But the election is 11 months away!

Yes, April 17, 2010 is a long way off. If this were a U.S. election cycle, we would still be a couple weeks away from the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire primary.

Patria's many parties have yet to roll out their election campaign platforms and slogans. But you can be sure that the Great Recession will be front and center as a hot button issue, as will a deadly swine flu pandemic or fear-mongering of one. And even now, there is plenty of guessing as to how the Amrita party will fare against a revived SRM. Will the "no gurus, just right" Chakra Party again play the "transformation not transcendence" card? Will the "top dog for real men" National Union trot out the same old law-and-order promises to get out the testosterone vote? (jail for jaywalking? corporal punishment for kids? dress codes and curfews for teenagers? public executions? NU's been there, done that!). Will the Green Party be exposed as a bunch of economic conservatives disguised as Birkenstock-wearing bike-riding tree-hugging liberals? Is there still any room at the table for "progressive" or leftist parties such as the Social Democrats? Will the Jungle Party fans of the Jim Rome show continue to have a take and not suck in the new Congress? Will the nutbar one-issue fringe parties pick up more than their usual handful of seats in the new Congress and how many new fringe parties will throw their hats into the ring for 2010?

Stay tuned. Campaign 2010 will unfold in the months to come. We can promise that it won't last as long as a U.S. presidential election marathon. But the campaign will really get started next fall, shortly after the Fourth Session of the 48th Congress convenes.

In the meantime, here is some basic background information about the Inner Realm of Patria.

Common Name: Patria

Three-Letter Identification (for ISO-9336m): PAT

Official Name, English: Inner Realm of Patria

Official Name, local: Antarbhumi Ramrajya (Sanskrit); Antíraterraí Patria (Patrienish)

Suggested Names in other languages: le Royaume intérieur de la Patrie (French), das Innenreich Patria (German)

Etymology: [origin of the name] Patria is Latin for fatherland or native land. In Sanskrit, Ramrajya means literally the kingdom of Lord Rama.

Capital: Castoropolis (Sanskrit: Kashipura)

Nationality: Patrienish, Patrien

Official Languages: English, Sanskrit, Patrienish

National Holidays: Flag Day - Jan. 25; Independence/Inauguration Day - June 30; Dharma Day - July 17. Diwali, Shiva Ratri and other Hindu holidays are observed according to the Hindu lunar calendar (the Gregorian calendar date will vary from year to year).

Official Calendar Adopted: Gregorian, Hindu.

Concise History: The Republic of Castoria seceded from an un-named country or attained independence from an un-named colonial power on June 30, 1818. Castoria evolved into Patria and the name "Castoria" fell out of use by the late 70's. Patria remained a liberal, secular republic until 1989-90, when the "Dharmic Revolution" inculcated eastern spirituality, yoga and Hinduism, and transformed Patria into a de facto Hindu theocracy although the constitution guarantees complete religious freedom and the rights of non-Hindus.

Flag: A simple tricolor. See previous post

National anthem: "Rock of Ages" ("Ma'oz Tsur")

Motto: "AQUILA CUM COLUMBA VOLAT" (The eagle flies with the dove)

Population: As a "virtual nation" existing only on paper or online, the population is imagined to be approximately that of Canada (i.e. about 30 million), regardless of the actual number of real-life people who are currently actively involved in Patria.

Immigration Average: N/A, although as in Canada, US, UK and Australia, immigration is a hot-button issue in Patria.

Emigration Average: N/A

Ethnic Composition: Racial or ethnic statistics not kept. Patria welcomes multicultural diversity and promotes the Hindu teaching of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (The whole world is one family).

Religions and Cults: Hinduism (de facto state religion), Tibetan Buddhism and Eastern-based New Age spirituality. Predominantly Western converts/apostates from Judaism or Christianity.

Sports: ice hockey, football (soccer), and baseball are played professionally, many other sports played at amateur or recreational level. Hatha Yoga is officially recognized as Patria's national sport.

Main Sport Associations: Patrienish Hockey League ; All-Patria Football Federation; two baseball leagues, the Castorian League and Lazurian League, whose pennant winners meet in the Patria Series.

Main Cultural Organizations: The Ramrajya Hindu Parishad (Patrienish Hindu Council) serves as the umbrella organization for many Hindu cultural and religious organizations.

Main Newspapers: The Akashic Record, Novítæ Dínaë, and Ramrajya Dharmika Patrika are the leading newspapers in English, Patrienish and Sanskrit respectively.

Main Universities/Colleges: University of Castoropolis, Hindu University of Patria, Patrienish National Institute of Technology, National Military College of Patria.

Illiterates: very close to zero.

Unemployed: statistics not kept, but likely to have increased significantly since the beginning of the Great Recession in latter half of 2008.

Court System: Supreme Court, District or Precinct Courts in each precinct
Judges: Supreme Court consists of nine Justices, selected and ratified by Congress. Judges of Precinct or District Courts chosen by the legislative assemblies of each precinct.

Obligatory Military Service: NO
Death Penalty: NO
Freedom of speech: YES
Homosexual Rights: YES
Abortion Prohibition: NO
Drugs Prohibition: NO - Patria recognizes that the US-style "War on Drugs" has been a failure, just as the "War on Booze" (aka Prohibition) was a failure in the 1920s. Drug abuse is a social problem, not a criminal justice issue and is treated as such in Patria.
Taxations: YES
Direct Elections: YES

ECONOMICS
Economic System: Partially socialist, i.e. some government intervention, and state ownership of key industries and services.

Currency: Patrienish Rupee (RsPat.)

Subdivision of Currency: 100 pæsæ

Currency Value in US$: 37.5 Rupees to one U.S. dollar; 1 RsPat. = US$0.0266 (official exchange rate, though better rates are available on the black market)

Measurement System: Metric

Banks: Reserve Bank of Patria. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal and other major Canadian banks have branch offices in Patria.

Major Corporations: State-owned: Ramrajyavani (national radio and TV network), PatriAir (national airline), Rælvíæ Patriaë (Patrienish Railways).
Private: PetroPatria (petroleum), Patrienish Motor Works (auto maker)

GEOGRAPHY
Area: N/A, but is at least as large as a typical midwestern U.S. state

Location: N/A, though several locations have been suggested over the years: Central Asia, an island in the Indian Ocean south of Madagascar, and even Madagascar itself.

Canon Country: N/A, but has a special relationship with Canada.

Continent: N/A

Limits: N/A

Administrative Division: Thirteen Precincts, and the Federal District of Castoropolis (FDC). The 13 Precincts and their postal abbreviations are: Aeolia (AE), Ambrosia (AM), Antioch (AN), Arboria (AR), Canardière (CN), Cæsarea (CE), Centralia (CT), Fredonia (FR), Haldimania (HL), Lazuria (LZ), Mauretania (MT), Nova Columbia (NC), Pottsylvania (PT)

Major Cities: Castoropolis, FDC; Port Madhu, LZ; Kayavarohan, NC; Kedarnath, AM; Mahakala, CT. In addition, there are many cities in CE that are part of the greater Castoropolis urban sprawl.

Main Ports: Port Madhu, Castoropolis (inland port)

Main Airports: John Franklin Marshall International Airport, Castoropolis (international airport code: CPP)

Climate: Average winter temperature 4ºC, average summer temperature 23ºC.

Relief: ranges from below sea level to mountainous.

Vegetation: Mixed coniferous/deciduous forest, grassland, prairies.

Major Rivers: Naya Ganga (New Ganges), Jamuna, Saraswati

Local Time in comparison to GMT: N/A but for practical purposes GMT-5 (GMT-4 in summer) i.e. Eastern Standard Time

DEFENSE
Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force

Commanders: Drawn from the Kshatriya (warrior) Hindu caste. Lord Krishna serves as the ceremonial Commander-in-Chief of Patria's armed forces.

Intelligence Office: Patrienish Intelligence and Security Service (PISS). The acronym says it all about the respect accorded to the FBI, CIA and spy agencies in general :)

POLITICS
Political Regime: Parliamentary Monarchy with some elements of a Hindu theocracy.

Legislature: The Congressus Patriaë consists of two houses, the General Congress (Samanya Sabha) and the House of Deputies (Pratinidhi Sabha). The General Congress consists of 333 members elected by proportional representation to a four-year term. The Pratinidhi Sabha, although nominally the upper chamber of Congress, has limited powers to review or veto legislation. It consists of 57 members appointed by the legislatures of the 13 Precincts and the Federal District of Castoropolis to serve an indefinite term.

Head of State: Saraswati Devi, Goddess of language, music and learning is the Queen, presiding deity of Patria, and the ceremonial Head of State of Patria. By proclamation of a Special Session of the 44th Congressus Patriaë, July 17, 1992. Her representative avatar (bodily incarnation) in Patria is Karunamayi Devi, who presides over Congress in a mostly ceremonial role as Speaker of the House.

Head of Government: Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (a.k.a. "Ammachi" or "the Hugging Saint"), de facto Head of Government as House leader of the Amrita Party, representing the Precinct of Arboria. Born Sept. 27, 1953. Inaugurated June 30, 2006 for 4-year term ending June 30, 2010.
Chosen by: Elections/Party appointment

Current Constitution Since: 1818. Last amended in May 1998.