Commonwealth of Dracul | |||
| |||
| Motto "Deo Vindice" | |||
| Anthem | |||
| Clear Lake, Houston, Texas | |||
| Capital city | Bran District, Dracul | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Official language(s) | English | ||
| Official religion(s) | Christianity, Hinduism | ||
| Short name | Dracul | ||
| Demonym | Draculian | ||
| Government | Constitutional Monarchy | ||
| - Prince | Stephen | ||
| - Chancellor | Whisper Williams | ||
| - Chief Justice | Dennis Garza | ||
| Legislature | Dracul Parliament | ||
| - Number of seats | - 4/4 | ||
| - Last election | - September 25, 2017 | ||
| Established | September 25, 2017 | ||
| Area claimed | 111.46 acres, 2.30% water | ||
| Population | 115 | ||
| Currency | Draculian Mark | ||
| Time zone | Central | ||
| Patron saint | Tsar Nicholas II | ||
| Internet Domain | .com | ||
www.draculgov.com | |||
Dracul, officially the Commonwealth of Dracul, is a North American micronation, self-classified as an Independent Republic, located within and surrounded by Houston Texas. A democratic state in function, Dracul has grown to become a reasonably well-known member of the micronational community, holding relations with several prominent micronations. The country, founded on the 25th of September, 2017, encompasses a large public park and another (much smaller) park. Dracul was originally founded by Stephen Luke, Dmitri Howie, and Mark Millner, originally as a side hobby for the three. In 2019, Whisper Williams and Kassie Bushong were dubbed founding persons, due to their dedication towards progress. Since its founding, Dracul has risen to encompass more than 90 members from over 20 different nations throughout the globe and has gained treaties of recognition with more than 40 micronations.
Dracul has referred to itself as a "sovereign republic" since its start in 2017 and has held itself in that regard, engaging in actions such as; establishing a currency and printing novelty banknotes, creating its own community and governmental traditions, holding elections and ceremonies, and engaging in public awareness initiatives; such as its popular 2019 suicide prevention campaign. In a macronational context, Dracul operates as a community with a government-inspired organizational hierarchy.
History[]
The Commonwealth of Dracul takes its name from the Prince of Wallachia, which is attributed as to why Vlad III is a national hero of Dracul. Dracul was established on September 25, 2017 in Houston, Texas by Dmitri Howie, Stephen Luke, Kassie Bushong, and Mark Millner. The exact reasons for why Vlad III was chosen is still unclear; however, it is known that Stephen Luke was born in Romania, while Dmitri Howie claimed bloodline to Vlad III. It was this very fact that led many to believe why the two primary founders chose Vlad III and Romanian heritage as their micronation's basis.
National States[]
In February of 2018, the States of North and South Dracul were created, to allow the Citizens of Dracul to create their own legislation and state programs. On October 25, 2018, both states began seeking candidates for their Governor positions.
On January 7, 2019, Dracul held their first Midterm Elections, which selected the state's first Governors. North Dracul Candidate Eric Williams, Jr. beat his opponent Paul Frye, with a 66.67% landslide. In South Dracul, running unopposed, Kassie Bushong won the Governorship with a 100% win.
Conflicts/Engagements[]
Dracul rarely participates in conflicts, especially when conflict is avoidable. There have been up to three incidents in which Dracul felt it was unable to avoid entry into. The most notable one was the Rebel Conflict of 2018, which resulted in Victory Day being created as a national holiday. For the most part, Dracul has a distaste for the term "micronational war", since its connotation is normally linked with younger micronationalists engaging with airsoft or fabricating war stories.
Rebel Conflict of 2018[]
On 20 April 2018, a disagreement with the government over the treatment of religious citizens was launched by former Intelligence Director Al Fare. The small group by Fare voiced that the religious peoples should be targeted, imprisoned, and killed by the Dracul Intelligence Agency. The National Government did not take kindly to this proposal and prohibited the small group’s attempt at singling out religious peoples. The small group eventually formed on April 2018, under the name of “Dracul Confederacy” and attempted to take control of the then current Capital in North Dracul. The Dracul Army and Air Patrol quickly responded, with the operation led by Army Colonel Shaun O'Hare. By May 9, the small group had eventually disbanded and were declared “defeated” by the military. The leader of the Group, Al Fare, was banned from the community and had his citizenship revoked.
Bran Action of 2021[]
In March of 2021 the Dracul Army was deployed to Bran District as part of a declaration of Martial Law. Several members of the City Council were found guilty of abusing their powers of office and corruption. In response the President, Dmitri Howie, agreed with officials and commanders to declare Martial Law on the District. Brigadier General Scott Jeanes assigned Colonel Connor Modena as Military Governor of the region tasked with securing and reestablishing the government. As of 16 July 2021, the city charter and a new rules and procedures document were signed and approved by the President and elections were held.
Dracul-Graustarkian Affair[]
On 5 September 2021, The Commonwealth of Dracul declared an information war on the Graustark-Dawsbergen Principality, after Draculian Vice President Stephen Luke discovered that former Draculian citizen Charles von Graustark was spying on the Draculian government for the Graustark-Dawsbergen|Graustark-Dawsbergian government. This was then clarified as an investigation, along with a wargame perspective for the allies of Dracul. Since then, relations have improved, especially with Graustark's former leadership.
National Government Action[]
The National Government has taken major action in rare occasions, specifically related to Capital and Citizenship.
Federal Capitol Relocation[]
On 5 July 2020, the Commonwealth of Dracul Parliament confirmed a vote to create a federal district, which would be the new home of Dracul's capitol. Prior to the decision, Dracul's capitol was part of North Dracul. Through Parliament's discussion, it was stated that North Dracul State received more benefits and federal funding, compared to South Dracul State, since the federal capitol was part of North Dracul. Parliament considered this a conflict of interest, which ultimately led to the vote for capitol relocation to Bran District.
Inactive Citizenship Cancellation[]
On 1 June 2021, the Dracul Federal Naturalization Service carried out their first citizenship cancellations for citizens who had not shown interest in over a year. The Naturalization Service stated on their main website that citizenship was intended to be an active role in the community and that any citizen who was inactive for a long period was subject to revocation. FNS further stated that any revoked citizen through these means could re-apply for citizenship.
National and State Elections[]
First State Governors[]
On 25 October 2018, both states began seeking candidates for their Governor positions. January 7, 2019, elections were held to elect the first governors of the North and South Dracul States. Victory was declared by Eric Harvey Williams, Jr for North Dracul, by a vote of 66.67 percent. Kassie Bushong secures a South Dracul victory, by a vote of 100 percent. Both governors spent their first year getting to know their state citizens, which proved successful in a public relations perspective but hurt the growth of both states, along the lines of developing state constitutions and state legislation. As of January 2021, neither state has a constitution.
First Presidential Election[]
The first Presidential election took place on November 8, 2021, which resulted in a victory for Presidential Candidate Stephen Luke and Vice-Presidential Candidate Connor Modena. The two ran together unopposed, however voting was still encouraged since two propositions were on the ballot. The first President Dmitri Howie was appointed by the founders, due to a lack of citizenship at Dracul's launch. All future Presidents will be elected via the first-past-the-post system. Stephen Luke and Connor Modena's inauguration was on January 8, 2022.
Geography, Climate, and Environment[]
The Commonwealth's geography mostly consists of grassy terrain with sparse woodlands and two bodies of water; these being a man-made fountain known as the Unity Fountain and a small reservoir known as Horsepen Bayou. The country consists of the two states of North Dracul and South Dracul; the latter of which houses Dracul's capital city of Bran. Additionally, the country is made up of the capitol of Bran District and the concession of Napocatania.