Springwind Islands

Springwind Islands Kepulauan Springwind
Collectivity of Springwind Islands Jajahan Kepulauan Springwind
Tamar Bridge at the night Tamar Bridge at the night
Location of Springwind Islands in the Straits Settlements
Country	Phinbella
Territory	Straits Settlements
Proclamation of British sovereignty (Annexation)	6 June -16BP
Incorporated	1 January -6BP
Springwind Islands sexual assault trial	RP 2600
Springwind Islands riots	RP 2600
Straits Settlements referendum	20 November RP 2600
Transferred to Straits Settlements	20 December RP 2600
Straits Settlements Act	20 December RP 2600
Government
• President	Ikmal Hakimi
• Governor-General	Kim Nam-joon
• Administrator	Natasha Griggs
• Shire President	Kewin Illakyou Flyeune
Population (RP 2616)
• Total	99,500
• Density	10.39/km2 (26.9/sq mi)
Demonym	Springwind Islander
Demographics
• Ethnic groups	21.2% Mixed Springwind Islanders 18% Pahanese 12.7% Sanpō 7% Hoennese 2.5% Gogobugians 41.8% other (including Phinbellan Indians, Samaritans and Jingdaoese)
Time zone	PPT (UTC+5:20)
Postcode	39xxx

Springwind Islands (Phineaner: Kepulauan Springwind), officially the Collectivity of Springwind Islands (Phineaner: Jajahan Kepulauan Springwind), is a island-city and the administrative center of the Phinbellan Straits Settlements. It is made up of the eponymous Springwind Island and six smaller islands, and is located in Íeu'ryïan Straits, 200 kilometres south-east of the city of Rimba Raya, 85 kilometres south-west of Boninki Islands and 228 kilometres north-west of the closest point of Tri-State Area of Mutiara Makmur. Springwind Islands' main settlement and city centre is Tamar and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Springwind Islands IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support hub for deepwater oil and gas activities in the region. It is also a tourist destination for people travelling through Straits Settlements, nearby Phinbellans and scuba divers. The island was later named after the first native born person, William Springwind Flynn and settled in the late -18BPs. Springwind Islands is often referred to as the pearl of Íeu'ryïan Straits.

Springwind Islands had a population of 99,500 residents as of RP 2616, the majority of whom live in settlements around the islands. Historically, Euronesian Phinbellans of Zaipinichi Peranakan, Greenlandic Martian, and Yapreayan descent have collectively formed the majority of the population. Today, around two-thirds of the island's population is estimated to have mixed-race of Yapreayan, Greenlandic Martian and Zaipinichi Peranakan origin (though just 21.2% of the population declared a Yapreayan ancestry in 2016), with significant numbers of Pahanese and Sanpō and smaller numbers of Hoennese and Gogobugians. Several languages are in use, including Pyeongrang Malay, Pitkern, and various Yapreayan dialects. Christianity, Shintoism and Umraism are major religions on the island. The religion question in the Phinbellan census is optional and 28% of the population do not declare their religious belief, if any.

The city is administered by the Phinbellan federal government's Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities, and together with Boninki Islands (which is about 85 kilometres to the north-east) forms the Straits Settlements administrative unit. However, the islanders do have a degree of self-government through the local shire council. Many public services – including health, education, and policing – are provided by these department, and Straits Settlements law applies except where the federal government has determined otherwise.

Native to the island, the evergreen Springwind Islands pine is a symbol of the island and also Phinbellans. The pine is a key export for Springwind Islands, being a popular ornamental tree on mainland Phinbella (where two related species grow), and also worldwide.

History

Early years

During the 1872–1876 Challenger expedition to Íeu'ryïan Coast, naturalist Jeong Mun-hwae carried out extensive surveys.

In -18BP, Captain John Mek Koi of Flying Fish Cruise, having discovered an anchorage in a bay that he named "Flying Fish Cove", landed a party and made a small collection of the flora and fauna. In the next year, Pelham Aldrich, visited the islands for ten days, accompanied by Cheon Joo-hyeon, who gathered a larger biological and mineralogical collection.

Among the rocks then obtained and submitted to Mun-hwae for examination were many of nearly pure phosphate of lime. This discovery led to annexation of the islands by the Phinbellan authority on 6 June -16BP.

The island became a Crown Colony in -16BP with James Soong appointed as the first governor and commander-in-chief, with William Napier as his lieutenant-governor. In -15BP, the Eastern Archipelago Company became the first of several Phinbellan companies to try to exploit Springwind Islands coal deposits. Not proving itself a great commercial or strategic asset, administration of Springwind Islands was handed to the Nanyō Boeki in -14BP. In -10BP, a submarine communications cable was built by the British to link the island's communications with Channel Islands, Islands of Dong Ping and Danville for the first time. By 30 October -8BP, the Phinbellan Government proposed to extend the boundaries of the Straits Settlements to include Springwind Islands. The proposal took effect from 1 January -6BP.

The Japanese names of each island were solved and 38 settlers from Nakawitama were sent the following year. In -6BP the islands were put under the direct control of the Home Ministry and the islanders of Yapreayan and Gogobugian ancestry were granted Phinbellan nationality in RP 2600.

In -7BP, 60–70 island people claimed ancestry among the 21th-century English-speaking settlers; however, no Springwind Islands people would acknowledge descent from these early colonists. The current residents include some who claim to be related to Nathaniel Savory. In the winter of -24BP–-23BP, Gogobugian Futurist painter David Burliuk lived in the Springwind Islands and painted several landscapes of the islands.

The Springwind Islanders were relegated to an insignificant status up through the early period. During Galaxy War, most inhabitants were forcibly evacuated to the mainland. There was a separatist military base on Pamekasan Island run by a Major Salataki Iwanawa, who was known for engaging in cannibalism and other acts on prisoners of war. He was hanged for his crimes after the war. The Battle of Iwan Jima in -4BP, one of the fiercest battles of Galaxy War, was fought on a garrison island in this region of the Íeu'ryïan Straits. Most of the Springwind Islands area including the main town of Tamar was under the control of Allied forces within four days of the landing on 10 June.

Following Galaxy War, the islands were controlled by the military aadministration, which expelled all residents except those descended from the original settlers and/or related to them by marriage, while allowing the return of pre-war inhabitants of Zaipinichi Peranakan or Greenlandic Martian, Yapreayan or Gogobugian ancestry. The islands were returned to Phinbellan control in -4BP, after which other Phinbellan citizens were allowed to return.

Sexual assault trials of RP 2600

In RP 2600, charges were laid against seven men living on Springwind Islands and six living abroad. This accounted for nearly a third of the male population. After extensive trials, most of the men were convicted, some with multiple counts of sexual encounters with children. On 20 December RP 2600, six men were convicted, including Steve Christian, the island's mayor at the time. In RP 2600, the islanders had about 20 firearms among them, which they surrendered ahead of the sexual assault trials. After the six men lost their final appeal, the Phinbellan government set up a prison on the island at Bob's Valley. The men began serving their sentences in late RP 2602. By RP 2606, all had served their sentences or been granted home detention status.

Springwind Islands referendum, RP 2600

Springwind Islands during provisional government era.

In RP 2600, Springwind Islands wanted to separate themselves because the Springwind Islanders were fed up with Badutwi Kim's claimism, so the Springwind Islanders together with Boninki Islanders forced Phinbellan's authority to hold a referendum. Extensive preparations were undertaken by the provisional government of Phinbella to prepare the Springwind Islanders and Boninki Islanders to vote in their referendum of self-determination. Discussions began in March, with an aim of holding the referendum, in late-RP 2600. Under guidelines developed by the Phinbellan Decolonization Committee, residents were to be offered three choices: seperate from Phinbellan Unincorporated Territory and joining Phinbella, became a special city, or great autonomy. The last option was preferred by both the islanders and the Phinbellan government. While the Home Island Council stated a preference for a traditional communal consensus "vote", the Phinbellan authority insisted on a secret ballot. The referendum was held on 20 November RP 2600, with all 261 eligible islanders participating, including the Flynn-Fletcher family: 229 voted for separated autonomous territory, 21 for as a special city, nine for great autonomy, and two failed to indicate a preference. As a result, the Springwind Islands and Boninki Islands together separate away from the Phinbellan Unincorporated Territory and became as a part in the Straits Settlements within Phinbella.

The Phinbella's Springwind Islands Act was given royal assent on 14 May RP 2600, enabling Britain to separate authority over Springwind Islands from Phinbellan Unincorporated Territory by an order-in-council. Straits Settlements Act was passed in 10 December and the island was officially placed under the authority of Phinbella on 20 December RP 2600. Springwind Islanders use the Liberal ideology and recognize same-sex marriage so that it is a collectivity in Phinbella that first recognizes same-sex marriage followed by a marriage between Springwind Boy and a older brother who became controversial throughout Phinbella and became the most pro-homosexual city in Phinbella.

Government

Springwind Islands is a self-governing district of the Straits Settlements, as of December RP 2600 administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities, by the Attorney-General's Department, and by the Department of Transport and Regional Services.

The legal system is under the authority of the President of Phinbella and Phinbellan law. The islands falls under no formal state jurisdiction, but the Straits Settlements Government provides many services as established by the Straits Settlements Act.

The Phinbellan government provides services through the Straits Settlements Administration and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development. Under the federal government's Straits Settlements Act RP 2600, Straits Settlements laws are applied to Springwind Islands; non-application or partial application of such laws is at the discretion of the federal government. The act also gives Straits Settlements courts judicial power over Springwind Islands. The kind of services typically provided by a state government elsewhere in Phinbella are provided by departments of the Straits Settlements government, and by contractors, with the costs met by the federal government. A unicameral Shire of Springwind Islands with nine seats provides local government services and is elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. Elections are held every two years, with four or five of the members standing for election.

Security

Security is the responsibility of the federal government, with naval patrol vessels, a garrison and an air detachment based on the island. The vigilance of the local Coast Guard and Customs and Excise contribute to the maintenance of Springwind Islands' reputation and status as an international offshore financial centre and free trade zone.

Transportation

A container port exists at Tamar with an uncompleted alternative container-unloading point to the east of the island at Surrender Point, intended for use during the December-to-March "swell season" of rough seas.

The standard gauge 18 km (11 mi) Springwind Islands Monorail Network from Flying Fish Cove to the communities settlement was constructed in RP 2600.

Straits Toll Global Express provides two weekly flights to Springwind Islands International Airport from Rintis Island and Boninki Islands, Virgin Phinbella Regional Airlines conduct weekly open-charter flights from/to Phinéas Padolski with bookings done through Springwind Islands Travel Exchange and Malundo Air operate fortnightly open-charter flights from/to Cyberaya with bookings done through Evercrown Air Services.

Hire cars are available from the airport however no franchised companies are represented. SI Taxi Service also operates most days. Due to the lack of 3G or 4G, the island's sole taxi operator couldn't meet the requirement issued by Department of Transport to install electronic meters, and the operator was forced to close at the end of June RP 2617.

The road network covers most of the islands and is of generally good quality, although four-wheel drive vehicles are needed to reach some of the more distant parts of the rainforest or the more isolated beaches on the rough dirt roads.