Port Balaine

Commonwealth of Port Balaine Alexandrian: Commonwealth du Port-Balaine
Flag [[File:|85px]] Coat of Arms
Motto: "In posterum cum felicitas" (la) "Into the future with good fortune"
Anthem:
[[File:]]
Map versions	tba–
Capital city	The Promenade
Largest bailiwick	Wells
Official languages	Istvanistani · Alexandrian
Ethnic groups	97.7% Balainish 2.3% Other
Religious affiliation	67.9% Albigensian 27.3% Irreligious 4.8% Other
Demonym	Balainish
Government	Unitary one-party dominant assembly-independent directorial republic
Council of Ministers	Jonah Scrivenor (Chief Minister) Clare Cockburn (Deputy Chief Minister) Randell Benton Monique Mac-an-Ghoill Jules McCrae
Assembly Speaker	Crawford Fairchild
Chief Justicar	Magdalen McRae
Legislature	Assembly of Keys
Formation (Norton)
Foundation date	c. 1100
Current regime date	1674
Admitted to the Micronational Cartography Society	TBA
Area
Total	19,956 km2 (7,705 sq mi)
Water	negligible
Population
1685 census	1,900,490
Density	95.2/km2 (246.7/sq mi)
Currency	Port Balaine sovereign (£) (PBP)
Time zone	CMT+0:10 (PBT)
Calendar	Norton Calendar
Date format	dd-MMM yyyy yyyy.mm.dd
Mains electricity	120 V–60 Hz
Driving side	left
Calling code	+17
Abbreviation	PBN
Internet TLD	.pb

Port Balaine (/pɔɹt baleɪn/ Port Bal-ayn; Alexandrian: Port-Balaine), officially the Commonwealth of Port Balaine, is an equatorial, island country on Micras, located in an archipelago at the southern end of Apollonia on the North Raynor Sea. It is an authoritarian one-party-dominant assembly-independent directorial republic.

Geography

Port Balaine consists of small archipelago of three islands in the North Raynor Sea. The smallest island, Herm, is home to the capital city, The Promenade. The middle island, but only somewhat larger than Herm, is the Island of St. Peter. The largest island, dwarfing both Herm and St. Peter combined by six times, is Wells.

Politics

Port Balaine is a one-party dominant system, with the Justice & Harmony Party being the super-majority party in the Assembly of Keys and holding all executive offices since 1674. Membership in Justice & Harmony is de facto required for significant government and political posts. Justice & Harmony is notable for its centrist political stance. The few left- and right-wing detractors in the commonwealth belong to the People's Action Party and New Balanish Party respectively, the only other parties represented in the Assembly of Keys.

Government

Judiciary

Port Balaine is administered by a unitary judiciary, hearing cases in both law and equity. The commonwealth follows a system of common law.

Four district courts of general jurisdiction manage most criminal and civil cases in the commonwealth: the District of The Promenade (D. Prom.), the District of St. Peter (D. St. P.), the District of Wellingdon (D. Wlldn.), and the District of Wells (D. Wells). Beneath the District of Wells, magistrate courts sit in many towns, as Wells consists of the much more populous and spread-out inhabitants of Wells, outside of Wellingdon.

The District of Specialties (D. Spec.) manages cases involving maritime law, intellectual property, claims against the government, and other specialty cases.

Two appellate courts manage appeals as of right in Port Balaine. The 1st Circuit Court of Errors & Appeals (1st Cir.) hears cases from The Promenade, St. Peter, and Specialties. The 2nd Circuit (2nd Cir.) hears cases from Wellingdon and Wells. The Supreme Judicial Court (S. J. Ct.) is the court of last resort, and only hears appeals of its own selection after petition from the appeals courts.

The judges of the magistrate and district courts and the justices of the appeals and supreme courts must all be licensed lawyers, since the abolition of lay judges in 1674.