Republic of Superior (1983: Doomsday)

The Republic of Superior is an American survivor nation based in the Upper Peninsula of the former American state of. It also controls much of the upper Great Lakes region and other gained lands along the coast of former Ontario.

History

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Goverment
The government of the Republic of Superior is a virtual copy of that of the former United States of America. A President is elected by the people every four years, with the Electoral College casting their votes as well, whereas the candidate must have a majority of the electoral vote to win. Plans to do away with this system were removed, as an amendment was added where the winner of the Presidential election was also required to win a plurality of the popular vote in order to be elected. If none of the candidates have both, then the election moves to Congress, where the Vice President is chosen by the state delegations in the House of Representatives, while the President is chosen by the Senate. Congress is divided between a House, reflecting the population of the states, and a Senate, slower to change and also to prevent radical change in government policy. Though the original number of Representatives was kept the same, the Senate was downsized, due to there only being sixteen states, rather than the fifty in the former United States. The House is reelected every two years. Senators serve terms of six years each; the terms are staggered so that approximately one-third of the seats are up for election every two years. This was achieved by dividing the senators of the 1st Congress into thirds (called classes), where the terms of one third expired after two years, the terms of another third expired after four, and the terms of the last third expired after six years. This arrangement is also implemented following the admission of new states into the union. The staggering of the terms is arranged to ensure that both seats from a given state are never contested in the same general election except when a mid-term vacancy is being filled. In cases that the seat of either a House Seat or a Senate Seat is vacated for any reason, a special election is held on the next election cycle. Before and even After Doomsday, two major political parties dominate the political landscape; the Democrat Party, and the Republican Party. Due to the moderation of the Democrat Party’s policies, the Socialist Party has developed among the far-left wing citizens and immigrants. At the same time, the National Republican Party has formed, and has only recently met success in the 2008 House elections, where three of its candidates managed to defeat incumbent Democrats.

The Democrat Party has existed since the fight between Andrew Jackson and John Q. Adams over the results of the 1828 American Presidential Election, born from the Jacksonian Democrats. Following a ideaology of American Liberalism, the party has since fallen on hard times, being largely blamed for the bungling of the War in Madison, which was thought to have been simple operation. Despite being an Independent in the Republic’s politics, Robert Stowe is a staunch supporter of the Democrat Party.

The Republican Party has existed since Anti-Slavery and Abolitionist groups in the north, alienated by the Whig party’s failure to take a position on slavery, created it in 1854. Its ideology is heavily conservative, though not to the extent of the National Republicans. The Republican Party has since largely become the dominant political party in the Republic, maintaining super-majorities in both the House and the Senate.

The Socialist Party is not a relatively new creation, being based off of earlier Socialist parties of the last century. Many former Democrats, upset with the moderate positions in the Democrat Party’s platform, developed the Socialist Party, which was popular among many refugees who had since become citizens. Following American Socialism as its ideology, the Socialist Party is often decried as being no different in its proposed policies than the former Soviet Union, though this has not prevented their rise. Their major bastion is in the state of Mackinaw, though they also have some support in the West of the Republic as well.

The National Republican Party was formed by a group of recently naturalized citizens from Thunder Bay, who did not feel that the Republican Party was truly following a path of Conservatism. Though controversial in its views on race and its proposals for a strengthened central government, the Conservative Revolution from 1998-2000 was all that was needed to propel them upon the national stage. Steady growth in membership has allowed them to pick up a three seats in the last House election in 2008.

Politics

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Immigration remains somewhat of an issue today, even following the major expansion on the Lower Peninsula. The issue has died down in recent times, while the growing issue is what the future of the Republic will be. The Republican and Democrat Parties have survived largely intact, and still dominate the Republic's politics. There is a major Third Party movement, the Socialist party, that is gaining steam, but has largely been stemmed by the existence of the left-leaning Democratic Party, and charges of it carrying "extremist" ideas similar to the former Soviet Union. As a result, they still remain upon the fringe of national politics, despite having several congressmen in office.

At the same time, there has been a major dispute over territory control along the shores of the Great Lakes. Though the Republic of Superior has organized territorial government along parts of the coast of the former Canadian province of Ontario, the land was for a long time still claimed by the Canadian Remainder Provinces. However, they were not in much of a position to reclaim the land, nor was Superior willing to give it up, as it was populated mainly by its own citizens. As a result of the Treaty of Manchester, the Canadian government was forced to recognize Superior control over these territories, in exchange for a promise to not expand further, but the entire matter will be a bone of contention between the two for some time to come.

States of Superior
This is a list of states within the Republic of Superior, and the years in which they entered the Union. They are effectively counties like in pre-war Michigan, but called states instead.

Territories within the Republic
This is a list of territories that are awaiting entrance into the Union as states. Most of these are in former Ontario, and there are calls among the local population for some of them to be disbanded and organized into [a] sovereign nation[s].

Former Territories
Some territorial goverments have been disbanded over the years as well.

Other Proposed States
– There had been calls in the past for the annexation of the Republic of Thunder Bay from both sides, though it is unlikely ever to occur, especially now. Colonel Giraud Leppe maintained staunch position of independence from foreign governments, but since his death the weak provisional government has begun the first steps to democratization and looking into its options. As a result of the recent referendum, however, they have joined Canada as a territory, Northern Ontario, rendering the idea moot.

Recently Superior has thought into further expansion into former Wisconsin and Michigan after the Treaty of Manchester declared they may keep no more lands in Ontario than the ones they have now.

Geography
Superior is divided between the flat, swampy areas in the east, part of the Great Lakes Plain, and the steeper, more rugged western half, called the Superior Upland, part of the Canadian Shield. The rock in the western portion is the result of volcanic eruptions and is estimated to be at least 3.5 billion years old and contains most of Superior's ore resources. The highest point of Superior is Mount Arvon, smaller points being the the Porcupine and Huron Mountains. All of the higher areas are the remnants of ancient peaks, worn down over millions of years by erosion and glaciers.

Wildlife
Superior is home to a large variety of wildlife. Some of the mammals found in include shrews, moles, mice, white tailed deer, moose, black bears, gray & red foxes, wolves, river otters, martens, fishers, bobcats, coyotes, snowshoe hares, cotton-tail rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons and bats. Moose have become an endangered species due to overhunting, having dwindled to less than 300 but Superior's Wildlife Department is putting in efforts to keep the population alive. Feral dogs are one of the most common pets in bordering regions of the Republic where many stray dogs followed their owners while they were fleeing to Superior. There is a large variety of birds, including hawks, osprey, gulls, hummingbirds, chickadees, robins, woodpeckers, warblers, and bald eagles. The bald eagle is the National Animal of the Republic of Superior, but unfortunately it is also endangered.

Demographics
Despite being largely American, both in its nominal population and from refugees, the culture and therefore the demographic map has been largely unchanged. A small minority of French-Canadians moved from the former Canadian province of Ontario into the Republic, but this was equally offset by the many Anglo-Canadian refugees. The Republic is almost entirely white, but some minorities managed to escape the nuclear destruction of the urban areas.

An interesting development is the resurgence in ethnic languages, specifically Finnish in the western part of the state. Though English was still the dominant and most used language, what psychologists now call “Post-Nationalism”, in which members of ethnic groups, fearing that their cultural heritage was to disappear, quickly began regressing back into their old ethical habits. Therefore, along with the rapid increase in ethnic languages, ethnic customs have made a swift come-back as well.

The establishment of religion has flucuated within Superior, though there is no good reasoning as to why. Immediately following Doomsday, agnostics quickly came to dominate the national scene, eventually making up a high of 34% in the 1995 national census. However, in what is considered the "Chrisitan Revolution", this trend reversed at equal speed. As a result, these agnostics would eventually make up only 6% of the population by the time of the 2005 census. Also of note is the return of some paganistic religions, but these have failed to achieve any significant level of growth.

Race classification within the Republic.

Ethnic background classification, as identified by the individuals questioned through the census.

Education
After the passage of the “Right to an Education Act” in 1987, the federal government has sought to extensively increase its power over the educational system. Prior to this, all schools were private institutions run by good-natured individuals, religious schools, or state schools outside of government control. This mix still generally exists, but on a much smaller scale, with most, if not all, of the state schools having been nationalized.

Attendance in school is mandatory between the ages of six to eighteen, and from there can obtain a higher education paid for in full by the government. Still, a significant number are homeschooled (7%) due to the secular policies within the schools themselves. Despite this policy, the government openly funds private institutions, in the hope that increased competition for funds between public and private schools might, as a result, have both perform better in their education process. Many private schools are also religious schools, and these are for the most part independent from federal control.

Health
In the beginning of the Republic of Superior healthcare was a dire issue. Medical supplies such as bandages and medicines were almost all depleted within two years, leaving residents to make their own makeshift health provisions. However some medicinal supplies remained in abundance due to the Marquette General Hospital having large stocks. In early 1986 the Republic of Superior created a small, government controlled pharmaceutical company named the "Superior Health Association" and began creating medicines from what local resources were available. Furthermore the “Healthcare Bill of 1986” instituted a system of universal healthcare that was accessible to everyone, even non-citizens, as long as you went onto a system that logged your entire medical history. This is accessible only to the government, but leaks have lead to criticism of this system in regards to issues of privacy.

Those who qualify do not have to pay for any of their medical services, with all payment being taken care of by the federal government. Indirectly, payment comes from all forms of taxes that were adjusted for small increases, adding up for the final total required for the system to operate properly. Only citizens of the Republic qualify for government-funded health care.

As a result of the Conservative Revolution, abortion became a major issue when it became clear that limits were going to be drawn. Some wanted a total ban, but opinion polls showed that would not be in the public’s favor. As a result, Congress passes the “Davies Abortion Regulation Bill”, which limited the right to abortion to the cases of rape, incest, and death, which in turn could be determined by the various states. Attempts to get the bill overturned in either courts of law or through Congress itself have proven fruitless.

Crime and Law Enforcement
Though Law Enforcement was originally left to the states, by 1988 it was decided it would be best to federalize the system, following disputes between rival state departments over jurisdiction over key points and certain cases.

The Federal Police Force has been painted as a tool used to do the government’s dirty work, rather than units used to protect the people. This largely has to do with the fact that many previous court cases that specified the rights of the individual, such as Mapp v. Ohio, Mrianda v. Arizona, and others were ignored and left out of the state constitution. This massive expansion of police power was not expected, nor desired, by many citizens, and there have been many attempts to put the verdicts passed in the cases back into law.

However, despite its flaws, such a system has apparently proven effective. Crime is at the present at an all time low, while the prisons are being closed for the first time since the birth of the Republic. Critics say this is just a fluke that will last about a decade, and crime will begin to rise again with a couple years.

Federal Courts were also established, though there was the notable exception of leaving out a Supreme Court, which actually failed in the attempt to create it. The Courts function much the same way they did in the former United States of America.

Foreign Relations
The Republic of Superior was a founding member of the along with many local Canadian and American survivor states. Superior was an influential member of the United Communities until the outbreak of the Saguenay War when Superior's participation divided the Communities. Since establishing communication with the outside world, the Republic has tried to maintain friendly relations with as many nations as possible. Despite this it was been denied membership in the by  until the signing of the Treaty of Manchester, ending the Saguenay War. This was due to territorial disputes between the two regarding land claims along the Great Lakes, though it was largely only vocal on the part of Canada. As a result of the Treaty, Superior control over some areas has been recognized, on the provision that they expand no further into former Ontario, outside of the Windsor region, over which negotiations will be held in the future.

Along with Canada, relations with Thunder Bay were strained due to the tyrannical rule of Captain Giraud Leppe, despite attempts to democratize the nation through both aid and economic connections. However, since the death of Leppe, relations were open again with the democratic provisional government until the people there voted in a referendum to rejoin Canada as a territory.

The Republic was also the only nation to recognize the independence of Saguenay, a break-away Republic from Canada, for a lengthy period of time.

In the war between Saguenay and Canada, both President Newman and the Republic of Superior Congress voiced open support for Saguenay. There was extensive debate on whether or not the Republic should take a more active role in the conflict, though it was suspected that the President had already deployed the Republican Guard. The major fear was that if the nation were to actively pursue the war, it might lose any chance it had in gaining entrance to the League of Nations, though this would prove unfounded. However, in any peace treaty that might come out of the conflict, they thought that they could ensure their entrance as well, while attempting to force Canada to drop its claims to the Great Lakes region. Representative Harold Duke of Marquette, leader of the National Republican Caucus, was the most prominent advocate for an alliance with Saguenay. The House of Representatives voted on the 15th on whether or not they would enter the war in an alliance with Saguenay, following the refusal of the Canadian government to back down as Superior demanded. The vote was in favor of war.

The Republic of Superior has also opened a dialog with the.

Saguenay War
With the declaration of war on the 15th of September, 2009, Superior forces moved into position inside Saguenay to support their forces, and as per their relationship with the Lawrence Raiders, began to move up the St. Lawrence River Valley to support the Saguenay invasion of Gaspe. They would be forced out of the area alongside their allies by the ADC counter-offensive from late January to late February. The remainder of the war would consist of scattered fighting in the St.Lawrence River Valley and along the Saguenay-Canada borders until a ceasefire negotiated through the LoN came into effect on April 12th.

Negotiations hosted by Vermont and the LoN would result in the signing of the Treaty of Manchester on May 28th, which put limits on Superioran expansion, forced Canada to drop its veto over them joining the LoN, recognized Saguenay and its borders, recognized Canadian "control" of the St. Lawrence Valley and Southern Quebec, and started several investigations into conduct of Superior, Saguenay and Canada in relation to the war and its beginning.

The Investigations would clear the ADC of wrongdoing in response to the bombing of civilians, condemn Saguenay and Superior for their arming and supporting the Lawrence Raiders, and condemn the ruling political party in Canada, the Canada First Party, for rogue elements of their party having assassinated the Prime Minister of Saguenay. Due to the findings, no reparations were demanded of anyone, though the Canadian government fell as a result, leading to a new party coming to power there.

Military
The Republic of Superior Army relies heavily upon conscription, though there are also volunteer programs offered with large incentives and benefits. This was enacted in order to eventually remove the National Service, though current numbers show that it is unlikely that such a move will be made until the 2020’s at the earliest. Those who are subjected to conscription are required to serve six years in the armed forces, after which they are always on call in the case that an emergency reserve must be formed. Women, however, are given exception from the draft, but are still allowed to voluntarily join at their behest.

The Armed Forces are all under the complete control of the Chief of the Army, being split into smaller branches. These are the, the , the , and the. There is also a break-off branch from the Republic of Superior Army, known as the, formed from the best of the best from all four other branches.

The Armed Forces are tasked with protecting the Republic from all dangers, though in their earlier history they were tasked almost exclusively with regulating immigration into the Republic. However, there have been calls for an expansion into a peacekeeping role. This is opposed by the majority of citizens due to the experience the Republic had in trying to pacify Madison.

Space Program
'''See main article: While not one of the highest, or for that matter notable policy within the Republic of Superior, the military automatically realized that it might be best that communications through satellites would aid in their military efforts, allowing for direct communication between forces around the Great Lakes region and Stowe. As a result, at the request of General Lewis Poulat Congress passed in 1994 a meager budget to be used for a military space program. However, this was largely made moot by the fact that no suitable facility at the time was within reach, requiring one to be built from the ground up. Keweenaw was eventually chosen as the location for the future base, largely because of its past use as a launching site for rockets. The whole project was in the planning stage until the end of the Saguenay War when the Superior Space Program.

When contact was made in the summer of 2001 with the existing world, it came to the military’s attention that the former French spaceport in French Guinea survived Doomsday, and Superior attempted to request access to the facility, but had to wait until 2005 due to communication difficulties. However, the French government would not allow for the deployment of personnel to the area until at least late 2009, and by then the French government lost control of the facility when control was given to the LoN.

Economy
The economy of the Republic has grown more diverse over the years. Fishing has become a major factor, both in terms of food and as a way of livelihood. Agriculture is limited to potatoes and strawberries due to the short growing season in the area, but those are grown in vast quantities to achieve a surplus. Commercial hunting has also returned with the rejuvenation of some of the forests which were cut down before.

Mining has also returned, but not to the extent of the region's hay-day in the 1800’s. Still, mining is one of the largest industries of the "Miners Nation", especially mining of copper, iron, nickel, and silver. In an effort to prevent mineral exhaustion the Republic passed a law saying only certain mines can be mined and mining companies are discouraged from hiring large amounts of miners. Farming, specifically in corn and wheat, has been picked up in recent years, but mainly in the more arable land in the Lower Peninsula. The largest industry by far is the lumber business. Though one would have expected lumber demand to go down, in the Republic it skyrocketed, specifically after 1994. At that point, when people began moving out along the coasts of the Great Lakes, carpentry and lumber were the two things that everybody desperately needed. Despite heavy logging, the forests have managed to recover nicely over the last twenty years.

An electronics industry has also developed, mainly centered in Marquette and Mackinaw City. Though still in the early stages, a few results has so far been positive, as few individuals are experienced in this field. especially in regard to computers. The earliest signs of success are in the form of light bulbs and battery-powered flashlights. Some of the advanced companies such as a regional IBM headquarters have begun to research the computer scene, while the Superior home-grown company MTC is researching more inexpensive and practical products such as radios and heaters.

Energy
Oil was originally difficult to obtain, and all supplies were given to the military. In recent years, deposits have been found both in former Michigan and in former Ontario. The government, however, has been following a path of trying to promote greener forms of energy, specifically biodiesel fuel and hydrogen fuel. As a result, those companies that are working towards green technologies have actually been removed from the tax rolls, and in some cases supplied with materials required to continue progress.

News Media
Until 1997, the main media within the Republic was the radio. Relatively simple to produce even in dire times, the “Dispersion of Information Act” was passed in 1986 in order to ensure that every citizen of the Republic, including the refugees in Mackinaw City, had a means of getting the national news, while also some form of harmless entertainment. Channel 1 was given to the government run media company NBS, or the, while all other forms of news media were suspended. Though some Democrats had considered it illegal, since the press was required by the constitution to have complete and total freedom, it passed without much opposition. It takes until 1994 when the suspension on other news outlet’s ability to broadcast was lifted, though many had by this point gotten used to the NBS network.

The move to a televised system was relatively simple, with an exact copy of the original act of 1986 being passed in 1997, with the minor exceptions of it being done with televisions, and that there was no suspension on non-state media. The government’s hold on funds, however, ensured that the best of the best remained on its network, and as a result it would not enter a period of decline until 2000, following the Conservative Revolution. As funding was cut, it finally had to compete with other networks to get an audience, no longer being able to afford the entertainment or programs that had kept them enthralled for the last decade. Still, the National Broadcasting Service remains ahead in viewership by a significant margin, compared to others like the Great Lakes News Corporation and the People’s News Network.

Newspapers did have their day. In the period from 1983-1987, newspapers were the only source of news many people could have or afford. Such papers as the Republican Herald dominated whole regions of the Republic. After the “Dispersion of Information Act” was passed, however, there was really no need any longer for them, and existing newspaper companies quickly folded.

Cinema
The movie industry did not pick up until the turn of the century, following the passing of the second “Dispersion of Information Act”, when television returned to the average home. Scattered screening throughout the cities and towns were made, but they were not especially profitable for the producers or the actors. Most film as a result was government run, paid in full, not expecting a profit, only wishing to boost the morale of those who were in depression.

Following the return of television in 1997, Reggy Rollins felt that there was finally going to be a market for the film industry they had so far largely failed. Purchasing wide tracts of land in Escanaba, he built the company known as Emerald Pictures. Though it failed to pay-off immediately, his prediction proved correct when many of the films he produced began to be distributed through the various networks that now existed.

Still, it has only proven to be a regional success. Though the film industry has made efforts to expand outside of the Republic of Superior, it has so far only found major appeal with American audiences.

Music
Country Music, Rhythm and Blues, and Rock and Roll have become dominant within the Republic’s music market, drawing inspirations from such deceased artists as Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, and Louis Armstrong. Though there have been occasional blips of a “Superiorian” form of music, to date no such fusion has emerged.

Sports
Even after Doomsday, Baseball was inherited from the mother nation of the United States to become the national pastime, along with other sports such as American Football and Ice Hockey. Golf has also become popular on the Upper Peninsula, though it is mainly relegated to the elderly, and no organized national tournament of any sort has yet been formed by the government.

Tennis, softball, track and field, cross country, volleyball, and soccer are played by many, albeit at either an informal level, or formally in youth leagues, middle and high school competition and adult amateur leagues.

In 1989, the “Tri-League Games Act” was passed through Congress, as a way to re-institute old sports back into the population, both to support the economy and general morale. Three Leagues were established as a result:



All have proven to be largely successful, though Football has steadily gained more and more popularity as time has gone on.

Each of the three leagues is run by an independent Board of Commissioners. Each Board is given broad powers to ensure the franchises remain financially viable and competitive. In extreme circumstances, the Boards have the authority to revoke an ownership groups franchise.

The SFL (Superior Football League) has franchises in eleven cities, with the top four teams competing in a single-elimination playoff, with two semifinal games and a championship game played in January at Lambeau Field in Green Bay:
 * Green Bay (Green Bay Packers)
 * Houghton (Houghton Panthers)
 * Iron Mountain (Iron Mountain Flyers)
 * Mackinaw (Mackinaw Wheels)
 * Madison, Wisconsin (Wisconsin Badgers)
 * Menominee (Menominee Blazers)
 * Marquette (Marquette Lions)
 * Sault Ste. Marie (Sault Ste. Marie Steelers)
 * Stowe (Stowe Eagles)
 * Sudbury (Sudbury Spartans)
 * Thunder Bay (Thunder Bay Hornets)

The SBL (Superior Baseball League) has franchises in nine cities, with the top four teams playing in semifinals and then for the SBL Championship at the end of the season in September:
 * Houghton (Houghton Reds)
 * Iron Mountain (Iron Mountain Wolverines)
 * Mackinaw (Mackinaw Mariners)
 * Madison, Wisconsin (Madison Brewers, renamed from the Madison Badgers; name change takes effect for the 2010 season).
 * Marquette (Marquette Tigers)
 * Sault Ste. Marie (Soo Beavers)
 * Stowe (Stowe Senators)
 * Sudbury (Sudbury Miners)
 * Thunder Bay (Thunder Bay Twins)

The SHL (Superior Hockey League) has franchises in thirteen cities, with eight teams advancing to the playoffs. The best-of-seven quarterfinal, semifinal and championship series are contested in April and May:
 * Chicoutimi, Saguenay (Saguenay Nordiques)
 * Escanaba (Escanaba Owls)
 * Houghton (Houghton Lakers)
 * Iron Mountain (Iron Mountain Flags)
 * Mackinaw (Mackinaw Red Wings)
 * Madison, Wisconsin (Madison Generals)
 * Marquette (Marquette Iron Rangers)
 * Menominee (Menominee Mohawks)
 * Manitoulin (Manitoulin Islanders)
 * Sault Ste. Marie (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
 * Stowe (Stowe Capitals)
 * Sudbury (Sudbury Wolves)
 * Thunder Bay (Thunder Bay Maple Leafs)

Despite the recent political change in Thunder Bay, their teams will remain in the leagues, at least for the time being. The communities of Blind River, Thessalon, Wawa, and the city of Espanola in Sudbury are in negotiations with the League over resurrecting their hockey teams, and Marathon is attempting to establish a team as well.

A growing tourist attraction is the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame Museum in Green Bay. Located at Lambeau Field - the last remaining National Football League stadium - the museum contains an extensive amount of Packer and NFL memorabilia dating back to the early 20th century. It includes items owned by Superior entrepreneur Elliott Gold and donated on a rotating basis. Memorabilia salvaged from the former Pro Football Hall of Fame in the abandoned town of Canton, Ohio, will be shown, in rotations, through summer 2011.

Green Bay is likely to become the home for the Professional Football Hall of Fame. Gold financed an expedition into former Canton, Ohio in 2009, to scout out the original pro football hall of fame. Much of the memorabilia was deemed salvageable, as were the busts of the various members of the hall of fame. The decision was made to move anything that was salvageable to Green Bay, where a new hall of fame would be built. The groundbreaking is scheduled for October 2010, with construction to get underway in the spring of 2011, and the official opening for August 2012.

The pro football hall of fame will be governed by a board, initially made up of enthusiasts from across Superior. Long-term plans include expanding the board to include any former players and coaches that are still alive anywhere in the world, as well as enthusiasts from Texas, Mexico and the ANZC. One of the board's duties will be to posthumously elect members to the hall of fame from 1978-1983, and to annually consider anyone who was not elected either pre-DD or by the board.

The Superior Soccer Federation was established in 2007 by enthusiasts to develop the sport in their country. It is a member of FIFA, with the condition of establishing a formal league by 2015.