Pridetopia

The Commonwealth Principalities of Kansouri is a sizeable and new nation determined to unite the many lands of Espania after the nation of Espania fell apart due to many levels of corruption and civil unrest.. Although its capital is in the northwest of the metro, its aims have quickly come to fruition as all of the rural areas are now engolfing the Madrid Espania area and continues to grow in popularity. Pridetopia joined The Legion shortly after its founding in July 2006.

History
The name "Pridetopia" is an amalgram represting the words Pride and Eutopia. Never before in the world could people who were considered deviants, mentally ill, perverts, child molestors, pedophiles, Sodomites, and any other name that could be thrown at the GLBT community come together in a place where they were safe and able to live their lives openly and honestly without the fear of reprisal. Pridetopia represents this "safe haven" for all GLBT people and their allies. This nation does not discriminate against anyone because of their sexual orientation. Pridetopia is open and welcome to all.

As our sign into the country says, "Welcome to Pridetopia. Home of the Queens. Flamestown is our pride and joy. We are a country based on three things... Pride, Loyalty, and Honor. We believe in a free people, ruled by their constitutional Monarch.. Diva Maia." We are also a proud Legion Member nation.

Culture
Pridetopia is known to embrace many religions, as evident by its Mixed Faith. Included within the boundaries of Pridetopia are the regional headquarters for the Nazarenes, Reform Jews, United Church of Christ, the US Anglican Church, Methodists and Unitarians.

Pridetopians are very attracted to sports and the arts, and at times are more willing to raise taxes for sporting venues, art exhibits, or a new Opera House than mass transit projects. They are currently building Triangle Stadium for the national favorite football team TheQueens, and also are hoping to attract more swimming and diving teams for their Granola Aquatic Center currently under construction.

Music, Theatre and Art are also proud traditions in Pridetopia which is evident in its 10 Theatres in Flamestown alone. The National Diva Art Institute is the meca of Artists featuring all forms of artwork no matter how wuestionable in taste they may be. Music is also a passion which is shared by the musicians and their apprentices in the 5 music conservatories. The Diva Maia studied at the Carnegie School of Music herself.

Flags
The Flag of the Head of the State, Her Royal Magesty, The Diva of Pridetopia is a flag full of symbols representing the Great Nation of Pridetopia. The field is hot pink which represents the passion of the nation. The flag's center holds the national symbol, a rainbow filled triangle representing the many facets of it's people: RED = Life, ORANGE = Healing, YELLOW = Sun, GREEN = Nature, ROYAL BLUE = Harmony, VIOLET = Spirit. The crown signifies the Divary, and the life blood of the people. The de facto international flag of Pridetopia is based off the flag representing all members of the Legion. Above a stripe of purple and black is a field of white, where the Legion's eagle flies at right, facing left. In the opposite corner is the national symbol of Pridetopia. Pridetopia's name is included in the stripe of purple at the bottom of the flag. During times of war, such as the Legion's participation in the Three Alliances War, the full-color wartime flag flies over government fields into battle. The use of purple/black instead of white demonstrates total commitment to the cause of defending Pridetopia and standing with fellow Legion nations.

Government
Pridetopia is a Monarchy. Monarchy is one of the oldest forms of government. In Pridetopia the Head of state is called Her/His Royal Majesty The Diva, or if the Monarch prefers Her/His Royal Majesty The King or Queen. The government is split like a pyramid with the Divary, Council, and the Juris. The Divary is the Head of State, and the Head of the Nation. The Council debates and creats the laws of the land. The Council answers to the Divary.

Divary
The Pridetopian Sovereign can be seen as having two roles: Head of State, and 'Head of the Nation'. As Head of State, The Diva undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. There are inward duties, with The Diva playing a part in State functions in Pridetopia. Council must be opened, Orders in Council have to be approved, Acts of Council must be signed, and meetings with the Bishop and Juris Pontif must be held.There are also outward duties of State, when The Diva represents Pridetopia to the rest of the world. For example, The Diva receives foreign ambassadors and high commissioners, entertains visiting Heads of State, and makes State visits overseas to other countries, in support of diplomatic and economic relations. As 'Head of Nation', The Diva's role is less formal, but no less important for the social and cultural functions it fulfils.

The Diva's role is to:


 * Perform the ceremonial and official duties of Head of State, including representing Pridetonia to the rest of the world;
 * Make decisions that would affect the relationship of the nation to the world;
 * Act as the Head of all the government and supervise all branches of the government while still giving them space to perform their duties;
 * Provide a focus for national identity and unity;
 * Provide stability and continuity in times of change;
 * Recognise achievement and excellence;
 * Encourage public and voluntary service.

These include: providing a focus for national identity, unity and pride; giving a sense of stability and continuity; recognising success, achievement and excellence; and supporting service to others, particularly through public service and the voluntary sector. These roles are performed through different types of engagement. By means of regular visits through every part of the Commonwealth, The Diva is able to act as a focus for national unity and identity. Through her engagements and walkabouts, The Diva is able to meet people from every walk of life. The Diva's unifying role as Sovereign is also shown in her special relationships with the devolved assemblies in Scotland and Wales. In addition, at times of national celebration or tragedy, The Diva publicly represents the nation's mood - for example, at annual commemoration of the war dead on Remembrance Sunday, or at celebrations for a national sporting victory. The Diva also has an essential role in providing a sense of stability and continuity in times of political and social change. The system of constitutional monarchy bridges the discontinuity of party politics. While political parties change constantly, the Sovereign continues as Head of State, providing a stable framework within which a government can introduce wide-ranging reforms. The Diva is able to recognise success and achievement in a personal way. These include honours, awards, visits, patronage and sponsorship. At Investitures, for example, The Diva honours individuals for public service or outstanding achievement. She also hosts garden parties to which guests from all backgrounds are invited, most of whom are nominated by charities or public sector organisations for their service to their communities. And in the thousands of messages sent by The Diva each year to people celebrating their 100th birthdays or diamond weddings, The Diva is able to give special and personal recognition of remarkable individuals. The Diva also supports service to others, through close relationships with the voluntary and charitable sector. About 3,000 organisations list a member of the Royal Family as patron or president. The Diva is supported by members of the Royal Family, who carry out many of the engagements which The Diva cannot undertake in person.

Council
13 seats exsist on the Council currently. When the populous of the nation gets larger the Council can contain a total of 101 Council members. The council is the legislative body of the nation and reports their legislation to the Divary for Approval or Veto. They are charged with portecting citizens rights, personal property, the life of all citizens, further expanding the ideals of the nation, and making sure the nation remains stable and doesn't expand beyond it's reaches. The freedom of Religion, Speech, and Life are chief among all concerns and laws within the nation.

Each Council member is elected by the People. S/He represents the defined districts of the nation and the people as a whole. Their term lasts 2 years unless a vote of "no confidence" takes place. There currently is no term limit for the council, but that may change in the future if the Divary sees an unfair advantage against equal representation of the people.

The council is headed by the office of the Bishop. S/He is nominated by their fellow Council Members and is confirmed by the Divary. Their term lasts until a vote of "no confidence" or the Divary rules them unfit to where they will be placed back into the position of Council member and serve out the remainder of their original term which does not include their being elected to the position of Bishop.

Juris
The Juris is composed of 53 Jurists. The Juris is composed of Twenty-Five Adjunct Jurists who serve terms of 4 years, Twenty-Five Associate Jurists who serve terms of 12, Two Jurists who serve terms of 20 years, and the Juris Pontif who serves a lifetime term. With the exception of the Adjunct, Associate Jurists and Juris Pontif, Jurists members are nominated by the Divary, and confirmed by the Council. The Juris Pontif Position is appointed by the Divary and is considered the ultimate honor of the nation for any Jurist. Adjunct and Associate Jurists are elected by the people.

The Juris is made up of 3 divisions. The Adjunct Jurists are charged with hearing cases at a local level. These cases involve the day-to-day violations of law. The Associate Jurists are charged with dealing with nation wide legal issues which includes appeals of the Adjunct Jurists opinions. The Jurists are charged with hearing only a select few cases involving the Divary, giving reports to the Divary over the justness of laws passed by the Council, and hearing select appeals of the Adjunct Jurisits and all appeals of the Associate Jurists opinions. The Juris Pontif oversees all levels of the Juris and handles the executive decisions with running the Juris. S/He also breaks ties within the Juris when a decision or compromise cannot be reached. When the deicions of the Divary are in question,

Economy
Pridetopia's economy is driven by two national industries. Known for their brilliance, Pridetopia's chief export is her Gems. Her Emeralds, Topaz, Diamonds and Garnet are world renowned Pridetopia's other chief industry is the Sugar industry. Produces from Beets, Sugar Cane, and Corn... she is one of the regions chief exporters and suppliers of fine sugar. There is a reason that Pridetopias Spaniard Bakers are known for their Pastries... it's the sugar of course!

Education
Seeing that Education is key to the success of her people, Diva Maia has made education a number one priority in the nation. She has formed commonwealth run schools and institutions of higher learning. There are 4 Universities currently being rebuilt due to the civil unrest that helped found the country, and one University that was recently completed. They are now named as follows:
 * Pridetopia Univeristy
 * Flamestown University
 * Nueva Dias University

Media
Pridetopia's prominent newspaper is the "ToTo Times, which owns the Triangle Oz wire service. Other dailies and weeklies, such as the Poof News, Lezzy Times, BiWays and Benders'' serve various parts of Pridetopia.

Pridetopia's primary broadcast outlets all operate under the call letters DBN, for Divalicious Broadcasting Networks. The AM station, DBNA, operates at 50,000 watts, and houses continuous news updates and national interest (sports and the arts) broadcasts. The FM station, DBNQ "The Q", is the popular music channel., and repeaters are sprinkled across Pridetopia on nearby frequencies. The Diva has her own broadcast outlet which goes by the call letters DIVA. This station operates on both AM and FM and can be heard in all areas of Pridetopia. This outlet broadcasts all addresses by the Diva and reports on the daily workings of the government. The Diva also hosts a few shows as do members of her family and broadcasting academy students.

All DBN-owned television stations are affiliates of Legion News Service (LNS). LNS affiliates are located as follows:
 * DBNN, Channel 7
 * DBNX, Channel 8
 * DBNK, Channel 10
 * DBNZ, Channel 11
 * DBNW, Channel 43

All television stations must broasdcast exclusively digital signals. All FM stations must broadcast in High-Definition FM.