Spanish Islands

Spanish Islands
Flag of Flag Coat of arms of Coat of arms
Motto: "All of us, one."
Anthem: "Spanish Islands the Great."
File:Location of the Spanish Islands.png
Capital	Ciudad Costera
Official languages	English
Recognised national languages	Spanish, Portuguese
Demonym(s)	Spanillian
Government	Constitutional monarchy
• King	Arturo Estranda
• Prime Minister	Curro MartÍ
Independence
• From Spain	14 June 1870
• Kingdom established	25 December 1899
Currency	Spanillian Peso (SIP)
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The Spanish Islands, officially the Kingdom of the Spanish Islands (Spanish: El Reino de las Islas Españolas; Portuguese: O Reino das Ilhas Espanholas) is a small island nation in the south Caribbean. It is primarily inhabited by Spanish speaking people. This Kingdom is ruled by King Arturo Estranda. The islands are located Southwest of Cuba.

History

Main article: History of the Spanish Islands

Cuban History

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the island was inhabited by Native American peoples known as the Taíno and Ciboney whose ancestors migrated from the mainland of North, Central and South America several centuries earlier. The Taíno were farmers and the Ciboney were farmers and hunter-gatherers; some have suggested that copper trade was significant and mainland artifacts have been found. On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed near what is now Baracoa, claimed the island for the new Kingdom of Spain, and named Isla Juana after Juan, Prince of Asturias. In 1511 the first Spanish settlement was founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar at Baracoa; other towns soon followed including the future capital, San Cristobal de la Habana founded in 1515. The Spanish enslaved the approximately 100,000 indigenous people who resisted conversion to Christianity, setting them primarily to the task of searching for gold, and within a century European infectious diseases had virtually wiped out the indigenous people.

Spanish Islands

Christoper Columbus, together with Cuba, found these small islands to the Southwest on October 15 1492, and claimed them for the Kingdom of Spain. The Taíno and Ciboney also inhabited most of these islands. He named them Islas Españolas because of his personal interest in these islands. The first Spanish settlement was founded by Adulfo Raimondi in 1515 on the main island, other settlements also rose from the ground, including the coastal settlement (capital) of what is now Ciudad Costera, in 1516. The Spanish here did the same as in Cuba, enslaved indigenous people, and converted them to Christianity.

The Spanish Islands remained a Spanish possession for almost 400 years (1511–1870), with an economy based on plantations agriculture, mining and the export of sugar, coffee and tobacco to Europe and later to North America. The work was done primarily by African slaves brought to the island. The small land-owning elite of Spanish settlers held social and economic power, supported by a population of Spaniards born on the islands, other Europeans, and African-descended slaves. In the 1820s, when the rest of Spain's empire in Latin America rebelled and formed independent states, Cuba and the Spanish Islands remained loyal, although there was some agitation for independence. This loyalty was due partly to Cuban and Spanillian settlers' dependence on Spain for trade, protection from pirates, protection against a slave rebellion and partly because they feared the rising power of the United States more than they disliked Spanish rule.

Later, independence became a motive for a Spanillian, Richardo Estrada. He led a rebellion parallel to the one in Cuba in 1868 and forced most of the Kingdom of Spain's military and political presence off the islands. For the next year a conflict was fought between the Spanillians and the Spanish Government. In 1870, however, interest in the islands was lost, and the Kingdom of Spain signed the islands away to the rising new government. 29 years later, the then-established provisional government formed a kingdom, and renamed the islands, El Reino de las Españolas Islas. The family of Richardo Estranda, remains the ruling power until this day; however a Prime Minister is elected. The first king of the Spanish Islands was Richardo Esteranda, thereafter his daughter took the throne, Maria Estranda.

Government and politics

Main article: Government of the Spanish Islands

File:King Sarracino 1.png

King Arturo Estranda

The Spanish Islands is a monarchy, the ruling of the nation will stay in the Estranda family. However, the Prime Minister takes on most roles as head of government. The current king is Arturo Estranda. The Prime Minister is elected by the population and sits at the right hand of the king. All the members of the cabinet are appointed by the king on the advice of the Prime Minister.

The King, however serves a largely ceremonial role. The Spanish Islands's current Constitution was drafted in 1962 by a joint committee of the Spanish Islands legislature. The Parliament of the Spanish Islands is bicameral, consisting of the Council of Mayors (Lower House) and the National Assembly (Upper House). Members of the Council of Mayors are directly elected by their corresponding towns or cities. On 3 September 2007, Curro MartÍ was voted in as Prime Minister after achieving a 33 - 27 victory over his opposition in the 2007 Spanillian general election.

Law

The justice system in the Spanish Islands works pretty much the same as any other country. Manslaughter is punishable by a prison sentence if the court finds the accused guilty on specific accounts. Or the court can demand a sum of 1,000,000 SP from the accused per death, this can be paid over a term of 1 year. In cases of murder, the accused usually gets the choice of imprisonment or the death-penalty, however, if found not-guilty on certain charges, the accused may pay a price of up to 100,000,000 SP over the course of their entire lives with house arrest.

Crimes

Crimes against people Murder: Direct murder: Life in prison or death-penalty on the accused's request Fine: 100,000,000 SP with house arrest Manslaughter Fine: 1,000,000 SP Manslaughter Term: 3-5 years Assault: Physical assault: 3 years in prison or demanded price to the victim Sexual violation: death-penalty or life in prison Emotional harm: Driven to complete loss of sanity: Demanded price to victim, or 2 years community service Driven to commit suicide: 3 years community service or demanded price to family Threats: 1 year community service or 6 months in prison Theft or arson: Theft: 2 years in prison or price demanded by victim Arson without death: 1 year in prison Arson with death: life in prison or death-penalty on accused's request Recklessness: Involving damage to property: Price demanded by victim Involving injury: Price demanded by victim Involving death: 5 years in prison Plain recklessness: 2,000 SP fine Trespassing Involving threats/vandalism: Price demanded by victim or 6 months in prison Involving only trespassing: 6 months community service Negligence: Not involving death: 2 years in prison or price demanded by victims Involving death: 5 years in prison

Crimes against justice Obstruction of justice: Helping a felon escape: 2 year in prison Major infraction: 2 years in prison Minor infraction: 800,000 SP fine or 1 year community service Malfeasance in office: 1 year of community service or 6 months in prison 120,000 SP fine Issue as severe as a typical felony: 2 years in prison Perjury: 4 months of community service or 6 year in prison 12,000 SP fine

Foreign Relations

The foreign relations of the Spanish Islands.

Washingtonia

The Spanish Islands and Washingtonia share a good relationship both diplomatically and in trade. The Spanish Islands has an embassy in Foundersville and Washingtonia has an embassy in Ciudad Costera. The Spanillians also have a large consulate in Dandridge, while Washingtonia has none other than the embassy in the Spanish Islands. The Ambassador to Washingtonia is Telo Asprilla and the Ambassador from Washingtonia is Arthur Roy.

Geography

File:Map of the Bay of New Spain.png

The Bay of New Spain

The Spanish Islands is made up of five islands, with fifteen bays altogether, some forming natural harbors. Gran Isla Española is the country's largest island by both population and size. The Bay of New Spain is the country's largest bay, with the second largest harbor at Ciudad Costera. Most of the shorelines are made up of beaches, however a medium percentage of it is made up of cliffs and rocks. The Spanish Islands is located in the GMT-5 timezone together with Cuba.

Climate

The tropical climate rules most of the Spanish Islands, most of the times it is warm, but at nights and regularly in the winter you may experience the cold. The Kingdom is located in the Caribbean's Hurricane Belt, and therefore experiences hurricane damage, such as in the 2004 Hurricane Katrina, the islands also took a great hit.

Provinces/islands

Main article: Administrative divisions of the Spanish Islands

Gran Isla Española

File:Map of the Spanish Islands.png

Map of the Spanish Islands

Gran Isla Española is the main island of the Spanish Island, and also the largest. It is the center most island in the country. This island hosts the Grandes Montañas Estranda mountains. The capital city of the Spanish Islands, Ciudad Costera, is also located here, on the southern part of the island. The island has the biggest number of farms in the entire nation.

El norte de la isla de

El norte de la isla de is the northernmost island of the Spanish Islands, it is also the smallest. The provincial capital is Ciudad junio. The island houses the county's only space-port, which is still under construction. Here is where Christopher Columbus first arrived when he discovered the islands.

Isla de la República

Isla de la República is the name of the north-eastern island of the Spanish Islands. This is the second largest island in the entire country. The provincial capital,, Centro de la Ciudad de, is the country's largest and most populace city. Some of the first defensive forts were constructed on this island.

El sur de la isla de

El sur de la isla de is the name of the southernmost island of the Spanish Islands. The island does not have any mountains or high-elevation, only small hills. The island is also home to the nation's wine industry. The provincial capital is a small town called Ville del Reino.

Occident al de la tierra

Occident al de la tierra is the north-western island of the Spanish Islands. It is the only island that is uninhabited by civilians. The military's main base is located here. There is no provincial capital, because the base acts as the islands center hub.

Culture

Religion

Religion is not fixed in the Spanish Islands, it is every person's own decision who to worship, however, the official religion is, and has been for centuries, Protestantism. The majority of Spanillian are Protestant, the religion demographics are as follows:

• 85% Protestant
• 10% Atheist
• 3% Catholic
• 2% Other

The majority of Protestants came from the days when the Spanish Islands were founded. The same as in any other country, Spanillians don't attend regular religions services, but it is however mandatory for every citizen to register a newborn child at their designated religion, and that child should serve at least 1 year's time (not at once, normally) in their place of worship in their entire lives.

Language

The majority of Spanillians speak Spanish. The language demographics are as follows:

• 56% Spanish
• 13% Portuguese
• 20% English
• 11% Other

Cuisine

Spanillian cuisine consists of a great variety of dishes which stem from differences in culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep Mediterranean roots, which traditionally came from the Kingdom of Spain days. The Spanish Islands's extensive history with many cultural influences has led to a unique cuisine. In particular, three main divisions are easily identified:

• Coastal Spanish Islands – all such coastal regions: heavy use of seafood, such as pescaíto frito. Several cold soups like gazpacho and also many rice-based dishes like paella and arroz negro.
• Inner Spanish Islands – the inner parts of the Spanish Islands: hot, thick soups such as the bread and garlic-based Castilian soup, along with substantious stews such as cocido madrileño. Food is traditionally conserved by salting, like Spanish ham, or immersed in olive oil, like Manchego cheese.
• Caribbean Spanish Islands – all eastern coastal parts: vegetable and fish-based stews like pote gallego and marmitako. Also, the lightly cured lacón ham. Fruits are also a very common part of this division.

Gallery

• Spanish Islands Pic 1.png
• Spanish Islands Pic 2.png
• Spanish Islands Pic 3.png
• Ciudad Costera Pic 1.png

See Also

• Arturo Estranda
• Government of the Spanish Islands