Manhattan Prime
From Daily Escape
| The Imperial Republic of Manhattan Prime | |
 |
Coat of Arms |
| National flag | |
| Map Pending | |
| Motto | "If you want the present to be different, study the past" |
| Capital and largest city | Manhattan |
| Official Language | English |
| Leader - President | President Andrew Cuthbert (Liberal) |
| Establishment - as individual colonies - as unified Imperial Colony - as Imperial Republic | 1900 2005 February 2006 |
| Area | 900,000 km² |
| Population - Total (Nov 2007) | 80 million |
| GDP - Total (cr) - GDP/capita (cr) | cr 1.4 Trillion cr 17,500 |
| National animal | Red Fox |
| Currency | Credit |
| International abbreviations | Manhattan, MP |
| Naval craft classification | MNS – Manhattanite Naval Ship |
| Internet TLD | .mp |
| PDAS rating | C |
Manhattan Prime is a member of TAPRES - The Alliance of Pure Research and Engineering States, and the Woodstock Pact.
Contents |
Basic Info
- Conventional Name
- The Imperial Republic of Manhattan Prime
- Short form
- Manhattan Prime, Manhattan, MP
- People
- Manhattanites, Chippers (colloquial)
- Currency
- Credit
- National Animal
- Red Fox
ISO Country code: MANP
Currency code: MPCR
TLD: .mp
Car plate codes:
Manhattan Prime - MP
- - Manhattan State - MPM
- - Canada - MPC
- - England - MPE
- - Germany - MPG
- - Australia - MPA
- - Japan -MPJ
Geography
- Area
- 900,000 km2
- Terrain and Climate
The majority of Manhattan Prime enjoys a comfortable temperate climate, akin to that of New York.
The colonists have chosen the site for their colony well; Manhattan Prime is a beautiful nation composed of mostly fertile grasslands and plains. There are 2 rivers running through it, christened the Dandelion River and the Salazar River. Manhattan Prime also contains lush forests, sparkling freshwater lakes, and 2 snow-capped mountains – Mt Hazel and Mt Silas. It has no deserts, jungle, or swamps.
Government
- Government Type
Liberal Democratic government, with President and Cabinet. Manhattan Prime is a Unitary State (no responsibilities are constitutionally reserved for regional government), and consists of a Bicameral legislature:
- Imperial Senate (Lower house) – Elected assembly that debates and passes laws.
- Council of Lords (Upper house) – Hereditary membership, rubber-stamps laws, gives Manhattan Prime’s hereditary lords something to do.
Sessions of both the Imperial Senate and the Council of Lords are televised, and open to public spectators (providing they just watch and don't make too much of a nuisance of themselves). Full minutes of each session are also posted on each body's official website.
However the President can declare a session closed if it discusses 'secret matters of national security' in which case that session will be closed to the public and TV cameras, and the secret sections of the minutes will be censored. This clause is rarely called into use.
The country uses a Presidential system of government, based on the American and British forms of government.
The President of Manhattan Prime serves as both the head of state and head of government for a 4 year term - the Presidential System only dates from March 2005 in Manhattan Prime, so thus far there has been only one Manhattanite President. Manhattan Prime has no limits on how many terms a President may serve.
The 2 dominant parties currently are the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party although many other smaller parties exist.
- Important Cities
- New London, New Tokyo, New Sydney.
- Administrative Divisions
- 6 provinces – Manhattan State, Canada, England, Germany, Japan, Australia.
Governmental Divisions:
- Office of the President
- State Department
- Department of Defence
- Ministry of Research
- Ministry for Foreign Relations
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Information
- Education Ministry
- Imperial Medical Department
- Ministry for Energy
- Ministry of Transport
- Attorney General’s Office
- State Religion
- As the people of Manhattan Prime embrace science, it is a very secular society (like the Federation in Star Trek) and there is no official religion. The majority of the population is humanist, with most of the remainder being atheist.
- Civil Rights Rating
- Excellent.
- Economy Rating
- Very Strong.
- Political Freedom Rating
- Very Good
History
Manhattan Prime has had a very short history as an inhabited state, although it does possess a rich history. The country is teaming with insect, reptile, fish, bird and mammal life, but was uninhabited until 1900. A team of 900 colonists sent by the British government from Germany, the UK, USA, Japan, Australia and Canada (specifically chosen as 150 from each of the 6 states). The colonist expedition set off from London, refueled at Aberystwyth, then again at New York before heading south to the Caribbean, landing on a large island continent.
The country mainly focused inwards on developing its own infrastructure - it stayed neutral during WW1 as the colonies had hardly been established. Manhattan Prime grew quickly during the 1930's, and was only lightly affected by the Depression, due to its insular, isolated and self-sufficient nature. It supported the Allies during WW2, although it committed no troops. It declared war in 1942, and British and American ships used the state as a supply and refueling stop in the Caribbean, and some volunteers went to help their mother countries, on both sides of the conflict.
Although Manhattan Prime is a liberal democracy, the coalition was ruled by an Emperor, hence the ‘Imperial Republic’ title, kept for old times sake. Likewise, the colonists named their states and cities after their countries of origin, to make them feel more at home. Until recently, Manhattan Prime was quite isolationist, concentrating on establishing their own cities and infrastructure. However now it has thrown open its doors and several nations have built embassies there.
As a young country, talented people are promoted quickly and the government is composed of quite young individuals.
The current President, Andrew Cuthbert is 29 years old. An intelligent and charismatic leader, he is known for his honest, open and informal style, and strong commitment to civil rights, education and scientific development.
The Imperial Republic of Manhattan Prime is a massive, safe nation, notable for its devotion to social welfare. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 80 million have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.
It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Social Welfare, Law & Order, and the Environment. The average income tax rate is 81%. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising fourteen-year-old boys selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.
Torture is illegal, prime real estate is devoted to wind farms and solar energy generators, Manhattan Prime's educational system is the envy of many and regarded as a pinnacle of educational achievement, and smoking is banned in public areas. Crime is well under control, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare.
Economy
Population: 80,000,000
Military percent: 2.5% of the population - 2,000,000 men (including 675,000 support staff)
(Source: Manhattan Prime Department of Defense)
Annual GDP: cr 1,400,000,000,000 <1.4 Trillion>
GDP Per Capita: cr 17,500
Annual Government Budget: cr 1,000,000,000,000 <1 Trillion>
Annual Defense Budget: cr 100,000,000,000 <100 Billion, 10% of total budget>
