THE REPUBLIC OF DAVENPORT

LA RÉPUBLIQUE DE DAVENPORT

Welcome to the Republic of Davenport, a fictious setting from the fertile and somewhat warped imagination of Steve Kramer. However, Davenport has moved on to 'Alliance', but also remains on Vexillium through the maintainance of Shane Armstrong. My aim is to keep Davenport as a viable part of Vexillum, as it was one of the countries that drew me into the game so much. My aims is not to 'play' it as such, which would mean a lot of my interferrence, but to 'maintain' it, making sure its original form is disturbed as little as possible. So, welcome to Davenport, a delightful country in southern Smallwick, a land of both French, and English speakers. Don't forget your hat, Davenportian men aren't seen without them!

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Geography

See the map of Davenport as prepared by the Davenport Cartographic Bureau.

Davenport is located in the aft-starboard or southeast on the continent of Smallwick, known to Franco-Davenportians as Petilande. It borders Bowdani to the north and east. Davenport's sea frontiers face the cold Great Southern Ocean to the south and la Baie Vielle (the Old Bay) to the east, across which lies the former Angliyaa, and within which are the Callay Islands.

The terrain is level along the eastern sea coast and through the Interior, hilly toward the western frontiers of the eastern provinces, and mountainous in the northwest and southwest. There are five major rivers: the Carnable in the north, the Huxley in the centre, the Berl to the south, and the Wilbury and Morgan (tributaries of the Berl) in the west. Lake Lucent in Pomenary is the largest body of fresh water; the Lake of Dreams, in the northwest, is Davenport's other major natural lake and is the headwaters of the Wilbury-Morgan-Berl river system.

The climate is temperate along the east coast, and reaches extremes of subtropical in the Callays to subarctic along the southwestern coast. The central and north-central areas of the Interior have good rainfall and growing seasons, and provide most of Davenport's agriculture. This gives way to forests in the south and mineral deposits in the northwest, ensuring a good supply of natural resources for the young nation.

Davenport's population is centered mainly along the east coast. Star City, the largest city, and Outreaumer, the capital, are located along the populous Northeastern Shore in the Province of Peyton, home to one of every five Davenportians. Fennia and Trois Étoiles are the largest cities in the south, located on the Fennian Peninsula, better known as La Peninsule. A combination rail line and highway, the Autoway, stretches north to south from Newcastle to Atlantia, providing a transportation artery for the East.

Philosophy

With its progressive reactions and reforms against the colonial powers of the past, and the careful attention paid to sustainable industrialization, Davenport has become known as one of the most liberal powers on Alliance. The society is based on a careful balance of socialized services, free enterprise, and individual liberties. On one hand, recreational drugs (such as alcohol, marijuana, and other non-lethal examples) and private ownership of small arms are legal and regulated, as are gambling and prostitution in certain sectors. Tariffs are kept low to entice business growth. On the other hand, transportation, energy, telecommunication and health care are all nationalized industries, and are paid for by a combination of progressive and regressive taxes upon individuals and corporations.

Davenport has never been involved in a war, but does maintain a unified military service, the Davenport Self-Defence Force. The SDF has four main internal branches: Airborne Service, Naval Service, Land Forces Service, and Scientific Service. There are also several specializations, including the Construction Batallion, the Special Tactics Batallion, and General Services Division.

Government and Politics

Davenport is a democracy. The President, an elected office, is the supreme position in the government. The President outlines broad policy and budget initiatives, represents the Republic to foreign interests, and appoints the Cabinet and Commander-General of the Self-Defence Force.

The Council is the law-making body of the Republic. It consists of the appointed representatives of the nine elected leaders of the provinces, plus twelve members elected at large; additionally, the President may appoint a Delegate (the Shadow Councillor), and the District of the Callay Islands may elect a Delegate. Delegates have no vote in Council. The Council, with the approval of the President, must elect one of their number as a Prime Minister, who will oversee the day-to-day operation of the government. It is the Council's commission to propose, debate, amend, and delete laws. Those laws which are of a non-emergency nature must be sent to a referendum, where six times a year, the public is asked to vote by electronic means.

Justice is served by a series of tribunals, whose actions may be reviewed by a citizens' panel, convened on an ad hoc basis, or by the Council in a case of national scope. Appeals to a panel or the Council are allowed only under certain circumstances.

Elections for the Presidency, the Council, and the Provincial Governorships take place all at once if and when the government loses a vote of confidence during a referendum. Parties have two months after the vote to nominate candidates, and two months following the nomination to campaign. During the General Election, each citizen of the Republic is allowed one vote in favour of a candidate and one vote against. The votes against each candidate are subtracted from those in favour to determine the winner. This insures that the chosen candidate has a broad base of support.

The current President, Steven Kramer, elected in March, 298, presides over a divided Council. The President's left-wing Progressive Party, the largest in Davenport, is one seat short of a majority. The Conservative, or Tory, Party is the second largest. The Council also includes the Libertarian Party, La Parti Nationale (or PN), and the Green Party. Other parties include the isolationist Davenport First Party, the Socialist Workers' Party, and the Monarchist Party.

Education

A robust nationalized and standardized public education assures that Davenportian students score consistently high on comparative examinations. Teacher salaries have increased by 40% over the past five years. Bilingualism is common following governmental reforms of thirty-five years ago, when the demands of Franco-Davenportians were heeded.

Because of the attention paid to secondary education, Davenportian higher education is among the most desired and competitive in the world. There are eighteen colleges and universities in Davenport which grant four-year degrees.

Economy

Davenport's economy is spurred by low tariffs, free trade agreements, an educated work force, and abundant natural resources. There is a slight trade imbalance due to shortages of certain raw materials common to warmer areas (such as rubber).

Thanks to the high education of the populace and government encouragement, many high-tech firms make their home in Davenport. La Peninsule is particularly active with companies manufacturing computers, electrical and alcohol-combustion vehicles, specialized electrical and steam-driven equipment, and even robots and androids. In addition to manufactured and technological goods and vehicles, Davenport exports seafood and timber. Davenport also grows excellent tea, and Davenportian teas are consumed by appreciative gourmets all over Vexillium.

The Davenportian currency is the credit (Cr), subdivided into 10 decicreds each. As the name suggests, the currency is backed by the full faith and credit of the Republican government, based on its holdings in gold. For comparison, the current value of 1 g of gold (Au) on the Star City commodity market is about Cr36.4.

Culture

Davenportians have progressed quite a bit from their colonial days and have developed a vibrant culture all their own. There are Davenportian dialects of English and French (with a distinctive accent and slang) and a native cuisine (spicier than most!) Davenportians love their art, and some of Vexillium's finest contemporary musicians come from Davenport. There are also thriving industries in film and television which are reknowned throughout the world.

Diversity is a fact of life in Davenport. Though for the most part racially homogeneous, Davenportians delight in other cultures and customs. Many religions (besides the Protestant Church of Davenport), political beliefs, and lifestyles have a presence in Davenport, and are accepted and tolerated.

There's also that famous "mode d'arrière" that gets talked about so much up north. The laid-back, relaxed nature of Davenport draws visitors to her shores again and again. So leave your tie at home, but bring your hat (a Davenportian gentleman isn't seen without one)! And check that calendar frequently -- Davenport uses its own!

Sports

Davenport is a sporting society, and offers several games and pastimes. There are two major sports: football during the summer, and ice hockey during the winter.

The Davenport Football League (Ligue Davenportienne de Football) draws the nation's best together. In addition, several Davenportians play in the Premier Leagues of other countries.

The Davenport Ice Hockey League (Ligue Davenportienne de Hockey à Glace) is the pre-eminent hockey league in all Vexillium. Players from around Vexillium take part, though over 60% of the talent is home-grown. Each year, the league's twelve teams vie for the Gray Cup.

In addition, there are several world-class golf courses in Davenport, and the Republic is seen as an up-and-coming participant in the sport of rugby! Davenportians also play baseball, triskelion (a sport with resembles both rugby and football, where three teams compete at once), ultimate (a field game which uses a flying disc), basketball, volleyball, and cambok (a form of field hockey).