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Isles of St. Kilta
Conventional short name:
 Local: Saint Kilta
 Ingallish: Saint Kilta
Data codes: SK, SKI
Flag of St
Languages:  
 Official: Ingallish (St. Kiltan dialect)
 Others: ---
Cities:  
 Capital: St. Kiltaport
 Other: Blackrock, Benport, Estoport, Twixthills
Government type: Parliamentary republic
Population: 17,369,673 (323) St. Kiltans
Currency: Puffin (SK£)
Organizations: United Nations of Vexillium

Saint Kilta, officially the Isles of Saint Kilta, is an independent oligarchic republic located in an archipelago to the nortwest of Longerath.

Geography[]

STKmap

Map of St. Kilta.

St. Kilta consists of a group of three islands of volcanic origin located to the northwest of the continent of Longerath, near the countries of Port Marie, Bomern and Meckeln-Flamlandt. The country and its territorial waters contain a number of active volcanoes. The three main islands of St. Kilta are Hirta on the north (also known as Hirta Soay, the location of the main city and capital of St. Kiltaport), Boreray on the east and Ben Kilta to the south.

Outside of the main islands, St. Kilta also mantained two overseas territories: the one-square-mile extraterritorial concession at its former colony of Ras Lanarch and the territory of North Cape, on the northernmost tip of mainland Delgamia. Both were sold to the Trade and Development Corporation in exchange for a substantial quantity of common stock.

Government[]

St. Kilta is a republic. Every five years, the local parliament, the 24-person Mod, is elected by direct vote from the entire population. The Mod selects the Gingach from among its members. The Gingach, sometimes translated as Prime Minister, serves as the principal minister to the Thane of St. Kilta and forms a government. The Thane is the Chief of State, elected by and responsible to the voters of St. Kilta for a renewable 12 year term. The Thane appoints judges, diplomatic officials, commissions officers in the uniformed forces and represents the State in all public functions. The approval of the Thane is required for all actions of the Mod.

Another important part of the government is the Baliff, the permanent head of the civil service. The Baliff is responsible for the smooth running of the everyday affairs of the nation and, by direction of the Mod, implementing laws and ordinances adopted by the Mod. The Baliff is appointed by the Thane for an indefinite term of office and may be removed only for specified reasons requiring consent of the Mod, approval of the Thane and approval of the voters.

The Herald of Saint Kilta is named by the Mód from a list of 4 candidates submitted by the Baliff; the Herald is charged with the publication of all government decisions and directives, and with the registration, management and archival of citizenship information. The Herald manages the single largest department of the Saint Kiltan civil service, due to the very large number of Saint Kiltan citizens living abroad, numbering more than double the 17 million living in the Isles, and the large number of applications for citizenship received each year.

A good part of the public services, such as education and healthcare, are provided by the government. Other institutions of government include the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Viniculture, St. Kilta National Trust and the Outer Islands Adminstration. Locally, St. Kilta is divided in a number of municipalities - formerly called parishes.

St. Kilta's foreign policy was of explicit neutrality for the mayority of the 200s AP and into the 300s; the policy was changed in January 322 with the granting of basing and transit rights to TDCorp military forces and the explicit alliance against the West Uhlan regime in the Uhlan War. Outside of the country, offices of the Bank of St. Kilta provide consular services. The Bank of St. Kilta signed an agreement with TDCorp in 320AP that allows the Bank to establish branches in TDCorp Business Center offices around the Vex.

Economy[]

The principal contributor to St. Kiltan economy is international banking. St. Kiltan banks are noted for discretion, soundness, fair returns, and absolute confidentiality. The Bank of St. Kilta is a major player in the international economy, serving several countries and major and minor corporations. The Bank of St. Kilta has branches in most countries of the Vex. Despite isolation, secure and constant contact between St. Kiltan banks and the rest of Vexillium can be mantained through modern communications technology. This alone permits St. Kilta to project its power across the whole of Vexillium, much farther than its diminute size would otherwise allow.

BSK marble

The logo of the Bank of St Kilta, known Vexwide

Low taxes, financial and legal advantages also allow several foreign companies to be registered in St. Kilta - this also makes St. Kilta known as an offshore tax haven.

Apart from the banking institutions, the government and the military are major employers in St. Kilta. In addition, tourism, fisheries and winemaking are important elements of the St. Kiltan economy. Viniculture in St. Kilta is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Viniculture, which maintains a number of large commercial vineyards in several nations of Vexillium. The ministry mantains a series of St. Kilta Grand Kru Gold plantations to produce wine for St. Kiltan consumption and for exporting. An unique strain of those grapes produces a very powerful wine, from which ethanol fuel is extracted to be used in suitably modified combustion engines and electrical generators. The country encourages the use of this fuel and bans the importing of petroleum-derived fuels for automobiles. The ministry also operates a tanker fleet for transporting wine in bulk.

The heavy volcanic environment allows for geothermal power production. This, in conjunction with solar power technology and ethanol derived from Grand Kru Gold grapes, has almost eliminated the need for importing fossil fuels.

Air travel to St. Kilta was provided by Soay Airways after Orbit Airlines, its main competition, moved its headquarters to Otéagu in 300AP; the state-owned Soay was granted a monopoly over international routes in December 300AP, which lasted until 320AP, when the Mod liberalized air travel and welcomed foreign airlines back, signally Orbit Airlines, which re-established its hub at St. Kiltaport.

Demographics[]

St. Kilta has a total population of circa 17 million Saint Kiltan citizens (323 estimate), plus visa holders and diplomats, Citizens are mainly of Cruisanan descent. Cruisanism is the majority faith, and there are also major groups of Emethitists and Chungese. The continued controversy over Estoport has delayed the incorporation of the port's population into government statistics.

The ius sanguinis citizenship policy and the high emigration to Otéagu and the Kiltan Fringe in Nwangwe has created a situation where there are many more Saint Kiltan citizens living in former colonies than in the Isles proper.

Religion[]

There is no established church and several faiths have congregations in St. Kiltaport; however, informal social pressure and Mód decrees result in a legislative corpus and social customs heavily influenced by Cruisanism.

History[]

Main article: History of Saint Kilta

Military[]

St. Kilta mantained minimal military forces. Being a non-belligerent and neutral country until 322, no regular air or ground forces are supported. The Coast Guard provides maritime patrol as well as airborne search and rescue. The St. Kilta Regiment is a part-time force with a full-time training element at St. Kiltaport, numbering 35,000 men and women. The St. Kilta Engineers are organized with a remit to provide surveys, public works, communications and utilities.

The St. Kilta Constabulary functions as the civil and criminal police, with detachments formerly at North Cape and the Ras Lanarch Concession. The volunteer Fire Brigade is part of the Constabulary.

Symbols[]

St. Kilta has a complex set of national and local flags. See: Flags of Saint Kilda.