Antilles

  

"United Commonwealth of America" redirects here. For the history of the state prior to the Great Retreat, see United Commonwealth (1866–1921).

United Commonwealth of America Antilles
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: My Old Antilli' Home
Territory controlled by the United Commonwealth of America: Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Capital	Columbia City
Largest city	New Charleston
Official languages	English
Recognised regional languages	Spanish · French Creole · Taino
Ethnic groups (2020)	69% European 26% African 3% Aborigines 2% Other
Demonym(s)	Antillean-American
Government	Federal Constitutional Presidential Republic under a dominant party system
• President	Arian Lawrence (F)
• Vice President	Mitchell Vargas (F)
• Speaker of the House	Baron Avery (F)
• Chief Justice	William Granger
Legislature	National Assembly
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Establishment
• Spanish–American War	August 13, 1898
• Great Retreat	January 3–May 18, 1921
• Consolidation	November 1, 1950
Area
• Total	85,795 km2 (33,126 sq mi)
Population
• 2020 census	45,092,382
• Density	525.5/km2 (1,361.0/sq mi) (13th)
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	$2.1 trillion (15th)
• Per capita	$47,093 (28th)
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$2.1 trillion (7th)
• Per capita	$47,093 (16th)
Gini (2020)	98.7 very high
HDI (2020)	0.814 very high
Currency	Antillean dollar (HD)
Driving side	right
Internet TLD	.hsp

The Antilles  pronunciation  (Spanish: Antillas; French: Antilles; Haitian Creole: Zantiyalso), officially the United Commonwealth of America (UCA) is an island nation in the Caribbean archipelago occupying two of the Greater Antilles islands. Its territories encompass the entirety of Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It shares a maritime border with the Continental States. Hispaniola, considered the "main island", spans a total of 76,192-square-kilometre (29,418 sq mi), possessing five mountain ranges and a wide variety of climate and flora fauna. Columbia City is the capital and largest metropolitan area. Other major cities include New Charleston, Davis, Montgomery, Saint Johns, and Whiteport. With 45.2 million inhabitants, the Antilles is among the most densely population nations and is the sixth largest economy in North America and is the largest economy among nations based in the Caribbean.

The Taíno and Arawak settled the island around 1200 CE, with both being hypothesized to have originated from South America. Christopher Columbus landed on the island on December 6, 1492 at Môle-Saint-Nicolas marking the first European landing in the Americas. Spanish colonizers settled Saint Dominic (established as Santo Domingo) in 1946 and is the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas. During Spanish colonial rule hundreds of thousands of Tainos were enslaved to work in gold mines with many dying from disease, famine and mass killings. In 1503 the Spanish began importing African through the Atlantic slave trade, displacing much of the islands remaining native populace.Enriquillo lead an unsuccessful uprising which was put down by Columbus. The first successful revolution occurred on the island in 1791 when the Haitian Revolution was successful in the removal of the French colonial government. After the revolution the native Haitians lead a genocide of the French in the 1804 Haitian massacre, which significantly strained Haitian relations with global powers. After a period of independence the Spanish reoccupied the islands. American control was established as a concession for the Spanish–American War.

The Continental Revolutionary War in 1917 forced the expulsion of the Federalists from the American mainland, known as the "Great Retreat". in which several millions of Federalist-aligned Americans fled to the islands. During the resettlement of nearly 2.8 million Americans the government began a process of Anglicization. In the 1960s the Antilles entered into a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization that continued until the 2010s. From the settlement of Antilles by Federalists exiles to the death of President Amelia Abarough in 1983, the Antilles was ruled under a one party military dictatorship, with a state of martial law existing for nearly seven decades. Following Abarough's death, the islands would experience a period of democratization resulting in the elections of 1984 being the first free elections held since the Antilles was established. From 1984 to the present day, the Antilles would made great strides in connecting with the outside world and to avoid isolation. In the present day, the Antilles is a partially recognized state and is an observer state of the League of Nations and the Conference of American States. While the Antilles has made significant imporvements, controversies still remain with international observers criticizing the country's election and conscription laws, the tying of military service to voting, ideological quotas within the military, and issues of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and a true representative government remaining prominent obstacles to formal recognition as a sovereign state. Modern political analysts have described the Antilles as a hybrid regime and democratization is viewed by insiders and outsiders as an ongoing process.

Classified as a laissez-faire free-market economy, the Antilles maintains the largest free port in North America. With a considerable presence in financial services, manufacturing and creative industries, the country is regarded as having a diversified economy, having transitioned away from its dependence on the primary sector. It is the 7th largest economy owning its success from the capital flight during the revolution. It is one of the two developed countries in the Caribbean, ranking 16th in GDP per capita and has a GDP total of $2.1 trillion. The nation has consistently ranked highly in ease of doing business index and has one of the lowest corporate taxes in the world. Columbia City is a major site of tourism, gambling, it also serves as a major port for cruise lines. Because of the country’s total lack of regulations, safety standards and a minimum wage, it is a popular “flag of convenience”, which has been a point of contention with the global community, as well as severe economic inequality. It status as a tax haven has also drawn criticism as the nation is a popular site for the illicit practice of money laundering

Etymology

The word Antilles originated in the period before the European colonization of the Americas, Antilia being one of those mysterious lands which figured on the medieval charts, sometimes as an archipelago, sometimes as continuous land of greater or lesser extent, its location fluctuating in mid-ocean between the Canary Islands and India.

After the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus's expedition in what was later called the West Indies, the European powers realized that the dispersed lands constituted an extensive archipelago inhabiting the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The Antilles were called multiple names before their current name became the norm. Early Spanish visitors called them the Windward Islands (today having a narrower definition). They were also called the Forward Islands by 18th-century British.

Before the end of the Continental Revolutionary War, the Antilles was referred to as the American Antilles, a unorganized territory and settler colony, while the nation as a whole was referred to as the United Commonwealth of America. The name would first appear in the second draft of the 1868 Constitution of the United Commonwealth of America, written by Schuyler Colfax and greatly influenced by Ulysses S. Grant. The term "United Commonwealth" was a reference the transition of the former United States from a federation of states to one united nation. Unofficially, it is also a reference to the consolidation of federal power, with the rights of states being curtailed in favor of a powerful federal government. The terms Columbia, Hispaniola, and New America are also used to describe the Antilles.

The Antilles participates in most international forums as the American Antilles, as apart of a compromise with the mainland United Commonwealth of Continental States and to avoid disputes and confusion amongst the international community. The Antilles is referred to as the American Antilles most notably in the Olympic Games and the World Trade Organization. After negotiation with international mediators in 2015, the Antilles also goes by the American Antilles in the World Health Organization.

History

Main articles: History of the Antilles and History of the United Commonwealth of America (1866-1921)

Pre-Columbian era (1200-1493)

Main articles: Taíno and Arawak

The Pomier Caves are a series of 55 caves located north of Davis. They contain the largest collection of 2,000-year-old rock art in the Caribbean, primarily made by the Taíno people, but also the Carib people and the Igneri.

Settled across the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, the Taíno and Arawak tribes were the largest and dominant tribes in the Antilles. Both tribes are said to originate from northern South America, primarily in the Venezuela region of the modern-day United Peoples Committees. Historical records show that the tribes arrived on the island of Hispaniola around 1200 CE, while arriving in Cuba around the same tme. Unlike the centralized empires of the Aztecs and Incas, the pre-Columbian society of the islands were divided into a number of smaller kingdoms, generally ruled by a Cacique By 1492, when the island was discovered by Christopher Columbus, there were a total of five different kingdoms in Hispaniola, including: the Xaragua, Higuey (Caizcimu), Magua (Huhabo), Ciguayos (Cayabo or Maguana), and Marien (Bainoa) and 29 chiefdoms in Cuba. During this time period, a number of distinct Taíno languages existed, usually linguistically separating the different kingdoms and societies on the island. Though the exact number is unknown, through genetic and archeological tracing it is accepted the the Taíno population ranged from the thousands to 700,000 by the time of the arrival of Christopher Columbus and his explorers.

Throughout the different nations on the island, Taíno traditions and culture remained similar. A Taíno home was constructed with woven straw and palm leaves, and were generally circular. Taíno beds were also made using palm leaves, but the use of a fashioned Hammack was a prevalent alternative. Leaders of Taíno kingdoms generally lived in rectangular buildings in order to differentiate themselves from their subjects, a trait shared with other Taíno tribes that settled across the Caribbean. In terms of religion, the Taíno people adhered to a polytheistic faith centered around gods known as Zemí. Religious adherence was highly encouraged in society, with many praying to the Zemí gods for good fortune. Many Taíno also relied on priests and medicine men to consult with the gods. The Zemí faith largely disappeared after the colonization of the islands by settlers, but saw a minor resurgence during the "Down Times", the period after the devastating Spanish-American War. However, the Zemí resurgence was crushed by the United Commonwealth of America, as apart of the islands' process of anglicization.

In terms of food, the Taíno relied on meat and fish as a primary source of protein. A common food source was the islands' abundant source of small animals, including rats, snakes, ducks, bats, and turtles, which were all periodically hunted by groups of Taíno men. Like other Amerindian societies, the Taíno also relied on agriculture as a primary source of food. Unique to Hispaniola, the Taíno raised crops in a conuco, which is a large mound packed with leaves and fixed crops to prevent erosion. Notable agricultural goods included: cassava, maize, squash, beans, peppers, peanuts, cotton, and tobacco. With a strong reliance on fishing, many Taínos settled along the coasts of the island. In order to fish and travel by sea, the Taíno employed the use of canoes. Taíno canoes were able to fit an upwards of 100 people. These canoes were also used as war vessels, with the Taíno people coming into regular conflict with the Carib people. Taíno fishing parties typically carried a armament of bows and arrows with poisioned tips, while also carrying war clubs for close combat fighting. However, their conflict was exclusively fought on the sea, with both tribes never conducting a documented land invasion.

Colonization of the Antilles (1493–1865)

Main articles: Voyages of Christopher Columbus, History of the Antilles § Spainish and French rule, and History of the Antilles § American occupation

The Landing of Columbus, a depiction of landing of Columbus in Hispaniola.

The Haitian Revolution saw the establishment of the First Empire of Haiti.

Spanish forces invading the town of Port-au-Prince, later known as Whiteport.

Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Antilles in December of 1492, landing in the modern-day city of New Montpelier on the island of Hispaniola. While landing, Columbus and the European explorers were greeted by the native Taino people, who offered a number of gifts to the outsiders, including gold. Inspired by their lavish golds, Columbus planned to explore more inland for the valuable resource, but was forced to abandon his inland exploration after his flagship, the Santa María, was accidently beached on the shores of Hispaniola, forcing the maiden expedition into the Americas back to Spain. Before leaving, Columbus ordered the construction of a fortified outpost, known as La Navidad or the "Christmas Fort", leaving around thirty crewmen to man the station and await for his return. Columbus returned to La Navidad in 1493, but was met with an abandoned fort. While it is unknown what happened to the explorers stationed at the fort, it is assumed that disagreements with the native population resulted in conflict. With La Navidad destroyed, Columbus took the 1,300 settlers originally planned to settle the ill-fated fort east, eventually landing north of the Isabella River, establishing the settlement of La Isabela in 1493. Although La Navidad is considered the first European settlement in the Americas, La Isabela was the first permanently populated European settlement in the Americas.

With the settlement of La Isabela, the Colonization of the Antilles officially began. Columbus went onto discover Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, claiming all three islands and Hispaniola as a part of the newly-founded Spanish colonial empire. Beginning the early 1500s, the islands that consist of the modern-day Antilles was colonized by Spanish settlers. The native populations on the islands were decimated by European colonists, either through biological means, such as the spread of infectious diseases, or through military conquest. Native islanders were also caputed and forced into slave labor, serving on the growing sugarcane and tobacco plantations. Overall, it is reported that over 90% of the islands' native population succumbed to the effects of early colonization. Internationally, the mass death of indigenous Americans all around North and South America has been recognized as a genocide, however the government of the Antilles has declined to recognize it as such, which as been a point of contention in modern national politics.

The Colonial Antilles was governed under a variety of different colonial governments. From 1492 to 1535, Colonial Antilles was governed under the Spanish West Indies. From 1535 to 1821, the West Indies were governed as a province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The Spanish governed the entirety of the island of Hispaniola until 1625, when the western portion of the island was ceded to France as apart of the Treaty of Ryswick. With the rapid decline of native labor, the use of African slave labor became commonplace in the Colonial Antilles. The first reported that the usage of African slavery began in 1523, though is has been concluded that African slave labor could have been used earlier to a lesser extent. The large plantations in Cuba and Hispaniola were heavily reliant on slave labor, specially in French Hispaniola, where it was reported that enslaved Africans outnumbered French colonists 10 to 1. In the Spanish Antilles, the Casta' system was employed by colonial authorities to discriminate against Amerindians and Africans, and also to maintain blood purity amongst Spanish colonists. By the start of the eighteenth century, over TBD people lived in the Antilles, primarily Spanish-born Antilleans and enslaved Africans.

Opposition to increasingly oppressive colonial rule was enhanced by the American and French revolutions. The ideals of the French revolutionaries inspired the Haitian Revolution in French Hispaniola from 1791 to 1805, where the enslaved African majority rebelled against the ruling French minority, resulting in genocide and the creation of the first Haitian state. The dissolution of New Spain and widespread revolutions against Spanish colonial rule in Latin America allowed for the creation of the Republic of Spanish Haiti in Spanish Hispaniola, which was modeled after the revolutionary states of Simon Bolivar in South America. By 1825, what remained of the Spanish colonial empire in the Americas was Cuba and Puerto Rico.

In 1822, the island of Hispaniola was united under a single government after Haiti forcibly occupied Spanish Haiti, forming the Republic of Haiti. However, this unified Hispaniola was far from stable, and rebellions against Haitian rule resulted in the independence of the First Dominican Republic in 1844 and the establishment of the Second Empire of Haiti in 1849. From 1805 to 1861, the nations of Hispaniola were protected by the United States under the Monroe Doctrine. In 1861, Spain invaded the island of Hispaniola, defeating a combined force of Haitian and Dominican forces and re-established colonial authority. The Spanish invasion was unopposed as the United States was embroiled in civil war, and the re-establishment of long-term Spanish colonial rule was confirmed with the collapse of the United States during the War of Contingency.

American Antilles (1898-1917)

Main articles: History of the United Commonwealth of America (1866–1921), Spanish–American War, and American Antilles

Frederick Wheeler (left) and David McCluskey (right) served as the two territorial governors of the Antilles. Wheeler served from 1899 to 1911 while McCluskey served from 1911 to 1921.

The Battle of Fort-Liberté was one of the most devestating battles to take place during the Spanish–American War.

Allied victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba ensured the eventual takeover of the island.

While the Antilles were under Spanish control, the United Commonwealth of America was established in 1866 on the American Mainland following the collapse of the government of the United States and the start of the War of Contingency. The War of Contingency ended with the signing of the Treaty of Salinas, which forced the United Commonwealth to recognize the secessionist territories of Superior, the Northeast Union, Florida, and Acadiana as sovereign and independent nations. With a quarter of its territory lost, the United Commonwealth suffered economic and political turmoil during the 1870s, which allowed various European powers to re-establish colonial footholds in the Americas without contention. In the case of the Antilles, this resulted in the re-establishment of Spanish colonial authority in the Caribbean Sea and the revival of the Council of the Indies.

Tensions between the United Commonwealth and Spain began rapidly escalating during the 1880s, after the United Commonwealth had officially returned to the global stage after reuniting with the remnants of the neo-Confederate state established after the War of Contingency. Relations between the two powers were already tense since the War of Contingency, as Spain had intervened in the war and established the Kingdom of Florida, a puppet state consisting of the former state of Florida. Tensions between the two powers were also exacerbated by the Federalist Party through the absolute control of the government, who recognized Florida and the Spanish Antilles as apart of the American sphere of influence and wanted to distract from increasing economic hardships and oppression within the nation. The general negative attitude towards Spain expressed by the United Commonwealth was shared with other Anglo-American nations, most notably the Kingdom of Sierra, which had ongoing disputes with the Spanish regarding their territory in the Pacific Ocean.

In 1898, the HMBS Brazos, a Brazorian battleship, was destroyed in the Havana Harbor. While at the time, the reasoning for the destruction of the ship was unknown (and would later be determined to have been most likely an accident in contemporary times), the governments of the United Commonwealth, Brazoria, and the Kingdom of Sierra had used the sinking of the ship as proof of Spanish aggression in the Americas and as pretext for war. On April 21, 1898, Brazoria declared war on Spain and was following by the United Commonwealth, the Kingdom of Sierra, and the Northeast Union days later, beginning the Spanish–American War. Immediately after the declaration of war, the Spanish Antilles and Florida were placed under a naval blockade by the United Commonwealth Navy, and a combined force of Brazoria, Northeastern, and American fleets easily destroyed the numerically and technologically disadvantaged Spanish Navy, allowing for almost immediate invasions of Cuba and Hispaniola. The defending Spanish forces, who were already overwhelmed by cases of yellow fevor and increasing pro-American insurgencies, were no match for the combined Anglo-American armies which captured key points across the Antilles despite strong and deadly resistance from the defenders. By August of 1898, the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola were firmly under the control of the coalition, and defeats in the Pacific by the Kingdom of Sierra pushed for the Spanish surrender.

The Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898, forced Spain to relinquish their colonial possession to the Anglo-American nations and recognize the independence of Florida, which had switch sides during the war. Initially, the United Commonwealth had planned to acquire all Spanish territory in the Americas, including Florida, the Antilles, and various other island territories. However, fears that such an increase in territory would inspire potential invasions by the United Commonwealth prompted the allies to negotiate territory splitting with the U.C. prior to the signing of the treaty. After intense negotiating, the United Commonwealth agreed to take possession of only the Antillean islands (which included Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) and recognize an independent Florida in exchange for a payment of $30 million and exclusive political and economic influence in the Caribbean.

The American Antilles Act, passed by the National Assembly on January 2, 1899, organized the newly-acquired Antillean possessions into the American Antilles. There was considerable opposition to the annexation of the Antilles leading up to the American Antilles Act, primarily from Southern politicians, who opposed the entrance of territories with large non-White and Catholic populations, while some Cuban officials opposed annexation and instead supported the establishment of an independent Antillean, or at the very least Cuban, republic. Despite these opponents, it was always the intent of the federal government to annex the Antilles as territories and eventually admit the islands as commonwealths, the Federalist majorities in both chambers of the National Assembly ensured that intent was upheld.

The American Antilles was governed by a territorial government, which was led by a governor appointed by the National Assembly. The first governor was the American Antilles was Frederick Wheeler, a general in the United Commonwealth Army who had led American forces to victory in the devestating Battle of Fort-Liberté. On April 21, 1901, approximately three years after the Spanish-American War, the National Assembly passed the Antilles Settlement Act, which established a federally-funded colonial outreach program, which aimed to encourage greater American settlement in the Antilles. The program, known as the Antillean Colonial Project, primarily focused on the settlement of Hispaniola, as the island had available land following resettlement by Spain. Settlement to Hispaniola was also encouraged by the Antillean Colonial Project because it was believed by federal officials that the devastation in Hispaniola caused by Spanish colonialism and the Spanish–American War would allow for an easy transition to American and Anglo-American oriented culture with little resistance from the native Haitians and Dominicans. It was under this belief that white applicants, primarily those of Anglo-Saxon descent, were prioritized over other applicants.

Continental revolution and retreat(1917–1921)

Main articles: Continental Revolutionary War and Retreat of the government of the United Commonwealth to the Antilles

See also: List of notable artifacts from the United Commonwealth relocated to the Antilles

Martial Period (1921–1950)

Main article: History of the Antilles § Martial period and the Hispaniolan Anarchy

Abarough Period and Presidential absolutism (1950–1983)

Main articles: June 16 incident, Presidency of Amelia Abarough, and Presidential Absolutism in the Antilles

Democratization (1983–present)

Main article: 1983 Antillean Constitutional Convention

Geography

Main article: Geography of the Antilles

The Antilles contains the largest (Cuba) and second-largest (Hispaniola) islands in the Caribbean Sea. Cuba itself is the seventeenth largest island in the world, with an area of 110,860 squared kilometers (42,803 sq mi). From Hispaniola, Jamaica lies 190 km (118 mi) to the southwest separated by the Jamaica Channel and the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands lie to the north. Through Cuba, the Antilles lies 150 km (93 miles) south of the United Commonwealth, specifically the Strait of Augustina. The Antilles is completely surrounded by the Caribbean Sea...

Climate

Main article: Climate of the Antilles

Government and politics

Main articles: Politics of the Antilles, Government of the Antilles, and Political status of the Antilles

Arian Lawrence President	Mitchell Vargas Vice President	Bradley Gallagher Secretary of State

The government of the United Commonwealth of America is founded on the premise of a more centralized alteration to the United States, which it see itself as the successor to. Guided by the Federalist Principles, the Constitution of the United Commonwealth states that the republic shall be established on the premise of "liberty, prosperity and protection". The nation is currently composed of 4 provisional states (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands), which are further divided into parishes. Officially, the 18 former states that are currently under the control of the Continental States are recognized as apart of the Antilles. The government is divided into three branches, the National Assembly, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court of the United Commonwealth.

The Presidential Palace is the seat of the executive branch and residence of the President of the United Commonwealth of America.

From the establishment of the government-in-exile in 1920 to 1983, the islands of Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands were under the direct control of President Amelia Abarough and the Executive Council, who used the authority vested in the 1917 Martial Act to rule over a one party military dictatorship. During this time, the three islands were considered "special territories" of the United Commonwealth and were placed under the authority of the federal government rather than a local state government. Following Great War I and the June 16th incident of 1950, Abrough would begin to reform the government of the United Commonwealth-in-exile, shifting from reconquest of the mainland to permanent residence on the islands. After Abrough's death in 1983, under the pressure of its western allies, a constitutional convention would held in the same year, leading the creation of the current Constitution.

The President of the United Commonwealth of America and their Executive Council compose the executive branch of the federal government. The president is the executive head of state of the Antilles, and in turn the United Commonwealth, and is the commander-in-chief of the United Commonwealth Armed Forces. The powers of the president are described in the Constitution. The Vice President is the deputy of the president, and holds ceremonial powers as the head of government. The Executive Council of the United Commonwealth is the president's cabinet of ministers, and is composed of each head of the six federal departments. Despite the implementation of a new democratic constitution, the president has retained a number of executive privileges granted by the 1917 Martial Act along side prescribed powers in the Constitution. These privileges, known as "Presidential absolutism", make the executive the most powerful branch in the federal government.

The National Assembly of the United Commonwealth composes the legislative branch of the federal government. The National Assembly is composed of two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives. In total, the National Assembly is composed of 272 members, with the Senate designated 36 and the House of Representatives 198. Along the Supreme Court, the National Assembly would be rendered inactive after the passage of the 1917 Martial Act and would remain as such all throughout the Abarough period. The powers and functions of the National Assembly would be restored after the implementation of the 1983 Constitution. Despite democratization, the House of Representatives is the only chamber that is elected fully by the Antillean electorate, with only eight seats in the Senate (the seats representing the four provisional states) being elected, with the remaining thirty seats, whose occupants are referred to as senators-in-absentia, being appointed by the president. This is due to the fact that the Constitution continues to recognize the 18 states under the Continental States as apart of the union, the president is granted emergency powers to appoint representatives as they are unable to be elected.

The Supreme Court is the judicial organ of the Antillean government. Like the National Assembly, the Supreme Court remained inactive during the Abarough period, as the Constitution was suspended by the 1917 Martial Act, but was reinstated to its previous state following the implementation of the 1983 Constitution. The Supreme Court is comprised of nine members, known as Associate Justices, who are selected and appointed by the president with senatorial consent. The Supreme Court is tasked to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United Commonwealth, and is expected to perform a series of checks and balances in order to keep a balance between the branches. Due to the Senate's undemocratic majority, the confirmation of Supreme Court justices through the upper legislative chamber have been a point of controversy.

Administrative divisions

The Antilles, and in turn the United Commonwealth of America, is a federation comprised of four provisional commonwealths, which are further divided in into parishes. There are a total of four provisional commonwealths in the Antilles: [[Cuba], Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Provisional commonwealths are similar to fully-fledged states in that they have their own state governments, which include legislative, judicial, and executive branches. However, they differ from fully-fledged states as they do not have a state constitution, meaning that any acts of legislation passed in provisional commonwealth legislatures, any ruling made by supreme courts, and orders enacted by governors are entirely provisional, meaning that they could be altered by the federal government and ignored by parish governments. This has long been a point of contention in Antillean politics since 1983, as provisional commonwealths can be entirely ineffective in governing. Provisional commonwealths are entitled representation in the United Commonwealth Senate and seats from provisional commonwealths are the only seats elected to the chamber.

With that, parish governments are viewed as more politically significant than provisional commonwealth governments, as they are properly established by parish charters and are protected by the Constitution. There are a total of 28 parishes in the Antilles, and are considered sub-divisions of their respective provisional commonwealth. Cuba and Hispaniola are the only provisional commonwealths with more than one parish, with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands being apart of one single parish (Prince and Charlotte respectively). Like provisional commonwealths, each parish is entitled to their own local government, led by a parish executive, or in the case of Abarough, Hamilton, and Heyward a parish judge. Due to the provisional status of the commonwealths, the drawing of congressional districts is tasked and the election of electors to the Electoral Congregation is tasked to parish governments.

In accordance with its claim to the American Mainland, the United Commonwealth of America recognizes the nineteen states of the pre-revolutionary United Commonwealth as administrative divisions occupied by "domestic insurgents". Along with that, the United Commonwealth of America also recognizes the six former states that made the Northeast Union (now the Congregationalist States). The United Commonwealth of America has not controlled or governed nineteen of these claimed states since 1921, and the remaining eight since 1866, when they seceded after the War of Contingency. These recognized territories are entitled to representation to the United Commonwealth Senate, as they are viewed as active states within the nation. However, since the United Commonwealth of America does not actively govern these states, elections cannot be held and as such representatives are appointed to the chamber by the President through emergency powers entrusted by the Constitution, another point of contention in Antillean politics.

Capitol Buildings of the Provisional Commonwealths

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  Capitol Building of the Provisional Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, located in Saint Johns.

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  Capitol Building of the Provisional Commonwealth of Hispaniola, located in Davis.

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  Capitol Building of the Provisional Commonwealth of the Virgin Islands, located in Charlotte

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  Capitol Building of the Provisional Commonwealth of Cuba, located in New Charleston

Provisional Commonwealths of America

Provisional Commonwealth of Hispaniola

Provisional Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Provisional Commonwealth of the Virgin Islands

Provisional Commonwealth of Cuba

Parishes of Hispaniola

Abarough Braxton Butler Clemenceau Columbia Davis Franklin

Hamiliton Harrison Hood Jefferson Lee Madison Pickett

Stonewall Tyler Wallace Washington

Parishes of Cuba

Adams Espinoza Heyward Jackson New Charleston Van Buren Marshall Henderson

Foreign relations

Consulate Row in Columbia City, where most embassies of countries that recognize the UCA are located.

The Antilles Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the Kingdom of Sierra, the most notable of the AECOs.

Prior to the Continental Revolutionary War, the United Commonwealth of America received widespread international recognition and maintained relations with most sovereign countries. As the legal successor state of the United States, the United Commonwealth of America maintained the Monroe Doctrine and had enforced it a number of times.

Following the Continental Revolutionary War and Federalist retreat to the Antilles, most countries maintained relations with the United Commonwealth of America and continued to recognize the Federalist government as the rightful and legal governing body of the American Mainland. However, international recognition of the United Commonwealth of America gradually switched to the mainland United Commonwealth of Continental States during the Cold War and by the 1960s the Continental States was recognized by a majority of the world as the rightful government of the American Mainland.

In accordance with its One American policy, the UCCS refuses to engage in diplomatic relations with countries that recognize the UCA as a sovereign country, disputed territory, or the rightful government of America. As a result, ten sovereign nations, including the Sovereign Patriarchate of Avignon, recognize the Antilles as an independent nation and maintained embassies within the islands. The UCA maintains unofficial relations with countries that recognize the Continental States through Antilles Economic and Cultural Representative Offices. AECROs are classified as Antillean "commercial entities" and provided diplomatic and consular support.

The Kingdom of Sierra remains one of the primary supporters of the United Commonwealth of America. While Sierra recognized the Continental States in TBD, the country has continued to provide economic and limited support to the Antilles. Sierran defense contractors, both private (such as Albion) and public (such as TBD), have been major suppliers to the United Commonwealth Armed Forces. According to internal reports in 2020, a total of 70% active service equipment in the United Commonwealth Air Force was supplied by Sierran defense contractors. Sierran support for the United Commonwealth of America has been a major hamper in the relations between the kingdom and the Continental States, which considers Sierran involvement in the Cross-Sea conflict as a violation of its territorial sovereignty and integrity. Along with Sierra, the Northern Treaty Organization is also viewed as a primary supporter of the Antilles, along with Brazil.

Post-democratization presidential administrations have pushed for greater international recognition of the Antilles through involvement in geopolitical affairs. In 2016, the United Commonwealth Expeditionary Force was re-established to allow Antillean limited involvement in international conflicts, most notably the Syrian Civil War. Along with that, the presidential administration of William Abarough pushed for Antillean membership in the Conference of American States and the Northern Treaty Organization, though the UCA has yet to official join either of those organizations. Increasing Antillean involvement in the geopolitical scene has seen negative reactions in the Continental States, with politicians on the mainland increasingly pushing for a solution to the Cross-Sea conflict, whether it be re-unification or military invasion.

Military

Main articles: United Commonwealth Armed Forces, United Commonwealth Department of the Army, United Commonwealth Department of the Navy, and United Commonwealth Department of the Air Force

Nearly 70% of the United Commonwealth Air Force fighter jet fleet is comprised of Sierra developed McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle's.

The United Commonwealth Navy maintains one aircraft carrier and a fleet of MV-22 Osprey which are deployed as quick response units for internal and external threats.

The United Commonwealth Armed Forces also known more commonly as the Antillean Armed Forces, is lead by the President and appoints leaders to each branch of the military: the Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of the Air Force. Each secretary is responsible for their branch, and answer directly to the president. The United Commonwealth Armed Forces has the largest budget in the Antilles, and is considered the islands' largest employer. In 2019, it was reported that 594,093 personnel were in active service, with an armed reserve of over one million.

The United Commonwealth Armed Forces was officially formed in 1866 with the creation of the United Commonwealth of America and is viewed as a direct successor to the United State Armed Forces and the Continental Army of George Washington. Prior to the Continental Revolutionary War, the UC Armed Forces engaged in some conflicts, most commonly interventions in neighboring South American countries. The Spanish–American War was the largest military engagement of the pre-revolution armed forces, in which American forces successfully invaded the Spanish Antilles islands and removed the last colonial holdings in the New World.

During the Continental Revolutionary War, a majority of the United Commonwealth Armed Forces remained loyal to the Federalist government and fought against the Continental Revolutionary Army on several different fronts across the mainland. With the fall of Chicago in 1920 and the collapse of the northern front, the United Commonwealth Army defended the southern states through the Appalachia Line while the United Commonwealth Navy evacuated loyal civilians to the Antilles. Much of the United Commonwealth Armed Forces evacuated the mainland during the Great Retreat, though some had surrendered to the Continentalists.

From 1921 to 1985, military service was a requirement for all Antillean citizens through a mandatory draft, with all able body men required to serve at least ten years in the military. In 1985, through executive action by President Eric Abarough, the mandatory draft would be suspended, with military service becoming voluntary. However, from 1983 to 2000, voting suffrage in federal elections could only be received through three years of military service though now federal suffrage is a constitutional and universal right. Through basic training, loyalty to the Constitution and the nation, along with hatred towards Landonism and Continentalism, are highly promoted in the United Commonwealth Armed Forces; this has led to accusations of indoctrination within the Antillean armed forces by international observers. From 1921 to 1960, the primary mission of the armed forces was the eventual re-taking of the mainland United Commonwealth through Operation Delaware Crossing. As the military of the Continental States had grown exponentially stronger during Great War II and the Cold War, Operation Delaware Crossing has been abandoned in favor of defense of the islands since the 1960s.

The Antillean government spent $TBD billion on its military in 2019, at TBD% of the GDP the rate was the highest in the world. Due to the position the Antilles is in, a majority of weaponry and equipment used by the United Commonwealth Armed Forces are purchased from the nation's larger allies, most notably the Kingdom of Sierra through the Antilles Relations Act of 19XX. Other countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Superior have also sold military weapons to the Antilles, though that had entirely stopped by the early 2000s through Continental pressure and agreements for de-escalation. Defense spending plays a major role in the wider society than countries around the world. It assists in investments regarding the sciences and technology, with nearly two thirds of Antillean research and development budget comes from the United Commonwealth Armed Forces.

Since 2016, relations have being deteriorating at an increasing rate. While de-escalation on the part of the Continental States has been pursued since the election of Daniel Muir in 2020, efforts for de-escaltion have been hampered by the 2021–23 Caribbean diplomatic crisis, increased military exercises in the region, and jingoistic rhetoric from politicians in both countries. While many countries have offered limited economic and political support, the defense of the Antilles from potential Continental invasion is not guaranteed by most of its categorized allies. The Antilles Relations Act in the Kingdom of Sierra does not guarantee support for a potential invasion, though on multiple occasions Sierran leaders have warned of "severe repercussions" if the Continental States invaded the Antilles. If the Kingdom of Sierra does intervene in a hypothetical Continental invasion of the Antilles, then it could be assumed that Sierran allies in the Northern Treaty Organization may also intervene in support of the Antilles, potentially causing a third Great War.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Antilles

Education

Main article: Education in the Antilles

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Antilles

Race and ethnicity

Main article: Race and ethnicity in the Antilles

Languages

Main article: Languages of the Antilles

Religion

Main article: Religion in the Antilles

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Antilles

See also

• Political status of the Antilles
• American Mainland
• American unification
• United Commonwealth (1866–1921)

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