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Leeward Isles.
Population : 10,491,077 (1998 census)
Capital City : None - Each regional gathering hosts the high gathering in turn.
Head of government : None - The host gathering provides the chair for that session.
Representative to Coalition : Hiefana Umatan
Overview : An isolated island nation which has accepted a wide range of immigrants throughout its history, the Leeward Isles have always relied on their geographic isolation rather than developing a strong military. They have been claimed several times by imperial powers, but there has been no concerted effort to impose governance, and the claims have lapsed over time.
Government : Although clearly a nation, there is very little that is recognizably a state. Society is ordered as a hierarchy of gatherings, with the smallest units generally comprising 70-125 individuals, and the higher tiers each hosting 40-50 lower level gatherings. There are 4 such layers from the individual to the nation. Gatherings are seen as having a coordinating rather than a governance role.
There is no centralized law-enforcement, with disputes resolved within the lowest-level gathering which represents all involved.
Geography : There are 4 main islands and many smaller inhabited islands which make up the Leeward group. There are no large cities, with the main urban areas being towns of around 60,000 inhabitants.
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Military : negligible. There is a small coastguard service which primarily provides maritime assistance.
Culture : The island tradition reveres the giver, rather than the accumulator. There is a strong community feeling coupled with willingness to accept diversity.
Legends tell of a man who would be king. His attempt to unify the islands under autocratic rule, and the atrocities committed in his name have left a deep and abiding suspicion of central control. Subsequent experience with foreign claims have reinforced this attitude.
Society is organized into a hierarchy of gatherings. Each gathering provides for its own members, and individuals are free to change gathering to any other which will have them. In return, everyone is expected to spend a small proportion of their time on community tasks. This service is seen as an essential part of life, and cannot be delegated.
Great emphasis is placed on reaching consensus wherever possible - majority imposition is seen as an undesirable second-best. In most cases a decision is deferred if the way forward is unclear. Outsiders usually find gathering politics to be interminably dull and filled with endless minutiae.
In general, there is no authority structure - members of a gathering are free to accept or reject the common advice. Nonetheless, most participants will adhere to the consensus as a matter of practicality. Where there are serious disagreements, the gatherings may re-structure to allow individuals to associate with those who share their views.
Economics : Business is run by sole traders, partnerships or co-operatives. There is no equivalent to the corporation or limited-liability company. All participants in a joint venture share responsibility. Where a project is too large for a single co-op, higher level co-ops may be organized on a similar pattern to the gathering structure.
There are banks, but these provide loans and advice rather than directly investing in a co-op. The dictum is that labour hires capital rather than the other way around.
Individuals pay a proportion of each transaction to their gathering, and the gatherings in turn contribute to the higher level gatherings. The central funds are primarily used for infrastructure projects and disaster relief.
Religion : Traditional worship centres around the goddess Taneaka, who is an embodiment of the sea. There are a rich variety of local festivals and minor deities, but most people now regard this as a cultural binding rather than a deeply spiritual matter.