the wider region, establishing colonies and making contact with the other nations of Olde Rushmore.

The Alternate Version

It is perhaps worth noting that the above is the most commonly accepted account of the nation’s founding. There is however a school of thought that adheres to a slightly less palatable version of events. Specifically that Luca Sargo rather than being a noted explorer was instead an infamous pirate who, upon stumbling across the largest of the archipelago’s islands, found its many bays and inlets useful as ports from which to strike out at passing shipping as well as secluded hiding places for both himself and his ill gotten gains. Such was his success that many more of his ilk were attracted to Sargosso and the neighbouring islands until eventually a thriving community could be found there.

Not willing to concede that their fine nation is descended from a gang of wanton criminals, successive governments have been trying to stamp out this particular version of events for centuries. Despite their attempts the belief still lives on, fuelled in no small part by the known fact that at one time the waters in and around the archipelago were indeed rife with piracy.

Government

The government of Sargossa functions much as any other, the principal difference being the lack of any and all democratic processes. The President of Sargossa is the head of state, and has extensive powers including creating policy in conjunction with his Ministerial Council, exercising the prerogative of mercy, commanding the armed forces, negotiating and ratifying treaties, signing presidential orders, and declaring war or a state of emergency. The functions of state are devolved to a number of Ministries, each headed by a Minister directly appointed by the President. The ministerial heads meet regularly in the Presidential Palace and form the appropriately named Council of Ministers, which is chaired by the President and serves as the State's executive body.

Current Government

• President of the Republic: General Gregorio Emparán
• Vice President of the Republic: Juan Manual Trucco
• Minister for the Interior: Alejandro Ereros
• Minister for Foreign Affairs: José Carizzo
• Minister for Colonial Affairs: General Hugo Medrano
• Minister of Defence: General Raoul Delgado
• Minister of Justice: Adriana Delgado-Emparán
• Minister of Finance: Carlos Valdez
• Minister of Information: Roberto Dorival
• Minister for Trade & Commerce: Vítor Bonilla
• Minister of Health: Dr Xaviera Damaso
• Minister of Education: Prof. Reina Trigueros
• Minister of Transport: Julio Morlán
• Minister for Energy: Luiza Badillo
• Minister for Communications: Luís Silvestre
• Minister for Agriculture: Francisco Sandoval
• Minister for Tourism: Cristoval Lopez
• Minister for Sport: Tobías Frutos
• Minister for the Environment: Jovita Nuno

Administrative Divisions

Organisationally the nation is divided into eight administrative regions. Each region is governed, suitably enough, by a Governor who is appointed by the President. Each of the nation’s six main islands comprise an administrative region with the final, and largely ignored, two being Emo and Isla Oscuro (one region) and Isla Centralé, Isla Poco and Isla Tonto (despite their geographical distance to one another, the eighth region). The configuration of the regions have changed over the years but have remained much the same for the nation’s recent history. The decision of the Islas Blancas group to hand over administrative control to the Governor of Midea being the only recent alteration of note. The Sargossan overseas territories of Costa Azula, Santazuela, Curamunga and the Islas Ominas chain all hold a certain amount of semi-autonomy but still ultimately answer to Soluca. Their respective First Ministers are appointed by the Sargossan President and their actions are overseen by the Colonial Ministry.

Foreign Relations

Despite a sometimes overly belligerent attitude to foreign policy Sargossa has undertaken embassy or consular exchange programmes with the majority of its Rushmori neighbours. In recent times the Emparán regime has made a concerted effort to tone down the more aggressive rhetoric in its dealings with foreign powers. Chief foreign policy goals are to strengthen existing ties with the countries of Olde Rushmore and to warm the often chilly relations with the region’s increasingly influential southern sector.

Military

The Sargossan Armed Forces are amongst the largest in Rushmore and have three branches: the Sargossan Army, the Sargossan Air Force and the Sargossan Navy. The Sargossan Armed Forces maintain significant infrastructure, including facilities for design, research, and testing of weapons, vehicles, aircraft, naval vessels, defense systems and electronics; military industry manufacturing centers for building such systems, and advanced naval dockyards that build heavy military vessels and advanced missile technologies. Its primary mission is the defense of the Sargossan islands and its colonies but Sargossan forces have also undertaken security operations in Candelaria And Marquez, Nethertopia, Pasarga, Oakow and the Kytler Peninsulae. In addition to its nuclear arsenal Sargossa holds stockpiles of biological, radiological and chemical weaponry. Although the exact quantity of which has never been officially disclosed.

Geography

Sargossa is made up of a number of islands but the ‘big six’ are . . .

Sargosso

The largest of the islands that form the archipelago and the seat of the nation’s government. Sargosso was the first island discovered (although how they missed the others is anyone’s guess) and subsequently colonised. It, like the nation itself, takes its name from Luca Sargo, the man credited (regardless of motives) with effectively founding the nation.

For the first 40 years of Sargossan independence the individual islands formed their own ruling bodies and there was little coordination, not to mention agreement, between them. It was decided that a central seat of power was required. Sargosso with its historical significance and centralised location was the obvious choice and a suitable area was found towards the island’s centre for the founding of the new national capital. And so Soluca was born and has grown gradually into the sprawling metropolis it is today.

Sargosso is a hub for shipping with three of the nation’s largest ports (Porto Alegro, Daroca and Cordova) located along its southern shore and it’s noted for the busyness of its surrounding waters. There is a large iron and bauxite mining operation in the north east of the island. And the western resort city of Dunas is a popular entertainment and holiday destination for locals and foreign visitors alike.

Cormino

There has long existed feelings of deep mistrust if not outright hostility between the residents of Cormino and bigger neighbour Sargosso. Corminites believe they often get a raw deal from the national government and a large number believe they shouldn’t be taking instructions from Soluca at all. Goza, Cormino’s principal city is the largest and most populous in the archipelago and consequently the locals don’t believe they should be playing second fiddle to anyone. Indeed there’s a groundswell of opinion suggesting maybe the island would be better off going it alone entirely.

On one notorious occasion they tried just that but their attempted breakaway was met with swift and bloody reprisals from Soluca. Most of the island’s settlements threw in the towel quickly but Goza, newly proclaimed capital of an independent Cormino held out. Naturally the harshest treatment was reserved for Goza itself where hundreds died in bitter clashes between civilians and the Sargossan army. It proved to be no contest and the uprising lasted a mere week before all Cormino was dragged back into line. Since then the government in Soluca has viewed Cormino in general and Goza in particular with deep suspicion.

Aside from revolution and troublemakers Cormino is also home to, among many other things obviously, Sargossa’s most popular cricket and rugby leagues and the archipelago’s largest Nethertopian community, based in the southern town of Roseau.

Midea

The most northern of Sargossa's major islands is noted particularly for being home to the Tropica Corporation’s vast cigar enterprise. Both the tobacco plantations and the factories are based on the island and are shipped all over the world from the port of Jucaro. A significant percentage of the Midean population are employed in the tobacco fields and over time the islands inhabitants have come to be regarded as, well, a bit thick by the rest of the nation due to that agricultural background. Although it clearly hasn’t put off visitors, as the coastal resort town of Vina Del Mar is regularly voted the nation’s most pleasant holiday destination.

Inca

The western island of Inca is known for its lush jungles and the tall peaks of the Chalaco mountain range. It’s also home to well maintained ruins of a civilisation that called the island home hundreds of years prior to Luca Sargo’s cronies got their greedy hands on it. The presence of these ruins all around the island attracted swarms of academics to Inca and today the island is regarded as being home to Sargossa’s finest minds. The principal city of Torreón is not only the nations’ highest, perched as it is high up in the Chalacos, but also the site of the archipelago’s first and prestigious university.

The discovery of large offshore oil and gas deposits has also led to Inca becoming the centre of the both the nation’s petrol (based in Mercada) and energy (Puerto Lempira) industries. Making Inca a curious blend of breathtaking natural beauty and fume belching refineries and rigs.

Quella

Not a lot to say about Quella really. It is the nation’s second largest island. That’s something I suppose. Oh, and Maturín is the third largest city. Aside from being home to a whole load of particularly fertile farmland, including the sugar plantations that help produce Sargossa’s famous spiced rum, that’s about it.

Larissa

The southernmost main island of the Sargossan Archipelago. Larissa’s principal contribution to Sargossan life is meat, well beef technically. Larissan beef is regarded as being just that slightly bit better than all the alternatives and is one of the nation’s biggest exports.

Sargossa’s fastest growing city can also be found on the southern tip of the Silva Peninsula. Attracted by the similar Hispanic culture, that and the higher average wage and lower tax rate, San Silva became home to large numbers of people emigrating from the Canderlarias. Often wrongly referred to as the ‘Candelarian Diaspora’ (the vast majority are actually Marquezian) by the government in Soluca, they form the largest immigrant population in Sargossa. In fact so many took a shine to San Silva and made a home there that the city started to be referred to as San Marquez, a name change that has since been made official.

Economy

One of the first acts of the military regime following the coup was to end state control of much of the nation's industry. No longer stifled by government influence the Sargossan economy grew at an unprecedented rate and now scores the maximum '100' on the World Assembly's economic scale. Tobacco products, alcoholic beverages and Sargossan beef all bring a healthy return to the national purse while the nation also serves as one of Rushmore's largest exporters of armaments and military hardware. The exploitation of natural resources such as gold, bauxite, uranium and wolframite also helped to swell the nation's coffers. Tourism is one of Sargossa's fastest-growing economic resources and threatens the arms manufacturing industry's status as the country's leading foreign exchange earner. In spite of the often negative image portrayed in the regional media, the country is increasingly perceived internationally as a safe destination. Helped in no small part by increased investment in tourist resorts and infrastructure, the creation of a police force specifically to protect foreign visitors and a relaxation on Visa requirements for all Rushmori citizens.

Education

The Sargossan government provides free education in state-run schools for twelve years: six years in primary and six years following a common secondary programme. There are many private schools across the country which follow the same syllabus but charge fees. Despite a significant cut in university fees tertiary education can still prove prohibitively expensive, to the extent that an abolishing of fees entirely has been mooted in an effort to get more school leavers into higher education. State loans are available for perspective university students but recipients must pay off their loan by enrolling in a three year government work placement programme upon the completion of their degree.

Health

The government provides a basic level of free healthcare, available to all Sargossan citizens.

Sport

The most popular sport in Sargossa is Association Football. The domestic SuperLiga is the nation’s most watched sporting attraction and the men’s national side, ‘The Corsairs’, are regular participants in the World Cup and are three time champions of Rushmore. The Azure League (Athletics), the Azul League (Aquatics), the National Tennis Circuit and Pro-Volleyball League also attract large audiences. The nation has competed in a number of Olympic Games, with Sargossan participants winning medals in twenty one Olympic disciplines.