Taspa and Brua

Republic of Taspa and Brua
Leader	Inko Garrett
Government Type	Parliamentary Republic
Classification	Republic
Motto	"Home of the Peaceful and Prosperous"
Population	13,102 (2019)
Currency	Taspan Dollar, British Pound
National Animal	Pelican
Demonyms	Taspan, Taspa-Bruan
Capital	New Hull
Region	Atlantic
Religion	Anglican Church
World Assembly?	N/A
Civil Rights	World Benchmark
Economy	Developing
Political Freedom	Very Good
Regional Influence	Zero
Founded	1950

The Republic of Taspa and the Brua, also known as Taspa and Brua, is a two-island country in the South Central Atlantic Ocean, about 1,578 nautical miles off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and 1,904 miles off Cape Town, South Africa. It is comprised of two islands, Taspa to the north, and Brua to the South, with smaller uninhabited islands. The country's geography is heavily influenced by the volcanic activity, as there are 3 active volcanoes on both main islands. Taspa and Brua's capital and most populated city is New Hull, while the most populated city is Queenstown.

For many centuries, the islands were inhabited by a small, African-descended tribe called the Daspi, until the arrival of European explorers Cain Bennett and Timothy Taylor in 1769, who established the first permanent settlement on the island. Unlike other previously colonized nations, the British settlers sought to establish an independent refuge away from their home country, while establishing mostly friendly relations with the islanders. However, the British considered the islands an overseas territory until 1946.

Today, Taspa and Brua is a peaceful and developed nation, despite its isolation, with superb quality of life, education and human development. Its government is a parliamentary republic led by the current Prime Minister, Inko Garrett of the Liberal Party, and a legislative branch, called the "National Council," consisting of 55 members. Taspa and Brua is a unitary state, with no local or regional governments due to its size. The country is a member of The Atlantic Alliance.

Etymology

The name "Taspa" originates from the Daspi, the original inhabitants of the archipelago. The origin of this word is unknown, as the Daspi language is largely extinct. Taspa is a corruption of the word Daspi, which became common among European settlers.

Brua is the original Daspi name for the second main island, which was considered a sacred site to the Daspi.

History

The Achilles Mutiny

Cain Bennett

The discovery of the archipelago, which was itself very isolated from landmasses on both hemispheres, was initially accidental. Various accounts tell different stories, but the most widely accepted theory is that of Sir Cain Bennett, a British sea captain. A boat carrying about 150 convicts, headed for Bermuda in 1768, was thrown about 600 miles off course by a storm. Amid the chaos, a group of prisoners hijacked the ship, overwhelming the crew and taking the captain hostage.

The de facto leader of the hijackers was William Smith, a convicted criminal accused of murdering his wife and attacking a policeman. Smith ordered the crew to head southwest, intending to reach Brazil rather than Bermuda. Smith and the crew tried to negotiate with the prisoners, arguing that reaching South America was impossible, as the ship lacked enough supplies to go on a voyage that long. Additionally, they insisted the trip would take three weeks at best, which meant many of the already malnutritioned convicts would starve to death. Bennett and his first mate, Philip Johnston, tried to negotiate with Smith, asking the hijacker to turn around and land in South Africa, where the crew could safely land; this would give the convicts enough time to gather supplies and escape into the sea again. However, after two days of tense negotiations, Smith refused to accept the deal and forced crew members to sail the ship southwest.

Discovery of the Islands

Two weeks passed and food and water became scarce, but sailors gladly discovered land on July 17th, which they thought was Brazil (then a Portuguese colony). Nearly everyone on board got off the ship to head to land. They soon realized it wasn't Brazil, or South America for that matter, as they encountered the Daspi tribe, who were initially docile and friendly to the newcomers. Bennett and the remaining crew managed to escape, leaving the prisoners behind on the island. Returning to England, Cain Bennett was ordered to return the island and execute the convicts. The British Royal Court appointed Timothy Taylor to aid Bennett on his return to the island.

Thanks to Taylor's expertise, the new crew arrived on the island on August 10th, 1769. The army of convicts, allied with over 60 Duspi men, overwhelmed the troops sent to the island. Taylor and Bennett were taken prisoner, and remained so for 5 years, until Taylor was released.

Establishment of the Taspan Kingdom.

Given the chance to return to England, Taylor decided to gather supplies and return to the island, envisioning a permanent settlement where he could live peacefully, away from Europe. He arrived in Taspa on 1781, almost a decade after. By this time, the convicts, who would be known later as the "150" had intermarried with local Daspi women, and were partially integrated into the tribe, under the leadership of chief Okasara. Taylor became fascinated with the locals, and was allowed into the "tribe" in early 1782, after an entire year of being a prisoner. He soon rose to become a noble, second in command to Okasara.

A fetish of Chief Okasara, the leader of the Daspi tribe at the time of European contact

Okasara reigned until 1795, and power was vested on Taylor, who married Okasara's daughter, Pasika. Taylor established the Taspan Kingdom, seeing himself as "Taspan" rather than British. Along with the inhabitants of the islands, he established the Royal Council, which functioned as a legislative body, and sought recognition from other states.

Demographics

Health

The Constitution