Chemung

The Protestant Christian Society of Chemung is one of the oldest nations of the League of Christian Nations and is often considered the blacksheep of the LCN. It completely lacks a military and is highly progressive in terms of government structure and purpose. It is remarkable for its high tax rates, as well as its advanced set of services for its populace. Its service based economy is based on tourism, culture, and advanced technology.

Instead of a military, Chemung has the most advanced space program in the LCN. It has numerous satellites for communications, planetary observation, exploration, scientific studies, human habitation, and energy production. Currently, Chemung has a major colony on the Moon which is nearing a population of a Billion residents, and is working on its next Ark Project, which will set up a colony on Mars. Everytime Chemung or one of Chemung's colonies reaches a population interval of one billion, a new installment of the Ark Project is sent to start a new colony.

Creation of Chemung
Chemung was originally a small society of protestant Christians who lived in a forested region, searching for a quiet place to meditate and pray to God. These early settlers congregated around the Chemung River, called so because of a large mammoth horn that was discovered by the first settlers (Chemung literally means place of the big horn).

Several major cities among the river arose, but the biggest were the cities of Horseheads and Elmira.

Capital Region (Province of Chemung)
The Capital Region of Chemung consists of the Capital of Chemung City, Horseheads, Elmira, and the surrounding area. Geographically, it is essentially a valley and its closest surrounding hills. Altogether this region is known as the Province of Chemung or the Capital region. The capital region is intersected by the Chemung river, providing a medium for transport and trade.

The Province is internally connected by a system of public magnet trains. Not only do these connect the capital region internally, they extend out into the other Commonwealths and Provinces. For citizens of Chemung these services are free after an initial card is registered, however some rails may require a small fee of tourists.

Because the forested hills at the outskirts or the Capital Region are prone to wind, the government has invested some money in windmills. However, this has caused some controversy because they can prove to be loud and obtrusive to those living near them. Even though they are typically placed in regions with low population density, ongoing studies are being carried out in order to determine their impact on humans and the ecosystem. The majority of the Nation's Wind Turbines are currently placed over the ocean.

Not only is the Capital Region the political center, but also it cultural and educational center. While Chemung City is the capital, Horseheads is both the cultural and educational Mecca of the nation. Many state operated Universities are to be found in Horseheads, where everything is studied from astrophysics to crocheting. Horseheads is lined with Cathedrals and Museums, however, it is primarily known for its brilliance as the center of music in the League of Christian Nations.

The Chemung River
The Chemung River is the heart of the nation of Chemung. It intersects the nation and The Capital District into two halves, north and south Chemung.

In North Chemung lay the Finger Lakes, Most of the City of Elmira, all of Horseheads, and half of Chemung City.

The Horn
Chemung literally means place of the big horn, named so by early settlers to the nation when they discovered a mammoth horn. As such, the horn plays an integral part to the nation's identity. Horns are played at most national events.

The Orchestral Horn remains the most popular instrument in Chemung, and several world renown Horn players have heralded from Chemung.

Top 5 Music Chart
February 2013 This month, the Horseheads Philharmonic Orchestra has just premiered Hezekiah Granemore's Symphony No. 6 in E minor in Horseheads. This wonderful new piece has hit the top of Chemung's chart and has become a classic in the repertoire.

Top 5 Chart 1. Granemore Symphony No. 6 in E minor - Horseheads Philharmonic 2. Mozart Horn Concerto No. 4 - Ingersen - Elmira Symphony Orchestra 4. Melieri Rondo for four Horns - Elmira Symphony Orchestra 5. Ogden Waltz for the Chemung River - Ithaca Classical Orchestra

Pacifism in Chemung
In Chemung, violence is strongly looked down upon even in self defense. This can be traced back to Chemung's early history because the original settlers were Christian Pacifists. Because of this deep-seated belief, the nation has a fairly permanent moratorium on arms sales, even to the police force, and has no military. The lack of any military spending has created the opportunity for Chemung to invest in the populace through education, science, and technological development. Chemung therefore is one of the most advanced nations in the League of Christian Nations technologically and scientifically, despite lacking a military. In particular this has allowed the development of a thriving Space Program, having many Satellites and a self Sufficient Colony on the planet's moon.

Even though Chemung holds a highly diplomatic and peaceful foreign policy, if it were to be invaded it would be near defenseless. It is protected officially by the International Christian Army, even though it does not contribute in solid terms. However, Chemung freely shares most of its technological advances with other nations in the LCN, which may be adapted for military purposes because it is then out of Chemung's jurisdiction.

Because there is so little violence, it has created a relaxed atmosphere for Citizens and Tourists alike. Crime is nearly non-existent, and tourism is one of few industries that thrive in Chemung. The citizens of Chemung have nothing to fear from violence or terrorism, contributing to its ranking as one of the happiest Nations of the world.

Christian Origins
The nation of Chemung was founded by a society of protestant Christians in a large forested expanse. As the civilization expanded, its Christian identity continued to be integral to its society.