Boon Island

Boon Island, officially known as the Autonomous Province of Boon Island or also Madokero, is an island that is located off the coast of the Azukrian mainland. It is an autonomous territory under the Sublime State’s rule. The sea surrounding it is geographically known as the Sea of Azu. It is inhabited by a population of 640,000. The island’s residents are mostly concentrated in the provincial capital of Madokero City, where over 95% of the population lives.

The island is renowned throughout Antarctica for its pristine beauty, as well as its abundance of timber and hydroelectric sources. This has led to very strict environmental policies in order to preserve it. As most of the island’s original inhabitants are from Zhou and Malesia, there is a large number of Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and Malay speakers in Boon Island. However, locals are also fluent in the official language of the country, namely English. Initially a country of its own up until 1982, the island’s inhabitants lived under years of repression by the previous Azukrian Emperor Edward V’s until 2012 when it was granted autonomy. Ever since then, Boonians have enjoyed more freedom from the government. Even then, there is still distrust among certain quarters towards the Azukrian mainland.

Due to its scenic beauty and a thriving food culture in Madokero City, Boon Island is a renowned tourist attraction for Azukrians from the mainland and tourists from other countries, including Polaris, Japaland, Rusca and Puffle'land. Its duty-free status has also led to an increase in shoppers from other countries. Boon Island is also an offshore financial center and tax haven, being the only Azukrian territory where the banking industry is not dominated by the imperial government. As a result, multiple banks have set up operations here. The territory's secrecy laws and zero corporate tax rate have also contributed to its status as an offshore financial center.

History
From the establishment of the Chandos dynasty up until 1806, Madokero was deemed by the imperial Azukrian government in the mainland to be an isolated backwater. While the island was officially claimed to be under Azukrian sovereignty, the rulers did little to improve living conditions aside from the construction of a magistrate's court and a pier to assert Azukrian dominance over the island. The indigenous tribes of Madokero, which lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, lived with little to no interference from the government as long as they paid tribute in the form of their harvests. For emperors who were more lenient when it came to dealing with political dissidents, exile to this desolate island was often adopted to punish criticism.

In 1806, after negotiations between the imperial powers of Francterre, Puffle'and and the Sublime State, Boon Island was opened up to be the only port through which Francterrean and Puffish traders were allowed to conduct business with the country. The government at the time perceived foreign influence from the two Archipelagoan countries to be a potential threat to harmony and perpetual Chandos rule. To assert more control over the import-export trade, a group of local merchants were given the exclusive right to deal with foreign merchants. It was only through this cartel of traders that the foreigners could trade with the Sublime State. It was then that the island's population started growing rapidly and its infrastructure started improving. The island was the first place in Azukri to be exposed to Archipelagoan culture, albeit Zhouese culture would play a larger influence on the island. In order to consolidate control over Madokero, the Azukrians and the Archipelagoans collaborated with each other in subjugating the indigenous penguins. While some of them assimilated into the normal population, those that refused to comply were simply exterminated.

Unsurprisingly for people who know economics, this cartel took advantage of the traders' huge demand for Azukrian minerals and goods by charging exorbitant prices. For decades, the traders were constrained by the system until 1857, when Francterre and Puffle'and coerced the Azukrian government into allowing free, unrestricted trade for their merchants. They were also granted extraterritorial rights, the most notable of which was that foreign merchants from the two countries (and later on, Japaland) could only be tried by their countries' courts. Free trade encouraged the two countries to invest more money into building up the island's infrastructure. Zhouese immigrants were brought in to act as manual labourers on the island's

Government
As the imperial government in Azukri granted self-governance to the island, Boon Island is administered by the Provincial Government of Boon Island. The monarch of Azukri appoints a Viceroy to represent her in the territory. The viceroy has historically been a commissioned officer of the Azukrian military. The viceroy is granted several powers, some of which include the right to veto legislation, the power to pardon criminals convicted by Boonian judicial courts and the power to appoint the Provincial Council. In reality, however, the viceroy has to obtain the monarch's consent for every course of action taken. Even then, almost all legislation passed by the Provincial Assembly have been approved by the viceroy ever since the territory obtained autonomy in 2012. There are currently plans to make the President of the Provincial Council the representative of Boon Island, which effectively enables the Boonians to elect the empress's representative to the territory.

The President of the Provincial Council is the head of the Provincial Government of Boon Island. Despite the name, the office holder is elected by the Provincial Assembly via a simple majority. Once they are elected, the presumptive President is confirmed into office by the Azukrian monarch. The President is responsible for selecting the Provincial Council's members and appointing the judges of Boonian judicial courts.

The territory follows the Azukrian legal system. The Supreme Court of Boon Island is nominally the highest court in the territory. However, further appeals can be made to the Privy Council in the Azukrian mainland. The Madokero Bar was established as the island's professional body of lawyers back when it used to be an independent state. This was subsequently renamed the Boonian Bar, which remains to this day. Lawyers admitted into the Boonian Bar are allowed to practice law in the Azukrian mainland, and vice versa with lawyers admitted into the Azukrian Bar.

Economy
In terms of overall value generated to the GDP, the economy of Boon Island has is dominated by the services sector, followed by the manufacturing sector.

Transportation
While there is a reasonable rate of automobile ownership in Boon Island, many prefer to ride bicycles (especially when travelling within Madokero City) or take public transport. The most prominent form of public transportation on the island is the Autonomous Rail Transit (AuRail) system. The idea was first adopted by the regional government in 2013, which was deemed to be more suitable than a light rail transit system due to its significantly lower construction costs. Construction started in 2014 and finished in 2017. Over 360,000 commuters use AuRail on a daily basis.