Post by Istefan Perþonest on Feb 17, 2012 21:14:24 GMT -6
Per the Reunision post, an eighth province is being suggested as an enclave where the Republicans can maintain themselves somewhat separate on a provincial level. Since there are various ways this could be done, I thought it wouldn't be too premature to consider the obvious possibilities.
1. Promote Pengöpäts to a province.
The territorial logic is fairly clear. Pengöpäts is the only non-provincial territory within the current territorial claim of Talossa, and thus the only place to put a new province that involves neither annexation of new territory nor breaking up an existing province. Further, since the territory has the same number of cantons as the Republic has provinces, it would be relatively easy for existing Republican institutions to be cross-mapped to the place. They could even rename the cantons something like New Florencia, New Cézembre and the Great Southern Canton.
And then there's the symbolism. The efforts of Talossan citizens legally resident in Pengöpäts to form a distinct subcommunity there was the first act of the "King Ben versus the traitors" drama that Reunision is to close. The Kingdom explicitly handing it to those Ben called "Penguineans", to serve as the homeland of their "rebel culture", would seem to me to be a fitting repudiation of the whole drama by the Kingdom.
2. Subdivide a Province
Theoretically, any province other than Florencia can be subdivided. So:
2.A. Divide Benito, Atatürk, or Vudoe.
We could, of course. The result is more one-canton provinces on territory that was never claimed by the Republic.
2.B. Divide Cézembre
This would also result in more one-canton provinces, but it would be on Republic-claimed territory. Note that Cézembre's cantons are not even remotely equal in size, and do not have names that naturally suggest names for a new province.
2.C. Divide Maritiimi-Maxhestic
Again creating one-canton provinces, but there was a historical period where the two were separate, and on Republic-claimed territory. Presumably the new provinces would be Maritiimi and Pórt Maxhestic.
2.D. Divide Maricopa
This is the one province of Talossa that could be divided without creating any one-canton provinces. Maricopa is a real outlier in canton count, with six, while all other provinces have one (Florencia) or two (all the others). This may be because Maricopa was the last province created before the adoption of the Organic Law, the last lump of the New/South/Southwestern Territories made into a province all at once. Carving off two cantons (probably Buffonia and Prachelion or Buffonia and Frédéricville) for the Republicans would give the new province a "normal" number (and allow a survival of the Republic-Florencia and Republic-Cézembre structures in the cantons of the province), while making Maricopa less of an outlier. Mariocpa is also within the territory claimed by the Republic.
3. Annex territory outside the current Kingdom
3.A. Annex former territory of the Kingdom
There are a number of bits of the map Talossa once claimed, like Iceland, Ellis Island, and the German village of Schiltach, that theoretically could be re-annexed. The most logical choices would seem, however, to be the old Pacific Island claims—Howland Island, Baker Island, Enderbury Island, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, Jarvis Island, and Vostok Island.
3.B. Annex territories historically sought by the Kingdom
The three GTA places that were "seriously" pursued were the "Gandhi Province" (inner-city Milwaukee, annexation of which was part of the Liberal party platform in the January 1988 election) and the towns of Shorewood and Whitefish Bay (the so-called Northern Territories, repeated referenda on annexation 1987-1989).
3.C. Annex new lands from anywhere.
Which, you know, could be anywhere.
Anyway, I think that covers all the possibilities. I personally think the Province of Pengöpäts is the obvious and fitting solution, but I expect others will have their own opinions.
1. Promote Pengöpäts to a province.
The territorial logic is fairly clear. Pengöpäts is the only non-provincial territory within the current territorial claim of Talossa, and thus the only place to put a new province that involves neither annexation of new territory nor breaking up an existing province. Further, since the territory has the same number of cantons as the Republic has provinces, it would be relatively easy for existing Republican institutions to be cross-mapped to the place. They could even rename the cantons something like New Florencia, New Cézembre and the Great Southern Canton.
And then there's the symbolism. The efforts of Talossan citizens legally resident in Pengöpäts to form a distinct subcommunity there was the first act of the "King Ben versus the traitors" drama that Reunision is to close. The Kingdom explicitly handing it to those Ben called "Penguineans", to serve as the homeland of their "rebel culture", would seem to me to be a fitting repudiation of the whole drama by the Kingdom.
2. Subdivide a Province
Theoretically, any province other than Florencia can be subdivided. So:
2.A. Divide Benito, Atatürk, or Vudoe.
We could, of course. The result is more one-canton provinces on territory that was never claimed by the Republic.
2.B. Divide Cézembre
This would also result in more one-canton provinces, but it would be on Republic-claimed territory. Note that Cézembre's cantons are not even remotely equal in size, and do not have names that naturally suggest names for a new province.
2.C. Divide Maritiimi-Maxhestic
Again creating one-canton provinces, but there was a historical period where the two were separate, and on Republic-claimed territory. Presumably the new provinces would be Maritiimi and Pórt Maxhestic.
2.D. Divide Maricopa
This is the one province of Talossa that could be divided without creating any one-canton provinces. Maricopa is a real outlier in canton count, with six, while all other provinces have one (Florencia) or two (all the others). This may be because Maricopa was the last province created before the adoption of the Organic Law, the last lump of the New/South/Southwestern Territories made into a province all at once. Carving off two cantons (probably Buffonia and Prachelion or Buffonia and Frédéricville) for the Republicans would give the new province a "normal" number (and allow a survival of the Republic-Florencia and Republic-Cézembre structures in the cantons of the province), while making Maricopa less of an outlier. Mariocpa is also within the territory claimed by the Republic.
3. Annex territory outside the current Kingdom
3.A. Annex former territory of the Kingdom
There are a number of bits of the map Talossa once claimed, like Iceland, Ellis Island, and the German village of Schiltach, that theoretically could be re-annexed. The most logical choices would seem, however, to be the old Pacific Island claims—Howland Island, Baker Island, Enderbury Island, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, Jarvis Island, and Vostok Island.
3.B. Annex territories historically sought by the Kingdom
The three GTA places that were "seriously" pursued were the "Gandhi Province" (inner-city Milwaukee, annexation of which was part of the Liberal party platform in the January 1988 election) and the towns of Shorewood and Whitefish Bay (the so-called Northern Territories, repeated referenda on annexation 1987-1989).
3.C. Annex new lands from anywhere.
Which, you know, could be anywhere.
Anyway, I think that covers all the possibilities. I personally think the Province of Pengöpäts is the obvious and fitting solution, but I expect others will have their own opinions.
