New England Online:Focus Articles
From New England Online, the alternative history of New England.
2010
The Capital is the name given to the region situated around the national capital of New England. The region stretches from the Ben Lomond range in the north to the international border on the River Macdonald in the south. With a settled history dating back to 1839, the modern region can be traced back to government reforms in 2030s and 40s that first created central government office regions and later legally separate regional authorities with an elected council and staff. Today, the Capital Regional Council is responsible for the administration of regional functions under the Local Authorities Act. As with the other regions, the council is responsible overseeing matters including regional land use, environmental management and civil defence in the region. The seat of the regional council is the Capital Regional Hall located in the city centre of Armidale. In the 2050 Census, the Capital had a residential population of 658,076, making it the third-most populous of New England's five regions.
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The State Opening of Parliament is a biennial event that takes place to mark the commencement of a session of the Parliament of New England. Attended by all the great officers of state, it is from here that the Monarch reads the Speech from the Throne, the speech that outlines the government's agenda for the coming session. The procedures for the opening of Parliament have remained unchanged since they were established with the opening of the first Parliament in 2012. The opening is marked by ceremony and traditional practices derived from those of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and dating back many centuries. There is an opening in either April or May in even numbered years, which always takes place a week after Easter. The State Opening of Parliament takes place in the Senate chamber at Parliament House, Armidale.
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The Anglican Church of New England is a major Christian denomination and member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Church is the largest of any Christian denomination in New England, with 900,443 adherents or about 33% of the national population. In all parts of the country, Anglicans form a plurality over every other denomination. As a Christian church, the Anglican Church is recognised to part of the national religion of the kingdom, and is therefore afforded certain rights and privileges. The Church is the considered to be one of the key institutions of the nation, and is where most members of the Royal Family, senior political leaders, senior members of the military, and captains of industry all choose to worship. The Primate of the Church is the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. Michael Thomas, whose seat is the Cathedral of St Edward the Confessor in Armidale. (Continue Article...)
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2009
New England is divided into fourteen counties, which at present are the only sub-national governing bodies in the country. The counties were created in July 2012 to replace the local government areas of New South Wales. Since then, the number of counties has varied from eighteen to thirteen, depending on the population trends and economic circumstances of the time. All counties have elected councils consisting of a mayor, known as the chairman and a number of councillors known as aldermen, which sit together as a council and have responsibility for a number of functions delegated to them by various acts of the Parliament. (Continue Article...)
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New England has an education system that has been designed to ensure people receive a rounded education capable of helping them live in a highly sophisticated society. A mix of 1,200 public and private institutions, the education system of follows a four-tier system of preparatory through to tertiary, with compulsory attendance for all pupils beginning from the age of six and carrying through to either sixteen or eighteen depending on certain circumstances. The various qualifications are arranged into a hierarchy of courses and certificates and are received as a person progresses through the system. (Continue Article...)
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2008
The Most Noble Order of New England is an order of chivalry in New England, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the lifetime contributions made by many people to their nation. With the exception of medals for valour and gallantry, the Order is highest of any honour that may be awarded to a subject of New England. Created on the 3 October 2012, the Order was established by the King to replace the Australian honours system which had in turn replaced the British Imperial honours system in the late twentieth century. (Continue Article...)
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James I was the second King of New England, reigning from 2036 until 2045. The eldest son and heir of Michael, James grew up with many expectations that he found difficult to achieve. Leading what many saw as a tragic life, the King's rule was a brief and cut short when the he was incapacitated as the result of a stroke in 2043. Despite this, the reign proved to be a good one, with James widely praised for role for steering the nation through the post-war period. After his incapacitation, his brother, Prince Matthew, acted as Prince Regent with the assistance of the Regency Council until the King passed away in 2045. (Continue Article...)
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