Saint-Domingo
| Conventional short name: | |
| Local: | Hispanola |
| English: | Hispanola |
| |
| |
| National motto: Enfin le jour de notre liberté! | |
| Language: | Francien, Haÿtian Creole, Castilian |
| Languages: | |
| Official: | Francien, Castilian |
| Others: | Creole, Patois |
| Cities: | |
| Capital: | Port-au-Prince |
| Other: | Santo Domingo, Santiago |
| Emperor: | Dieudonné Déssaline III |
| Prime Minister: | Rene Preval |
| Area: | 76,029 |
| Population: | 15,363,995 people |
| Independence: | from France |
| Date: | 1803 |
| Independence: | from Florida-Caribbea |
| Date: | 2004 |
| Currency: | Louisiannan Ecu; Francien Piastre |
| Organizations: | Communauté des Nations Francophone |
GENERAL INFORMATION
Administration
Government
The government of Saint-Domingo is divided into three parts, the Judicial, the Legislative and Executive Branch.
Judicial Branch
The judges of the Saint-Domingan judiciary are elected in local elections for a period of 7 years. First Circuit (local) judges are subject to review from Second, Third and Supreme Circuit judges. Second Circuit judges are subject ot review from Third and Supreme Circuit judges, and so on. In the case of review, judges gather a quorum (three or more judges superior or inferior to the judge in question). This quorum, which consists of both local and distant judges reviews the judgments of the judge in question.
If the judge is found to have committed great error against the established laws, the judge is impeached and replaced in an election.
Legislative Branch
As newly dictated by the recently ratified constitution of the Empire of Saint-Domingo, this island nation is divided into 41 provinces. While the goal had been originally to have a precise 40 provinces, infighting amongst the inhabitants of the former Dominican Province of La Altagracia led to the separation into Higüey and Pointe Tromperie/Punta Engaño.
Each of the 41 provinces elects 3 senators, with 3 elected from the Distritos Nacional/Districts National. The Emperor selects 12 Senators from regions around the country to fill out the number These senators meet in the capitol with the Emperor to discuss laws for the nation, as well as issues of national import.
Each senator is elected for 11 years, and once elected can only be removed by a two-thirds majority votes of the 140-member senate. Once a senator is thus censured, he must return to his home, and his seat is filled in an election.
While this is a similar format to other countries in Latin America, it is expected that there will be fine-tuning of this procedure as the years come.
Executive Branch
Directed by His Majesty, Emperor Dieudonné Dessalines III, the Executive consists of Imperially appointed Governors of the Provinces as well as the Mayors of the Distrito Nacional/Districts National. These in turn appoint Mayors of régions and arrondissements.
Administrative Divisions
With the restoration of Hispaniolan Autonomy, the divisions of the past, both of Haÿti and the Dominican Republic have been re-aligned. Some of the names have been replaced, much like the French Revolution replaced the older, Royal names of regions with those of their land forms, rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges.
Also in the creation of these new provinces three National Districts (Distrito Nacional, District Nationale) were created around Port-Au-Prince, Santo-Domingo, and Santiago. The Emperor will be maintaining residences in each of these cities, and will hold court with the regional senators. Saint-Domingue will serve as the seat of the Legislature, Santiago, the seat of the Judiciary and Port-au-Prince seat of the Monarch.
- Saumâtre
- Massif
- Artibonite
- Gonâve
- Hotte
- Etroit
- La Salle
- La Tortue
- Côte-du-Nord
- Cahos
- Liban
- Cibao (Cibao)
- Sabanette (Sabaneta)
- Canne (Caña)
- Enrique (Enriquillo)
- Silex (Pedernales)
- Neiba
- Montagnes Centrales (Cordillera Central)
- Mont du Christ (Monte Cristi)
- Port d’Argent (Puerto Plata)
- Nord (Norte)
- Zone Écotopique (Zona Ecotopicale)
- Baie d’Ocoa (Bahía de Ocoa)
- Palenque (Palenque)
- Haina
- Yuna
- Cordillère Septentrionale (Cordillera Septentrional)
- Baie Yasica (Bahía Yasica)
- Bretagne (Bréton)
- Cap Vieux (Cabo Viejo)
- Baie Écossaise (Bahía Escocesa)
- Samaná
- Mont d’Argent (Monte Plata)
- Saint-Domingue (Santo Domingo)
- Macoris
- Cordillère Orientale (Cordillera Oriental)
- Collines (Colinas)
- Catalina
- Cap Saint-Rafaël (Cabo San Rafael)
- Higüey
- Pointe Tromperie (Punta Engaño)
History
Important dates in the history of Hayti.
Founded as the French colony of Saint-Domingue on the western portion of Hispanola during the colonial period, the country that came to be known as Hayti was largely populated with African Slaves imported from the Gold Coast. In 1791 slaves rose up, seeking freedom as had the French people in 1789. By 1803 the white French had been ousted, settling in Biloxi et Mobile and the Republic of Saint-Domingue was declared with Jean-Jacques Dessaline and his descendants as its kings and later, emperors.
The country enjoyed almost a century of peace until 1898 when its proximity with the revolutionary Florida-Caribbean created unrest. The second half of the 20th century saw the end of monarchy when the republic of Hayti was declared and suffered during its short term annexion by Florida-Caribbean during the first few years of the 21th century.
Chaos ensued after the war that saw the colapse of the FC forces both within the country and around the region. Initally with the landing of the occupying forces of Louisianne and New Francy, tensions have rose between factions of the Haytians, those agitating for restoration of a republic, and those agitating for a monarchy or royal rule. The landing of DieuDonné III, of the House Dessaline, former imperial rulers of Hayti brought a third idea of Imperium to the table, partially brokered by Ireland and the RTC.
France was involved in the occupation in early August, 2004, and joined under the auspices of Louisianne. Current goals of the peace-keeping forces is to establish a peaceable country comprising the island, with Creole, French and Castellan as official languages under the name of the Empire of Saint-Domingue.
The peacekeeping forces still have to contend with not only armed militias of various alliegance but also with the aftermath of the recent natural disasters that crippled the reconstruction efforts. It is still uncertain whether the Dessaline throne will be re-instated as it was previously, or if there will be changes, moving it more toward an RTC model.
Louisianne also brought in a team of Oregonian peace keepers, who first served to broker the Internationl Ecotopic Park in the Central Massif of Hispaniola, and who are now working with other divisions within Hayti to aid in unification and restore the bio-diversity that was lost in recent war years.
Hérard Abraham has been recently appointed as the foreign minister for the Empire, and visited the NAL and Louisianne in spring of 2005.
While the consolidation effort has been greatly straightforward, there have been difficulties, among which are insurgencies in the north. See Maps detailing the consolidation of Hayti. This insurgency delayed the referendum until August of 2005. The Referendum passed in near entirety, and it was expected that the Peacekeeping forces of France, Louisianne and Nouvelle-Francie would withdraw at least half their volume by the end of the year and in totality within the next 9 months, however the furocanos of 2005 were particularly heavy and all three entities have kept roughly two-thirds of their forces in the nation, however a full withdrawal was expected by the end of 2006. Due to earthquakes and furacanos, these forces remain throughout the island nation in largely security positions, training locals to replace them.
Geography
With Low coastal regions and high central mountains, Saint-Domingue has a highly varied geography. While much of the former Dominican Republic is heavily forested, the same forests have been decimated west of the former border. This is being mitigated by the valiant efforts of the Oregonian Peace-Keepers who helped to create the Ecotopic Zone to protect the central forest and mountain ranges.
Because of this deforestation, the furacanos that have ravaged the region in the present and past years have been heavily felt in the former Haÿti. The Emperor has engaged several of the Oregonian Peacekeepers as part of his Cabinet as Ministers of the Interior to help guide his island nation from the ecological disaster brought on by years of Floridian Resistance and Occupation.
Economy
Due to the long war against Florida-Caribbea the former territories of Haÿti are among the poorest in the Hemisphere. The joint Louisiannan and NeoFrancien task force have taken great strides to enrich the country, both through technical training as well as financial investments.
The Dominican-Republic territories were fostered during this time, and there has been strong encouragement from the Emperor for Dominican Companies to open branch offices in the former Haÿti and begin employment there.
While these are good efforts, true economic recovery of devastated Haÿti will not be accomplished until sometime in the next decade, at the earliest.
Culture
Languages
The official languages of the island nation are French, Castellano, Haÿtian Creole (referred to commonly as creole) and Patois, the lingua franca that has grown up in trading circles.
Religion
Latin Rite Catholicism is the state religion of the Empire of Saint-Domingue. The episcopal see is at Port-au-Prince. Many Saint-Domingans are also devotees of either Vodun or Santeria.
