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Origin Pre-War Post-War What Outsiders Know The Reality Population Territory and Locations Aruba Baranquilla Bogota Caracas Cartagena Curacao Maracaibo Medellin Mobile Organization Government, National and Local Military Justice, Social Control, Punishment Political Factions, Dissent Famous/Infamous Persons Relationships with Other Groups Culture Ethnic Groups, Immigration and Emigration Social Divisions and Castes Religion, Beliefs and Superstition Morality and Values Progress and Failure Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender Education and Language Environment and Agriculture Food Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation Fashion and Appearance Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture Equipment and Resources Economy Science, Medicine and Technology Weapons and Military Equipment Communications Vehicles Aircraft Watercraft

 

 

     A socialist nation located in South and Central America.

 

Origin

 

Pre-War

     About 49 million persons lived in Columbia and Venezuela.

 

Post-War

     Several atomic weapons detonated during the Atomic War on the shores of Lake Maracaibo. Nobody knows who fired the missiles; traditionally, they are described as "los ataques maliciosos."

     The collapse of global trade caused a gradual decline in Venezuelan and Columbian populations. A series of short, destructive wars were fought between the two nations; border incidents, communist insurgency, and accusations of covert political influence were usually the proximate cause. 

 

What Outsiders Know

     People in the former area of the United States have no idea AMAL exists (except, of course, the inhabitants of Mobile).

 

The Reality

     A federation of the former nations of Venezuela and Columbia. It's very scruffy and rural, without much in the way of technical or industrial capacity.

 

Population

     The census lists about 3 million inhabitants.

 

Territory and Locations

 

    

     The major cities are: 

 

Aruba

 

Baranquilla

 

Bogota

 

Caracas

 

     Capital of AMAL, with a population of 130,000 people. The Pantheon, where Simon Bolivar was buried, is a national shrine.

 

Cartagena

 

Curacao

 

Maracaibo

 

     The oil wells here are a major source of international income for AMAL. This area was heavily affected by the Atomic War, and by the gradual rise of sea levels in the 21st Century.

 

Medellin

 

Mobile

 

     This colony was established several decades ago, to expand the trading options for AMAL, and as a location to exile unwanted persons. Both functions have somewhat dwindled, but trade with North American riverboats still makes the colony viable.

     There are other colonies in Central America, as well.

 

Organization

 

Government, National and Local

 

     The Alliance is a nominally socialist federation, dominated by the Partido Socialista Popular (Popular Socialist Party); all members of the Asamblea must belong to the party. It provides a lot of autonomy to local districts, communes and industrial sectors. Almost any decision by the national government requires at least consensus, and usually unanimity, by the various component governments.

     The currency is the bolivar, issued as paper currency; base-metal centavo coins circulate for most day-to-day transactions. Gold and silver coins are illegal to use for internal purchases. As of 2140, an ounce of gold will buy 50 bolivars.

 

Military

 

    The navy and army are small, less than a thousand troops in each. The army has some artillery guarding the harbors, but no mobile or field guns. Distrust of the military keeps the budgets low.

     The largest military "organization" is the Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperación, notable for being poorly trained. In theory all able-bodied men age 18 to 41 are members (36% of the male population = 540,000 members), but a lack of weapons, ammunition, and supervision keeps the FAC in a low state of readiness. Only 35,000 Vencedor rifles are in service; minus 2000 for the regular troops leaves only 33,000 for the FAC (1 per 16 men). About an equal number of other unreliable small arms are in the hands of the reservists; the rest make do with melee weapons.

 

Justice, Social Control, Punishment

     The legal system within the Alianza is based on the a version of "civil law", derived from the Code Napoleon.

     The Seguridad Nacionial is expected to monitor and control dissent; they're secret police in effect.

 

Political Factions, Dissent

     Blah blah ...

 

Famous/Infamous Persons

 

• Simón Bolívar, for one!

• Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá, a great general and statesman in the time of Bolivar.
  

 

Relationships with Other Groups

     AMAL has a close relationship with the Republica Socialista de Mexico. Some trading is done with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Barbados, though as a nominally "revolutionary" government, other nations regard official AMAL activities with suspicion.

     The pirates of Espanola, Cuba and the Quintana Roo are regarded as enemies.

 

Culture

 

Ethnic Groups, Immigration and Emigration

 

     Three-quarters of the people are mestizo; small percentages of black and native ethnicities still exist.

     Every year, several thousand citizens emigrate to Mexico; more would do so, except for the Emigration Tax. Emigration to Mobile has dried up.

 

Social Divisions and Castes

     Industrial workers, found only in the cities, are the "hardline" socialists. The urban areas feel their share of taxes goes to support the rural areas.

     The usual motto of the Socialist Party is "unity and brotherhood".

 

Religion, Beliefs and Superstition

     The Catholic Church was not very influential even before the Atomic War. By the 22nd Century, a majority of the population have nothing to do with the Church (or any other religion).

 

Morality and Values

     Blah blah ...

 

Progress and Failure

     Nearly 20% of the possible work force is unemployed or underemployed.

 

Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender

     There's still a heavily patriarchal culture in the cities. However, formal marriage (civil or religious) is actually rare.

 

Education and Language

     Literacy is at about 30% for males, only 16% for women. Spanish is the national language.

     The Universidad Central in Caracas is essentially a library; no formal education is provided there.

 

Environment and Agriculture

     Blah blah ...

 

Food

     Blah blah ...

 

Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation

     Bicycling, baseball, football (soccer that is) and jai alai are popular sports.

     Bullfighting is popular in the summer.

     Books are scarce; literature and newspapers are regularly censored.

 

Fashion and Appearance

     Blah blah ...

 

Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture

 

     Less than 10% of the population lives in urban areas.

 

Equipment and Resources

 

Economy

     Agricultural and "local". Workers' councils control production of state-owned enterprises, and direct profits; most profits are distributed to the workers. This does tend to give little funding for expansion.

 

Science, Medicine and Technology

     The military operates two or three big shortwave radios, purchased in Veracruz, to connect the major ports; the government also has a very powerful AM transmitter (50,000 watts). Receivers for propaganda also come from Veracruz, along with bicycle-type generators for them.

     There is no national power grid; a few of the cities have some electrical distribution. Light bulbs are either rare and expensive, or crude and inefficient. Kerosene lanterns are the usual lighting source in residences.

     The chemical industry is small; they don't produce smokeless powder, for example. Primers are bought in Veracruz.

     A typical oil refinery employs five people, and turns out 2,000 liters of gasoline, diesel, or other fuels per day. The largest refinery at Maracaibo produces 14,000 liters per day. A few 5 cm pipelines, and one of the rail lines, connects the refineries to the port at Maracaibo. A horse-drawn oil tank can hold up to a ton of crude oil; the biggest oil storage tanks can hold a million liters of petrochemicals.

 

Weapons and Military Equipment

     Supplies of early 20th Century bolt-action rifles in 7mm Mauser are available in reasonably good condition, but almost no ammunition. More modern weapons don't exist in sufficient numbers to be military notable.

     The usual military rifle is the Vencedor, a bolt-action weapon with a box magazine holding five rounds of 11x60mm black powder ammunition; it fires a 24 gram bullet at 440 meters per second. The rifle weighs 4.5 kilograms empty; it can be fitted with a bayonet and sling.

     Revolvers firing black-powder cartridge ammunition are common; the military and police normally employ them in 10mm or 11mm caliber.

     

Communications

     There are no telephones or telegraph systems; only a few radios used by the military, and a single 50,000 watt propaganda transmitter near Caracas -- schools are the most common locations of receivers (and people living in other Spanish-speaking Latin American nations).

     A slow postal service carries mail in ships along the coast, and by wagon inland. Postal delivery in the same town or city is usually "next day", but elsewhere can take days or weeks.

     Caracas, and most of the other cities, have some basic newspapers, and print books.

 

Vehicles

     Bicycles, horses, and horse-drawn carriages or streetcars are the usual means of transport.

     Rusty, rattletrap trucks are still used for hauling cargo.

     Oil-fired steam locomotives, and a few direct-drive diesel locomotives, run on the railway lines.

 

Aircraft

     None.

 

Watercraft

     Smallish sailing vessels of 200 tons displacement or less; the better ones are outfitted with diesel engines in Veracruz, Mexico. A few motor vessels have been purchased from Mexico, as harbor craft or military patrol vessels.

     To fend off pirates the government has built two gunboats -- sailing craft with auxiliary motors, fitted with a couple of 75mm howitzers as armament.