Your Recent Archive Request

[Mataiwos Nanamavéu]

From the Office of His Majesty’s Royal Archivist

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Dear Fair Isle of Cézembre,

Rencently, S:reu X. Pôl Brigâ requested information from The Royal Archives, I am pleased to forward to S:reu Brigâ and for the benefit of your fair province the following details from His Majesty’s Royal Archives.

Yours,

Matáiwos,
Royal Archivist

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La Cité franche de Cézembre

The Free City of Cézembre -- A Talossan Overseas Province

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The small island of Cézembre, off the coast of the city of St. Malo, in Brittany, France, was annexed as a Talossan colony on 17 August 1982. It became a self-governing oversease Province in September, 1996.

• NAME: Cité franche de Cézembre (Free City of Cézembre)
  
  
• DIMENSIONS: 200 x 700 metres
  
  
• LOCATION: 4 km northwest of St. Malo, France
  
  
• MOTTO: Liberté, Dignité, Hilarité
  
  
• FLAG: The current flag, the "Gwenn-ha-Du," was adopted as the official flag of the Province of Cézembre in February, 1997. It is the traditional flag of independent Brittany, and is the only flag ever actually flown by Talossan citizens on the island. It was hoisted by King Robert I and Prime Minister Frédéric Maugey on 2 July 1986 during their expedition to the island. Prior to February 1997, two flags designed by Maugey had been adopted as official, but neither ever flew over the Province.
  
  
• ANTHEM: (none)
  
  
• OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: French (English is the de facto language of government)
  
  
• RELIGION: Roman Catholic (official)
  
  
• NATIONAL DRINK: Muscadet (white wine)
  
  
• FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Until September 1996 Cézembre was ruled by a Governor (Robert Madison) appointed by the Talossan government. Constitution of 6 July 1991 was suspended by order of the Governor on 23 December 1992. In March 1994 the Cosâ placed the island under the "supreme directional control" of Governor Madison, who stepped down in October 1996 and named Gjermund Higraff interim Governor.
  
  
• CAPITAL: Repaire-des-Corsaires
  
  
• POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS: Territory occupied by France in 1984 constitutes the Zone interdite ("Forbidden Zone") and comprises 90% of the island. The free areas are the Zone autorisée ("Authorized Zone"). The Frédéric Maugey Peninsula was liberated by Talossan forces on 2 July 1986.
  
  
• HISTORY: St. Brendan founded a monastery on Cézembre c. 524; abandoned after the 16th Century. Vauban fortified the island in 1696 but the forts are in ruins. German occupation troops surrendered 2 September 1944 fater Allied bombing. King Robert I and Frédéric Maugey visited the island on 17 August 1982 and the King nailed an annexation notice to the wall of an old German fort. French invasion took place in 1984; French troops erected a barbed wire "line of death" on the pretext that "dangerous ammunitions" from World War Two were located in the interior. Maugey and the King toured the unoccupied region of the island on 2 July 1986, and due to deficiencies in French barbed-wire technology, the two Talossans reconquered the Frédéric Maugey Peninsula, holding a victory picnic there.
  
  
• DEPENDENCIES: The New Falklands are some rocks near the Plage de la Rochebonne in St. Malo which separate from the mainland at high tide. They are only a few square metres in size. They were officially annexed by Talossa on 5 August 1982 and later came under Cézembre's jurisdiction.
  

[Sir X. Pol Briga]

Thank you very much for this information - am I correct that the date in September 1996 when the province became self-governing would correspond to the final voting in the Ziu for that month, and thus would be on or about the 21st? That date would place it about the time of the vernal equinox, which would be a most fortuitous and serendipitous occurrence, and perhaps a time for additional celebration (perhaps sustained by quaffing substantial quantities of muscadet). Plus, this would be the year that Cézembre "goes to eleven" and thus some music by Spinal Tap might accompany the activities.

[Mataiwos Nanamavéu]

am I correct that the date in September 1996 when the province became self-governing would correspond to the final voting in the Ziu for that month, and thus would be on or about the 21st?

I recently posted that this date was correct, but it has come to my attention that the correct date is the 1st of September 1996 under the folloing Act:

PROVINCIAL STATUS FOR CÉZEMBRE ACT

WHEREAS, the island of Cézembre, a Talossan colony, is an integral part of
Talossa, and,

WHEREAS, the colony currently has more residents than Florenciá Province,
and,

WHEREAS, Cézembre has expressed a desire to become a Province per
Article 88 of the Talossan Constituziun of 1988, receiving all of the rights, duties
and obligations therein, and,

WHEREAS, the Cosa has historically tried to ensure that official names of
geographical and political areas provide a sense of the history of our great
nation,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the 21st Cosa of Talossa that the
Talossan possession known as Cézembre be granted all rights, duties and
obligations provided under Article 88 of the Talossan Constituziun of 1988 by
conveying upon it the status of Province.

Uréu q'estadra så: Gjermund Higraff, ZPT, Cézembre [/center]


The bill was published in the Clark in August 1996 and approved by the Cosa; on September 1st.

I hope this helps,

MN,
Royal Archivist