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Background:
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Val Verde became independent
in 1968, after nearly a century as a British colony.
Democratic rule was interrupted by a military coup
in 1980, by the brutal dictator Ernesto Arius.
Leading his army to victory was General Ramon
Esperanza. Because of his loyalty, Esperanza soon became director of the
drug trade on Val Verde and these funds helped to
finance the creation of Arius' Elite Special
Forces. Esperanza hired Colonel Stewart, an
American, as his
personal bodyguard and chief mercenary. While
scouting locations for cocaine production, Esperanza
was captured by the CIA. After learning of his
vulnerability, Arius was deposed by Colonel John
Matrix's unit and fled with Colonel Stewart to an
undisclosed location. Later, Arius
tried in vain to regain control of Val Verde by
murdering most of Matrix's unit and kidnapping his
daughter. Captain Bennett, now Arius' bodyguard,
headed up the
mission. Arius planned to force Matrix into
assassinating President Velasquez by holding his
daughter Jenny
hostage. Unfortunately for him and his men, he grossly
underestimated John Matrix's status as an elite
commando (and maniac). This led to an intense
insurrection at Arius' compound by Colonel Matrix,
where approximately 80 of Arius' soldiers (and Arius
himself) were killed. After reaching the
mansion, a knife fight ensued and Matrix ended up
hurling a
large pipe through Bennett's torso. The attempted
coup was crushed and Val Verde returned to normal.
Colonel Stewart then led an elite group of turncoat
mercenaries on an operation to shut down Dulles
Airport and rescue Esperanza from U.S. authorities
as he was being extradited. This plot was foiled,
however, by John McClane, an off-duty police officer
from Los Angeles. While attempting to escape,
Esperanza's plane exploded during takeoff killing
Esperanza, Stewart and all the remaining
mercenaries.
(Thanks to Commando and
Die Hard 2) |
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Population:
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634,874 (July 2004
est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Val
Verdian(s)
adjective: Val Verdian |
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Religions:
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Christian 99% (Roman
Catholic 99%, Protestant 1%), Bennettian
(small sect which worships Bennett as their
God) 1% |
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Languages:
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Spanish
(official), English |
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Location:
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Central
America |
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Area:
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total:
18,270 sq km
land: 18,270 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than New Jersey |
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Coastline:
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1,129 km |
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Climate:
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tropical
marine; only slight seasonal temperature
variation (shitty) |
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Terrain:
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mostly
mountains of volcanic origin |
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Natural resources:
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timber,
fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential,
hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 10.95%
permanent crops: 4.65%
other: 84.4% (2001) |
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This is the official flag of Val
Verde, adopted in 1980. The design was chosen by the
regime of General Ernesto Arius (now deposed). |
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Country name:
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conventional long
form: Republica de Val Verde
conventional short form: Val Verde |
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Government type:
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republic
note: Velasquez formally declared
Val Verde a republic on 25 July 1982
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Capital:
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Val Verde City (Val
Verde) |
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Independence:
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28 March 1968 (from
UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
March 28th (1968) |
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Legal system:
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based on British
system |
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Suffrage:
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21 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state:
President Velasquez (since 1982)
head of government: President
Velasquez
election results: Velasquez elected
president; percent of vote - 100%
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Legislative
branch:
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bicameral Parliament
consists of the Senate (Senators are
appointed by the President) and the House of
Commons (also known as Casa de Campesinos
or "House of Peasants") |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court; Court
of Appeal; High Court |
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Political parties
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Partido Revolucionario
de Val Verde, Partido Comunista de Val Verde |
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Economy -
overview:
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Val Verde, an
extremely poor island nation, has one of the
most underdeveloped economies in the world.
Nearly all land and major resources (diamonds,
gold, etc.) are controlled by the
government. Long-term problems include low
investment, uncertain land ownership rights,
and the government's inability to defend
against Arius' disciples. In short, Val
Verde is a complete shithole. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $2.086 billion (2003 est.)
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GDP - real growth
rate:
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1.1% (2003 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $3,286 (2003 est.) |
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Population below
poverty line:
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85% (1990-91)
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Labour force:
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97,000 (1999)
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Labour force - by
occupation:
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agriculture, including
subsistence agriculture 90% (2001 est.)
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Currency: |
Val Verdian dollar (VVD)
- also known as Papel de la Mierda or
"Shit Paper" |
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Unemployment rate:
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99% (1999)
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Military branches:
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Republic of Val Verde
Military Forces (RVVMF): Land Forces, Naval
Division
(note: the "Navy" is 1 guy in a boat with a
Browning .50 caliber machine gun, as shown below)
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Military manpower -
availability:
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males age 15-49:
258,674 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures
- dollar figure:
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$1.982 billion (2003) |
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Military expenditures
- percent of GDP:
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95% (FY02) |
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