Orandia

Dramatis Personae (important people)
Prime Minister Queenie A. Astier: Born and raised in the capital metropolis of Aidnaro, Queenie (not to be confused with the Queen) is the youngest prime minister to date at thirty-two years of age. 
Queen Aurélie Enfeld: The current head of the Orandian royal family, situated in Nordiaa. Forty-two years old. Stern and serious, but cares deeply for her people.
King Félix Enfeld: Forty-four years old. Originally from Idonara, Félix married into the Orandian royal family twenty-two years ago. A once-lively man known for his grace and dancing skill, the death of his youngest daughter still saddens him greatly.
Crown Prince Alexander Enfeld: At twenty, carries the future of the Orandian royal family on his shoulders. Only serious because he has to be. Soon to be wed to a woman from Naiador (Ophelia). 
Princess Adora Enfeld: Sixteen years old, and cares little for the responsibilities of a princess. She puts up with the less fun parts of royal life grudgingly, but dreams of one day traveling the world and leaving her previous commitments behind.
Princess Andrea Enfeld: Would be thirteen currently, had she not died at age eleven from a heart condition. Despite her illness, which had troubled her since birth, she is remembered as an optimistic and resilient young girl.
Ophelia Kihime (soon Enfeld): Nineteen years old; a young woman from Naiador's upper crust. It is unknown whether her engagement to Alexander is for political or personal reasons, or a mix of the two, but the union will surely be beneficial in strengthening cross-cultural relations in Orandia.

"What's a motto with you?"

Nation Name: Orandia
Three-Letter Code: ORA
Two-Letter Code: OR
Capital City: Aidnaro
Government: Westminster system
Head of Government: Queenie A. Astier
Head of State: Queen Aurélie Enfeld
Currency: orandi 
Timezone: IAT (+0)

Dramatis Personae (important people)
Prime Minister Queenie A. Astier: Born and raised in the capital metropolis of Aidnaro, Queenie (not to be confused with the Queen) is the youngest prime minister to date at thirty-two years of age. 
Queen Aurélie Enfeld: The current head of the Orandian royal family, situated in Nordiaa. Forty-two years old. Stern and serious, but cares deeply for her people.
King Félix Enfeld: Forty-four years old. Originally from Idonara, Félix married into the Orandian royal family twenty-two years ago. A once-lively man known for his grace and dancing skill, the death of his youngest daughter still saddens him greatly.
Crown Prince Alexander Enfeld: At twenty, carries the future of the Orandian royal family on his shoulders. Only serious because he has to be. Soon to be wed to a woman from Naiador (Ophelia). 
Princess Adora Enfeld: Sixteen years old, and cares little for the responsibilities of a princess. She puts up with the less fun parts of royal life grudgingly, but dreams of one day traveling the world and leaving her previous commitments behind.
Princess Andrea Enfeld: Would be thirteen currently, had she not died at age eleven from a heart condition. Despite her illness, which had troubled her since birth, she is remembered as an optimistic and resilient young girl.
Ophelia Kihime (soon Enfeld): Nineteen years old; a young woman from Naiador's upper crust. It is unknown whether her engagement to Alexander is for political or personal reasons, or a mix of the two, but the union will surely be beneficial in strengthening cross-cultural relations in Orandia.

The Gift of Light: A Tale of How The Sun Came to the South
    In the days before the Empire, even before The Prophet, The Sun lived in the Mountains. His Presence made the Mountains light and warm. Snow sparkled on the tall trees and streams glittered as they danced past their banks. Life was born of The Sun and thrived under His watchful and generous care.
    Anor, one born of The Sun, had grown tall and strong, wise and caring. He used the gifts The Sun had given him to bring The Light to others. He turned want into comfort, fear into faith, and despair into hope. Many loved Anor … but not all. A few whose hearts were dark felt threatened by The Light. They were ashamed at what The Light might reveal. Although they lived under the same Sun, to them it scolded and burned.
    One of these was Dur, a sorcerer of The Dark. With the help of the counsel of the night haunts, he devised a plot to rid the Mountains of both Anor and The Sun.
    Disguised as a poor beggar and lying along the road, he waited for Anor to come upon him. Anor greeted him warmly and carried him to his house where he bathed and clothed him, gave him good food, a warm bed, and an ear to hear his troubles … as Dur knew he would. It was then that Dur told Anor of how on his many wanderings he had met the people of the South and how these people lived in cold and dark. If only they had someone like Anor to help them. Surely one as favored as Anor could bring them not only The Light, but The Sun itself.
    Anor’s heart yearned to help the people of the South. The next day, he left the beggar in the care of a neighbor, and embracing him, thanked him for pointing his way to these people in need.
    Dur smiled to himself, for he knew what the haunts had shared with him, something that Anor did not know. At the base of the mountains, before the South, lived a great Beast that would devour both Anor and The Sun.
    To reach the South as quickly as possible, Anor rode the Great River. It carried him from slumbering lakes to crashing cataracts, from racing rivers to smoldering swamps. It was in one of these swamps, a place of heat without light, that the great Beast rose up before Anor.
    Anor Carried The Sun within him and it shone forth from him, piercing the darkness. The Beast was afraid of this man of Light, but even more afraid of The Sun within him. He must not let this man release The Sun into his swamp. He must devour the man and keep The Sun imprisoned in darkness.
    The Beast struck. With thrashing tail and grasping claws and mighty maw he struck. Anor was shoved into the Beast’s gullet, past the razor fangs. But Anor was without fear or despair. Alone, he would be finished, but he was not alone. The Sun was with him and in him and The Sun could not be contained by the darkness of the Beast. The Sun rushed into every corner of that great Beast, revealing death to this servant of dark.
    With the Beast vanquished, Anor brought The Light and The Sun to the people of the South. But although The Sun was with them, it was not gone from the Mountains. Dur had misjudged the vastness of The Sun, the illuminating Presence of The Light. Having sought to banish both he had only aided in increasing their reach.
    Anor stayed with the people of the South for a time, sharing comfort, faith, and hope. Many more were inspired to do likewise, and before long, Anor was able to return to his beloved Mountains. Light had been brought from the Mountains, down the great River to the people of the South.

"What's a motto with you?"

Nation Name: Orandia
Three-Letter Code: ORA
Two-Letter Code: OR
Capital City: Aidnaro
Government: Westminster system
Head of Government: Queenie A. Astier
Head of State: Queen Aurélie Enfeld
Currency: orandi 
Timezone: IAT (+0)

Before you read......
Welcome to the first publication of the Santo-Dominian Post,
a newspaper publication focusing primarily on news stories,
information and content from the Federal Republic of
Santos-Dominius. We strive to conduct fair journalism. We are
funded by the Santo-Dominian Government, but strive for
impartiality. Our editorial is firmly independent and
devoid of political bias.

Today's Headlines
Elections In Santos-Dominius Hand President Goldberg
And Democratic Congress Party
Slim Victory
Today, the Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius held its 4th general election ever in its history. The young nation has a peculiar obsession with democracy, holding elections every few months as mandated by the Term Limits Act of 2020 and enshrining strict term limits in its Constitution. After a long night of vote processing, including absentee and mail-in ballots, the results were distributed to major news media companies and television networks for release and broadcast.
 
The country's top job, the Presidency of the Federal Republic, was up for grabs. Incumbent President Paul Goldberg(D-FE), the fourth person to hold the position in the nation's history, defended himself from three other contenders. Chief among them was Senator Eliot Klein(L-SN), former President(the third) and Leader of the Opposition. Klein had a personal feud with President Goldberg after the latter forced the former out in the last election, winning a landslide victory that contradicted polls pointing to Klein's re-election. Klein represents the Country Liberal Party(CLP), the main opposition party of the country at the moment, and had launched a scalding campaign that nearly caused the President's approval ratings to dip below the golden 50%. The second competitor is found in the Split Conservative Union(SCU), a smaller, far-right version of Goldberg's centre-right Democratic Congress Party(DCB). The Union fronted Sen. Dennis Ford(U-YC), a firebrand politician and inflammatory speaker accused of xenophobic tendencies. Ford initially gained traction at the expense of President Goldberg, though his campaign slowly declined after Goldberg constructed a fragile but massive electoral coalition consisting of working-class voters, environmentalists, welfare state advocates and classical liberals. The third and final contender against Goldberg was Sen. Jan D. Lovings(C-SN), former President(the second) and Leader of the Communist Phalanx(SDCP), a far-left party that split from the Liberals after Klein forced out Lovings in a Liberal leadership spill to become President. Lovings was quickly dismissed as a fringe candidate by the press and public, and couldn't do much but prove these assumptions right by performing poorly in presidential debates.
 
In the end, when the votes were counted and the results televised, radioed and printed, President Goldberg won re-election, securing a second four-month term. However, this election signalled potential danger for the DCB: its vote share decreased sharply from a comfortable 65% to a paltry 51%. Goldberg's second term would be weaker than his previous, and now the doors were open for a possible leadership challenge from within. Senator Klein's vote share was a close second with 44%, while Sens. Ford and Lovings received 3% and 2% respectively, befitting of the latter two's fringe statuses. In the Santo-Dominian capital of Friberne, Goldberg declared victory in front of a cautiously optimistic crowd, saying: "Santo-Dominians have answered my call and graciously given me their votes of confidence in my administration. I will work hard, more so than last term, to repay this immense honour that has once again been mercifully bestowed upon me." In the CLP headquarters, things were much more saddening, and many supporters sobbed while Sen. Klein uttered the words of defeat: "I hereby concede my candidacy for the Presidency of the Federal Republic, and acknowledge President Paul Goldberg's victory. I have called the President to congratulate him on his win." Sens. Ford and Lovings conceded via statement, and both refused to make speeches in-person, the former claiming busyness and the latter claiming sickness.
 
With the presidential elections now over, President Goldberg reaffirmed his promises and priorities in his first speech since his victory. Offering an optimistic vision, the President said: "With the elections behind us, we must now confront the challenges of our time, and overcome them as united, strong and peaceful Santo-Dominians. As your president, I will commit to several campaign promises this term. I will expand the welfare state and the Citizenship By Investment Program. I will expand health insurance and give more funding to create Santo-Dominian universal healthcare. I will construct 100 elderly care and childcare centres, 50 hospices and 10 medical centres across the country. I will expand infrastructure and construct new ports, dockyards, sea cargo terminals, ferry and cruise terminals, medium- to small-sized airports and completely electrify present transportation methods. I will give funding to the automobile industry to create new, electric cars and slash public transport fees and costs. Santos-Dominius will become a beacon of responsible, open, free and fair social democracy with a competition-driven and continually growing economy."
 
Presidential Election Results Table
Candidate Party Nat. Senate Canton Incumbency Approx. Votes Approx. Vote Share Paul R. Goldberg
[WIN]
DCB Friberne Yes 1,558,050,000 51% Eliot Klein CLP St. Arlaine No 1,344,200,000 44% Dennis Ford SCU Yatasailie-Comte No 91,650,000 3% Jan D. Lovings SDCP St. Arlaine No 61,100,000 2%  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The official logos of the four parties contesting this election are attached below. From left to right, in order of party size: Democratic Congress for the Betterment of Santos-Dominius(DCB), Country Liberal and Santo-Dominian Unionist Party(CLP), the Split Conservative Union of Santos-Dominius(SCU) and the Santo-Dominian Communist Phalanx(SDCP).

The official national news outlet of Orandia brings you the latest, most important happenings in the nation!
Prince Alexander's Engagement Finally Announced!
Just yesterday, Crown Prince Alexander Enfeld publicly announced his engagement to Ophelia Kihime, a young woman from the lakeside city of Narodia--an unexpected choice indeed, but far from an unwelcome one. Born to a high-class family in the foggy capital of Pala, Ophelia's parents describe her as intelligent, thoughtful, and kind. She seems to be a good fit for the next queen of Orandia, but the reasoning behind Prince Alexander's choice remains a mystery. Some claim that Ophelia is a means of strengthening cross-cultural relations, while others think the two have simply fallen in love. Still others believe it was an effort on Alexander's part to please his parents and provide a stable future for the royal family. When asked about the reasoning for his choice, he told us, "Ophelia might not have been my richest suitor, nor the most well connected. But that matters little. What's more important is that she's got a good head on her shoulders, and she's more than ready to take up the responsibility of her new position. And," he continued, with a smile in Ophelia's direction, "she is someone I can see myself sharing my life with." Both of Alexander's parents have heartily given their approval of Ophelia and Alexander's engagement. The two plan to be wed shortly after the new year. 

Orandia's regional borders tend to be defined by environmental features such as rivers and mountain ranges. Warm-colored regions are mainly mountainous, yellow and green regions are dominated by forests, and purple and blue regions lie among Orandia's prosperous coastline. While each region has a unique name, the regional capitals are all anagrams of the name Orandia!
Some fun bits about the regions and their capitals:
-Haute-Claire, meaning "high-clear" in French, refers to the many tall mountains in the region–the tallest in all of Orandia. Haute-Claire contains both the highest elevation and the highest-elevation city in the nation, the latter being the regional capital of Nordiaa. 
-Knapp is the heart of Orandia's agriculture industry. Farms and fertile riverbanks dot the relatively flat countryside here, and forested areas are still being cleared to make room for more farms.
-Naiador, the regional capital of Pala, sits beside a large lake. The local climate is so foggy that the city has gained a reputation for being mysterious. 
-The twin cities of Dianaro and Narodia are situated on twin peninsulas, connected by two of the nation's longest bridges. They are also the regional capitals of Cople and Istul, respectively.
-Montrose is named for a species of pink wildflower that grows abundantly on mountainsides in the region, making them seem dotted with pink.
-Dainroa, a sizable port city, is the nation's largest exporter of fish.
-The forest, mountains, and coast all meet on the peninsula the Aidnaro region inhabits. Much like New York, New York, the region and its capital share a name.

The flag of Orandia was made to represent the region it is part of as well as its vast and very important coastline. The rising sun of the West Pacific presides over three colorful stripes representing the sea, sand, and land, respectively. 

Orandia's regional borders tend to be defined by environmental features such as rivers and mountain ranges. Warm-colored regions are mainly mountainous, yellow and green regions are dominated by forests, and purple and blue regions lie among Orandia's prosperous coastline. While each region has a unique name, the regional capitals are all anagrams of the name Orandia!
Some fun bits about the regions and their capitals:
-Haute-Claire, meaning "high-clear" in French, refers to the many tall mountains in the region–the tallest in all of Orandia. Haute-Claire contains both the highest elevation and the highest-elevation city in the nation, the latter being the regional capital of Nordiaa. 
-Knapp is the heart of Orandia's agriculture industry. Farms and fertile riverbanks dot the relatively flat countryside here, and forested areas are still being cleared to make room for more farms.
-Naiador, the regional capital of Pala, sits beside a large lake. The local climate is so foggy that the city has gained a reputation for being mysterious. 
-The twin cities of Dianaro and Narodia are situated on twin peninsulas, connected by two of the nation's longest bridges. They are also the regional capitals of Cople and Istul, respectively.
-Montrose is named for a species of pink wildflower that grows abundantly on mountainsides in the region, making them seem dotted with pink.
-Dainroa, a sizable port city, is the nation's largest exporter of fish.
-The forest, mountains, and coast all meet on the peninsula the Aidnaro region inhabits. Much like New York, New York, the region and its capital share a name.

The flag of Orandia was made to represent the region it is part of as well as its vast and very important coastline. The rising sun of the West Pacific presides over three colorful stripes representing the sea, sand, and land, respectively. 

In the olden days of Orandia, there was no formal currency. People bartered and traded for whatever they needed. This system went on for a surprisingly long time nationwide, until finally tokens were introduced. These copper coins, fittingly decorated with the image of a fish, were worth the price of one fish, with differently sized coins corresponding to differently sized fish. Other items were either still traded or attributed a token value. However, when Orandia's contact with other nations increased and globalization became more prevalent, an official, formal currency was needed. Enter the orandi.
The orandi is a colorful, paper-and-coins currency that does not use decimals. 100 orandis is comparable to 100 yen. Today, it is used widely across the nation, and in all urban areas. Only in rare, old-fashioned fishing towns are fish coins still in use. 
Orandi coins come in values of 1, 5, 25, and 50. Two and ten-orandi coins have been discontinued and are now little more than collectors' items. Each coin is simple, depicting only the number of its value along with a slightly raised border. Orandian bills, however, start at 100 orandis. Each one is a different color, with the 100-orandi bill being red, and features not important figures' faces, but instead select species of plant or animal. The featured flora and fauna on the bills is changed periodically: every twenty years, voters across the nation weigh in on what makes it onto the money. Older bills still remain in circulation.
Just months ago, at the beginning of 1420, the newest designs were unveiled and put into production. Surprisingly enough, this new set of currency is the first to not feature the national animal. 

In the olden days of Orandia, there was no formal currency. People bartered and traded for whatever they needed. This system went on for a surprisingly long time nationwide, until finally tokens were introduced. These copper coins, fittingly decorated with the image of a fish, were worth the price of one fish, with differently sized coins corresponding to differently sized fish. Other items were either still traded or attributed a token value. However, when Orandia's contact with other nations increased and globalization became more prevalent, an official, formal currency was needed. Enter the orandi.
The orandi is a colorful, paper-and-coins currency that does not use decimals. 100 orandis is comparable to 100 yen. Today, it is used widely across the nation, and in all urban areas. Only in rare, old-fashioned fishing towns are fish coins still in use. 
Orandi coins come in values of 1, 5, 25, and 50. Two and ten-orandi coins have been discontinued and are now little more than collectors' items. Each coin is simple, depicting only the number of its value along with a slightly raised border. Orandian bills, however, start at 100 orandis. Each one is a different color, with the 100-orandi bill being red, and features not important figures' faces, but instead select species of plant or animal. The featured flora and fauna on the bills is changed periodically: every twenty years, voters across the nation weigh in on what makes it onto the money. Older bills still remain in circulation.
Just months ago, at the beginning of 1420, the newest designs were unveiled and put into production. Surprisingly enough, this new set of currency is the first to not feature the national animal. 

Here is Orandia's territorial claim.

Orandia is an accepting, go-with-the-flow sort of country. Many of its people are farmers or fishers, and maintaining the environment is a top concern. The nation is generally non-confrontational, doing its best to remain diplomatic and friendly to its neighbors. Orandians are known for their compassion and good spirits.

I am Orandia! I am somewhat new to NationStates, so please forgive any ignorance or confusion on my end about how things work here. I'd love to make friends, participate in RP, build my nation, and just put down roots.
I'm happy to be able to get to know you all! ^^

Giovannilandian Olympic Report - 2nd Day
Hello all for another Giovannilandian Olympic Report! This day in the 1st Summer Olympics, there was plenty happening, as several team sports had their first matches. Let's make an overview of everything! 
10k run: In this tiring event, athletes had to run 10 kilometres! Giovanniland did pretty good on here, as Marko Kambraya got a silver medal for running the entire distance in 27 minutes, just 36 milliseconds after Molly Hurdle from Fuentana. Other athletes didn't do so well, as Anastasio Fernando-Vittoriani, Giorgio Quirano, and Sara Urbana-Amorio were placed 20th, 21st and 22nd, respectively.
Handball: The Giovannilandian team got off to a good start in a close match against hosts Cambria. Both teams played evenly, and Giovanniland won by only one point, with the final score of 24-23. Soon, the Giovannilandians will play against Hertfordia, leader of the group by point difference.
Baseball: It was a wonderful day for the Giovannilandian Baseball team, as they won 5-3 against Cambria. Giovanniland now tops the group, being ahead of Irador, which won against Fujai, by point difference.
Basketball: While our country had luck on other team sports, the Basketball team did not succeed, as they lost on a close match 61-70 to Larxia. The team still has chance to qualify to the knockout round, as they will play Nieubasria and Bobki.

Football: The Giovannilandian Football team succeeded against Hertfordia, winning 2-1. In the first half, the Hertfordian team scored a goal pretty early, however the star of the match Regina Horatiano-Viselli scored 2 goals on the second half to turn the match around and give the win to Giovanniland.
Water Polo: This was yet another successful start for Giovanniland. Our team played against hosts Cambria (again!) and won 8-4.
In conclusion, this was a very eventful day! There was only a silver medal, but the many wins on team sports show that Giovanniland has great chances of getting into the knockout round of these, and possibly win more medals for our country. See you tomorrow!

Local authorities in Badgeria have identified one of eight people killed in an avalanche earlier this week as Eliinna Mannis, a neonatal nurse from Saint Tannoch.
Around 110 volunteers combed through debris on Trapper Mountain, concluding rescue and recovery operations early Friday. Authorities believe back-to-back avalanches occurred Wednesday near Sula, Badgeria, killing a total of eight and trapping another thirteen who were later rescued. Rescue coordinators do not believe anyone else is missing.
 


The Crown Weather Service on Saturday warned Keigan coast area residents of an unusually high tide, coupled with massive waves, is set to crash onto beaches.
Waves are expected to range from 22 feet Saturday afternoon to 36 feet by nightfall Sunday. A high surf warning will stay in effect through 10 a.m. Monday.