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Gazetteer: The Republic of Menefwy/ Weriniaeth Menefwy

Facts at a glance:

Population: 10.25 Million

Government: Representative Democracy with a directly elected president

Head of State: President Dai Llygod

National Holidays: 1stJanuary, New Year's Day; 3rd May, Copper Day (celebrating Menefwy's industrial heritage); 9th June, Foundation Day; 12th September, Celebration for the opening of the Senedd

Geographical Overview:

The Republic of Menefwy has only one land border with The Kingdom of Ironmont. The country is dominated by mountain ranges in the east, developing to rolling hills and a narrow coastal strip to the west. The Menefwan interior is mostly heavily forested, with patches of moorland of particular scientific interest.

Structure and Organisation:

Civil:

Capital City: Castell Garreg

All governmental functions are centralised in Menefwy, meaning that, in practice, there are no real local divisions. Traditionally, however, the Republic is split into four main districts by river valley. From south to north these are:

Cwm Garreg

Cwm Âmbwl

Cwm Dâr

Cwm Afon

The Republic also has a series of small farming colonies established on the Martens Archipelago off the coast in the Western Ocean.

Military:

The Republic practises general conscription for all of its citizens between the ages of 18-45 and can, consequently field up to 1,500,000 animals under arms in times of national emergency. In peace time the Republic has a small standing army, navy and air force of professional service personnel.

Army: 1,500 animals under arms. Mostly deployed at border checkpoints along the Ironmont frontier.

Navy: 2,000 personnel. The Menefwan Navy mostly carries out coastguard operations, as well as maintaining a presence in the Martens Archipelago.

Air Force: 1,000. The Menefwan Air Defence Corps (MADC) is very small, with only a few fast jets and transport aeroplanes in service. The MADC also operates the presidential transport wing.

Historical Overview:

The Republic of Menefwy was founded on 9thJune 1805 , after the death of the last Prince of Menefwy, Owain Gwynceffyl (reigned: 1750-4th May 1805). The fact that Gwynceffyl died childless threw the then Principality of Menefwy into a constitutional crisis, precipitating the collapse of the royal House of Menefwy. The first president Geraint Defiad was sworn in on 9th June 1805, after a hurried plebiscite and national election. His first act as president was to call for the inaugural elections to the Senedd (Senate), which were held in September 1805.

Defiad held office as President for two five-year terms and was succeeded in 1815 by Aneurin Merlyn. During the period from Merlyn's election until 1870 the western coastal strip industrialised very quickly. The discovery of copper in the northern mountains of Menefwy (between the Dâr and Âmbwl valleys) led to Aberâmbwl to become known as the Copper Capital of the World.

Despite over a century of peace between the Republic and Ironmont, there remained a lingering sense of distrust between the two governments. Before the founding of the Republic, it had been common for the Princes of Menefwy to send raiding parties into the Ironmont Borders and for Ironmont Regiments to be deployed in similar retaliatory raids. This peace came to an end with the death of President Ieuan Wynn Ceffyl (held office from 1905 until his death in 1909). Modern historians now believe that the skirmish that led to Ceffyl's death was entirely a terrible mistake. Both Ironmont and Menefwy mobilised their armies and what followed was three years of intense fighting. The war was ended by the signing of the Garreg Treaty by President James Arthur Llygoden (held office 1909-1912); who committed suicide shortly after.

After Llygoden's death in 1912 the presidential office was vacant until 1915. From 1915 until 1970, the Republic pursued an isolationist policy, concentrating on the export of copper and wood, avoiding much contact with the rest of the world - in particular with Ironmont.

1970 saw the election of George Howll , who ended the isolationist policy of the Republic and began the colonisation of the previously uninhabited Martens Archipelago. ** ** From 1970 until 1985 the Republic founded some seventeen colony towns on the Archipelago, putting the islands to farm land.

1980 saw the re-election of George Howll. In an attempt to boost his popularity towards the end of his term of office, Howll ordered the invasion of Ironmont , claiming in a speech after Menefwan troops had crossed the border that: '...Menefwy is merely claiming that which is hers by right.' The Ironmont Army stopped the advance of Menefwan forces in the Border hills, with both sides claiming treaty rights under the Garreg Treaty to the land. Negotiations failed in the first instance and Ironmont forces pushed the Menefwan Army back to within ten miles of the original border. Negotiations were reopened on 17th May 1985, being hosted in the United Territories of Mair. After two weeks of cease-fire during the negotiations, Menefwan troops were pulled back over the border and peace restored.

After the cessation of hostilities, Ironmont insisted that the Republic hold snap presidential elections, resulting in a crushing defeat for Howll. He was later imprisoned after being found guilty of the illegal deployment of Menfewan forces by the Grand Tribunal of Justice in Castell Garreg.

Since 1985, the role and power of the President of Menefwy has been greatly reduced, with the Senedd having far greater oversight of presidential decisions. In 2002, the transit of the Menefwy-Ironmont border was made easier , following a bilateral summit hosted in the United Territories of Mair. Relationships have thawed, with citizens of both countries being able to visit freely, but have yet to be completely normalised.

Religion in Menefwy:

There exists no state church in Menefwy, but the Western Catholic Church in Menefwy is by far the largest denomination. It is a single Province under the Archbishop of Castell Garreg.

Presidents of Menefwy:

Geraint Defiad 1805-1815 (Two terms, became president following the death of the last Prince)

Aneurin Merlyn 1815-1825 (Two terms)

Frederick Hughes 1825-1830

Aneurin Merlyn 1830-1835

James Canis 1835-1845 (Two terms) Introduction of a three term limit to the office.

Dewi Cefflyn-Jones 1845-1855 (Three terms, entered his third term unopposed)

Sara Broch 1855-1865 (First female president)

Edward Tarw 1865-1875

Huw Thomas-Merlyn 1875-1880 (Great grandson of Aneurin Merlyn)

Edward Tarw 1880-1885 (Re-elected from retirement)

Owain ap-Carw 1885-1900

Gerald Gath 1900-1905

Ieuan Wynn Ceffyl 1905-1909 (First president to die in office)

James Arthur Llygoden 1909-1912 (First president to commit suicide)

1912-1915 The presidential office lay vacant, with government being operated by the civil service.

Michael Broch-Hughes 1915-1925

Seren Carw 1925-1930 (Granddaughter of Owain ap-Carw)

George Bald 1930-1945

Seren Carw 1945-1955

Aaron Jones-Gath 1955-1970

George Howll 1970-1975 (Began the colonisation of the Martens Archipelago

Edwin Stargazy 1975-1980

George Howll 1980-1985 (First president to be imprisoned - Currently serving a life sentence in Aberâmbwl Prison)

Simeon Avis 1985-2000

Grace Wirwar 2000-2010

Dai Llygod 2010-Present