| The Commonwealth of Alterra |
The Commonwealth of Alterra
![[Image: Flag_20x30.jpg]](https://media.wired.co.uk/photos/606db09ddbc4c121710a49ab/master/w_500%2Cc_limit/Flag_20x30.jpg) "United in Identity, Liberty, and Pursuit of Freedom" The Commonwealth of Alterra is a federal presidential constitutional republic established by a group of democratic and freedom-minded individuals who sought to establish a nation united in identity, liberty, and the pursuit of freedom and happiness. A small nation with a historically isolationist foreign policy but a vibrant and strong foreign trade industry, Alterra prospered in the 19th and 20th centuries thanks to its neutrality and its focus on growth rather than expansion or self-defense. In 1920, the Commonwealth of Alterra was formalized as a single unified state rather than a commonwealth of semi-independent provinces under one collective defense alliance, officially establishing the sovereign state. The Commonwealth is a financially and physically rich and vibrant nation, with large rare mineral and oil reserves underneath its territory. In the late 20th Century, the nation discovered these large reserves and rose to prosperity under the steady and democratic rule of former President Sofia Williams, who served as the President of the Commonwealth of Alterra from 1988 to 1996. A liberal and an economist at heart, she established the Alterran Stock Exchange (ASE) and the Federal Economic Bureau (FEB), while also passing numerous liberal and progressive economic policies to encourage economic growth and consumer spending. Basic Facts and Information
Population: 29,997,445 (2020)
Established: February 19, 1920 Official Language: Austral Political Ideology: Federal presidential constitutional republic Head of state: President Thomas "Tom" Anderson (D) Head of government: President Thomas "Tom" Anderson (D) Ruling political party: Democrats of Alterra (D) Ruling political ideology: Free market representative democracy Currency: The Alterran Altair GDP: $796.5 billion Altairs (or $731.9 billion US dollars, both as of 2020) Motto: "United in Identity, Liberty, and Pursuit of Freedom" Capital and Largest City: Alterra Demonym: Alterran
The Government of the Commonwealth of Alterra
The Executive Branch The executive branch of the Government of the Commonwealth of Alterra is responsible for the execution of legislation proposed and passed by the legislative branch of the Commonwealth and is led by the President of the Commonwealth of Alterra. The President has supreme executive power vested in him or her by the people and the legislature of the Commonwealth of Alterra and is aided in his or her work by a Commonwealth Cabinet, appointed by the President and approved by the Alterran legislature. The other components of the executive branch are the provincial administrations (subordinate to the President and legislature) and the municipal administrations (subordinate to the provincial administrations). The President serves for four years and for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The 1920 Constitution prohibits any person/s from running for the office of the president for a third consecutive term. The current President of Alterra as of September 2021 is Thomas "Tom" Anderson of the Democrats of Alterra (D) Party, who has been serving since 2020. The Legislative Branch The legislative branch of the Government of the Commonwealth of Alterra is the Federal Congress of Alterra, which is composed of two houses, the Federal Senate (upper house) and the Federal Council (lower house). The Altius contains two Senators from each of the twenty-five (25) provinces of the Commonwealth of Alterra and the Federal Council consists of two Councilors from each of the fifty (50) municipalities which are considered as directly subordinate to the twenty-five main provinces. The Federal Senate and the Federal Council hold elections for all seats every two years. The largest political parties in the Federal Congress are as follows: Democrats of Alterra (D) - The Democrats of Alterra (D) is a liberal progressive political party which endorses a policy of strong and rapid economic growth and enforcing the will of the people through the maintenance of democratic elections and the protection of inalienable rights such as the right to free speech, free expression, assembly, etc. The party is easily the largest and most influential party in the country and is led by Thomas "Tom" Anderson, who is the current incumbent President of the Commonwealth of Alterra. Labour Party (L) - The Labour Party is the second-largest political party in the country, identifying as a social democratic party rather than as a socialist or a communist party. Led by Olivia Johnson (L), the current Speaker of the Council, the party pursues pro-worker policies and actively works to pass legislation to increase minimum wage and insurance and protection for the working-class citizens of Alterra. The party is neck-and-neck with the Alterran Democrats in terms of popularity, influence, and recent election results. Conservative Party of Alterra © - The Conservative Party of Alterra © is a conservative party which tends to align itself with the Democrats in order to combat the Labour Party and what it sees as radically left-wing pro-worker policies. The Conservative Party is led mainly by major corporate bosses and businessmen and businesswomen, and is also composed of small business owners interested in maintaining the status quo and not risking it all on radical legislation. The Conservatives are led by Joseph Alterra, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Alterra Group, a conglomerate of private companies led by the Alterra Corporation, the largest company in the country and was the inspiration for the country's name when the Commonwealth was established in 1920 by Benjamin Alterra, the grandfather of Joseph Alterra. The Conservatives tend to support business- and economy-focused policies that spur economic growth. Social Democratic Party (S) - The Social Democratic Party, or the SDP for short, is a center-left social democratic party led by Walter Schmidt, and is the only recognized national political party that has yet to hold any seats in the Federal Congress. Schmidt was a former Councilor in the Federal Council for the Labour Party, before seceding from Labour after disagreements with the party leadership over the militarization of the Alterran Commonwealth. The SDP has been called by many as a strong Alman-based party and a party which is expected to pull at least 15% of votes away from Labour in the next election, in June of 2022. Alterran Green Party (G) - The Alterran Green Party is a relatively small political party that was recently established, in 2003, and is dedicated to protecting the environment at all costs. The party is widely considered as an Alterran Democratic Party puppet due to its unwavering allegiance to the Alterran Democrats, although the party's leadership claims that this alliance with the Democrats of Alterra 'is for the good of our environment and our people'. The Green Party generally abstains on proposals that don't relate or affect the environment, but on non-environment policies they generally vote with the Alterran Democrats. Communist Party of Alterra (CO) - The Communist Party of Alterra is the smallest political party in Alterra which holds any amount of seats in the Federal Congress, and pushes a full communist agenda which includes the closing down of all businesses and the establishment of a centralized communist government. The party, which is based in a country which has strongly benefited from economic growth and the doctrine of capitalism, has received nearly no support but in recent years has received minor support from radical left-wing politicians who splintered off from the social democratic Labour Party. The Judicial Branch The judicial branch of the Government of the Commonwealth of Alterra is led by the Supreme Court of Alterra, which is composed of ten appointed chief justices who are chosen by the President and approved by two-thirds of the Federal Congress. The judicial branch of Alterra's government is also composed of the Municipal Court, the Provincial Court, and the National Court, all of which are subordinate to the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Alterra, who's verdicts are usually unchallenged by the other parts of the judicial branch.
Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Alterra
The Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Alterra is the main defense force of the Commonwealth of Alterra and is responsible for preserving the national sovereignty which Alterra currently possesses and for protecting the national borders and citizens of the nation. It is composed of four branches, namely the Alterran Army, the Alterran Navy, the Alterran Air Force, and the Alterran Marine Corps. Alterran Army
Alterran NavySize: 86,294 active, 44,562 reservists Alterra's ground defense force. It is composed of ten divisions, each complete with communications, medical, logistics, engineering, and motorized detachments. Size: 17,241 active, 16,991 reservists Alterra's naval and sea defense force. Composed of some 50 vessels, divided into 20 combat-ready vessels, 25 offshore patrol vessels, and 5 attack submarines. Alterran Air Force Size: 11,445 active, 984 reservists Alterra's airspace defense force. Composed of roughly 241 combat aircraft and 145 helicopters of varying types.
The Economy of the Commonwealth of Alterra
The economy of the Commonwealth of Alterra is a highly developed free market economy with a prospering stock market and sky-high consumer spending. Alterra's economy really took off in the latter part of the 20th Century when massive oil reserves were discovered and its exploitation by Alterra Resources, a subsidiary of the Alterra Group, began. The country also possesses low corruption thanks to a general equality in terms of the wealth of the Alterran people, and the proper enforcement of proper anti-corruption practices and policies.
Alterra possesses a strong and rapidly growing technology and banking sector, with breakthrough technologies in early stages of research and development in one of the country's main technology companies, namely Alterra Technologies and Sector Corporation. The country's massive banking sector is thanks to relatively low crime rates and a confident Alterran population, allowing for the country to become a banking and a stock market hub, especially after the establishment of the Alterran Stock Exchange (ASE) under former President Sofia Williams. However, Alterra's economy was unable to grow as rapidly as it could have due to the policy of isolationism and a lack of foreign trade imposed by the successive governments since the country's establishment in 1920. In order to defend the country and ensure that it could grow into a prosperous and rich society with no wealth inequality whatsoever, the first government under Benjamin Alterra, the founder of the Alterra Corporation and the first president of the Commonwealth of Alterra, enacted a policy of 'global isolationism and a refusal to interact with the global community in the South Pacific'. This policy was maintained for decades until the presidency of Sofia Williams from 1988 to 1996, when President Williams opened the country to limited foreign trade and pushed liberal economic reforms to nourish economic growth. Williams's presidency is known in the country's history books as the Alterran Economic Boom, which ended during the 2006 stock market bubble crash which occurred within the Alterran Stock Exchange (ASE). The Commonwealth of Alterra possesses a nominal GDP of $796.5 billion Altairs ($731.9 billion US dollars for reference). Annual GDP growth as of 2020 is recorded at 7.5% every year, the highest in Alterran history.
Geography and History of the Commonwealth of Alterra
Geography of Alterra
Alterra's geography is for the most part grasslands and forests. The country possesses a massive countryside as the country is densely populated around the major city centers of Altius and Alterra. The Alterran countryside, which encompasses most of the country except for in the northwest, is flatland or farmland, which over the decades has spurred the creation of an actively and rapidly growing farming sector which could be used to increase foreign trade with neighboring countries. In the northwest of the country is the Altius mountain range, which contains the tallest mountain in the country, Mount Alterra. The country is extremely well-connected thanks to extensive infrastructure projects during the late 1980s and the period around 2005, when the economy entered a recession, thus calling for the need for emergency projects to re-employ the workforce. Alterra is composed of five main provinces which are subdivided into twenty-five municipalities, each with its own level of government, namely the provincial and municipal governments respectively. History of Alterra On the 19th of February, 1920, the 25 representatives of the various tribes and municipal governments all over what will become the Commonwealth of Alterra signed the Treaty of Alterra, formally establishing the country we know today. From 1898 to 1918, the Alterran Collective Defense Coalition (ACDC) was the main governing body of the various tribes and governments, working on a common foreign policy and a defense force, in order to ensure the collective defense of the region. The ACDC (similar to the European Union but more defense inclined rather than economically inclined) is widely considered as the predecessor to the Commonwealth of Alterra. On June 19, 1918 and on October 9, 1918, communist extremists within the various states of the ACDC attempted to launch two joint uprisings against the governments of the ACDC, both of which failed and were put down by ACDC defense forces. However, the uprising made the governments realize that they were stronger together, as one country with one identity. This spurred the demand for and eventually created the Altius Conference, which took place from December 19, 1919 to February 19, 1920, where the various representatives discussed and eventually signed the Treaty of Alterra, unifying the provinces into one unified state with one government and one people. On December 5, 1920, the first Alterran presidential elections were held between the Democratic Party candidate Benjamin Alterra and the Labour Party candidate Maurice Williams. Alterra, then the founder of a small company named Alterra, won the election by a landslide and established what became known within the country as the Alterra Principle, which states:
"In order to ensure that the Government, People, and Nation of Alterra
grows into prosperity and wealth, without foreign intervention, invasion, or meddling, it should be dictated by this Nation's foreign policy that interactions and trade of any way or form be prohibited by the heads of every administration that shall follow mine for the foreseeable future, or until the atmosphere of the world changes for the better." - Benjamin Alterra to the Parliament of Alterra, March 14, 1921 The country's succeeding administrations, which usually rotated between the Labour and the Alterran Democratic Party, remained steadfast in their promises to follow and abide by the Alterra Principle, as dictated by the country's first President on the 14th of March, 1921. Economic growth during this isolationist period was slow but sure, with the economy growing at an average rate for over forty to fifty years. On December 5, 1988, Labour Party candidate Sofia Jane Williams secured a bare victory over the Alterran Democratic candidate. Unbeknownst to the country, Williams's presidency would change the country forever. Sofia Williams was born into a middle-class family in the nation's capital of Alterra in 1948. A minor recession in 1964 forced her to work during her high school years, where she experienced the hardships of the working-class in an old Alterra. In 1972 she established the Alterran Labour Union (ALU), which would eventually grow to become the nation's largest and most influential labour union. She campaigned for workers' rights and protection and held rallies to advocate and lobby for politicians to support the Labour Party agenda of making worker conditions better. In 1976 she joined the Labour Party and rose through the ranks rapidly, winning herself the presidential nomination for the Labour Party in the 1988 presidential elections. The Williams presidency is characterized as extremely liberal and reformist. President Williams enacted extremely liberal economic reforms, the establishment of the Alterran Stock Exchange (ASE) and the Federal Economic Bureau (IC equivalent of the Federal Reserve and the SEC combined), which regulates interest rates, the stock market, and is responsible for the Alterran Altair, the national currency. Williams also opened the country to foreign trade in a limited manner, effectively ending the nation's abiding by the Alterra Principle. Although she opened the country to foreign trade, President Williams was unable to pass legislation to open the country to foreign interaction and the removal of all barriers to foreign trade due to a Democratic-dominated Parliament. Thanks to her reforms, the Alterran economy boomed in what came to be called the Alterran Economic Boom. Over the next twenty-five or so years, the country remained silent on the world stage and had no significant events, aside from the 2005 stock market bubble crash, which triggered a minor recession that lasted for two and a half years. On December 5, 2020, Thomas "Tom" Anderson of the Democrats of Alterra Party (D) won a landslide victory in the 2020 presidential elections, beating Alterra Group CEO and Labour Party leader Joseph Alterra by over 2.1 million votes. Anderson had campaigned for the presidency on a platform of progressive inclusive politics, encouraging economic growth and civilian prosperity and security, and finally - the opening of the Commonwealth of Alterra to the world. On October 6, 2021, President Anderson passed the Executive Reformation Act, overhauling the provincial and municipal division of the country and replacing the Alterran Parliament with a stronger Federal Congress of Alterra, divided into the Federal Senate and the Federal Council. The act is intended to streamline the process of passing legislation through Alterra's legislature ahead of the October 8 vote on the ratification of the World Forum Grovne Conventions by the Commonwealth of Alterra.
Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Alterra
Incumbent Foreign Secretary - Charles Legrand
The Commonwealth of Alterra currently possesses embassies with the United States of Izaakia and the United Federated Empire of Techganet, and has maintained strong relations with both nations, going as far as signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Izaakia on September 22, 2021.
Demographics and Culture of the Commonwealth of Alterra
Demographics
Alterran demographic data shows that the nation is over 98% native, meaning 98% of all registered citizens are natives or locals of Alterra who's ancestors have lived on Alterran land for centuries. 1.2% of Alterrans have partial Kringalian ancestry while 0.8% have partial Karnetvorian ancestry. The Commonwealth of Alterra has been - since its founding - extremely inclusive of all races, religions and colors, resulting in the nation becoming a sort of migrant haven which welcomes the unfortunate and grants them a second shot at life. Culture of the Commonwealth of Alterra The Commonwealth of Alterra possesses a culture of modernism and a sense of community, with Alterrans being hospitable and kind people. The country celebrates Alterra day every February 19 to mark the signing of the Treaty of Alterra, which established the Commonwealth, and in 2020 the country celebrated its centennial anniversary, marking 100 years since the Commonwealth was established on February 19, 1920. Every October 9, Alterra celebrates Freedom Day, which marks the day a unified force of various communities and tribes who were previously separated but are now unified under the Alterran flag defeated an attempted communist uprising against the governments of the five provinces of Alterra.
Characters
1. Thomas "Tom" Anderson
Incumbent President of the Commonwealth of Alterra ![[Image: tom-daschle.jpg]](https://biodefensecommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/tom-daschle.jpg) Thomas "Tom" Anderson" is an Alterran politician currently serving as the incumbent President of the Commonwealth of Alterra. A member of the Democrats of Alterra (D) party, Anderson is a strong liberal progressive, supporting pro-worker and economic growth legislation. Anderson previously served as the Governor of the Altius Province from 2000 to 2016, a Senator in the Altius, now the Federal Senate, (upper house of the Alterran Parliament, now the Federal Congress) from 2016 to 2020, and now serves as the President of Alterra. 2. Laura Clarke Alterran economist and former Chief Finance Officer of the Alterra Corporation and incumbent Secretary of Trade and Economy and Vice President of Alterra ![[Image: 1uNKXv4p_400x400.jpg]](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1285922396449517569/1uNKXv4p_400x400.jpg) Laura Maria Clarke is an Alterran economist, politician, and a social democratic-leaning member of the Democrats of Alterra party (D). She previously served as the Alterra Corporation's Chief Finance Officer, the Deputy Director of the Federal Economic Bureau, and now serves as Alterra's Secretary of Trade and Economy and the Vice President of the Commonwealth. Clarke had minor experience in the diplomatic arena, having previously served as a deputy to the second Director of International Relations as his spokesperson and home representative. She is reportedly a protege of Sofia Jane Williams, a national icon and former president who was also an economist prior to her term as Alterra's President from 1998 to 1996. 3. Joseph Clyde Alterra Current head of the Alterran Labour Party's Secretariat and Dean of the Federal Council ![[Image: s8bbuUQ.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/s8bbuUQ.jpeg) Joseph Clyde Alterra is an Alterran businessman, politician, and billionaire who is the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Alterra Group - Alterra's largest conglomerate and corporation - and the leader of the social democratic Labour Party's Secretariat, making him the second most powerful individual in the party. Alterra is a renowned social democrat with centrist and conservative tendencies who supports the raising of minimum wage laws and making worker conditions and protection laws better and more all-inclusive. He previously served as Alterra Technologies's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and as the Governor of the Metropolitan Alterra Province. 4. Sofia Jane Williams Deputy Speaker of the Federal Council, Chairwoman of the Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, former President of Alterra ![[Image: zBNfCUT.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/zBNfCUT.jpeg) Sofia Jane Williams is an Alterran politician currently serving as the Deputy Speaker of the Federal Council on the Federal Council. A senior member of the Labour Party of Alterra, Williams is a national icon for her aggressive liberal economic and pro-worker policies which jumpstarted rapid Alterran economic growth and started the country on its journey to establishing foreign partnerships and trade agreements to further benefit and expand the nation's growth and prosperity. Williams lost the bid for the Labour Party presidential nomination to Joseph Alterra during the 2020 presidential elections. She previously served as President of the Commonwealth of Alterra from 1988 to 1996. 5. Noah Walker Former Alterra Corporation liaison for the Alterran Department of Defense, incumbent Secretary of Defense and Chief of the Defense Staff ![[Image: Robert-Mueller-testifying-Congress-July-24-2019.jpg]](https://cdn.britannica.com/w:400,h:300,c:crop/49/213249-050-30E385A5/Robert-Mueller-testifying-Congress-July-24-2019.jpg) Noah Williams Walker is an Alterran defense worker and former Alterra Corporation liaison who now serves as the Commonwealth of Alterra's Secretary of Defense and Chief of the Defense Staff. A strong pro-transparency and pro-militarization figure since his entry into the Defense Ministry in 2016, Walker partially disagrees with President Thomas Anderson's policy of keeping foreign militaries out of Alterra but was appointed by the President due to his extensive military background. Walker previously served as a colonel in the Alterran Army and as the spokesperson to the former Minister of Defense. 6. Charles Legrand Former Alterran Director of International Relations and incumbent Foreign Secretary ![[Image: 2021-09-04-Bruno-Le-Maire.jpeg]](https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/files/2021/09/2021-09-04-Bruno-Le-Maire.jpeg) Charles Legrand is an Alterran diplomat who served as the nation's third Director of International Relations, which is considered the predecessor position to the Foreign Secretary. Legrand's family is part-foreign, having moved to Alterra in the 1940s. A powerful and influential diplomat, Legrand was reportedly 'jubilant' when he was appointed by Alterran President Thomas Anderson to the position of Foreign Secretary. Legrand also previously served as Alterra's Director of Intelligence and Homeland Security. |
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