Free Republic of the Lok Islands

Free Republic of the Lok Islands
Conventional short name:
Local:	Lok
Ingallish:	Lok Islands
Data codes:	OK, LOK
Cities:
Capital:	Lokport
Other:	Lokrina, Miribitical
Government type:	Republic
President:	Ernesto Sabato
Area:	2,556 km²
Population:	405,027 Lokians (158.5/km²)
Organizations:	Lok Isl. will apply for membership in UNV and FCC, intends to join the CLU and the WLT
Time zone:	VTC-1 hour (CMT-2 hours)
Calling code:	+32
[TECH] Lok's... on Earth: between... Area Comoros / Luxembourg Population Bahamas / Malta Population density Federated States of Micronesia / Tonga Location relative to equator Tonga

The Free Republic of the Lok Islands is a small, independent state on an archipelago called the Lok Islands, part of the Western Isles, west of central Longerath.

Geography of the Lok Islands

Lok Islands - physical map

Suf Beach with view of Lokita Island

The Lok Islands are two relatively small islands in the Sea of Blue Waters, Granlok and Lokita, not very far from the coast of the Peninsula of Percevejan. The islands are nearly flat, with only small elevations barely over 200 m near the eastern coast of Granlok and two hills in the northern and southern tips of the same island. The highest point is the Southern Hill with 513 m above the sea level. The islands are arid and completely surrounded by long beaches of white sands, cut here and there by low cliffs of hard chalcy rocks. Palm trees enclose the beaches with a green wall, and coral reefs emerge here and there in low tide. The inland areas are covered by a sparse vegetation that has been used for many years by the locals as food for goats and sheep. Agriculture is not productive, and the people have turned to the rich Sea of Blue Waters to complement their nutrition.

The Lok Islands

Island	Area (sq.km)	Population	Density (inh per sq.km)
Granlok	2,085	356,894	171.2
Lokita	471	48,133	102.2
TOTAL	2,556	405,027	158.5

Schematic position

		Ancalda		Drekanland
Melga		Bay of Dascunya
Sea of Blue Waters		28.7°W 6.3°S Lok Islands 7.7°S 28.0°W
West Uhlan		Westdenia	Samuelonia

Population

Populated Places

The capital city and also the largest city in the islands is Lokport, with a population of nearly 220,000. The remaining places are rather small villages, with the exception of Lokrina (39,000) and Miribitical (32,000).

Ethnic Composition

The "true" Lokians belongs to the same ethnic family as the Percevejanis, the Melgans and the now extinct Teniasan people. Over the centuries many migration waves and invasions have brought new peoples to the islands affecting those which already lived there and producing ethnic minorities. Approximately two fifths of the islands population are more or less ethnic Lokians, making it the largest ethnic group on the islands. However, the Lokian language is rarely spoken, Lendian being the main language of the islands.

The different Lendian peoples make up approximately another two fifths of the population of the islands. Many of them have ancestors that have lived on the islands for centuries and those simly referred to themselves as "Lokians" or "Lendian Lokians". Others have moved in later from different parts of the old Lendian empire, of which the bulk have roots in Lendia proper or Piolhosa.

The last fifth are made up of a number of ethnic groups of which the Uhlanians and West Uhlanians are the biggest. Among other minorities are: Estontetsans, Angliyans, Bowdanians, Melgans, Percevejanis, Westrians, Ranhis and Neolillianians. In addition there were large numbers of West Uhlanian, Percevejan and Lendian refugees on the islands that in 299 fled the civil war in Percevejan. Some of these people chose to settle permanently on the Lok Islands, which however did not considerably effect the ethnic composition of the island.

National Symbols of the Lok Islands

Lokita Pita light house seen from the sea

Lokita Pita light house close-up

The National Flag shows a symbology not completely researched yet. The colours are the Dascunyan ones. The overall impression is that of light beams from a light house, but instead of the light house, there is an ornamented disc. The disc is white with a black eight-pointed star, overlaid with a yellow disc (the sun?). The meaning of this device is still obscure. The light house can only mean the oldest and most important one in this region, namely that of Lokita Pita (built 400-390 BP, not earlier than 161 BP and not later than 52 equipped with a coal fire, 114 AP oil fire and parabolic mirrors, 192 Fresnel lens, 242 electric light  TECH: Neuwerk, Elbe estuary near Hamburg ).

The flag of the President of the Free Republic is the national flag with a golden palm wreath.

Government

Administrative Divisions

Lok Islands - political map

The Free Republic was the only of the Lendian Republics not divided into provinces. It is divided into 14 municipalities, 11 in Granlok and 3 in Lokita, each with its Local Council from which the members of the Council of Lokian Citizens are directly selected.

Diplomatic Seal

Diplomacy

The Free Republic of the Lok Islands has restarted its diplomatic relations. Focus lies on the neighbouring states, maybe including West Uhlan, as well as membership in the main international communities.

Federal Estontetsan Republic
since 14 April 322

Free Republic of Melga
since 17 Apr 322

UNV Aviation Convention
since 17 Apr 322

Weapons Limitation Treaty
since 17 Apr 322

Smalik Treaty Organisation for Industrious Cooperation
16 June 322 AP
Mr Tuggëres Dowcazubin
Lok Islands' Embassy in 18, Notary Road, WSH-61188 Bbicobes

On 17 April 322, offers to open diplomatic relations were sent to

• Republic of Ancalda
• Kingdom of Drekanland
• United Federal Kingdom of Samuelonia
• Kingdom of Westdenia

On the same day, requests for membership were sent to

• United Nations of Vexillium
• International Trade Council of Vexillium
• Free Confederate Community
• Central Longerath Union

Military

Naval Ensign

The military of the Lok Islands consists of about 1,000 soldiers. Commander-in-Chief is the President of the Free Republic. The direct command is executed by a Brigadier General in the Defence Ministry.

The military encompasses 5 branches:

• Estado Mayor (command staff, ca. 50 personnel)
• Infantería (ca. 400 personnel on Lok and 100 on Lokita)
• Artillería (ca. 150 personnel)
• Fuerza Aérea (ca. 200 personnel)
  • 2 reconnaissance aircraft LAC-200
  • 3 search & rescue (SAR) helicopters
• Marina (ca. 200 personnel)
  • 6 offshore patrol vessels (OPV)/fast attack craft (FAC)

Uniforms and ranks date back to Lendian times and resemble those of Melga.

History

The Lok Islands never officially ceded from the Free Confederacy of Lendian Republics (FCLR). They were invaded in early March 299 by the Communist West Uhlanian guerilla (FUC) which had staged a successful uprising in Percevejan. Confederate attempts to recapture the island failed and were abandoned as the Lendian Confederacy was dissolved on March 13th. About four months later, on 10 July 299, the Lendian Tigers, an ethnic Lendian group led by elements of the former Confederate army, captured the Lok Islands after a heavy bombardment by sea and airforces, as they also did with Melga and Sag Islands, and proclaimed these two Free Republics as the Tiger Confederation.

After the Tiger Confederation lost their power and influence [sometime between 307 and 321], the islands established themselves as an independent nation, living partly on the growing number of tourists visiting the beautiful beaches. This sector of economy plummeted significantly in February 322 after the battles around West Uhlan broke out. To help out and set a sign of hope for the future, Estontetsan construction companies are expanding and embellishing the international airport and the harbour passenger terminal.

Economy

The main economic branches are fisheries and tourism. The white beaches of Lok attract people from all parts of the vex.

Air Traffic

Trasportes Aéreos do Lok, the national airline which still operates Lendosa Aviation arircraft in use since the times the Lok Islands were part of the FCLR, operates relations to all relevant destinations, collecting tourists from places like Duceta (Estontetso, see timetable).

Sea Traffic

The Lok Islands operate the LOK FERRY SERVICE which connects the islands to each other and to the surrounding shores. At the same time, several foreign shipping lines call at Lokport, like BLUE WATER STEAM SHIPPING LINES, MELGA BAY STEAM SHIPPING LINES and HHLL (HÖRDE-HAT NAK-LOKPORT LINES) from Hörde-on-Sea (Estontetso) and MELODRAN (Melga-Lok-Drekanland-Ancalda shipping line) and HSL (High Speed Link/Hat Nak Shipping Lines Melga-Lok) from Hat Nak (Melga).

Sources

Initial article copied from page versions saved from the intervexnet  TECH: by Max and Winfried , page creation: 11-10-298  TECH: by Tommy Larsson (tk.larsson at telia.com) , last update: 17-10-298, last webarchive find: 24-08-306.

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