Republic of St. Daniel

This article is about the island chain nation known as St. Daniel. For the second century martyr, see St. Daniel (martyr).
The Republic of St. Daniel (Spanish: República de San Daniel) is a de facto nation of several small islands off the coast of California. Officially, the islands are disputed by California and Mexico (and its successors), but since neither have managed to establish proper control over the territory, the islanders have set up their own government instead. This government is based on the island of Ergler, which is considered the safest of the islands and is the Republic's largest city.
Due in no small part to the meddling of its claimants, the effectiveness of this government varies wildly from year to year, and sometimes from month to month or even from week to week. Because of this, some political scientists have called the Republic an "anarchy" because there is no effective authority on the islands, though this label is heavily disputed.
In 2017, Rome sent a garrison to the islands to assert the North American Union claim, and the Romans have managed to restore some order to the islands. However, Virtue has contested this claim, leaving the islands' status uncertain.
== Overview ==
The islands are named for St. Daniel, a martyr from Padua who lived in the second century. It is said that St. Daniel appeared to the Spanish explorers in a vision, directing them to the islands, which is why they named them after him.
There are dozens of islands which belong to the Republic, although only five- Ergler (its capital and largest city), San Andreas, Isola Marcos, Vice City and Liberty City- are currently inhabited. Spanish and English are the dominant languages in the region, with both being taught in schools. The Republic does have a Constitution which calls for the election of the President and a Legislative Assembly, but because of the administrative difficulties on the islands, elections are not regularly held and the President rules by decree. The current President is Pablo Gonzalez.
They were first inhabited by the Spanish in the 16th century, before being passed on to the Mexicans when that country achieved independence. During the American conquest of Mexico, the islands fell into American hands, who immediately flooded the islands with American settlers. After the American Civil War, the Peace of Madrid re-established Mexican sovereignty, although an oversight in the treaty meant the question of St. Daniel was unresolved. Thus, for the next 150 years, the question of ownership was disputed by both California and the Republic of Northern Mexico, with neither ever establishing firm control. Eventually this lack of control led to the islands forming their own government, with varying degrees of success. The Mexicans and the Californians too paid little heed to the dispute, as both felt the islands added very little economic benefit. Oil was discovered off the shores of San Andreas in 1952 which renewed interest, but California and Northern Mexico signed a co-distribution and development deal in 1956 which bypassed the need to claim the islands.
Since the collapse of California and Northern Mexico, the islands are a source of dispute for their successors, Virtue in Mexico and the North American Union in California. In 2017, the Romans sent a garrison to the islands to assert the NAU claim, with Roman officials able to restore some order on the islands. Roman Emperor Erasmus announced an infrastructure plan for the islands and some work has started in this capacity, although the islands' issues have been a hindrance.
Category:Disputed territories of Vicendum
Category:Unrecognized Nations of Vicendum