Guyane (1983: Doomsday)
From Alternative History
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| Capital: | Cayenne | ||||
| Language: official: | French | ||||
| Other languages: | Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil) | ||||
| Prefecte: | Jean-Pierre Alazaire | ||||
| Area: | 83,534 sqm km² | ||||
| Population: | approxim. 200,000 inh. | ||||
| Independence: | from France | ||||
| declared: | January 1st, 2001 | ||||
| recognized: | January 1st, 2001 | ||||
| Currency: | Franc Guyane | ||||
The French Republic of Guyane (Guyane) was a former overseas department of France and now is an independent nation, located on the northern coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil and the Guyana Cooperative. Its currency is the Guyane Franc and its capital is Cayenne.
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[edit] History
[edit] Post-Doomsday
French Guyana itself faired relatively well after Doomsday with local authorities keeping control by declaring martial law. The sudden loss of French aid sent the economy into free fall, but the overall situation was stable. George Othily, just recently elected as President of the Regional Council, alongside with Paris-appointed Prefect [...] managed to keep control in the Capital of Cayenne and the Guiana Space Centre and surrounding areas, relying on the police forces and the 3rd REI (Infantry Regiment) of the French Foreign Legion. In the first months the hardly accessible regions outside the coastal region proved still dangerous but not as lawless as many parts of the world.
[edit] The Kourou Incident
The importance of a small country like French Guyana being relatively low, normally its neighbours would not have paid much attention to it as everyone was concerned wih securing it´s own nations survival. But in the case of French Guyana the existence of the Guiana Space Centre made it important for it neighbours as the base survived Doomsday without being hit.
But the Detachment of the French Foreign Legion securing the installation did not abandon its post. A detachment of elite units from Brazil arrived on November 2nd, 1983. Stunned by the still-functioning defense of the French Foreign Legion, the Brazilians tried to take the installation by force. But after a short exchange of fire, the commanding officer of the Legion regiment demanded a cease-fire or threatened to destroy the whole installation. He also demanded official negotiations with the Brazilian government and demanded French authority of the country as a whole being respected and untouched. Three days later, the Brazilians retreated and an official emissary arrived.
After long negotiations an agreement was made. French Guyana was under Brazilian protection (maintaining formal French sovereignty pending contact with France) and access to the facilities to Brazil scientists was granted. The failure in the "Kouru Incident" costed the Brazilian military commander his post, but the-then commander of the FFL became a local hero.
[edit] Independence
In 1999, Jean-Pierre Alazaire, the commander of the French Foreign Legion in the "Korou Incident" and elected prefect (based on a administrative reform in 1995) two years before, propagated the idea of declaring French Guyana a sovereign nation. Meeting nearly no opposition and securing French and Brazilian acceptance, work on a constitution began.
Alazaires idea was to position the new Republic (justed called Guyane) as a neutral state not belonging formally neither to France nor an South American country. He saw the potential and possibilities arising from the intensifying South American and global trade and of course the importance of the Guiana Space Centre.
So the constitution declared neutrality and a rather direct democracy. A liberal tax system was set up aiming to attract international companies aiming on the growing trade between the Europeans and South Americans.
The new state came into being January 1st 2001, coinciding with the first start of a new "Odysee" Rocket from Korou.
[edit] Politics
The former overseas department (French: département d'outre-mer or DOM) of French Guyana is today a sovereign country (declared January 1st, 2001) knwon as the "Republique francaise de Guyane" or just "Guyane".
Its constitution is modeled after pre-Doomsday Switzerland.
Head of State is still "Prefecte" Jean-Pierre Alazaire, then commander of the French Foreign Legion in the famous "Korou Incident", since the independence on January 2001.
[edit] Military
Guyane maintains a rather small, but effective and capable military force based on the then-French stationed troops in the territory relying on hardware belonging to French forces scattered around somewhere.
The detachment of the French Foreign Legion with its Headquarters at the Guiana Space Centre in Kouru serves as the Special Forces (and sometimes named "Praetorians of the Prefect") but formally is still part of the armend forces.
The regular forces are the "Force Armée de Guyane" (FAG) after several adjustments structured into several branches:
- Forces terrestres// Ground troops (roughly 1800 men)
- 3rd REI (Foreign Intanfry Regiment/ French Foreign Legion) : (personnel 750)
- 9th MArine Infantry Batallion:
This unit is actually a small army on its own encharged with a wide range of tasks.
- Forces aériennes de Guyane / Guyane Air Force" (150)
They mainly operate the airbase of Cayenne Rochambeau. It houses several helicopters of the 68th Squadron and small airplanes for various purposes.
- Forces maritime de Guyane / Guyana Navy (120 staff)
Operate the naval base of Degrad-Des-Cannes with 3 stationed patrol boats of the navy and a few smaller coast guard vessel operated by the Gendarmerie (Police).
- Supplementary and supporting forces roughly 400 strong.
[edit] Demographics
The population stabilised itself by roughly 200,000.
[edit] Economy
A large number of International companies and organisations have settled in the territory, taking advantage of both the ideal location in between the SouthAmerican and European Hemispheres and the extremely attractive and liberal tax laws. The country is often considered la "Suiza Suramericana", the "South American Switzerland". The economy is in stable growth and the perspectives are promising.
Main areas of growth are the capital of Cayenne and the region around Guiana Space Centre in Kouru.
[edit] International relations
Guyane is a member of the League of Nations. It has also considered membership in the South American Confederation. Guyane also plays host to local bases of the following international organizations:
- League of Nations South American & Atlantic Headquarters
- League of Nations Authority for Space Operations in Korou
- WCRB Atlantic Liaison Office
- International Commitee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
- League of Nations Global Development Fund
- ANZBC Studio Cayenne
[edit] Flag
The new flag of Guyane keeps closely to the Coat of arms in Red, Green and Blue. Despite being opposed by some independentist groups, an explicit relation to the French history was made by keeping the french lilys in the flag along with a blue striped; this one crossed as some kind of reconciliation for the independentist of the Tam-Tam Movement.
[edit] See Also
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