Sainte Genevieve

Sainte Genevieve is an island nation in the North Sea, about half-way between the northeast coast of Scotland and the southwest corner of Norway. Once a former British subject, Sainte Genevieve has been a parliamentary republic since its independence in 1949. Rossport is its capital and largest city.

Preshistory
Recovered artifacts have shown that human settlements on Sainte Genevieve were first established between 600 and 150 BC. The first written mention of the island was from a series of visits by Norsemen beginning in approximately 424 AD. In these records, the word most frequently used to describe the island was "þorp," an Old Norse word meaning "small settlement" or "village." In addition to Norsemen, Swedes and Danes also visited the island, and several groups of them stayed behind to live. The last recorded Norse visit to the island was in 770 AD, and anthropologists have estimated that the island's population reached 5,000 by 800 AD.

Though a society thrived on the island during the Middle Ages, the entire island was deserted when Scots landed there in 1224. What happened to the inhabitants remains a mystery to this day. The explanation that most historians agree upon is that a series of harsh winters, an illness or a famine affected the island, and those who survived left to Norway or Scotland. That there are no records describing these supposed events is not alarming, since the 350-year period when Norsemen visited the island has only produced six surviving accounts. The unexplained disappearance of an entire society has played a major part in the development in Sainte Genevieve's folk history.

"Discovery" and Early Settlement
It is presumed that the island remained uninhabited, or inhabited by only a few people, for the next few centuries. The island was "rediscovered" over 300 years later, when a ship carrying forty-two French traders sailed into what is now Rossport Harbour seeking shelter from a winter storm. They landed on the island's shores on 3rd January 1560, and remained there until 23rd April. In their records, they referred to the island as L'Île de Sainte-Genevieve, after the Patron Saint of Paris whose feast day falls on 3rd January. Despite French presence on the island lasting only three months, the name they bestowed upon it has remained.

Formal colonisation of Sainte Genevieve began on 20 May 1632, when the English ship Patience arrived in Rossport Harbor. With 30 men, 34 women, 19 children and a crew of 26, Patience carried mostly Roman Catholics fleeing persecution in England. Thomas Walker (1595-1654), the leader of the first colonists, established the first permanent settlement on Sainte Genevieve in four centuries, and named it Catherine Town, after his wife who had passed away from fever on the journey. Patience made eight additional trips from England to Sainte Genevieve between 1634 and 1645, and the population of Catherine Town grew to over 700 by 1650. The settlement steadily grew during its first six decades, but a poor harvest season and harsh winter of 1693-1694 devastated the island. Over half of Catherine Town's thousand inhabitants perished during the winter, and most of the survivors returned to England. By June 1695, only 114 people remained.

Between 1695 and 1709, the island was largely used as a stopping point for ships crossing the North Sea, and it supported only a small population during this time. Large-scale settlement began in July 1709, when three ships arrived almost on the same day, two sailing from Liverpool and the third sailing from Aberdeen. The three ships landed in present-day Rossport Harbour within 36 hours of each other, to the great surprise of the small population in the settlement. It was then that the area was given its name "Rossport," after the captain of one of the English ships.

Growing Colony
The devastating famine that nearly destroyed the Irish economy resulted in a boost to that of Sainte Genevieve. Between 1840 and 1900, the island was flooded with immigrants from Ireland.

In 1907, Sainte Genevieve was granted home rule, and the Commonwealth Council was established in Rossport.

World War II
After having literally been in the middle of fighting during the first World War, Sainte Genevieve leaders grew increasingly anxious about the building conflict between Nazi Germany and the rest of Europe. Beginning in July 1939, British Navy officers were stationed on the island, mostly in Rossport and Dungannon. After Great Britain declared war on Germany in September 1939, thousands of local young men left the island to enlist. During an emergency session called on 4 September, the Commonwealth Council expressed its worry in a resolution directed to the British Crown. Britain pledged to defend the island, and increased the number of troops assigned there.

The occupations of Norway and Denmark on 9 April 1940 led to a minor panic on the streets of Rossport. Between 26 April and 2 May, approximately half of British troops on Sainte Genevieve were reassigned to other posts. Commonwealth Councilors accused the British of reneging on their promise to defend the island by leaving it more vulnerable than ever with Nazi-occupied Norway just 200 miles away. Because of this, public distrust of Great Britain rose from approximately 28% in June 1939 to 64% one year later, according to polls conducted by the Sainte Genevieve Independent. On 30 June, the Nazis invaded and occupied Jersey and Guernsey, two British possessions in the English Channel. Four days later, nearly all remaining British soldiers were withdrawn from Sainte Genevieve, driving an even deeper wedge between Rossport and Westminster.

Though Hitler had planned to invade and occupy the island on three occasions (twice in 1940 and once in 1941), none of these ever came to fruition. This does not mean Sainte Genevieve was outside the fighting, however. At 2:15pm on 6 September 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed Rossport harbor, killing 18 people and wounding 93 more. Similar strikes occurred once more in Rossport (3 Oct 1940; 2 dead, 15 injured), and twice in Dungannon (18 Nov 1940 and 2 Mar 1941; combined 6 dead, 33 injured).

Living under a constant threat of Nazi invasion had a profound effect on the collective Sainte Genevieve psyche. It instilled in many a durable fear of scarcity, which led to a widespread habit of frugality, especially with food. It also educated a generation of Genevievans on proper nutrition. The adversity strengthened and further defined Sainte Genevieve's national identity. During the war years, public opinion toward the British Government and the Crown took a sharp downward turn. Many felt that Britain had abandoned the island and left its people at the mercy of the Nazis. This sentiment was a major factor in the fight for independence that would play out over the next several years. The shared hardship of the war years also set the stage for the social welfare policies of the post-War governments.

Sainte Genevieve in Century 21
In his customary New Year's Day speech in 2001, then-President Christoper St. Bernard put forth his proposal for Sainte Genevieve's "Objectives for the First Decade of Millennium Three." Among the objectives were to reduce old age poverty and dependence on non-renewable energy in the country. Though it was welcomed by the people and by Parliament, President St. Bernard eventually became the subject of criticism for not working to accomplish the objectives he set. National Party MP Leonard Judge in particular criticized the President for making such lofty goals when the expiration of his term as Head of State was approaching.

In summer 2001, the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Great Britain led the State Council to restrict food imports and visiting Britons from entering the country. Though this decision gained considerable media attention in both countries during July and August, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States shifted public interest away from the issue, and the restriction was quietly repealed in December 2001.

President
See Also: President of Sainte Genevieve

The President serves as Head of State of the country. While this is largely a ceremonial role, certain important executive duties are afforded the President. The President is elected by the people to a six-year term, which may only be renewed once. Elections take place in March or April of every sixth year, and the new President is sworn in on 1st June. The President's official residence is the Áras an Uachtaráin (an Irish term meaning "House of the President") in Rossport.

Seven people have served as President. Most recently, Margaret O'Hanlon was elected to her first term in 2003. Ms. O'Hanlon is Sainte Genevieve's first female President, and also its first President to be unmarried during her administration.

Parliament
See Also: Parliament of Sainte Genevieve, 15th Parliament of Sainte Genevieve

The Parliament of Sainte Genevieve is the country's unicameral legislature, comprised of 50 members. The structure and procedures of Parliament are outlined in Sections 3 and 4 of the Constitution. Article 31 of the Constitution states that MPs are elected by Single Transferrable Vote to five-year terms. Each constituency returns between three and five MPs, and there can be no greater than seventeen constituencies.

Parliament is led by an elected Speaker. Although he or she is nearly always a high-ranking member of the ruling political party, the position of speaker is non-partisan. To insulate the Speaker from retribution by his or her constituency, he or she is automatically reelected into the next Parliament if he or she wishes, though not necessarily in the position of Speaker. The Speaker typically refrains from debate, instead serving as a moderator, and the Speaker may only vote on legislation in case of a tie.

If Parliament withdraws its support of the current State Council with a resolution of no-confidence, the Prime Minister has thity days to either resign or convince the President to dissolve Parliament. The Prime Minister may request the President dissolve Parliament, though the President may refuse. If the President refuses to dissolve Parliament, a new State Council must form within thirty days. Should Parliament be unable to form a new State Council, it shall be dissolved immediately.

Government
See Also: State Council of Sainte Genevieve

The Government of Sainte Genevieve is called the State Council. The President oversees the State Council, though the true head of government is the Prime Minister. Pending consent of Parliament, the President appoints, discharges, and determines the number of ministers in the State Council.

Members of Parliament in Opposition also form a "Shadow State Council," in which minority MPs function as unofficial ministers of the Opposition.

Political Parties
Sainte Genevieve has five major political parties currently represented in Parliament, as well as several smaller parties which operate at a local level.

Secular Republic
See Also: Secular Republic Movement, Roman Catholicism in Sainte Genevieve

Sainte Genevieve's most infamous political organization is the Secular Republic, or SR Movement. As its name suggests, the SR seeks to end the status of the Roman Catholic Church as the country's official church, and to reform (or in some cases, eliminate altogether) Section Six of the Sainte Genevieve Constitution. The SR was founded in 1980 after Parliament failed to pass a resolution to amend Article 62, which establishes the Church's current status. It was registered as an official political party on 26th June 1983. The political goal of the SR is not unique; other mainstream political parties have supported such a change. What sets the SR apart is its willingness to eliminate the constitutional status of the Catholic Church by extralegal means, if necessary.

Though the SR originated as a civic organization, it has expanded into a more imposing political body in recent years. In 1995, Marcus Hightower became the leader of the SR, and membership increased by 230% during his first ten years in that position. It was during these ten years that the SR began to use intimidation and political bullying in efforts to accomplish its objective. The SR's status as a political party was revoked in 1999.

Administrative Divisions
The country has a two-tier structure of local government, the upper of which consists of six county councils and three city councils. The three cities, Dungannon, Farset and Rossport function as county equivalents, and are administered separately from the counties that surround them. The county and city councils are responsible for the primary and secondary schools inside their borders, as well as certain medical facilities, parks, etc. Prior to the Law Enforcement Consolidation Act 2001, each county and city had its own patrol division of the national police service. After the Act went into effect, however, the nine divisions were consolidated into five. County councils who share patrol divisions with their neighbors now elect independent police commissions for administrative purposes.

The lower level consists of town councils, usually made up of three to twelve elected members. Though not governmentally independent from the counties, the town councils do exercise authority over smaller matters such as local road maintenance, waste management, and library facilities. In less-populated areas, neighboring towns often pool resources to create borough councils. Though one municipal corporation may exist in a borough, towns retain their respective identities.

Military
Sainte Genevieve is protected by a small, but well-equipped military. Originally, Sainte Genevieve's army and navy were two distinct entities, but were merged into the Sainte Genevieve Unified Armed Forces (SGUAF) in 1987. The 2,700 men and women serving in the armed forces are trained at the Commonwealth Military Academy, a faculty of Sainte Genevieve University. Military service is voluntary and open to any Sainte Genevieve citizen of good character who is at least twenty years of age.

Though Sainte Genevieve prefers to keep itself out of international conflict, the SGUAF has been present in a number of international aid missions in the past half-century. Most recently, approximately 120 officers and personnel were dispatched to Croatia during the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s.

Economy
For most of its existence, the staple of Sainte Genevieve's economy has been agriculture. The island slopes downward from north to south, giving crops more sunlight than they would otherwise receive at such a northern latitude. Sainte Genevieve remained a sparsely-populated, agrarian economy until the 1850s, when the large influx of Irish immigrants led to the development of urban areas. By the turn of the twentieth century, the towns of Rossport, Dungannon and Farset had grown too large to administer as towns, and the Commonwealth Council conferred city status upon them in 1910 with the consent of the British Crown.

Today, Sainte Genevieve's economy is largely service-oriented, though the rural lifestyle thrives outside the major urban areas.

Currency
The currency used in Sainte Genevieve is the Sainte Genevieve Pound, often abbreviated £ or SG£ to distinguish it from the British Pound Sterling. The Sainte Genevieve Pound was one of the last European currencies to decimalize, following the passage of the Currency Reform Act 2004, which went into effect on 1 January 2007.

Demographics
Sainte Genevieve's 2004 census reported a resident population of 407,890. This is a small increase over the 1999 result of 404,223. Sainte Genevieve suffered from large-scale emigration from approximately 1925 to 1960, and has only recently seen its population grow. The majority (68%) of Sainte Genevieve residents reported being of Irish ancestry. The complete breakdown of responses is as follows:
 * Irish: 68.22%
 * Scottish: 9.67%
 * British (English/Welsh): 5.51%
 * Nordic/Scandinavian (Icelandic/Norwegian/Danish/Swedish): 5.35%
 * French: 3.88%


 * Other/None/Not Given: 5.57%

Approximately 16.6% of people in Sainte Genevieve are below the age of 18, and 16.5% are over age 65.

Religion
Over four-fifths (82.4%) of Sainte Genevieve residents are Roman Catholic, and the Roman Catholic Church is the State Church in the country, as outlined by Article 62 of the Constitution. Freedom of religion is a guaranteed right in Articles 63 and 64, however. The remaining Sainte Genevieve residents are mostly members of other Christian religions. Less than 1% are members of non-Christian religions, and less than 3% did not declare membership in any religion.

Language
English is the official language in the country, and is spoken by 99% of the population. According to the 2004 census, approximately 40 languages are spoken by Sainte Genevieve residents, almost exclusively as second languages. Besides English, the most spoken language is Irish, followed by Scottish Gaelic, Norwegian and French.

The Immigration Reform Act 1993 requires, among other things, any adult wishing to establish residency in Sainte Genevieve to prove the ability to read, write, speak and understand English. From 1993 to 2001, an applicant was required to submit a writing sample and sit before a panel of adjudicators. Since 2001, a multi-section exam is administered to applicants, consisting of reading and writing sections and multiple interviews. In 2004, the Office of Naturalisation and Immigration adopted the Interagency Language Roundtable, or ILR, scale to determine English proficiency. Successful applicants must possess knowledge of English equivalent to ILR Level III, and may be described as follows:
 * able to speak English with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social and professional topics,
 * can to discuss particular interests and special fiends of competence with reasonable ease,
 * has comprehension which is quite complete for a normal rate of speech,
 * has a general vocabulary which is broad enough that he or she rarely has to grope for a word, and
 * has an accent which may be obviously foreign, but has a good control of grammar, and whose errors virtually never interfere with understanding and rarely disturb the native speaker.

Some politicians have criticised the requirements as extraordinarily difficult to meet, though the Ministry of Justice insisted that it would be irresponsible to allow people entry without ensuring they had the skills to be successful members of society.

Education
See Also: Education in Sainte Genevieve

Education in the Commonwealth is divided into four levels: Primary, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and Tertiary. School-age children must be enrolled in school by the 1st of September after their sixth birthdays, though the Ministry of Education and Social Services recommends that children attend one to two years of preparatory education before beginning school.

Pupils enter Primary level (1-5, or occasionally P1-P5) the autumn following their sixth birthdays, and remain in primary for five years. Instruction in maths, natural sciences, English language, English grammar, reading skills, music, art and social sciences are mandatory in all primary schools. Some schools also have foreign language classes (most commonly French and Irish), and Catholic schools offer religious education. Beginning with the 2008-2009 academic year, technology education will be required curriculum. Most primary schools are gender-mixed, and follow the traditional September-May schedule. At the end of the fifth year of primary, pupils are required to sit for a competency exam. Promotion into the lower secondary level is contingent upon successful completion of this exam.

Lower Secondary level (6-8, or L1-L3) beings in September following a pupil's eleventh birthday, and lasts three years. In addition to the traditional selection of required classes, pupils complete coursework in the mandatory ICE (Industry and Career Education) program, which is designed to introduce them gradually to a variety of technical and career-oriented skill sets. In most schools, lower secondary level pupils may select elective classes which interest them. Foreign language education is mandatory in lower secondary level, with the most popular languages being Irish, French and Norwegian. Schools operated by the Catholic Church hold the Rite of Confirmation during the final year of lower secondary. While all pupils enrolled in Catholic schools must complete the coursework required for Confirmation, participation in the Rite itself is at the discretion of the parents.

Following successful completion of a second competency exam, pupils begin the Upper Secondary level (9-12, or S1-S4) soon after their fourteenth birthdays. It is in this level that pupils traditionally take on the title of student. The four-year upper secondary level actually consists of two separate programs: one for university-bound students, and the other for students planning on careers, military, police, or institute study after completion. A large portion of upper secondary's first year is determining which students will follow each program. This is accomplished by individual, group and family counseling sessions, aptitude tests, and exposure to the various options available to students. Students must declare their intent by the end of the first year. Students electing to pursue University Preparation Program attend courses tailored to prepare them for the University entrance exam, such as trigonometry, world history and geography, chemistry, biology, physics and economics, among others. Students not preparing for university are given hands-on training in various career paths in addition to their regular studies. Regardless of program, all students take a final competency exam. These include the University Entrance (UE) Exam, Compulsory Education Completion (CEC) Exam, Military Academy Admissions (MAA) Exam, Institute of Criminal Justice (ICJ) Exam, and Institute Entrance (IE) Exam. Successful completion of any of these entitles the student to a Certificate of Educational Achievement, and a host of additional rights and privileges that accompany it.

Education is compulsory through the end of the upper secondary level. Sainte Genevieve has two universities: the Sainte Genevieve University in Rossport and North Sea Catholic University in Dungannon. A network of technical training institutes also teach tertiary-level study. A large number of Sainte Genevieve students attend tertiary institutions in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Culture
Culture in the Sainte Genevieve has been shaped by centuries of English, Irish, Scottish and Nordic influence.

Literature
Most historical Genevievan literature emphasizes the supremacy of nature, and particularly the sea, over man. The first book published on Sainte Genevieve soil was One Loss by Michael Stone in 1780.

The most internationally famous Genevievan writer is Charles St. John (1877-1936). Best known for his collections of short stories, St. John's first and most popular novel The Fox is taught in university literature classes throughout Western Europe and North America.

Poetry
A poetic style endemic to Sainte Genevieve is the Eighty-One. Eighty-Ones are poems with nine lines, each line with nine syllables. The poems are usually read quickly, and are often found in primary and secondary school readers. Although historically short poems, a recent trend is to write Eighty-Ones containing nine stanzas, each with nine lines with nine-syllables. Although no official name has been given to this new construction, it is informally referred to as a "Seven-Two-Nine" or a "Cubic."

Music
Popular music thrives in the country, and many British and American musical acts have also found success in Sainte Genevieve.

The folk music scene in Sainte Genevieve is largely built on the Celtic musical traditions of the Scots and Irish. The musical instrument most prominently featured in local folk music is the fiddle.

A unique annual event in the country is the Young Musicians Competition, in which young composers perform their works of music in a televised contest. Held every year since 1989, the competition has become one of Sainte Genevieve's most popular cultural events. Winners of the competition have often gone on to further their study at some of the world's most prestigious music schools. Others have found success as recording and performing artists in Europe and beyond.

Media
Sainte Genevieve has one state-sponsored broadcast network, RTSG, which operates two television channels and three radio channels. Three newspapers also circulate in the country: Sainte Genevieve Independent, Rossport Times and Dungannon Daily News.

International Relations
Sainte Genevieve is the only former British subject to retain the title of Commonwealth after transitioning to a Republican form of government. The country is not a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and the Sovereign of the United Kingdom does not serve as head of state.

European Union
The opportunity for Sainte Genevieve to enter the European Union has been presented to the people by referendum twice, and to the Parliament once. In 1982, the Parliament voted 44-5 to remain outside the European Community due to Parliament's desire to remain outside Cold War politics. In 1995, after the collapse of the Iron Curtain, the people voted 74%-26% to halt Sainte Genevieve's accession process. Parliament agreed not to raise the issue again for at least five years. In 2002, accession was again blocked, though by a much more modest margin of 63%-37%. In more recent years, proponents of European integration have gained additional support amongst the population, though widespread euro-skepticism remains.

A 2007 poll conducted by RTSG news showed most Sainte Genevieve citizens oppose EU membership, much like its neighbors Iceland and Norway.

United Kingdom
Sainte Genevieve's final years as a colony were marked with distrust and cynicism toward the British Government, stemming largely from the way Genevievans perceive they were treated during World War II. Since gaining independence, however, Sainte Genevieve has enjoyed warm relations with the United Kingdom for most of the last half-century. In 1954, President Thomas O'Riordan invited Queen Elizabeth II to visit Sainte Genevieve, though the newly-coronated Queen was forced to decline due to previous engagements. Relations between the two countries strained due the election of Séan Donovan to the office of President in 1967. Donovan, a Sainte Genevieve-born Irishman, expressed sympathy toward Irish Republicans on numerous occasions during his political career. During his twelve years as President, Donovan strengthened the ties between Sainte Genevieve and Ireland, which many in Britain took as an insult.

Since the mid-1980s, the United Kingdom and Sainte Genevieve have returned to a much more cordial relationship. Occasional disputes over sea-rights provoke political debate and sometime heated dialogue between Rossport and Westminster, however. Sainte Genevieve vehemently opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, in which the UK played a major role.

United States
Though diplomatic relations between Sainte Genevieve and the United States have existed since 1950, the two countries are not particularly close. Winston Churchill's use of the term "special relationship" to describe Anglo-American relations sparked a great deal of criticism, and even parody among members of Sainte Genevieve's Parliament.

Ireland
As stated above, Sainte Genevieve and Ireland have consistently enjoyed a friendly relationship. In the 1840s and 1850s, during the Great Famine in Ireland, large numbers of Irish emigrated to Sainte Genevieve via Great Britain. Sainte Genevieve, which was still a sparsely-populated, agricultural colony at the time, benefited greatly from the influx in workers and families. The countries frequently participate in international exchanges, and the most popular destination for Sainte Genevieve's students studying in other countries is Ireland. In 1996, RTSG news used surveys and census data to estimate that 77% of the people in Sainte Genevieve had at least one Irish grandparent, and 58% had at least two.