República Conchesa

La República Conchesa (Castilian)
The Conch Republic (English)

National motto: Tranquilidad
Languages:
Official:	Castilian
Others:	English, Scandinavian, Haÿtian Creole
Cities:
Capital:	Cayo Ôso
Other:	none
Primer Ministro:	Fabricio López de Arriortúa
Area:	997 mi²
Population:	79,589
Independence:	from Ireland (Provisional Mandate)
Date:	March 15, 2006
Currency:	Peso provisorio (de jure): 1$ = 8 reales = 64 soles; 5$ = AÉ£1 Peso conchés (de facto, falling out of use): 1$C = 16 soles concheses; 1$ = 9$C
Organizations:	South Florida

The Conch Republic or República Conchesa in Castilian, is a newly-formed state in the Florida Keys, carved out of part of the former Distrito de Miami i de los Cayos (District of Miami and the Keys). It is also the one of the only new Floridian provinces to have its own flag, which is a source of pride amongst its citizens.

Administration

Government

Each inhabited island is run by a local council which will send a representative to the Conchesan parliament in Cayo Ôso. This parliament will be responsible for internal policy and interrelation with other South Floridian entities.

A new election was held on December 20, 2006. The 50-man Parliament saw the following seats:

Liberty= 23 Seats

Conch= 15 Seats

Ecotopic: 12 Seats

The conservative Liberty Party is the majority, but the alliance between the Conches and Ecotopics kept the republic from having a conservative "Primer Ministro."

Administrative Divisions

Inhabited islands are:

• Elliott Key
• Adams Key
• Reid Key
• Rubicon Keys
• Totten Key
• Old Rhodes Key
• Key Largo
• Islamorada
  • Plantation Key
  • Windley Key
  • Upper Matecumbe Key
  • Lower Matecumbe Key
• Craig Key
• Fiesta Key
• Long Key (formerly known as Rattlesnake Key)
• Conch Key
• Duck Key
• Grassy Key
• Deer Key
• Marathon
  • Key Vaca
  • Boot Key
• Bahia Honda
• West Summerland Key
• No Name Key
• Big Pine Key
• Torch Key
• Ramrod Key
• Summerland Key
• Cudjoe Key
• Sugarloaf Key
• Saddlebunch Keys
• Big Coppitt Key
• Boca Chica
• Key Haven
• Key West
• the Marquesas Keys
• the Dry Tortugas (NAL Naval base and Extraterritorial Land, but the Conch Republic [mostly Libertad] would like to see the area made part of the Republic)

History

The islands, called los Cayos or the Keys have been attached to Florida in some form since European colonization began. At the time of the Florida War, they were part of the distrito de Miami i de los Cayos in the FC state of Florida.

Following the annexation of the NAL province of Bahamas in 1974, many Bahamians (nicknamed "Conches") began immigrating to the Keys for better economic opportunities, encouraged by the FC government. The "Conch" nickname came to be applied not only to the Bahamian immigrants, but also to the local residents of the Keys.

In early 2006 the Irish-European peacekeeping force announced the fledgling República Conchesa or Conch Republic, an island nation of the Florida Keys. The Irish peacekeeping command has felt that the islands will be an economically viable entity, as they survived the war without much destruction, and the locals are eager to restore the tourist industry.

The Irish have been quick to announce that the Repùblica is not sovereign, but is autonomous pending the resolution of affairs in South Florida.

Some in the Conch Republic advocate merging with the newly-restored NAL province of Bahamas rather than having full sovreignty.

Since March 20, Irish peacekeeping forces have been slowly pulling out of the Keys. The original 7000 Irish troops have been removed from the region and the Republica Conchesa is self-policed. The local police force that was trained and gradually implemented resulted in a smooth takeover from the Irish troops.

Geography

The Republic consists of the islands of Los Cayos, and are largely limestone and coral remnants, although over the millenia large parts of it have gained soil.

Borders

North: South Florida
West, South, East: The Caribbean Sea

Economy

Initially, the Conch Republic used the peso conchés, equal to the old peso floridiano, valued at 1$ = 5¹/₃ pence in Commonwealth currency. The republic later switched to the peso provisorio used on the mainland due to the lack of any local minting facilities making the minting of new coins and the existing common side-by-side use of pesos conchés and mainland reales. The peso conchés is still in common use if only as a symbol of the republic's autonomy from the mainland.

The major industry in the Conch Republic is tourism, as the region is warm and sunny and has excellent diving areas. There are also festivals that draw tourists to the area from the entire region.

Sports

There is a growing number of people who are watching/participating in Battlegames. The two "major" teams are the "Libertad" and "Conchesa," based around political ideologies.

A major up-and-coming player in the Battlegame is Remigio Flores of the Conchesa team. He is team leader, and has led the team in recent months against the Libertads, and has beaten them 10-3.

Culture

The "hurricane bravado" is part of the conchés laid-back atmosphere. Life is easygoing, with the major industries being tourism and fishing. Ecotourism is also part of this, with many visitors diving in the area's protected waters. A proposed ferry would take riders between Cayo Ôso and Fort Myers, due north on the mainland, along the western edge of Florida Bay.

Prior to autonomy, there was talk of the Republic being an Ecotopic government.

Languages

Castilian is the primary language, but English, Scandinavian and Haÿtian Creole are also spoken.

Religion

Largely Isidorian Rite Catholic because of the Castilian influence, or roughly 97%. The other three are too small to really have full percents.