Atlantsia

Atlantsia (Arabic: الاتلانتسيا al-Atlantsya), officially the Democratic Republic of Atlantsia, is a nation in the Southern Arabian Penninsula and a member state of the Alliance of Independent Nations. Its sole land border is with Oman, and it shares a seaborder with Acijnstan. Atlantsia has a land area of 92,099 sq miles (238,535 km²), and a seaborder of 1089 miles (1,753 km). It is the 6th largest nation in the Arabian Peninsula by land mass and the 5th largest by population.

Etymology
From Ancient Greek Ἀτλαντίς (Atlantis). In the early 15th Century, there were countless myths and tales about a hidden desert civilization. Located towards the Southern End of the Arabian Peninsula, the proposed civilization was not only technologically advanced, but also extremely intelligent and powerful. The city was known as "Atlantis of the Sands", but was never found. Merchants began referring to the area the small towns and settlements were created upon as "Atlantsia".

Early History
The earliest known settlement in Atlantsia was in the 10th century A.D. It was a small bazaar filled town, named Raha ("peaceful"), that was thought to have been a trading center for spices and silk. It is assumed the town deteriorated as a result of weather erosion and a lack of civilization due to the harsh weather conditions of the Arabian Desert.

In 1512, the Portuguese expanded into the Indian Ocean, following Vasco da Gama's route of exploration. The Portuguese controlled the area for over a century, in which they conquered the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula. The Portuguese were interested in arabian spices, salt, kola, textiles, fish, and grain. They were actively engaged in the Arab slave trade, being one of the key clients to the industry. In return for Portuguese copperware tools, wine, and horses, and later arms and ammunition, they received gold and ivory from Atlantsian mines.

British Reign
During the 16th century, the entire territory of the nation gradually came under the direct influence of the European colonial empires, with the British eventually getting the upper hand. The region was known to the British as the "Pirate Coast", as raiders based there harassed the shipping industry despite both European and Arab navies patrolling the area from the 17th century into the 19th. British suppression of piracy meant that merchant ships could operate in relative security. However, the British prohibition of the slave trade meant an important source of income was lost to many merchants.

The Oil Era
In 1954, survey teams reported oil fields centered near the southwestern region of Atlantsia. Further exploration lead to the discovery of an estimated 53 billion barrels of crude oil alongside over 7.6 trillion cubic meteres of natural gas reserves. When oil and natural gas exports commenced in 1956, large corporations such emerged, and the country's economy boomed.



Oil profits went towards creating transportation networks, improving housing, and the construction of civi structures. By 1963, Oil and gas accounted for more than 45% of GDP; roughly 70% of export earnings, and 65% of government revenues. In 1964, Atlantsia joined Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Jordan in the creation of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline (Tapline), which became an important global factor in the trade of petroleum and natural gas until 2002, when it was shut down by the Saudi oil company, Aramco.

Independence
In 1965, Britain realized it could no longer afford to govern the fast-growing nation. Although an attempt was made to persuade Britain to continue to defend Atlantsia, it was rejected, and Atlantsia recieved independence on April 16, 1965. Shortly afterwards, the country held its first elections for the new Democratic-Republic government. The first president, President Pavatri Daboghami, helped stablize the markets and stimulate economic growth. The Constitution of Atlantsia was drafted only 2 months after President Pavatri entered office in February 12, 1966. It was ratified on August 5, 1966.

Government and Politics
Atlantsia's government is a Democratic-Republic, or bicameral, system in which there are three branches: the executive, legislature, and judiciary. The executive branch consists of the President, who is elected by representative vote, Vice President, appointed by the President, Prime Minister, and a Council of Ministers (the cabinet). The legislature consists of the Speaker and the National Assembly of Representatives (NAR). The judicial branch consists of a single Federal Court. Like most 3-branch governments, there is a set system of checks and balances

Atlantsia is a unitary state. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and contain executive and legislative bodies of their own. In this manner, the federal government may not directly intrude upon the actions of the local governments.