The Oan Isles: Difference between revisions

== Politics ==

The political system of the Oan Isles takes place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The Constitution of the Oan Isles (''Ture Ture o nga Motuere Oa'') is the fundamental law of the country. It vests immense power in the Crown of Polynesia. The hereditary [[Emperor of Polynesia]], who is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, is constrained by democratic traditions in the exercise of his powers. Thus, he is a largely symbolic figure head with reserve powers in case of an emergency. The reigning Emperor is [[Oahoanu]] who succeeded his father, Emperor Ehe, in 2017. All monarchs are direct descendants of Ahua the Great, who is credited as the founder of the Oan Isles and of the Mauist religion.

The Emperor appoints the Council of Elders to advise him on the exercise of royal powers. The Council of Ministers is a sub-structure of the Council of Elders. It forms the executive branch of the government. It consists of Ministers of the Crown, the most powerful of whom is the Prime Minister. Because the Prime Minister is usually the most influential politician in the National Assembly, the chair of the Council of Ministers and wields the power to direct the work of the executive branch, the Prime Minister is the ''de facto'' head of government and most powerful political figure in the country. The incumbent Prime Minister is [[Maui Uye-Ahua|Maui Uye Ahua]], who succeeded Locklyn Le Roy in 2017 following political disarray in the ruling party at the time.

The legislative branch consists of the National Assembly. It is composed of the Emperor, Council of the People and the Council of Chiefs. The Council of Chiefs consists of all the hereditary traditional leaders in the country and has an advisory role. The Council of the People is democratically elected every four years and wields all the real political power. The Emperor promulgates laws and has the power to dissolve the Council of the People.

=== Military ===

The [[Military of the Oan Isles|Oan Defence Forces]] (''Te Kaha Kōrero a te Motuere Oa'') comprises the military of the Oan Isles. As the Emperor is the commander in chief of the armed forces, he has the power to declare war. In practice, the Prime Minister has supreme political oversight of the armed forces. The Minister of Defence, General Oahuoa Uye, advises the government on defence policy and runs the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Department of Foreign Affairs administers the daily affairs of the armed forces. The Chief of Defence Staff is the highest ranking professional officer of the armed forces. The primary objective of the armed forces is to protect the Oan Isles and its allies and advance their interests abroad. It consists of the Oan Navy, the Oan Air Force and the Oan Army.

The Oan language, ''Te Reo Oa'', is the official language and most widely spoken first language. Although the standard written form of the Oan language is the dialect spoken on the Rock Island (''Tokamotu''), over a dozen known dialects exists on other islands. Naturalised citizens, permanent residents and expatriate workers speak foreign languages, the most prominent of which are Islander, Staynish (Codexian), and the Kōhatuan language (''Ōlelo Kōhatu'').

=== Religion ===

The most widely practiced religion is a branch of Abrahamism, called [[Mauism]] that was syncretized with indigenous folk religions. It holds that there is one almighty creator, ''Atea'', who assigned the angel/god Maui to protect the Oan Isles and people of Oan descent. It is followed by Jubliakism, a branch of Abrahamism which originated in Morstaybishlia and the indigenous folk religions of the Islander and Kōhatu people. A large portion of the population is irreligious.

=== Ethnic groups ===

=== Dress and appearance ===

Oan people usually let their hair grow long, wearing it lose or in a bun. They sometimes put a comb or pin through it. This is usually made of wood or whale bone. It is typically decorated with carvings which usually include swirly forms reminiscent of clouds or waves. Some people also wear feathers in their hair. Males often have extensive intricate tattoos over their face, chest and arms. These are called ''moko''. Females usually only have a tattoo under the lips and over the chin and like to wear black lipstick.

=== Social norms and everyday life ===

Most Oan people live in the cities. As people moved from the farms and villages to the towns and cities, their lifestyles became more fast-paced. Despite the abundance and accessibility of resources and opportunities, commercialism and competition for promotions and business opportunities increased. People became more educated. As a result, most households became monogamous with parents having, on average, one to three children.

=== Sports ===

The Oan Isles has a large number of sports fans, players and teams. Some of the leagues are internationally rated in their respective disciplines. The biggest sport, by far, is rugby. The Oan Isles produces many international players, participates and does very well in international tournaments and has world-class venues and training facilities dedicated to the sport. The second is boxing. Oans typically enjoy water sports. These include canoeing. Open sea and river rapid canoeing are popular. Canoeing was use by the ancient people to voyage between islands. Voyagers turned this into a sport that has survived until now. Oans also enjoy surfing, diving, sailing, wind-surfing and competitive swimming. They also enjoy sports such as competitive tree-climbing, mountain-climbing and stick fighting.