Republic of Hakone

The Republic of Hakone is an interstellar nation/state that is centered and administered from the lush planet bearing the same name. It was founded as an independent state sometime in the year 2161. It is one of the seven members as well as one of a founding member of the United Trade Coalition. The Republic of Hakone was the first state to join the Trade Coalition in 2222 A.D and thus is a prominent and arguably the most influential member (although the Minerva Republic joined mere two months after it). It is also considered to be the most powerful in comparison to the other member states, priding on its presiding contributions to the Coalition Central government as well as its far Radical political practices. However, this status has been contested on many occasions mainly by the far more Humanitarian leaning Minerva Republic as well to a lesser extent the Republic of Lusitania (To which open war has been fought with the MInerva Republic).

Despite capturing the envy of the other states the Republic of Hakone still presides itself as the greatest state within the Trade Coalition. It is the second most populated behind the Minerva Republic but it richest. But the state also captures the majority within the Central Government and thus takes an active as well as the strongest political role.

Early History
The Republic of Hakone was founded sometime in 2161 on Hakone where it enjoyed a period of prosperity, peace, and independence from the then corrupt and mismanaged Earth-Mars-Venus Republic. This ensuing prosperity would only last two short years upon the founding of the Minerva Republic in April 2163. This was due to the ideological differences between the two nations and would soon set the foundations of a mutual disgust among the other. Tensions began to escalate on and off once the two interstellar states began to expand their territories and develop their economies and military forces. Before long the two nations began to war against one another on and off vying for influence, wealth, territory, and the most ideology. However both nations did not gain any ground over the other due to their developing status.

Over the years five other sovereign nations began to take root as Hakone vied to be the dominant nation. This has led to border wars with the Republic of Ivanus, Republic of Lusitania, and once again the Minerva Republic as well as a technology and economic race with the Republic of Xephora and Republic of Columbiana.

The power struggle came to an end (well atleast armed warfare) upon the discovery of Phase Space and the formation of the United Trade Coalition in 2222 A.D.

United Trade Coalition
The Republic of Hakone was the first state to join the United Trade Coalition, thus making it a prominent member. Its population contributes the majority of the United Trade Coalition's armed forces, funding, and resources. Before the formation of the Ring-Worlds the Hakone provided much of the military manufacturing centers and gave substantial funding to the military budget for it believed to use its influence within the central government to assert its dominant role over the other republics. However, this all fell short for the Sol System as well as Earth was not apart of any of the former sovereign nations and with the addition of the increasing influence from its long time rival the Minera Republic and other member states, the Central Government did not favor Hakone despite its efforts. Also the Central Government forbade all other territorial expansion in the Ring-Worlds thus all newly explored territories would then go right under the administration of Earth. This led to a distrust with the Coalition and further fueled its rivalry with its co-members (particularly the Minerva Republic).

Golden Age
Like all of the Trade Coalition Hakone benefitted great wealth and prosperity as well as peace during what is known as the Golden Age. Its ports filled with goods and its people well fed with the addition of civil relations with its co-members.

Unification Wars
Upon the outbreak of the Unification Wars, Hakone did suffer from war damage particularly during the Nilitheim Rebels' spearhead operation to Earth across its own territory towards the end of the conflict. It also suffered huge population losses as most of the Coalition armed forces were tied up in the Middle-Ring, suffered major economically being lost a large swathe of its resources and funds, and finally suffered from a devastated infrastructure. The ensuing chaos thus prompted Hakone to blame the Minerva Republic for the attack on the Core Worlds on grounds that it had done little to stop the Nilitheim Rebels' assault on Earth as well as for its limited contributions to the war effort.

Human-Tamarid War
Premier Councilor representing Hakone Roger Trease is one of the first to be aware of the extragalactic alien threat. As well as the rest of the Central Government, but failed to disclose information to the general public.

Government and Politics
Hakone is a centralized, militarized, and single-party state, that is headed executively by a Supreme Commandant who holds the highest position of authority. Unlike the other core world republics the Supreme Commandant is appointed by the nation's Sectoral Council (Legislative Branch) based off popular elections. Once a Commandant has been appointed from the Sectoral Council, he/she must be finalized by the Highest Justice of the Supreme Court (Judicial Branch) and therefore remains the Supreme Commandant for the remainder of his/her life or until self resignation.

Being a military power of the known galaxy, for one to occupy any higher political office (From Commandant to Planetary Governor), one must be a former Coalition military commanding officer or high ranking Non-Commisioned officer (After the founding of the Coaliton). However, there are cases of civilians holding higher offices provided they were former municipal or planetary police members, but these have been mostly conducted in Hakone's outer regions.

Hakone is divided into eleven sectors numbering 1 through 10 with the Hakone System itself counting as its own sector. Each Sector is represented in the Hakoni government through an appointed Counciler which makes up the Legislative Sectoral Council. Although these councilors serve as the Legislative Branch they also serve as sectoral governors and thus administer their Sectors directly from Hakone rather than from their respective sectors. This is a measure to keep as well as assert administrative control over its territories. Also each sectore is divided into five regions which are each governed by a governor. Finally there are the Planetary governors that govern the various number of planets within them.

It is very worth noting that post the controversial Article 47 (the law that abolished the nations rights to retain their own militaries) all citizens are required to serve atleast one full term in the Coalition Armed Forces upon reaching age of 18.