Sansterre: History

Sansterre Today

The Sansterre Federation is not truly a world government. It is a framework of (generally) irreversible unified laws and regulations across sovereign states. Not all of the unifications apply in all of the member states. This leads to a complex patchwork of local laws and restrictions that may appear bizarre to the idle visitor. It is possible to cross the street, without passing through any recognisable border, yet find yourself in a totally different jurisdiction, with different currency and different police force.

The three main states of Sansterre are Avalon, Solaria et Louisville, and Dominica. These three share all of the significant unifications (tax, defence, movement and trade). But smaller states have often signed up for fewer of the unifications, or even none at all. Some 4% of Sansterre’s population are governed by states that have no connection whatever with Sansterre’s World Federation.

There are still small dome cities ruled by their aristocratic family and inhabited by chattel slaves, even though this practise was outlawed by the World Court in 5525AD, over a century ago.

Avalon

The Kingdom of Avalon consists of the sunken continent known as Avalon, including a chain of equatorial archipelagos - the Barbars, which are surrounded by floating raft towns inhabited by 30 million people. Avalon also controls intercontinental deep ocean trenches Nostradamus and Clio - home to extensive mining operations and one of Sansterre’s principal (space) shipyards. The agricultural world of St. Denis, 8 light years from Sansterre is also a part of the Kingdom of Avalon.

Officially a constitutional monarchy ruled by Hilde III, Avalon is essentially a federation. True power lies in the hands of the Senate, which is selected by the ruling councils of each of Avalon’s prefectures.

Solaria et Louisville

A widely scattered jurisdiction. Louisville is a huge dome and raft complex, situated in shallow water on the sunken Mondiale continent. Solaria is an extensive raft town, made up of numerous nomad boats and manufacturing complexes. It is Sansterre’s hub for the manufacture of electronics and consumer goods.

Solaria et Louisville is governed by a directly elected Assembly. A directly elected president complements the Assembly, but wields few real powers.

This state also controls the mineral rich moon named Selenia/La Contessa.

Dominica

Dominica consists of a long chain of raft and dome complexes that stretch from Sansterre’s chilly Northern Ocean, along the Nocturn trench, across Eastern Mondiale and out into the reefs and atolls of Saint Maria. It is here that the world’s principal starport is located, amongst all the heavy industry and manufacturing for which the area is famous.

Dominica is governed by a directly elected president, who selects the remainder of the executive. Legislation is performed through compulsory referenda, usually twice per year. Each vote usually covers a whole host of different measures. Ballot papers can be thirty or more pages long!

Dominica’s civil service is weak. Most government services are delivered through local networks and offices maintained by the principal political parties.