Raffore Islands

From Confederacy

Current revision as of 14:44, 24 October 2008

Raffore Islands, officially the Republic of Raffore Islands, is an island country located in the South China Sea east of the Peninsular Malaysia. It lies southeast of Tioman Island, southwest of Anambas archipelago, northeast of Singapore and Bintan, and west of Bangorai'. At 707.1 km², Raffore Islands is one of four remaining true city-states in the world. It is the smallest nation in Southeast Asia, overtaking Singapore.

Raffore Islands is a totally reclamed group of islands, being created under the British South China Sea Island Reclamation Project. The reclamation officially started on 5 April 1955, taking up the shape of Singapore. However, the project was handed over to the US Government under the Treaty of Singapore 1957 when the UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan discovered that Eden's Government in UK secretly took some cash from the Project's funds to help in the funding for the UK Army during the Suez Crisis which result in insufficient funds for the Reclamation Project.

On January 1959, the reclamation has been completed and it was named Island of Raffore, or Raffore for short. Construction then began on the the first town on Raffore, North Raffore Town. In December later that year, the island was renamed to State of Raffore Islands and was officially the 51st state of the United States of America. An international port was then built to the left of North Raffore Town which help the Government to earned a huge sum of money from Raffore Islands. Also, Raffore's first state government was formed, with Carlson MacLewis being the first Governor of Raffore Islands. Through the MacLewis Plan, towns were expanded and an international airport was built, but it was closed down just after a few months of opening, leading to unhappiness amongst the Rafforians. MacLewis then steps down and was replaced by David Gomez, which created the Immigration Act in 1972 which caused a racial riot between the Rafforians and the Raffore Police.

The Communist countries heard of this Act and the unequal treatment towards the Chinese and Russians. This resulted in the Raffore War at that same year, leading to a high casualty rate on both civilians and military personnels. Raffore Islands then falls into the Communism rule in 1974 and Li Heping was then appointed as the Leader of Raffore Islands. However, Heping later cut all ties with every country of the world except Japan and the Southeast Asia countries and Raffore Islands was then renamed to the People's Republic of Raffore Islands and Heping gave incentives to his people. With the people's increase in demand for hosuing, education, healthcare and jobs, Heping approached to Singapore for help on 26 June 1974, which a Treaty was then signed on the following day. Both of the country then merged in January 1985 as the Republic of Singapore and signed the Declaration of the Merger of Singapore and Raffore Islands on 15 January 1985, which overwrites the Treaty of Singapore 1974. On 1 June 1993, the State of Raffore Islands was officially separated from Singapore amidst much fanfare and become an independent city-state of the Republics of Raffore Islands.

Since independence, Raffore Islands' standard of living has continually been on the rise. Foreign direct investment and a state-led drive to industrialization have created a modern economy focused on electronics manufacturing, petrochemicals, tourism and financial services alongside traditional entrepôt trade. The Constitution of the Republic of Raffore Islands established the nation's political system as a representative democracy, while the country is recognized as a parliamentary republic. The only party on Raffore Islands, Raffore United Party (RUP), was the only party to ever control the Parliament.

History

Main article: History of Raffore Islands

Creation

Main article: Reclamation of Raffore Islands, British South China Sea Island Reclamation Project

Rumours has been going around the United Kingdom, stating that the government is going to create a large fund to create an island about the size of Singapore in the South China Sea. When Winston Churchill was appointed as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on 26 October 1951, he confirmed this rumour. This event hit the news headlines across the British Empire and speculations of the possible location of this island were then quickly passed around. Some guessed it will be located at the Spratly Islands or Paracel Islands, while others guessed it will be located along the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia or possible south of Singapore.

News of the creation of this island began died down a few years later when, two days prior to his retirement as a Prime Minister, Winston Churchill announce that reclamation works on this island has already begun after the Federation of Malaya Government agreed to give a huge plot of its water boundary between Pulau Tioman and its surrounding islands and Indonesian’s Anambas archipelago. However, the Malayan Government wanted something in exchange for this which, until now, no one has known. This has lead to rumours that that “something” was part of the SCISIR Project’s fund. When Anthony Eden took over Churchill’s position as the British Prime Minister, he quickly denied the rumour, claiming that it was not the Project’s fund but something else. Still, no one gave bad publicity about the Project and the reclamation when smoothly.

On New Year Day 1957, the United Kingdom’s Government named the island British Island of Raffore, a portmanteau of Raffles, the colonial founder of Singapore, and the country Singapore itself, due to the fact that the island will mimic the shape of Singapore. By May 1957, half of the reclamation has been done, mimicking the southern and eastern part of Singapore. However, on the first day of June on the same year, the United Kingdom Government, for the first time, confess that the SCISIR Project’s fund has reached to surprisingly low level of up to 0.57% of the original budget. Harold Macmillan, the new British Prime Minister after taking over Eden’s position, shocked the whole world that Eden’s Government has been secretly using the Project’s fund to support the funding of the Suez Crisis. Worrying about the future economy of the United Kingdom, Macmillan immediately stops all reclamation activities of the Project and signed the Treaty of Singapore 1957, which includes handling over the project to the United States of America except the Project’s fund, which will be pumped back into the Bank of England.

The US Government then continues the reclamation of the island two weeks after signing the Treaty of Singapore and renamed the island to Island of Raffore, or Raffore for short. By January 1959, the reclamation was completed and the first town on the island, North Raffore Town, was almost immediately built. However, despite 91% of the town was completed, progress on the construction of the first town on Raffore went onto a halt after the company responsible for the construction of the first town went bankrupt. A new company was created two years later and the town was ultimately completed in 1968, with the first batch of immigrants settling on Raffore. In December later that year, the island was renamed to State of Raffore Islands and was officially the 51st state of the United States of America.

Government failure

Main article: Government of Raffore Islands

Being geographically situated along the international trade route, the area adjacent on the left of North Raffore Town was transformed through massive reclamation to form a huge international port, called Northern Raffore Port. A few months after its opening, the new international port proved to be successful and the US Government quickly earned a huge sum of money from Raffore Islands. At this point, Raffore’s first own state government was formed. The Governor of Raffore Islands, Carlson MacLewis, then immediately created the MacLewis Plan, which includes the expansion of North Raffore Town and a creation of an international airport due to the fact that, from what he think, the number of immigrant that will migrant to the country will increase dramatically. The first phase of the plan was to expand the town to be able to accommodate the massive increase of immigrants. The second phase was to build an international airport. MacLewis, however, activate both plans at the same time and, as a result; the Plan was a failure, leading to the closure of the North Raffore International Airport in 1970. This eventually led to the unhappiness of the immigrants of Raffore Islands and MacLewis steps down; Daniel Gomez took over as the new Governor.

Revolution

Main article: Raffore Racial Riot, Raffore War

By 1971, almost 73.4% of Raffore’s population were Chinese or Russian. Despite this, in 1972, Gomez created the Immigration Policy to force all immigrants entering and living in Raffore Islands to pay a certain amount of tax. With both of his parents killed by the Communists in the Korean War, Gomez increase the tax of all Chinese and Russians to an astounding 20%, literally 2000 times more than any other immigrants. To make matters worse, Gomez’s Government did not even discuss and inform the main US Government about this new policy. The day after the new policy was created, the Chinese and Russians living on the island conducted an island-wide protest against the new policy. However, Gomez ordered the Raffore Police to “control the crowd” by attacking them with force. This sparked a riot and, in a matter of just a few minutes, civilians of all races clashes with the Raffore Police. When Gomez claims that the situation is getting “uncontrollable”, he asked the US Army for help. The US Army entered the State a few days later and manages to control the situation. However, the news has spread to all over the world, particularly the Communist Countries.

The creation of the Policy has reached the Communist shores and this angered both the Chinese Government and the Russian Government, yelling at the US to cancel the Policy. The US Government then asks the Raffore Government whether such policy is create. However, Gomez denied, which lead to the US Government telling the Communist Countries that such treaty are not created. At the very last straw, on one peaceful night, the Communist Country quickly and quietly attacks the US Military Base on Raffore Islands. Within a few hours later, both the Chinese and Russian Army reached to the Raffore Shore and they immediately surround the whole town. Some of them then marched to the US Military Base to kill every American Army Personal they saw; there was a heavy battle going on. The US Government heard about this invasion and they immediately sent in their Army into the state; a heavy battle ensues. Within a matter of hours, the United Kingdom joins in the battle to fight against Communism. The United Nations Army then join with the US side a few days later.

During the first year of the War, it appears that the US side is winning. Towards the end of 1972, the US side almost recaptured the whole island, with the North Raffore Town still captured by the Communist. However, as the war enters its second year (1973), the US side surprisingly began to lose its territories quickly. The US side eventually surrendered and the US Army, the UK Army and the UN Army withdrew from the island, leaving the Communist to take over the country. Li Heping, a Chinese Rafforian, was then appointed as the Leader of Raffore Islands.

Singapore's Help

Main article: Treaty of Singapore 1974

However, a death toll report of the Raffore War had somehow mysteriously reached to him and, due to the high death toll of both military personnel and civilian people, Heping blames all of the participating foreign nations (the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, China and the USSR) and cut all ties, both political and economical, with all of the countries around the world except Japan and the South East Asian countries.

Heping renamed the country to the People’s Republic of Raffore Islands and, since he care for the people of Raffore Islands, lowers all taxes impose on his fellow Rafforian. On several occasions, he even gave out free food to every Rafforian and gave a significantly huge amount of money to every couple that gave birth to a child. Due to these changes, his people loves him a lot and, as the days goes by, the people started to demand for better housing, education, healthcare and jobs.

Due to the lack of knowledge of Urban Planning, Heping heard about the success of Singapore under the leadership of Lee Kwan Yew and ask the Singapore Government for help on 26 June 1974. On the following day, both Singapore and Raffore Islands held a talk in Singapore about this issue and, on the following day, both countries signed the Treaty of Singapore 1974, which states that Singapore will help Raffore Islands in country management until Raffore Islands is stable enough to run on its own without the help of Singapore. Also, only Raffore Islands have the rights to end this treaty.

Merger and Independence

Main article: Declaration of the Merger of Singapore and Raffore Islands

Seven years later after the Treat of Singapore 1974 was created, Raffore Islands was already economically stable. During these seven years, a free trade agreement between Singapore and Raffore Islands was created. Raffore Islands also made a lot its money via trading within the South East Asian country and Japan. In December 1984, Heping propose to merge Raffore Islands into Singapore until Raffore Islands is stable enough to be an independent country. Eventually, in January 1985, both Singapore and Raffore Islands agreed to be one united country and both countries had signed the Declaration of the Merger of Singapore and Raffore Islands on 15 January 1985, which overwrites the Treaty of Singapore 1974. The new Singapore then created two states, namely Pulau Ujong (the main island of Singapore) and Raffore Islands. Immediately on the following day, Raffore Islands only airport reopens for a daily flight between Raffore Islands and Singapore, marking the first domestic flight within the country of Singapore. The first plane that touchdown on the tarmac after the airport reopens was at 08:25:57 Singapore Standard Time. The reopening of the airport was also part of the Declaration due to the fact that a daily ferry service is not feasible due to the expected high amount of visitors and tourists between the two countries.

In October 1986, Raffore Islands’ first national carrier, Raffore International Airlines or RIA for short, was formed, flying around the South East Asian region only. About 5 months later, Raffore Islands had created its own military, together with the implementation of National Service in Raffore Islands. On the same month, both Singapore and the State of Raffore Islands made a military agreement to help one another in a case of a war happening in either state. Also, within the same month, Raffore Islands had made an agreement with the members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, namely Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, to allow Raffore Islands to join this agreement in case Raffore Islands became an independent country. Also in the agreement, the six nations will consult each other in the event of external aggression or threat of attack against Malaysia, Singapore or Raffore Islands.

In 1987, the Rafforian Government notices that there has been significantly increase of permanent residents living in Raffore Islands and the government decided to conduct a survey to find out everyone’s place of birth. Surprisingly, 98% of the population living in Raffore Islands were born from other countries. To improve the country’s tourism, the Rafforian Government decided create a new city dedicated for those not born in Raffore Islands. In 1 June 1993, exactly 25 years after the first batch of immigrant arrived on Raffore Islands, the State of Raffore Islands was officially separated from Singapore amidst much fanfare and become an independent city-state of the Republics of Raffore Islands.

Government and politics

Geography and climate

Economy

Currency

Military

Demographics

Population

Main Article: Raffore Identity Card

Religion

Main article: Religion in Raffore Islands

Raffore Islands is a multi-religious country. Around 40.2% of resident Rafforians (excluding significant numbers of visitors and migrant workers) practice Christianity - a broad classification including Catholicism, Protestantism and other denominations. Buddhism constitute 18.6%, Islam constitute 19.1% and Hinduism constitute 3.3%. Smaller minorities practice Taoism, Sikhism, Shinto and others, consisting of 2.7% of the population.

Some religious materials and practices are banned in Raffore Islands. The Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, are prohibited from distributing religious materials and are sometimes jailed for their conscientious refusals to serve in the Rafforian military.

About 14.4% of the population declared no religious affiliation.

Education

Foreign relations

Languages

Main article: Languages of Raffore Islands

The national language of Raffore Islands is English due to Raffore Islands' history of a former British colony and a former state of the United States. The official languaues are English, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, French, Tamil and Portuguese. English has been promoted as the country's language of administration since its independence and the English used is primarily based on American English, with some British English influences. In school, children are required to learn English and either two of the other six offical languages or one of the other six offical languages plus their main second language. For example, a person with a Thai background must either learn English and two of the six other official language or learn English, one of the six other official language and the Thai language. Public signs and official publications are in English, although there are usually translated versions in other official languages. The second-most common language taken as a second language in Raffore Islands is Mandarin with over thirty percent of the population having it as a second language, while the second-most common language taken as a third language in Raffore Islands is French with over forty percent of the population having it as a third language.

Culture

Cuisine

Performing arts

Media

Sport and recreation

Architecture

Resources

Transport