United Nations of the Auroran Continent

The United Nations of the Auroran Continent
The United Nations of the Auroran Continent
	Motto: Iuncti Inde Diversitas
	Anthem: "Ode to Joy"
Capital	Aura, Weyrcliff, Sani Bursil
Largest city	Sani Bursil
Official languages	Codexian, Minarin, Unonian, Axdan Language, Staynish (simplified), Old Staynic, Corstanese, Lishboyara, Labian, Jubliakese, Rekliese, Calth, Higher Miyaron, Horkalese, Lower Miyaron, Justelvardic, Amos Noc, Accerus, Atlantean, Frisian, Wachovian, and Oan (Oalanu)
Demonym	Auroran
Government	Pseudo-Confederacy
Population
GDP (nominal)	2015 estimate
HDI (2016)	.809; very high
Currency	Kirib (♅/KRB)
Date format	varies (MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY)
Drives on the	varies (Left or Right)

This page is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final.

The United Nations of the Auroran Continent (UNAC) is a political and economic union of 19 member states and two observer states (Nilovia and East Malaysia) that are located in Aurora, except for East Malaysia which exists directly north of the continent. It has an area of 14,360,300 sq km, and an estimated population of around 1 billion. The UNAC has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. UNAC policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within the internal market, enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, and regional development. Within the Aegis Area, passport controls have been abolished. A monetary union in the form of the Auroran Continental Bank was established in 1975, utilizing many aspects of the Bank of the Morstaybishlian Empire, and came into full force a few years after. Initially under direct regulation of the ACA, the Auroran Continental Bank was reorganized as its own independent organization, in an effort to make the currency more independent of political affairs; a direct result of the "Auroran Split." The Aegis Area is composed of 15 member states, all of which use the Kirib currency, except Quartz Fern Coast.

The UNAC traces its origins from the Auroran Continental Assembly (ACA) and the short-lived Auroran Union (AU), established, respectively, by the 1976 Weyrcliff Pact and during the 2017 Sani Bursil Summit, the latter of which was formed in direct competition of the former due to apparent shortcomings in the ACA's enforcement of established policy during the Auroran-Pacific War. The UNAC, having grandfathered the former members of the ACA and the AU, consists of 19 members, and 2 observer members.

While no member state has left the UNAC, its predecessor, the Auroran Continental Assembly, saw the secession of Baykalia, a result of a major change in Baykalian leadership. The Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria, a former member of the ACA, fractured into four new nations following the conclusion of the Auroran-Pacific War, all four aforementioned nations having been instated into the Union. All four nations, however, are exempt from certain secession rules applicable to other nations in an effort to allow the nations to "chart their own course".

Covering nearly 17% of the world population, the UNAC in 2017 generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of 29.4 trillion SH dollars, constituting between 20% and 25% of global nominal GDP. Because of its global influence, the United Nations of the Auroran Continent has been described occasionally by some as a superpower.

History

Background

Pan-Auroran political thought emerged during the mid and late 20th century, prompted primarily by the devastating effects of the Auroran Imperial War. In the decades following the summit that formed the Weyrcliff Pact, ideals of Auroran unity were first introduced on the continent, with the majority of the continent adopting these new policies.

During the long interwar period, the consciousness that national markets in Aurora were interdependent though confrontational, along with the observation of a larger and growing Yasterian (In particular, the members of the Kerilo Accord and the large Pax Caliphate) market to the north, fostered the urge for the economic integration of the continent.

The Weyrcliff Pact and The Auroran Continental Assembly(1975-2016)

After the Auroran Imperial War (AIW), Auroran integration was seen as a solution to the extreme nationalism which had devastated the continent, and the participants of the AIW would attempt a Pan-Aurora unionization. In 1976, The Morstaybishlian Empire, The Grand Republic of Salovia, The Republic of Xagrurg, The Free State of Kostoria-Obertonia, The Republic of Norograd, and The Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria signed the Weyrcliff Pact, which established the baseline policy of future treaties and unions to come, in particular the then-newly-formed Auroran Continental Assembly (ACA). The first attempt at economic integration, it had relative success in its beginning years, setting the foundation for and the construction of numerous public works projects, most notably the Auroran highway system and the continent-widespread adoption of the Kirib as the de facto currency of Aurora.

Renewed Rise in Nationalism and The Auroran Split (1996-2017)

The end of both the Norograd Civil War in 1996 and the Salovian Civil War in 2005 saw a dramatic rise in nationalism, especially within the former Salovian territories of Kostromastan and Baykalia. Radical nationalist factions within Ethalria also saw their popularity slowly grow through this period, and over time the growth of these factions would eventually result in the escalation of tensions within the continent. Ethalria and its neighbor, the Greater Xagrurgian Empire, along with the northern half of the Kostrom Confederation, would form an alliance of its own, known as the Axis. Despite the obvious threat this alliance posed to the continent's peace, the ACA would do nothing in opposition to it. In response to this lack of action, the Oan Isles sent to other Auroran nations an offer to join a new union that would take the form of the Auroran Union. The nations of The United Kingdom, Tivot, Tuvaltastan, Blueacia, The Oan Isles, and The Yor Isles would ratify the Auroran Union's treaty. This rapid ratification would soon be called the "Auroran Split" by some.

The Aurora-Pacific War and The Aura Reunification Summit of 2018 (2017-Present)

Geography

Environment

Demographics

Population

Urbanisation

The continent contains numerous densely-populated metropolitan areas, notably the Sani Bursil Metropolitan Area, the Aura Metropolitan Area, the Imperium Metropolitan Area, and the Shagonar-Omsk Metropolitan Area. A continent-wide highway system connects most, if not all of the major urban areas.

Languages

The UNAC has 23 official languages: Codexian, Minarin, Unonian, Axdan, Simplified Staynish, Old Staynic, Corstanese, Lishboyara, Labian, Jubliakese, Rekliese, Calth, Higher Miyaron, Horkalese, Lower Miyaron, Justelvardic, Amos Noc, Accerus, Atlantean, Frisian, Wachovian, Kostuvian, and Oan. Important documents, such as legislation, are translated into every official language and the Auroran Council provides translation for documents and plenary sessions. Due to the high number of official idioms, most of the institutions use the global lingua franca of Codexian. Even though language policy is the responsibility of member states, UNAC institutions promote multilingualism among its citizens.

Education and Science

Politics

Member states

Auroran Parliament

The Auroran Parliament forms the lower branch of the legislature of the Auroran continent. Although it lacks legislative initiative, has the power to debate and vote upon legislative proposals from the Commission. The Auroran Parliament is comprised of approximately 700 seats. It is elected by proportional representation, but seats are assured for all nations irrespective of size.

Auroran Commission

The Auroran Commission has the power to develop policy and administer laws and treaties. Representation is assured for each member state. Some, if not all members, are allocated portfolios by which they oversee policy, hold agencies to account and bear a portion of the workload. The Commission has the power to propose legislation to the Parliament and Council.

Council of the UNAC

The Council of the UNAC is made up of representatives from each member state. Such representatives may be leaders or ambassadors depending on the system that the state has adopted to elect its representatives. The Council has the power to veto the vote of the Auroran Parliament by a two thirds majority. The Council has some powers to give instruction to the Auroran Commission. It has exclusive decision-making power over certain topics. It has reserve powers that are exercised during an emergency such as the dissolution of the Auroran Parliament.

Competences

UNAC member states retain all powers not explicitly handed to the Union. In some areas the UNAC enjoys exclusive competence. These are areas in which member states have renounced any capacity to enact legislation. In other areas the UNAC and its member states share the competence to legislate. While both can legislate, member states can only legislate to the extent to which the UNAC has not. In other policy areas the Union can only co-ordinate, support and supplement member state action but cannot enact legislation with the aim of harmonizing national laws.

That a particular policy area falls into a certain category of competence is not necessarily indicative of what legislative procedure is used for enacting legislation within that policy area. Different legislative procedures are used within the same category of competence, and even with the same policy area.

The distribution of competences in various policy areas between Member States and the Union is divided into __ categories:

Foreign relations

Defence

Humanitarian aid

Economy

The United Nations of the Auroran Continent has continued the single market across the territory of all its members representing nearly 1 billion citizens originally instated by the Auroran Continental Assembly.

Internal market

Free movement of capital is intended to permit movement of investments such as property purchases and buying of shares between countries.

The free movement of persons means that citizens under the UNAC can move freely between member states to live, work, study or retire in another country. Exceptions to this policy exist, notably Dragonia and Oceansend, to minimize the flow of workers into their nations.

The free movement of services and of establishment allows self-employed persons to move between member states to provide services on a temporary or permanent basis.

Infrastructure

A continent-wide network of highways, bridges, and tunnels, started and completed under the management of the ACA, is currently maintained by the UNAC and its members. The island nations of the Oan Isles and Blueacia are linked by ship and airplane.

Agriculture

Competition

The UNAC operates a competition policy intended to ensure undistorted competition within the single market.

Culture

Sport

Symbols

The Flag of the UNAC consists of three horizontal stripes, two of which are burgundy, and the central stripe being yellow. A symbol resembling Sol takes up much of the left half of the flag, and has blue and yellow rays stretching out from a yellow center. Within the center of the yellow circle is the main continent of Aurora. Notable exclusions from the flag are Justlevard, The Oan Isles, and numerous other minor islands. Controversy has sprouted from the omission of a major UNAC member from the flag, with many advocating for a change in the flag to include the missing nations and territories.

Iuncti Inde Diversitas was adopted as the motto of the Union shortly after its formation. The anthem of the Union is Ode to Joy.

Besides naming the continent, the mythological figure of Aurora has occasionally been employed as a personification of the continent.