Tikal Island

**Tikal Island** is a small island in the Western Outer Region bordered by Kiwi Island to the north, Asauna to the west, and Kelly Island to the south.

Tikal Island was first inhabited in 1911 by explorers and it was prized for its abundance of dragon fruit especially in the north, as well as jackfruit trees.

Tikal Island is a developing nation, ranking 72nd on the Global Development Index. It is a primary exporter of oil and textiles, as well as a supplier of food and goods across the Western Outer Region.

The country has a freedom score of 56/100 as of 2021. King Roger, the king of Tikal Island since 1958, has been criticized for his restricting certain freedoms. It became infamous in 2011 after King Roger passed a law that outlawed the sale and possession of cell phones to anyone under the age of 21 years old while retaining the age of majority to 18. It has recently passed the Kings Internet Law which requires all online-only TV and radio stations to obtain a TCC license and this also applies to social media companies, video sharing sites, and content streaming services. ISPs have been required to obtain a special license to operate and children under 21 are not allowed access to social media and they are not allowed to own any electronics.

## Laws

For much of the country's existence, Tikal Island is notorious for enforcing a number of silly laws, which includes a national juvenile internet curfew for minors and a ban on cell phone possession and social media access to all citizens under 21 years old. While laws like this have been enforced since the country's founding, they became more prevalent after King Roger ascended to the throne in 1958.

The country's age of majority is 18 years old, which is when someone can get married, go into contracts, settle lawsuits, and other rights, as well as other responsibilities, such as serving on a jury (this makes sense considering that the country's legal system is based on English law, just as its forefather the Yoshi States, and its own forefather, the Yoshi Kingdom), signing up for selective service (In Tikal Island, it's called the National Service Draft System, which functions similarly to the Selective Service System in the Yoshi States, but for Tikal Island only), participating in local elections, performing community service, and serving four years in the military (Tikal Island by law has an active draft system requiring all able bodied men to serve in the military, but in practice however, only 15% of the population actually has to serve due to restrictions and requirements set in place by the government as well as the government's attempt to have an efficient draft, while the other 85% do not have to serve, but are still required to sign up for the NSDS with almost no exceptions if something is to happen). If someone is drafted by the government to serve in the military, then they may not leave the country until all four years of service are complete, which is a requirement before getting a passport, and they are drafted immediately after they sign up. Failing to sign up for NSDS is punishable by 10 years in prison and T$1,000,000 fines (roughly $825,238 US/YS dollars), and any person who aids and abets in not signing up for it are also subject to the same punishments, and if anyone is drafted, even by fleeing the country, these same penalties also apply, as well as those who aid in abet in avoiding conscription. Women have been allowed to serve in the military since 2011, but they are still not allowed to register under the law and their roles in the military are still limited.

However, there are a number of things that one cannot do until they are 21 years old, and this includes

* consuming alcoholic beverages (in very few rural districts, this drinking age can be as old as 30)
* owning a weapon (including a knife)
* obtaining a CDL
* going to a casino (even if no alcohol is served)
* betting
* winning a lottery
* adopting a child
* supervision of someone under 18 or being a guardian to a minor
* riding a taxi
* becoming a bus/truck driver (this also includes semi buses)
* staying at a motel alone (even if no alcohol is served, but an 18-year-old may stay in a motel with another 18-year-old, but they cannot have anyone under 18 without a 21-year-old)
* obtaining a visa to enter the country (not easily enforced as Tikal Island is bound to rules set in place by the WOU as it is a member of this union)
* going out at night alone without a permit (even though the national juvenile curfew only applies to those under 18 years old, 18 year olds can go out alone or with someone only between 18 and 21, but they must obtain a permit to do so and have a valid reason to be out alone)
* possession of tobacco
* possession of electronics (i.e., but not limited to; cell phones, computers, tablets, etc..)
* having a social media account
* becoming a taxi driver or a rideshare driver (i.e., uber or lyft)
* leaving the country alone (adults between 18 and 21 can also leave alone, but they must obtain an exit visa to leave the country, and this law applies throughout the entire country, regardless of what rules global airliners have)