Pontus
 | |
| Official language | English, Ancient Greek |
|---|---|
| Capital | Thalassapolis |
| Website | http://www.republicofpontus.net |
| Forum | http://forum.republicofpontus.net |
| Number of citizens | 6,700,000 |
| Date founded | November 2010 |
| Government | Federal democratic republic |
| Current leader | President John Rudd |
| Currency | Pontus Dollar ($) |
The Republic of Pontus is a democratic republic located on the eastern coast of Keltia. The republic was first recognised by the MCS in 2010 and re-established following internal reforms in December 2012. Pontus maintains a proud multicultural tradition, while maintaining strong links to its ancient history. Despite having undergone significant turmoil and upheaval in its recent history, a stable democratic tradition has now emerged since its transition from communist rule in the late 1990s.
Etymology
'Pontus' comes from the Classical Greek 'πόντος', meaning 'sea'.
History
Pontus's human history began in 350BC, when a group of Corinthian settlers, who had been driven out of their Sicilian settlement and displaced into the world of Micras, landed at the current site of Thalassapolis. Tensions between this settlement and neighbouring city-states sparked two vicious wars resulting in the defeat of Thalassapolis and a series of 'dark ages' where little history is recorded.
1551 marks the resumption of recorded human occupation of the area, when a group of monks from an island that was made of sourdough breadcrumbs and propped up with wood were forced from the island due to an unfortunate invasion by termites. They sailed from their rapidly shrinking island and landed at the site of Thalassapolis. They re-established a settlement closer to the sea, which is the present-day city of Thalassapolis. Subsequent exploration by the curious settlers resulted in the probable establishment of the inland city of Astolbia around the 1580s. These two cities were to form the foundations of the prosperous new nation, attracting migrants from all over Micras.
With the Kingdom of Pontus established in 1583, the nation economically prospered for many years. Despite some unrest during the early years of the Kingdom, such as the 1730 Peasant Uprising and the Great Plague, rapid immigration and fertile agricultural land provided many decades of boom times for the country's inhabitants. However, with two successive ineffective and unpopular kings in the 1850s, Pontus was plunged into a civil war between monarchists and republicans. After many years of fighting, republicans emerged victorious. This resulted in a split of the country, with the Duchy of Sardis continuing many monarchist traditions, and the Adhocracy of Pontus operating in the rest of the nation.
Following much infighting in the Adhocracy and the realisation that such a system (or lack thereof) was a stupid idea, the Free State of Pontus was proclaimed in December 1888. The signing of the Treaty of Serenity and Order between the Duchy of Sardis and the new Free State is considered to be one of the most important moments in modern Pontus history, with the two great statemen, Hugh Guo (prime minister of Sardis) and Thomas Manning (prime minister of Pontus), meeting and concluding the treaty by 1889.
Politics and government
The Prime Minister of Pontus is the head of government, currently Henry Colbert, and the President of Pontus acts as head of state, currently John Rudd.
President Rudd is a member of the Pontus Party for Change (PPC), which was elected in the December 2008 elections, beating the Pontus Progressive Party (PPP) by a considerable margin. They received 56% and 39% of the vote respectively, with minor parties and independents picking up the rest of the seats.
The legislature of the republic is the House of Representatives, with 150 seats, each seat representing 70,000 people. The House is led by a Speaker who acts as the moderator in the house.
Military
The Pontus Defence Force (PDF) consists of the Pontus Navy, Pontus Air Force and Pontus Army. The navy's main base is in the city of Thalassapolis, the largest city in Pontus.
Geography
The terrain of Pontus is mainly relatively flat, although there is a high mountain, Mount Esperance, which rises in the centre of the republic. The capital of Pontus before independence was Astolbia, which was located on its south-western slopes. The current capital, Thalassapolis, is located on the eastern coast of the country.
The two largest cities in the republic are Thalassapolis, with a population of around 2 million people, and Sardis on the northern coast, with around 400,000 people.
Pontus is currently divided into four states: Lydia, Meratium, Boorga and Kerbin. Each state has a regional capital city.
Infrastructure
Thalassapolis International Airport and Sardis International Airport are the two principal airports in Pontus, although there are many other smaller regional airports and airstrips, as well as separate air force bases for the Pontus Air Force. These airports are served by the many airlines that operate in Pontus.
