[HIST] IAS introduction - Background (longish)

G'day guys,

	Well here's the background I've drawn up
- point form converted to paragraphs so excuse the
grammar. Hope you like it. I'll split it in to a couple of
posts so its not too long.

Cheers

Beth
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
History of the IAS.

	Though never ratified the Antarctic Protocol on Environmental
Protection
(1991) did see the abstinence of mining of Antarctic soils for its
entire
50 year period. A further protocol signed in 2040 was not as successful.
Initially it did appear that things would go on as before, with tourism
being the only non-scientific use of Antarctica  the deep water
fisheries
having crashed in 2015 (after which their management was handed over to
the
UN, mulit-million dollar fines and imprisonment were now mandatory for
any
found poaching)
	However, the writing was on the wall, and in late 2048 a
consortium of
mineral exploration companies put forward a petition to the UN asking
for
access to the Antarctic fossil fuel and uranium resources. When this was
denied in mid 2049 they took advantage of the chaos created by the
collapse
of the US and the recent creation of the Eurasian Union and sent in a
mercenary force. 
	Those scientists who would not abandon their posts within the
first 3 days
were declared terrorists and due force sanctioned. The initial round of
resistance (put up by the scientists) was spirited, but futile. 
	In 2051 the International Antarctic Science Organisation (the
latest name
for a long running series of scientific organisations based on the study
of
Antarctica) convinces the national bodies (United Kingdom, OU, LLAR, EU,
RH
etc.) involved along with the UN to "sell" them the polar islands
(Macquarie, Crozets, Kerguelen Archipelago, South Orkney, South Shetland
etc.) in return for the scientists (guaranteed) continued "service" at
those locations as well as additional scientific and engineering aid in
other areas. And the move wasn't unprecedented as the Gilderstein
Foundation had purchased an island off the Philippines 20 years
previously
etc. (probably other examples as well)

	UN (eventually) formally recognises the IAS as a nation (once
again
mostly in return for services), so in 2052 the nation state known as the
Independent Antarctic States was founded from the International
Antarctic
Science Organisation. 
	The major powers didn't bow to this new concept to easily
though, there
was a feeling that another nation was just what this world in turmoil
didn't need. It appeared that the IAS would be little more than a nation
on
paper  after all the vast majority of its citizens didn't reside on IAS
holdings and most were even employed by other nations. However
scientists
had been living away from "home" for centuries and this did not deter
them.
80 years of growing discontent with funding and intellectual property
rights was fueling a revolution of mind set and strength of purpose few
would have ever dreamt about. The promise of the "right to think" as the
founding article of the IAS constitution (as its lovingly known) soon
spread like wild fire through the scientific community and joining the
IAS
was on everybody's lips. 
	Unfortunately this very popularity very nearly spelt its
downfall. In May
2053 the Eurasian Union sacks all of its scientists with (or rumored to
have) IAS citizenship or affiliation and denies it ever gave over its
subantarctic islands. In response the IAS employs mercenaries to protect
its holdings  this stretches their meagre finances.
	In June the PAU and then the EC also crack down on the IAS.
Thousands are
deported and travel to the LLAR and OU (under the pretext of actually
moving to IASians land holdings). 
	The unthinkable happens when in early August pressure is bought
to bear on
the OU and LLAR are forced to send those expelled from the PAU, EU and
EC
onto the IAS islands  though those IAS scientists working for the UN, OU
and LLAR are allowed to remain. 7 days later the scientific community
shows
that the line has been drawn and crossed and many stop reporting
findings,
not all join this "intellectual silence", but enough to ensure that
politicians everywhere are sweating. There are threats and acts of
violence, but the majority of those who chose to join the silence hold
strong. After 135 days of threats turned to demands turned to negotiated
agreements and concessions the IAS is recognised as more than a nation
on
paper. 
	On 17th December 2053 the first International Antarctic Trade
and Research
Agreement is signed in Hobart Australia. All IAS citizens, including the
expelled scientists, are once again allowed to work in and travel freely
among all the signatory nations. Not a moment too soon. IAS cabinet
documents released in 2106 show that the agreement was signed literally
within days of the point at which the fledgling IAS would have had to
throw
in the towel  overcrowding, dwindling supplies and disease had almost
seen
an end to the IAS before it even began. 

	Thus, by the close of 2053 the IAS's nationhood had been
recognised by
the UN and grudgingly by the other major nations as the world was in
period
of political and financial upheaval and the IASO was offering science at
just the right price (i.e. for free as long as you let us "look after"
all
those antarctic islands you could never exploit anyway).
	With the silence lifted and the IASians back to work the IAS was
largely
ignored by more consequential powers  they had bigger political concerns
to
focus on. This left the IAS free to exploit diplomatic channels and the
mining companies' need for "polar" expertise to get a foothold back on
Antarctica  things weren't proving as fruitful as the corporations had
hoped, in the 4 and half years they'd been in Antarctica the mercenaries
and miners had seen 4 mutinies, 1 mass slaughter, and at least 525
confirmed cases of severe mental disequilibrium. They had ignored the
traditions and procedures developed from experience and instituted by
scientists to prevent just such events during their 200 years of
Antarctic
research, and they were paying heavily for it.
	The first crop of scientists hired reached their polar stations
in late
2054. 
	Then on Mid-winters night in 2057 they ousted the mining
companies in what
may be thought of as a brief and bloodless coup (frozen bodies don't
bleed
much...). The main action was little more than locking the miners and
mercenaries out. However, they had landed a mercenary force of their own
on
the continent to support them. This was not the end of it and sporadic
raids continued for 9 and half years before they were officially
recognised
as holding the continent of Antarctica. This recognition came more for
the
fact that once again they'd proven themselves indispensable in
scientific
and engineering positions  and some were also being groomed as crew
members
for the early UN interstellar exploration teams.
	The second Antarctic Treaty was signed in 2067	at this point
all nations
bequeathed their Antarctic holdings to the IAS and all claims and rights
to
the area were extinguished.
	The first solely IASian interstellar exploration expedition was
perfomed
on a UN charted vessel. This mission was able to find and claim a planet
which is now within the area of the core systems. The claim was possible
due to its agreement with the UN (work for 1% of the space they explored
as
a commission  they cashed this in for sole rights to a set of twin
planetoids).
	While the UN sponsored IAS expedition was underway the IAS was
simultaneously preparing a colonisation effort which would begin as soon
as
it got word of a suitable planet claimed by the current expedition in
the
name of the IAS. This did not in fact occur until the expeditions
return,
but little time was lost in launching the colonisation expedition due to
the previous preparations. This was done as it had been recognised from
the
IAS's inception that they could not remain a viable nation state if they
were restricted to the confines of the Antarctic continent and
surrounding
islands, without doing more damage than the corporations they had
ousted,
or without relying so heavily upon the UN that the IAS would fast be
absorbed by it.

	A small mercenary force was included in the colonisation
expedition to
fend off claim jumpers (whether they were from major or minor nations or
corporate bodies). These mercenaries would later form the core of a
dedicated security force. As part of the original payment they were
offered
stead-holding rights and IAS citizenship. A fair proportion of the
mercenaries did actually take-up this option and these were the
individuals
who became the founders of the security force.
	Initial holdings were the twin planetoids Adelie and
Bellinghausen. Adelie
is a temperate and relatively productive planet with one to two good
growing seasons a year. Bellinghausen is a mineral rich desert world,
which
is habitable, but far from naturally comfortable. Ronne was added to
their
initial holdings 9 months later (smallest of the system's gas giants -
situated just outside the habitable zone) and the Nobu asteroid belt 11
months after that. 
	Initially the IAS space fleet consisted of chartered vessels for
exploration and they also crewed or leased UN/other nation's vessels
(e.g.
merchant men fitted out for exploration)
	In 2086 they began purchasing merchant ships for the first
IASian fleet.
The philosophy being that these ships should be slightly modified and
these
converted merchants would act as a merchant marine force  minimal
weaponry.
	In 2097, due to exceedingly regular exploitation and privateer
raids, they
bought a few old small naval ships from other powers.
	In 2121 the first run of "Modular merchantmen" were put out 
these could
carry one module at a time. Once the bugs had been worked out and the
ship
yards had cut their teeth on these however, the design was quickly
updated
and within 15 years the now pervasive 3 module form was in its first
production run. The older one module merchantmen were soon retired from
service (heaps of bugs so why keep them - broke down really fast).

	The modules (nicknamed Belgica) are stored at central ship yards
around
Bellinghausen. Most are cargo or survey modules but warfighting,
fighter,
troop transport and beam battery modules also exist (thought they were
and
still are few in number).
	Eventually the strike/defense capability supplied by the weapons
carrying
modules was supplemented by a small navy of dedicated warships. The
first
dedicated IASian warship was slipped in 2162. This navy is home-ported
at
Bellinghausen and rarely leaves in its entirety. Task groups are
employed
in anti-piracy patrols in and around IAS colonies and trade-routes, they
also exercise with friendly powers and the UN employs them in some fleet
actions when required (e.g. vs Kra'vak). 
	Most UN crews still have at least a few IAS members under
contract and
many exploration expeditions contain IAS specialists. The original UNSC
exploration vessels thought to be lost to the Kra'vak had IASians on
board. 
	IAS hostile environment colonisation is another area of joint
venture.
They currently lease or jointly manage 20 continental or planetoid
areas.
These include sites on Armeniakon, Gawain II and locations within the
Dixie
system and the Dutch, OU and Alarshi systems. They are also involved in
hostile environmental development with most nations  at least at a
consultative or personnel level. This does not mean that relations with
all
powers are of equal warmth. For instance, the congeniality of the
current
relationships with the FSE, OU and UNSC is in sharp contrast with the
undercurrents of cool professionalism which pervade dealings with the
NSL
and ESU.
	The IASians deal with all corporations with caution, however the
mega-corp
SETAG holds the dubious position of being the only body which the IAS
will
only deal with under exceedingly exceptional circumstances if at all.
This
stems from an incident in 2135 when 156 IASian navigators, engineers and
scientists were slaughtered in the name of corporate trading. Inevitably
the initial interstellar outcry subsided and SETAG regained its
contracts
and routes with the major powers - however, the IAS has not forgotten.
	Though heavily dependent on the UN, reliant on shared resources
and rated
only as a minor power at the very most, the IAS has exploited its
abilities
with diplomatic, scientific and engineering fields to ensure that it's
position is fairly secure.

	Current total population, as of the census of January 2188, is
358,345,528. Roughly 1,000,000 live on Earth, 16,000,000 reside on
Bellinghausen and 34,000,000 live in the various jointly managed areas.
The
remainder call Adelie home.
(By the way thanks to all those who replied with respect to the
population
size question. For those who are interested, the estimate presented here
is
based on slightly undercompensating density dependence, rate of increase
of
1.8 % (which is slightly above the world's current rate of 1.6%, but way
under Africa's rate of 2.8%) with a noise level of 5%. I also included
fairly steady migration once Adelie had been colonised, except for
significant pulses during the solar wars.)

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Elizabeth Fulton
c/o CSIRO Division of Marine Research
GPO Box 1538
HOBART 
TASMANIA 7001
AUSTRALIA
Phone (03) 6232 5018 International +61 3 6232 5018
Fax (03) 6232 5199 International +61 3 6232 5199

email: beth.fulton@marine.csiro.au