New Starland

Raoul (pronounced raʊl) is a small micronation located on the Polynesian island of Raoul Island in the South Pacific. It was founded by Suzuki Akihonaomi following a string of unsuccessful micronations. Raoul is currently a Micronation in the making, having no established government, nor an economic base.

Etymology
Raoul is named after the South Pacific island where the micronation is located: Raoul Island. The island is also known as Sunday Island.

Raoul was never given a long name, although Raoul Republic has been considered. This is due to Akihonaomi's belief that the people of the micronation should decide what the're government type will be.

History
Stone implements of a Polynesian type have been found on Raoul Island, and there is evidence of a prehistoric settlement on the island. However, the island was found to be uninhabited when first visited by Europeans in the 1700s, and has been briefly inhabited many times by colonists and shipwrecked sailors. There is currently no civilian population, but a group of volcanologists and New Zealand DOC workers have maintained a permanent station their since 1937. Raoul Island is maintained by New Zealand, and claimed by both New Zealand and Raoul. Raoul Island is home to at least fourteen shipwrecks, including the Japanese chemical-tanker Kinei Maru 10. In the early hours of 12 August 1986 the ship sailed into Denham Bay at top speed, slamming into the beach and becoming stuck. The fault was blamed solely on the incompetence of the ship's captain. The Kinei Maru 10 remains on Denham Beach to this day, although sand buildup on the shore has mostly buried the tanker.

Early History of Raoul
Raoul was preceded by several unsuccessful micronation attempts founded by Suzuki Akihonaomi's former alias Andrew Clingersmith, who was responsible for creating and leading the Starland Republic from 2005 to 2013. Originally called Drew Star Line until 2007, the micronation was dogged by disinterest among citizens, government corruption, and the takeover by rival micronations on five separate occasions (including the infamous New Pamlico Federation, which caused untold havoc on Starland during the latter half of it's existence). In the summer of 2013 Clingersmith changed his name to Akihonaomi, coming out as a transgender female, and abandoned Starland on 13 September 2013, the 8th anniversary of its founding.

Akihonaomi almost immediately created a new micronation attempt called the San Dover Queendom, the official successor state to Starland but with a vastly different legal and economic systems. San Dover officially managed to last (in name at least) until 6 June 2014, but the state collapsed within two weeks of its founding. Raoul's origins hark back to 2008, when Clingersmith discovered a large, mostly uninhabited island in the South Pacific called Raoul Island using Google Earth. Clingersmith did consider claiming this island for the Starland Republic, but eventually decided against it. Raoul Island was, however, continuously brought up as a possible relocation for the people of Starland in National Council meetings, but was dismissed on each occasion. It was deemed too far away from Starland's other territorial claims in and around Havelock, NC, United States. San Dover's Council also considered claiming Raoul Island, but the state collapsed before a decision could be made.

Founding of Raoul
Raoul was founded at 16:00 UTC on 23 July 2015 by Akihonaomi, and is considered to be the successor state of both Starland and San Dover. Although the micronation claims Raoul Island, it's current base of operation lies in Greenville, NC, United States. Akihonaomi says this is only temporary, and that the population will be moved to the island in the next 6 to 8 years. During this time Akihonaomi hopes to have at least 50 citizens, an established government (likely a direct democracy, or variation of), an economic and financial base to grow upon, and supplies to settle Raoul Island. The settlement area is designated as the southern part of Raoul Island, in a heavily forested canyon called Sunshine Valley.

Government
Raoul currently has no established government, due to its lacking of a substantial population. A constitutional assembly is set to meet to establish a governmental system once the population hits 25. The assembly will also choose a longer name for Raoul (i.e. Raoul Republic). Raoul has no citizenship program. Those part of Raoul are simply known as members, with the head of all the members being the leader. Raoul is run more like a club (similar to Drew Star Line, the Starland Republic's first incarnation) than an actual micronation. Akihonaomi stresses that this is only temporary, however.

Until a constitutional assembly meets, Suzuki Akihonaomi is sole ruler and proprietor of Raoul, and is referred to simply as the leader.

Raoul's capital city has been determined to be Sunshine Valley, a steep-sloped valley bordered to the north by the Moumoukai Range, to the west by the Prospect Range, to the south by the Mahoe Range, and to the east by South Bay. The area was chosen for it's seclusion and easy access to the sea. It lies at the fork of two unnamed freshwater creeks and is in a heavily forested section of the island.

International Diplomacy
Raoul has diplomatic ties only to those states who recognize the island nation's sovereignty over Raoul Island and its offshore islets, the exception being New Zealand. New Zealand has laid claim to Raoul Island since 1887, and it is currently their northernmost held possession. Although Raoul disputes New Zealand's claim, they will allow the DOC worker facility to remain operational and under New Zealand jurisdiction. Raoul has also inherited the diplomatic ties with the Republic of Emerald Isle set up during the period of Starland's heyday and carried on to some extent in San Dover. It was originally devised as a possible merger of the two micronations, but the program bore no fruit. Akihonaomi has made no attempt to revitalize these relations with Emerald Isle's leader Jackson Alexander to date.

National Symbols
Raoul's national bird and animal is the Kermadec Red-Crowned Parakeet, a species native only to Raoul Island and it's offshore islets. A mostly bright green bird with blue highlights and a red crown, the Kermadec Red-Crowned Parakeet was hunted to extinction on Raoul Island by loose domesticated cats. For 172 years the surviving Parakeets lived on Raoul's offshore islets, until finally returning naturally to the main island in 2008.

Raoul's flag replace an old one created in 2005 and used by both Starland and San Dover. A slight variation of the old flag was in use until the new one replaced it on 26 July 2015. Raoul's flag represents the island itself. The dark blue represents the Pacific Ocean, while the two green triangles represent the island (although not necessarily the island's shape, which is anvil-like). On top of the green triangles are smaller red triangles, representing flambes of fire on top of the island's two surface calderas, the Blue and Green Lakes. The light blue above and around the green and red triangles represents the sky. The circle in the center-left contains the three colors used in the old Starland/San Dover flag, and represents a shared past and Raoul's foundation.

The national symbol is an anchor on a stone pedestal, based on a memorial built on Raoul Island sometime in the early 1900s. The memorial serves an unknown purpose, but could mark a grave of shipwrecked sailors. It has since fallen into disrepair.

Economy
Raoul lacks an economic base, due to the fact that settlement of the micronation's claimed lands have yet to be settled. The island does abound in fish, tropical lumber, and volcanic glass, which will likely be harvested to form a small export economy. Raoul also has several large, picturesque beaches and could support a substantial tourist industry. Akihonaomi stresses the need for the island to be entirely self-sufficient from the outside world, however.

Raoul does have a determined currency. Called the Denham ( D ), it is named for Denham Bay, Raoul's Island's largest bay, which is in turn named after Fleetwood Denham, who died in 1854 and is buried on the Bay's shore. The current currency is not in yet in mint, although preliminary designs are being put forward. The Denham is seen as a vast move away from the almost worthless currency used by both Starland and San Dover since 2006, the Rook.

Geography
Raoul is located on Raoul Island, a volcanic island located in the South Pacific, and is part of the Kermadec Island chain. Raoul Island is a heavily forested tropical island that is surrounded by dozens of small islets, all of which are claimed by Raoul. The area of Raoul Island and its many islets is 29.38 km2. Raoul Island is anvil shaped, and is home to five principle mountain ranges and three volcanoes. The highest point on the island is Mt. Moumoukai at 516 m, and overlooks Raoul Island's central volcanic crater. To crater houses two flooded calderas, called Green Lake and Blue Lake. Both are active volcanoes, the latest eruption occurring from Green Lake on 17 March 2006, which was responsible for one death and the evacuation of all DOC workers from the island. The area of forest around the two calderas is known as Devastation Ridge. The third volcano is Denham Caldera, located on the eastern side of the island. It is believed to have destroyed over half of Raoul Island around 2200 years ago. The explosion flooded the caldera and in so doing created Denham Bay, the largest bay on the island. The undersea volcano continues to erupt today, although without as much strength. Several of the islets off the western coasts were also created by volcanic vents associated with the larger calderas.

The island has about one to two major (7.0 magnitude or higher) earthquakes a year, although can go for a short number of years without one. Minor earthquakes happen on an almost daily basis. Raoul Island has three lakes. Blue and Green lakes are 117 ha and 16 ha respectively. Both are highly acidic, although Blue Lake is less so than Green, being able to support coral reefs but not fish. Blue Lake is up to 67 m deep, while Green Lake is up to 95 m deep. The third lake is called Tui, and at 0.5 ha contains drinkable freshwater, as well as at least two species of fish not known to exist anywhere in the world outside of this lake. These fish have yet to be scientifically cataloged, however. The island also contains three freshwater springs and dozens of small, unnamed freshwater streams. [[File:37384-pc.jpg|thumb|220x220px|Raoul's western islets (from the left). Top: Napier Island, Nugent Island.

Bottom: Meyer Islands, Dayrell Island, Chanter Islands ]] Raoul has 8 named islets and islet chains surrounding it, all of them to the east and south of the main island, as well as around 40 unnamed islets. The largest islet are the Meyer Islands, a steep sloped islet that rises up to 100 m above sea level. Meyer has subsequently fractured into about 25 pieces due to shore erosion. Other western islets include Nugent Island (Raoul's northernmost claim), Napier Island, Dayrell Island, Egeria Rock, and the three Chanter Islands. The South Bay contains the Milne Islets and Dougall Rocks, which are both large coral reefs exposed to the air.

Flora and Fauna
The interior of the island is home to a dense forest of Norfolk Pines, Kermadec Pohutukawa and Nikau Palms. It is also the southernmost place in the world where Coconut Palms are known to grow wild. The island has no native mammals, although goats, domesticated cats and polynesian rats were brought to the island by Europeans. They caused significant damage to the native plant life and seabird population until their eradication 1986. Raoul Island is home to 10 native bird species, including the national bird of Raoul, the Kermadec Red-Crowned Parakeet. Other birds include Harriers, Pukekos, Tuis, Terns, Petrels and Boobies. Raoul Island is listed as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.

The waters off Raoul Island support coral reefs and hundreds of fish species, and is home to five of the world's seven sea turtle species. Black Gruppers, Drummers and Chocolate Seastars also inhabit the offshore coral reefs. The island and waters surrounding it are part of the Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve, New Zealand's largest marine reservation.

The island is also home to several invasive plant species that New Zealand DOC workers are currently in the process of removing, including the massive Norfolk Pine populations.