The Republic of O'Equador (political brain teaser)


 * Note: The Republic of O'Equador is a fake island nation I created to raise some questions on dealing with the 3rd World, the Cold War, Sub-Saharan Africa and de-colonisation.

Location
It is twice the size of all of Mauritius combined and lies on the junction of the Greenwich Meridian and the Equator.

Geology
The rich volcanic soils proved well suited to for agriculture. The coastal mountains are made of mostly basalt, scoria and pumice. Corroded phenocrysts of biotite and hornblende are commonly found in the central section of the mountains; they are surrounded by black rims of magnetite mixed with pale green augite. Most of the beaches are black due to mineral rich sands. The southern Mount Pedro (4,565ft) is a long dead volcano.

Pre-independence
The islands of O'Equador was uninhabited when the Portuguese arrived in 1475. The island was discovered by João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar. It was exsploered and thought to be good locations for bases to trade with the mainland.

The sugar industry started in 1502 the Prince of Portugal charged duties on the island's sugar crop.

French Buccaneers, British privateers, Spanish pirates, the Spanish navy Dutch traders, the French navy and the Portuguese navy fought over ownership of the island between 1750 and 1755.

Coffee and cocoa were introduced as new cash crops in the 1850 and soon extensive white run plantations (known as "roças") that soon smothered all the good farm land. By 1908, it had become one of the world's largest producer of cocoa. It remains to this day, the country's most important crop, alongside coffee.

Although Portugal officially abolished slavery in 1876, the roças system was often abused by land owners an the practice of forced paid labour continued. The Pal Mall Gazette newspaper and Scientific American magazine revealed in in words and pictures the continued use of slaves in the March of 1897.

A British Bristol Beaufighter multi-role aircraft (in torpedo bomber configuration) and 2 American Beechcraft Model 18 trainer and utility aircraft (1 in each configuration) arrived on the island in 1946, but were lost due to heavy storm damage in the hurricane, rainstorms and floods of May 1957. A Douglas B-18 Bolo and 2 Replacement Beechcraft Model 18s would arrive in late 1957, after they were declared surplus to requirement by the USAF. The Portuguese also received an American Algonquin-class cutter patrol boat in 1947, which they gave to the island's colonial authorities in 1948.

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber that was used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. 3 of them were given to the islands colonial authorities by the USA in 1955, after they were declared surplus to requirement by the USAF. 8 American Piper PA-18 Super Cub Light utility and bush-flight aircraft arrived a year later.

By the late 1950s, when other emerging nations across the African Continent demanded their independence, a small group of O'Equadorien dissidents joined the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP), both of which eventually established its base in nearby Gabon.

The hurricane, rainstorms and related flooding of May 1957 made 1,000 homeless, injured 125 and killed 8.

The American Algonquin-class cutter patrol boat was destroyed in a separatist riot during the May of 1967.

Post-independence
The separatist cause began picking up momentum in the late 1960s, events moved quickly after the burning down of several land owners houses in 1972 and became independent after 2 days of separatist riots in the capital a few week after the overthrow of Portugal's Caetano dictatorship in April 1974.

The Marxist separatist leader Dr. Bruno Pinto took over 2 days later as president. The island soon became a close Soviet allie. The regime was of mixed value to the people since it became known for it's fixation with literacy campaigns, banning religion, shooting student protesters in Escobar (in all 65 died between 1972 and 1977) and reorganising agricultural management structures.

The roads and bridges were upgraded between 1976 and 1977 around Rodriguez after a series of major road accidents in the early and mid 1970s.

The Mil Mi-1 was a Soviet light utility helicopter, of which 2 were sent to the island by the USSR a weak after independence and 4 more were sent in in 1976.

The Mil Mi-2 is a small, lightly armored turbine-powered ex-Soviet transport helicopter. It could also provide close air support when armed with 57 mm rockets and a 23 mm cannon. 2 were sent to the island by the USSR a weak after independence and 4 more were sent in in early 1977. 2 were destroyed in the 1977 civil war.

There was a short civil wars in late 1977 and mid 1982, between which the pro-American Dr. Juan Sonríe ruled as the island became the eye of a political storm.

The roads and bridges were upgraded between 1978 and 1979 around Escobar after a series of major road accidents in the mid and late 1970s. Escobar was opened up to tourism in 1978 and 2 small hotels opened in 1982.

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Life today
Democracy was restored in the 1991 elections when the pro-Portuguese Luis D'Souza won the election. He sold off the state agricultural enterprises to various EU, Swiss, Brazilian and American firms. This raised $550,000,000 over 3 years and created 1,000 new jobs. Most of the money was spent on flood defences, roads, a new airport, a new sewerage works and a new heliport.

Luis D'Souza was re-elected in 1996 and 2001. He retired and was replaced by his deputy, Marco Pax in 2006. Economic productivity, national dept, tractor importing and hotel building have all increased slowly since 2012.

Air Force

 * Total of airfields= 2 airstrips and 1 heliport.
 * Total of bases= 1 barracks and 1 training camp and 1 depot.
 * Total= aircraft= 7.
 * Fighter bombers= 3 (North American Aviation P-51 Mustang).
 * Fighters= 2 (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15)
 * Training aircraft= 1 (Beechcraft Model 18).
 * Utility aircraft= 1 (Piper PA-18 Super Cub).
 * Total= Helicopters= 4.
 * Utility helicopters= 2 (1 Mil Mi-1A and 1 Aérospatiale Alouette III).
 * Close air support helicopter= 1 (Mil Mi-2)
 * Training helicopters: 1 (Hughes TH-55 Osage).
 * Personnel= 250.

Navy

 * Total vessels= 7.
 * Total of ports= 1 and 1 navel air station\heliport.
 * Total of bases= 1 barracks and 1 training camp and 1 depot.
 * Utility helicopters= 1 (Mil Mi-1A).
 * Utility aircraft= 1 (Beechcraft Model 18).
 * Mine layers= 2.
 * Mine sweepers= 2.
 * Patrol boats= 3.
 * Personnel= 450.

Army

 * Total of bases= 2 baraks, 3 depots and 2 training camps.
 * Total of helicopters= 10.
 * Troop helicopters= 2. (1 Mil Mi-2 and 1 Mil Mi-4).
 * Utility helicopters= 4. (2 Bell UH-1 Iroquois and 2 Hughes OH-6 Cayuse).
 * Training helicopters: 1 (Hughes TH-55 Osage).
 * Cargo helicopter= 2 (Mil Mi-8).
 * Medical evacuation (casivac\medivac)= 1 (Mil Mi-8).
 * Close air support helicopter= 1 (Mil Mi-2).
 * Utility aircraft= 5 (Piper PA-18 Super Cub).
 * Mortar carriers= 2 (ShM vz.85 PRÁM-S).
 * Total of artillery peaces= 8.
 * 4.
 * 4.
 * Total of armoured cars= 8.
 * 4
 * 4
 * 15 Trucks (Mercedes-Benz NG 1017A).
 * Personnel- 1,257.

Marines

 * Total= aircraft= 3.
 * Total number of ports= 1.
 * Total of bases= 1 barracks and 1 training camp and 1 depot.
 * Total of airfields= 1 Navel air station.
 * Utility aircraft= 1 (Piper PA-18 Super Cub).
 * Utility helicopters= 1 (Mil Mi-1A).
 * Trucks= 3 (Mercedes-Benz NG 1017A).
 * Patrol boats 1.
 * Personnel= 75.

Elite (airborne) forces

 * Total= aircraft= 3.
 * Total of bases= 1 barracks and 1 training camp and 1 depot.
 * Total of airfields= 1 heliport.
 * Utility aircraft= 1 (Piper PA-18 Super Cub).
 * Close air support helicopter= 1 (Mil Mi-2)
 * Utility helicopters= 1 (Mil Mi-1A).
 * Personnel= 35.

Transport
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Energy
.

Diaspora
.

Civil airline
It was founded in 1937 and flies occasionally to San Tome, Principe, Brazzaville, Lagos and Bissau. The 2 airports are at Santarém and Escobar. There is a heliport in São Vicente.


 * The air fleet's inventry is-
 * 1) de Havilland Dragon- 1937-1947 (scrapped).
 * 2) de Havilland Express- 1947-1957 (scrapped).
 * 3) de Havilland DH89A Dragon Rapide- 1947-1957 (scrapped).
 * 4) Douglas DC-2- 1947-1957 (scrapped).
 * 5) Douglas DC-6- 1957-1987 (scrapped).
 * 6) Tupolev Tu-124- 1967-1987 (scrapped).
 * 7) Yakovlev Yak-18T- 1967 to date (trainer).
 * 8) Hawker Siddeley Trident- 1977 to date.
 * 9) Mil Mi-8 Cargo helicopter- 2 from 1978 to date.
 * 10) British Aerospace 146- 1985 to date.
 * 11) Tupolev Tu-334- 2007 to date.

Emergency services

 * 1) Total number of jails- 3, each with 35 cells.
 * 2) Total number of police stations- 6.
 * 3) Total number of hospitals- 3, each with 125 beds.
 * 4) Total number of heliports- 1.
 * 5) Total number of navel air stations- 1.
 * 6) Total of helicopters- 14.
 * 7) Bell 212- 1 [1 police].
 * 8) PZL W-3 Sokół- 1 [air ambulance service]
 * 9) Westland WS-51 Dragonfly- 1 [police].
 * 10) Sikorsky H-5- 1 [police].
 * 11) Westland Widgeon- 1 [police].
 * 12) Kaman HH-43 Huskie- 3 [2 search and rescue and 1 fire brigade].
 * 13) Mil Mi-8 Cargo helicopter- 1 [1 fire brigade].
 * 14) Sikorsky S-70C Firehawk- 1 [fire brigade].
 * 15) Bell 205- 1 [fire brigade].
 * 16) Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin- 1 [police].
 * 17) Personnel- Police 75\police servace as  whole, 1,250, fire brigade 200, search and rescue 75 and air ambulance service 75\health service as a whole 2,500.

Coastguard
The coast guard was upgraded in 1995. The Portuguese received an American Algonquin-class cutter patrol boat in 1947, which they gave to the island's colonial authorities in 1948. It was destroyed in a separatist riot during the May of 1967. An American Point-class cutter patrol boat was bought for the coast guard in 1980 and was scrapped in 2015.


 * 1) Total of bases= 1 barracks and 1 training camp and 1 depot.
 * 2) Total number of ports- 1.
 * 3) Total number of airports- 3.
 * 4) Total number of heliports- 1.
 * 5) Total number of navel air stations- 1.
 * 6) Total of helicopters- 3.
 * 7) Bell 212- 1.
 * 8) PZL W-3 Sokół- 1.
 * 9) Mil Mi-8 Cargo helicopter- 1.
 * 10) Total of ships- 4.
 * 11) Coast guard patrol boats- 2 (1 Marine Protector-class patrol boat and 1 Island-class patrol boat) [coast guard].
 * 12) Coast guard coastal buoy tenders- 1 (Keeper-class cutter) [coast guard].
 * 13) Medium endurance coast guard cutters- 1 (Famous-class cutters) [coast guard].
 * 14) Personnel- Coast guard 1,575.

Also see

 * Kenya