Shops Island



Shops Island, formally The Democratic Industrial Island of Shops, is a nation in the southwestern Asiapelago. It is a Semi-Aristocratic Democracy which is governed by its president, the Common Legislature, and the Shops Island Council, serving as the executive, legislative and judicial branches, respectively. Shops Island has ten states and is the fourth largest country in the Asiapelago in terms of area, a size that grows with its set of overseas territories. With a population of almost 21,000,000 (not including colonies and territories), the country is very sparsely populated in comparison to its neighbors and in relation to Shops' size. Both their motto and anthem is Never Never Never Give Up!

Discovered by the castaway Ben 100022 in 2010, Shops Island was founded as a corrupt dictatorship ruled under the iron flipper of Ben. Thanks largely due to an unstable economic system, Shops suffered three devastating recessions within under a year of each other. Immigration played a major role in Shopper growth, providing the young country with a rich multicultural society and many job opportunities. Rebellions were common in Shops throughout its younger stages, most of which sprouting from taxes or catastrophic failure of government initiatives. Through these rebellions, Shops Island became a democracy with Ben being exiled. New reforms were put through the newly-formed Shops Island Council, twice in a generally short time period. By 2013, the nation had become a shining example of democracy and reformation. 2013 also sought heavy growth for Shops Island under their new president Lavender, who was very active during his early presidency. He commissioned the SIA to be Shops' official military, was responsible for major economic and territorial growth, and much more. Many conflicts such as the Great Yowien War, the Asiapelago War and the Frosian War have hardened Shops Island into becoming an international power, a title it still holds today.

The Shopper economy is dominated by a healthy manufacturing industry. Shops partakes in heavy trade with many nations across all of Antarctica. Main exports for Shops Island include Uranium, Steel, Clothing, Furniture, Textiles and more. Though not part of the SABER, Shops Island holds a trade monopoly throughout much of Antarctica thanks to its key hold over the Frosian Islands, and due to its key share in the Trans-Antarctic Pipeline. The nation is known for its barren, inhospitable landscape; something developers have overcome by creating great cities throughout the island.

Shops Island is one of Antarctica's most powerful and influential countries. It ranks third for economic power and is the third largest military power in Antarctica. It is a nuclear state, and has an active space program - it is also a confirmed hyperspace power. It holds a permanent seat on the UAN Security Council as a foremost Antarctic power.Shops Island is a founding member of the Axle Powers, plus a member of SATO, and is a signatory of the Manifest Destiny Treaty.

Shops Island is one of the most influential countries in Antarctica, and often exercises its will over other nations. The country possesses a significant amount of diplomatic leverage due to the size of its military and its wide-ranging involvement in Antarctic matters. Shops Island has strong relations with many countries, notably Castilla, the Axle Powers, the USA, and others. Shops Island has land borders with Castilla, Snowzerland, the USA, and Polaris, and sea borders with the former mentioned countries plus Puffle'and, Batavia and Bar Crab City.

Discovery and Development (August 2010 - May 2012)
Shops Island was discovered by Ben 100022 on August 15, 2010, after he had set off on a boat, and found a deserted island, now known as Shops Island. Surprisingly, he'd found the mass of land to be completely uninhabited, though there was some evidence of previous exploration. Ben was easily able to establish a settlement by himself. Ben, seeing the opportunity that had presented itself, decided to declare his own nation on this seemingly unclaimed territory. He decided to set up a trading outpost with he called the "Kur Mall", named after his good friend Kur Rising.

He soon signaled many people via some some forms of electronic communication he had on hand, and eventually many people had flocked to the island. At the time, it was like a gold rush; everyone who was there made quick money. Early on, the new country had no official name, and was just referred to as Ben's Hangout. It was only after it became clear that commerce and trade from specialty shops was the main form of economic output that someone coined the name Shops Island, and it stuck. Soon, residents made permanent homes, and families. The first penguin to be born on the island was born on May 23, 2011. Soon, reproduction rates were high, and the island had a steady fertility rate, and an extremely fast growing population due to the high number of open jobs which led to immigration. However, in July 2011, a recession hit. For many nations, this would lead to lots of emigration, but, there wasn't even enough money to emigrate, so everyone was trapped inside the country. The bank crisis was solved once a new way of money distribution was created. Starting in September 2011 after the recession was stabilized, immigration became a large factor in Shops' early success as a nation. Many species of Penguin, along with smaller counts of other species immigrated to Shops Island from all over Antarctica due to its large job count and citizen success rate. In all honesty, the government encouraged the citizens to do whatever they wanted to do as long as it was legal (such as build a business, found a town or community, or even get involved with the government, among other things). There was no real immigrant registration system at this point in time, so a "beta" system was set up in mid-October and an official system was approved by president Ben and released in late November. Out of the official records released by the Department of Immigration and Customs (one of the many child agencies of the SIA), one of the largest sources of immigration of all records comes from the USA, with Club Penguin Island in particular. However, considering how many million penguins move to and from CP each year, the immigration rate isn't too surprising.

In January 2012, the economy started to suffer another crisis due to the fact that the banks stopped giving out their mandatory salaries, and the banks had fell into poor maintenance. So Bro, a financial expert at the time, stepped in and overhauled the bank system once more, along with lowering the prices of his business' items, making almost all retailers lower theirs too so sales would boost back up. Prices also dramatically dropped for the sake of economic competition.

Then, the Shops Island Gold Rush began in February 2012, which made major money for the island, bringing even more penguins to live there. Also in February, Freezestonia, a neighboring island declared its independence. Shops Island didn't recognize it, nor did many other countries. At the same time, residents were realizing their government was a dictatorship under Ben's rule. Many penguins started rioting for his regime to be overthrown. Due to tyrannical acts, and an excommunication put upon him by Ben in the past, Bro was given the honor of sending him off on a raft as exile. Even though he didn't, Ben is still convinced that Bro led the rebellion against his dictatorship.

In May 2012, the owner of the farmlands, Farmer Ted, closed the farmlands, as he went to the USA to get a better job, and the island once again had to rely wholly on imports for food. Also, Freezestonia was united with Shops Island, as an independent state.

The Great Shops Island Depression (August - September 2012)
In August 2012, the Island suffered a great depression. The Bureaucracy started to fall as well. With only three people left in the Bureaucracy, it had declared that there was another economic crisis underway. Because this crisis was more critical than the past ones, it is nicknamed as 'The Great Shops Island Depression'. Bro's economic competition idea had backfired, with prices going so low that nobody could make enough money to keep up with the demand for products. This eventually led to a raise on goods and trade prices, thanks to the efforts of Snowstormer.

In late August, Bro and Penquino had proposed a new tax law, introducing a three percent monthly income tax. Many people were against this, including Chill57181, which would lead to his eventual fall from the throne. Many residents rebelled against the new proposition, with only Bro, Penquino, Welcome00, and very few residents siding in favor of taxes. This lead to the eventual arrest of over 500 people by the SIA, and more than half of the island residents' bank accounts terminated by the Shopper treasury, which supported the new taxes. No consensus was reached until September 8th, 2012 when the government listed the benefits of taxing the citizens, and their reasoning was due to the heavy inflation, and poor government services. These taxes are still implemented today, although with some flexibility and compromises involved.

After the Tax Rebellion, the citizens wanted to elect a new government. So, the largest vote in Shopper history was held, which skyrocketed Bro to the position of president, and promoted Wolfgangs, Brookelas, and Snowstormer to government rank. Penquino was also kicked out of office and soon after went into seclusion in "CK Manor" on the island, due to his rebellion against the new government (mainly Brookelas); who framed him to look insane and had him fired from his government position. Wolfgangs had resigned soon after Penquino left, because solutions to solve the problems he saw disappeared with the so-called "insane rebel" (Penquino).

Shops Island Transportation Plan (September - October 2012)

 * See also: Shops Island Highway System, Shops Island Subway, Shopper Nautical Commission

Despite two years of development, the transportation in Shops Island left much to be desired. While there were separate airline carriers, none of them were the flag carrier for Shops Island. Roads across the island weren't well developed; there were barely any roads linking Shopper cities. The island's train system, including the Shops Island Subway, also needed improvement.

During a Shops Island Council meeting, Welcome00 had suggested a plan to improve transportation on the island, which included:


 * Creating a new airline carrier as a flag carrier for this island.
 * Creating a superhighway system linking almost all cities, towns and places in the island.
 * Improving the subway system by renovate main stations and introduce a new, faster, and efficient rolling stock for the system.
 * Creating a system for sea transportation around the island.

The plan was positively received by the citizens of Shops Island, reflecting popular opinion of the transportation system.

Lavender's Inauguration (February - March 2013)
As of November 2012, Mario Arkay had become president of Shops Island. He was seen as a pleasant change from the scandal-ridden administrations of Bro and Chill. However, Mario was a weak and lazy leader who let Shops' position slip further on the Antarctic stage and saw the economy weaken. These actions caused a strong divide in popular opinion for Mario. A vote of no confidence was passed in the Shops Island Council calling for an election to take place. Mario led in the polls for the first while, but this changed when Shops Island came under threat from Snowzerland. This gave a tough-talking politician named Lavender to get ahead and eventually win the election.

Succeeding the events that happened during Bro and the Hochstadts, Lavender ordered a 100 billion WB$ expansion of Shops Island's military. Propaganda was leased to promote the military, and attracted many wannabe soldiers willing to defend the nation after it almost got nuked. The military would be in the name of the SIA. The money also went to buy 1,000,000 new guns, 50,000 new tanks, 25,000 new aircraft, and many more military vehicles. This increased the military's size by at least 250 times. This was the first step in expanding Shops Island's military to levels that now rival the militaries of Snowzerland, UnitedTerra and Castilla.

The Great Yowien War (May 2013)

 * See The Great Yowien War

Shops contributed greatly to the allied war effort ever since April 2013. Shops' involvement started when they supported the acts of the April 2013 UAN Resolutions. They heavily backed the blockade of the Yowien Sea, providing most of their warships to the cause.

When the Yowiens had successfully developed a nuclear weapon, they had decided to fire it at Western Shops out of spite for the pollution caused by Plutonium Bay. Shops was able to shoot down the missile from space. Shops and the other allies, mainly Snowzerland, Castilla, the Culldrome Isles, Puffle'and and Rusca gathered and signed a formal declaration of war against the Yowiens.

With the Snoss, the Shoppers led an elite task-force to capture king Feey1 Pie. The operation was a success; Feey and his family were put in Snoss custody and sent to Pen Chi Island.

Ruscan and Shopper forces led the first allied advance on the Yowien mainland, helping in capturing the Yellow Zone and putting it under UAN control. Their newly-designed SIA Drones were proven in the battle to capture Golden City as well. After capturing Yow, Shops had decided to take a lesser role throughout the rest of the war, with the exception of still helping in conquering the Barbearer Islands. When the conflict ended and Yow was partitioned, Shops received the southeastern part of the Yowien mainland. This war secured Shops as an Antarctic power.

Puffalia (April - June 2013)
On April 29 2013, Shops Island invaded and seized the small island of Puffalia and annexed it into their command. This was a stunt to worry Yow during the Yowien Sea Blockade. It was given its own government, but still under Shops' supreme rule and was still considered a Shops colony. Many Shops citizens volunteered to move there to boost the population. The occupation and the new inhabitants angered the locals, and what used to be Shops citizens were indoctrinated into hating the country they had moved from. Tension was stirring on the small island, so the SIA was sent to hamper any impending chaos.

On June 15, East Pengolia and the Melodeeves threatened Shops with war after Shops continued to refuse Puffalian independence. As response, the SIA placed nuclear missile launchers in Puffalia, aimed at East Pengolia. They also issued a statement saying that they weren't going to back out.


 * See The Puffalia Conflict for more information after East Pengolia and the Melodeeves threatened war on Puffalia.

Unfortunately, Shops forgot to remove the missile launchers during the war.

Shopper Imperialism


In June and July 2013, Shops went along with Margate, Snowiny, and Amataria in conquering small, weak, and worthless nations. Shops' actions, however, were looked down upon by the UAN. Countries like East Pengolia and North Joseon tried to push international sanctions onto them, but other imperialist nations like Snowzerland and Castilla supported Shops in its stated right to conquer any nation that would benefit more under Shopper rule, than as an independent nation.

Great Snowzerland War VI (July - October 2013)

 * See main article: Great Snowzerland War VI, Asiapelago War

The sixth Great Snowzerland War was the only one that Shops Island ever truly participated in. Shops was heavily involved in the run-up to war, working on many new space innovations while competing against the USA and Snowzerland. However, Shops Island originally pledged neutrality when the Snoss and their allies began attacking the Antarctic mainland.

Shops stayed neutral until Zhou attacked Moon Island and launched a full-scale invasion on Shops Island's northern coast. The Zhouese were able to fight their way all the way to the Mario Mountains, capturing San Vancelton and besieging Penguin City in the process. After a month of fighting on the Shopper mainland, the Zhouese were pushed off the Shopper mainland as the battle moved to other islands in the Asiapelago. Malesia and the Melodeeves were invaded by Zhou and North Joseon; both places became fierce battlegrounds in the air, on land and at sea. Throughout the war, Shops Island and Zhou heavily practiced and refined the tactic of carpet bombing each others' cities. Shops Island also sent aid and some troops to the Antarctic mainland to help in the fight against Snowzerland. Shopper forces also supported the Seal Islands when they were attacked by Batavia.

With the help of the other allied powers, Shops Island played a decisive role in winning the Battle of the Asiapelago Sea, the largest sea battle in Antarctic history and the final battle of the war.

Destroying Nexon (October 2013)

 * See main article: Fall of Nexon

In October and early November 2013, shortly after the end of the Great Snowzerland War, Shops Island, Ed Island and Snowiny went to war with Nexon with undefined reasoning. The war was extremely costly for both sides, with Shops Island losing the city of Goberna in the battle. Shops and Nexon at the end, signed a peace treaty. Both nations have tried to foster new and warm relations with each other since the war, although these efforts were soon soured.

Due to the Nexonan domestic attacks on Shops Island, this war has left many scars in the hearts of the Shopper people, and they have not forgiven Nexon as a whole for their crimes. Shopper outlook on the Nexonan people soured even further during the Antarctic War on Terrorism, when the Nexonan Nationalist Movement carried out multiple attacks throughout Shops Island.

Rearmament, Plague, and Another War (November 2013)

 * See main article: The Plague War

Out of the Nexonan war, came many new technological leaps in the Shopper military. The SIA had seized much of Nexon's technology, which gave them a newly-found technological advantage. Without direct approval from president Lavender, nor SIA Director LMGT, Shops' military started a major rearmament program, developing many new aircraft and weapons for future use. As a result, the SIA Space Command Fleet was being put on its death rows due to a lack of apparent efficiency, nor the need for such craft any longer. With the rearmament program, came a renewed view on Shops' power on the Antarctic stage. Their military now had enough force to conquer the entire Asiapelago, the Sub-Antarctic Islands, and/or parts of the Ninja Archipelago if they were willing to. This had put many nations on edge.

In mid-November 2013, a disease was spreading around in Southern Shops. It had weird hallucinogenic characteristics, such as causing a user to get unwarranted feelings of happiness and decreased awareness of one's surroundings. These traits soon mutated to symptoms of mental trauma and circulatory complications. As the pandemic got worse, Shops appealed to its friends for help. Nexon replied, stating that they had seen a disease like this before, and that it had come from the Melodeeves. The Shoppers were furious. The Common Legislature soon played a big part in going on to declare war on the Melodeeves. Nexon soon joined the bandwagon alongside Shops to go off and fight the communists. Snowiny also jumped in and united with Shops and Nexon once again to war with Melodeeves.

Once the war had ended, the Melodeeves was split up. Shops and Snowiny were also encouraged to sign a peace resolution to prevent any future conflicts of such irrationality. Also, with the addition of their newest territory officially created an "income plateau" for the country. This meant that no matter how many colonies Shops Island would seize, their benefits would be neutralized by their costs to maintain.

The Frosian War (February - June 2014)

 * See main article: Frosian War

The Frosian War was the largest, longest, most destructive, and most devastating war in Shopper history. The war saw the entirety of Shops' military mobilized, and over a third of all Shopper citizens put into military service.

After the Puffalians began targeting Shopper merchant shipping, Shops Island declared war on Puffalia, and so followed quite a few other countries. As the war progressed, Shops Island was consistently the figurehead fighting force in almost every theater of the war, save the Western and Culldrome theaters. Shops eventually resorted to using its large Squarium arsenal against Puffalia and Puffarus with devastating results. Near the end of the war, Shops made amends with their longtime enemy Zhou. The war ended with a battle in Hans Traugott's bunker between him and General Olaf against president Lavender and General Broseph. The latter emerged victorious and the war was declared to be over, with half a continent and countless islands wrecked in the wake.

After the war, Shops took a majority of Puffalian POW's and put them into slave labor, an action that has been condemned by penguin rights groups across the continent. Shops also initiated the 2014 Shopper Outreach Program to assist other nations and itself in the wake of the war. Shops Island emerged from the war even more powerful than before, with Antarctica's largest navy, second largest air force, and third most powerful standing army.

Post-Frosian War Shops Island (2014 - 2018)
The Frosian War had changed Shops Island. Shops lost a large proportion of their soldiers, and the Shopper peoples were battle-weary. President Lavender vowed to keep Shops Island out of war, and to pursue a path of peace and reconciliation. He put forward the 2014 Shopper Outreach Program, to help Shops and other countries recover from the war.


 * See main articles: Saviors from Above, Liberation of Planet 1984, 2015 Shopper Economic Crisis

In February 2015, the Shopper economy began to tank because of the Military Industrial Complex's lack of activity. This event impacted Shops Island and many countries, and became known as the 2015 Shopper Economic Crisis. At the same time, Shops Island was setting its sights on Planet 1984. They soon discovered the horrors that laid on the country's surface, which included brutal crimes against humanity, and so decided that they would have no choice but to liberate the planet. Lavender broke his no-war promise, once again, and sent troops to the world far-far away. After two months of brutal fighting, Planet 1984 was liberated and the main war criminals had been brought to justice in Vonkouver. The taking of Planet 1984 also unlocked boundless resources for the Shoppers, which allowed for a mass increase in GDP and an economic boom.

Meanwhile, a terrorist attack was carried out in Vonkouver. For the past months, Shops Island had stayed on the sidelines as the rest of Antarctica fought terrorism at home and abroad. This attack finally drew Shops whole-heartedly into the Antarctic War on Terrorism. Shops now had its full military might split between Planet 1984 and the war on terrorism. As a result, the Military Industrial Complex and the Shopper economy began to boom once more.

Shops Island relinquished its colony of South Flystonia back to the Flystonians in late July of 2015, due to a technical oversight; When the Shoppers and Amatarians had written up the documents of annexation in 2013, a Flystonian diplomat inserted a clause into the document stating that the annexation was rather only a two year lease. The issue came to light in June of 2015, and the Shopper government decided that it was not worth fighting to keep South Flystonia. They and Amataria let the land be reunified as the Land of Flystar55555, all though Shops Island did keep all the assets that they had acquired throughout South Flystonia's period as a Shopper colony.

In June and September 2015, the territories of New Delphis and the Frosian Islands respectively announced their interests on officially becoming Shopper states, entitling them to closer government protection, assimilation with mainland Shops Island, and increased federal spending for the regions. A referendum was set to be held in both territories on October 1st. Both territories subsequently became states of Shops Island by a respectable margin.

Since late 2015, Shops Island has lessened its involvement in Antarctic politics, choosing to focus on less ambitious domestic affairs. The Shoppers continued their involvement with the Antarctic War on Terrorism until the end in September 2016, and the country has since been in a state of peace and economic stability.

For a long time, there were rumors that Shops Island was attempting to annex Malesia, due to a slumping Malesian economy which was very dependent on Shopper trade. This was confirmed in April of 2017, when the Malesian economy defaulted and Malesia was purchased as an independent state of Shops Island.

Contemporary History (2018 - present)

 * See also: Penstubal Post, Achadia Crisis, Attempted Assassination of Lavender

One of the major issues that had troubled the Shopper government since the Frosian War was the ever-growing power of the Western Union, which served as a direct threat to the hegemony of the Axle Powers, and thus a threat to Shopper hegemony as a result. Although President Lavender had long chosen to stay quiet about the issue, only voicing sparing opposition on Chitter, he and his Axle Powers allies decided that enough was enough in 2018, when the Western Union essentially doubled in size overnight with the incorporation of countries such as Candvia and Duck Island, two countries who frequently voiced strong opposition to Shops Island's role on the Antarctic stage. Lavender agreed with other Axle leaders that something that had to be done. In retaliation, Lavender's staff sabotaged meetings that were taking place between the Western Union and the Seal Islands, instead offering a spot in the Axle Powers for the Seal Islands. The Seal Islands accepted this offer, and they were incorporated into the Axle Powers in November of 2018.

At this same time, there was an international crisis unfolding in Acadia. The Shopper government had long been critical of Acadia and its president's actions regarding penguin rights, although this issue finally came to a head with the start of the Achadia Crisis. A prolific Ed Islandian hockey player named Chad Thunderbeak was arrested by Acadian police for criticizing Brant's regime, sparkling plenty of international backlash. President Lavender took a very strong stance on the issue, making himself one of the most vocal critics of Acadia and its penguin rights situation. All of this international drama came at a time where populist and pro-scrub media had started to become a major thorn in Lavender's side. The newly-minted Penstubal Post provided continual opposition to the Shopper government's actions, both at home and abroad. It frequently called for the president's impeachment, a dismantlement of Shops Island's empire, among other populist messages. The post was successful in radicalizing many of Lavender's more fervent opponents.

Both the Achadia Crisis and the growing populist threat to Lavender's rule came to a head on December 2nd, 2018, when the Shopper President was shot at a rally in Goberna. Investigators later found out that the attack had been perpetrated by two penguins that were radicalized by the Penstubal Post. While Lavender was incapacitated from his wounds, SIA director LMGT assumed the role of Acting President. Once Lavender had recovered, he vowed revenge on the countries which allowed such a dastardly attack to occur, and made various threats against the sovereignty of Acadia, Duck Island, and Candvia (despite it not having anything to do with the attack at all - the attackers weren't from Candvia, nor did Candvia make any threats against Shops Island or Lavender whatsoever). Lavender also sabotaged a tentative trade deal between Shops Island and the Western Union which had been in the works for almost a year, saying that these three aforementioned nations would have to be removed from the union for any deal to take place.

Government
The Shopper government is broken off into three branches, as is typical with many nations. These branches are the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. These are represented by the Common Legislature, the presidential office, and the Shops Island Council, respectively. The legislative branch is responsible for most legislation made in Shops Island and has the power to pass new laws and set regulations on almost anything it pleases. The executive branch oversees and executes these laws, and has some power to create and/or abolish policy. The judicial branch is in charge of the justice system, and all courts and law enforcement in Shops Island.

Politics
Shops Island refers to itself as a Semi-Aristocratic Democracy, and a nation completely independent from all others. The government does not refer to the country as a Free Republic, or even a republic at all (though, Shops was a member of the Free Republic Union from 2010 to 2013). Shopper government documents and sources do not acknowledge the country as a specific type of nation either (other than "democratic country", although that term holds no weight). Foreign analysts often identify Shops Island as a "Federal Republic". The main branch of the Shopper government is the Common Legislature, which is responsible for controlling policy and government actions for the nation and its colonies. The incumbent president of Shops Island is Lavender, who has executive power over the nation. Chill57181 is the vice-president, although the vice-president does not have much political power in comparison to the president. Unlike most nations, elections are at the whim of the Shops Island Council and the Common Legislature. All political parties are banned in Shops Island, and all Shopper politicians run as independents.

Government Bureaus
There are multiple government bureaus in Shops Island which each handle a specific issue. These bureaus have federal power, meaning that they have jurisdiction over the entirety of Shops Island and its overseas territories. Each bureau has a head, and these heads each hold a place on the president's cabinet as the representative of said agency. These are the following government bureaus:


 * Bureau of Defense
 * Bureau of the Treasury
 * Bureau of Foreign Relations
 * Bureau of Transportation
 * Bureau of the House
 * Bureau of Justice
 * Bureau of Markets
 * Bureau of Housing
 * Bureau of Infrastructure
 * Bureau of Agriculture
 * Bureau of Education
 * Bureau of Social Services
 * Bureau of Immigration and Customs
 * Bureau of the Environment
 * Bureau of Natural Resources
 * Bureau of Labor
 * Bureau of Health
 * Bureau of Energy
 * Bureau of Trade

Presidency

 * See President of The Democratic Industrial Island of Shops for more information.

The president of Shops Island acts as the head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the military. The role of the president is to make important decisions and govern with a fair and wise flipper regarding important issues that affect the Shopper populace; in extension, the president, his cabinet, and all associated staff make up the Shopper executive branch of government. The president has sweeping powers to create executive orders without legislative or judicial oversight, and the ability to override decisions made by the legislative branch. The president is also a statesman who serves as an embodiment and representative of the Shopper peoples and culture. The president is an extremely important diplomatic tool in Shops Island, and serves in part as Shops' representative on foreign affairs. Previously, the president also served as the High Judge of the Shops Island Council, but this position has since been reallocated to someone other than the president. As head of the military, the president is expected to have some knowledge of military tactics and the ability to effectively lead in a wartime situation. In situations of war, the president can dissolve the Common Legislature for the period of war and become absolute ruler of the country, to enable effective governance in emergency situations.

To be eligible for the presidency, a candidate must have held previous political office in Shopper politics, be a Shopper citizen, and must have lived in the country for at least two years. A presidential hopeful must be knowledgeable about economic, political, international and social issues to be electable and to serve as a good leader. There are no set term limits for a presidency; an election is called at the whim of the Common Legislature or when a motion of non-confidence is passed against the president, effectively impeaching him.

The president also serves multiple other random roles, such as being the chancellor of the Moon Island Institute of Education, being the governor ex-officio of Moon Island, and being the head of state (but not head of government) of the Dominion of Notron. The president also serves as Shops Island's representative to SATO.

Corruption
The motif of corruption has long been a thorn in the Shopper government's side. Throughout the nation's infancy and to some extent still continuing today, the government has been very aristocratic with many high-ranking officials, notably many of the presidents, having close personal ties to each other. For many, it's considered a requirement to know someone already in politics to get a head start. President Lavender and the latest generation of Shopper politicians have dedicated themselves to reverse this role and image, albeit with great difficulty.

Bribery and the influence of money in politics had been a big issue in the Ben 100022 administration, and saw a resurgence during Bro's presidency and, due to inaction, continued through Mario Rk's presidency. Lavender was the first president to put down serious regulations on lobbying and the influence of money in politics, legislating such that no political donation over 50 WB$ under any circumstances could be given to any single politician or political organization, and that companies were not allowed to give any money whatsoever to political candidates.

Elections
Unlike most other Antarctic democracies, elected officials (most notably the president, vice-president and governors) do not have set term lengths and instead serve at the will of the Shopper people and the Common Legislature. Elections are not held in proper scheduled cycles, instead being held on an on-demand basis. Specifically, elections tend to be triggered when the Common Legislature passes a no-confidence vote against a member of the legislature, or a government official retires or dies.

In the past, Shops Island has had an embarrassing tendency to hold fraudulent elections, which are often manipulated by those who are running or by outside forces. For example, the election which brought Bro into power suffered from shocking amounts of rigging and vote-manipulation. These occurrences have tainted Shops Island's status as a democracy in the eyes of many.

Economy
Shops Island has a robust economy that stands out on the Antarctic stage for innovation, productivity and efficiency. Shops Island has Antarctica's third largest GDP and is the fourth largest exporter of products in Antarctica, after Zhou, UnitedTerra and the USA.

The economy of Shops Island is mostly made up of manufacturing, refining, and exporting goods all across Antarctica. Shops Island is a major producer of household products such as clothing and furniture, and also sells more industrial materials to willing buyers, such as steel, oil, uranium, and much more. Due to fairer working conditions and a highly automated industry, many countries choose to situate factories in Western Shops instead of in cheaper places such as Zhou.

List of states in order of GDP
Please note that only states that have made money for Shops Island are on this list. Territories such as Chill Island, L'île du Puissance, the Shopper Extraterrestrial Colonies and Seashells have not increased Shops Island's GDP at all.

Agriculture
The first farming on the island started in October 2010 when Farmer Ben opened the Farmlands, because he didn't like to rely on importing all food (plus it costed money). The Farmlands were closed in March 2011, however not all farmers used the Farmlands so some farming still occurred on shops. They were shortly open again from March-May 2012, and were run by Farmer Ted. They closed in May 2012 after Farmer Ted left Shops Island to work in the USA.

Snowstormer attempted to re-open the Farmlands in 2013, but it wasn't as big of a success as he'd hoped for. They are still open, but most farmers just farm independently so they don't have to keep moving their farms to-and-from the farmlands every time it opens/closes. In May 2013 after the Great Yowien War, Shops annexed the Hilnit region into their control from the Old Yow Kingdom. Hilnit was full of rich soil and lush land, perfect for farming. Farming is now one of Shops' largest industries, due to all of the new citizens (from Hilnit) already having farms there.

Natural Resources
The harvesting of natural resources of multiple types is a key component of the Shopper economy. The largest parts of the natural resources industry involve the extraction of gold and other precious minerals, the drilling and transport of oil, and forestry.

The mining industry was first brought to Shops Island during the gold rush, during which prospectors discovered a bounty of gold, silver, and other precious minerals deep in the heart of the Mario Mountains. Most of these miners, barring larger companies, happened to go bankrupt. As such, a majority of Shops Island's mining industry is comprised of the operations of larger corporations, with only a small percentage of mining income coming from independent miners and prospectors. Some parts of Shops Island are more dependent upon the mining industry than others. Most of the mainland's mining industry is contained to Eastern Shops. Freezestonia is full of minerals and mining is one of Freezestonia's primary industries. Many Shopper mines produce iron ore, which is a key component in the production of Shopper steel to be sold both at home and abroad.

Control of the Marmalade Islands and the Trans-Antarctic Pipeline has made Shops one of Antarctica's largest exporters and producers of oil. The Shopper government recognizes that controlling the flow of oil across Antarctica is key to a powerful spot on the Antarctic stage. Key drilling areas such as the Marmalade Islands, the Shopper East Ocean Territory, the town of Horizont among others produce loads of profit for drilling companies, as well as plenty of tax revenue for the government. Oil is so key to the Shopper resource sector that president Lavender has said, upon multiple occasions, that he would be willing to go to war to uphold Shops Island's position in the petroleum market.

Shops Island has a very small timber industry, mainly relying on cheap imports from other countries such as the Culldrome Isles. Most Shopper forests on the mainland are located in the Mario Mountains, which have been protected by law against the forestry industry. Nonetheless, forestry companies have also set up in Northern Shops and New Delphis, where they can turn a profit off of sales to customers closer to the forests. Due to the lack of harvest-able trees on the Shopper mainland, most timber imports go there.

Food Services
Shops Island is home to many restaurants. The island has many fast food chains, more than any other island its size in Antarctica. Many specialty chain restaurants have also taken a hold in Shops Island, becoming a pinnacle of Shopper food culture.

While there are many restaurant chains (such as McDoodles) that come from foreign countries, Shopper entrepreneurs and restaurateurs have taken it upon themselves to create a lucrative, original industry in their own right. The culinary business has become a very popular and profitable choice for recent immigrants, especially from more exotic places.

Government Services
The increasingly-conservative government of Shops Island tends to reject the idea of government-subsidized businesses being an integral part of the Shopper economy. The fact is, however, that government-owned enterprises such as the Shops Island Subway are very profitable and bring in lots of money that would otherwise have to come in via taxes. In some extreme circumstances when monopolies need to be broken up, the Shopper government will create and temporarily-fund otherwise profitable "Crown Corporations" to stimulate economic activity in certain fields.

Manufacturing
Manufacturing is Shops' number one source of income, due to it producing items for most Shopper businesses on the island, which distributes large amounts of money into the economy. Shops Island manufactures cars and trains, and clothing sold throughout the country and the rest of Antarctica. As of recently, Shoppers have also created a healthy arms manufacturing industry, whose revenue funds Shops' military escapades. Shops Island is the most industrious nation in the Asiapelago, and has many manufacturing plants.

Almost all of the factories on Shops Island are located in the Western Shops "Industrial Division", established when Bro was governor there. 58% of the factories produce common goods for Shopper businesses (clothes, furniture, etc.), and textile (clothing) factories are by far the most common. Other factories also create industrial goods for consumption domestically and around Antarctica.

The western coast of Shops Island is also home to many oil refineries, which refine oil from throughout Shops' empire and from other oil-rich countries which don't have refineries of their own.

Military Industry
The military industry is a major pinnacle of the Shopper economy. It was the former backbone for Shops' economic power through 2013 and 2014, until a recession in 2015 prompted the government to forcibly reduce the influence that arms production had on the Shopper economy. Even so, the arms industry employs tens of thousands to create weapons for use by the Shopper military, but also for export. Weapons exports out of Shops Island have skyrocketed as of 2015, with many growing countries such as Margate and Munijoch buying many Shopper weapons.

Employment Rates
Shops has an incredibly high employment rate, as there has been so much going on throughout Shops and its satellite states, despite there only being around 18,000,000 penguins; Which in hindsight, isn't very many penguins. This number has been slowly decreasing, though, as use of domestically-purposed SIA Drones and ThreePio Units have been replacing penguins' jobs in dangerous and complex fields. As Shopper immigration rates have also slowed down, employment has begun to plateau and has, since 2016, stayed quite constant.

Currency
The currency for all of Shops Island is the WB$ (Wiki-Buck$), which is also a strong currency on the Antarctic stage, pinned at a value of 1.6 CPC, although this number tends to change with Antarctic markets. All currency in Shops Island is controlled by the Shopper Bureau of the Treasury, which is responsible for the printing and distribution of the WB$. Club Penguin Gold Coins are also legal tender on Shops Island, as CP Gold Coins are the official currency of the Axle Powers. Shops, however, still prefers to use their WB$ instead.

The WB$ is not a popular currency for use outside of Shops Island, and despite Shops' prowess on the Antarctic markets, the WB$ mostly stands alone as a currency and does not fluctuate due to the economic activity of other countries.

Culture
Shops Island's culture is quite like the USA's. Shops has a multicultural society and their traditions stick out compared to the rest of the Asiapelago. Immigrants and their respective cultures have also had an affect on Shops' cultural image in a whole. Castillans and the Puffish hold special cultural impacts; this is especially evident in Goberna, a city that has a distinct Castillan culture, and Bro Town and the City of Goberna, both with distinctive Puffish cultures. Club Penguin Island culture has also affected the main culture of many areas in the actual Shops Island (mainland), as well as Chill Island being heavily influenced by CP culture since the mayor was a former CP resident.

Sports
Shops Island's main sport is hockey, with baseball coming in a distant second. Shops has national leagues and international teams for both sports, which are the Shops Island Sliders and Sluggers, respectively. Skiing isn't a national sport, but is also a quite popular and can usually be seen taking place on the Mario Mountains. Shoppers are well known for their distaste of soccer/football (with the exception of Goberna). The Shopper Baseball Association owns and controls the national league as well as the Sluggers international team. Bro was one of the first managers of the Sliders hockey team.

For years, many activists and politicians have been pushing for Shops Island to host the Olympics on home soil, stating that it would only be right for a country of its stature. However, President Lavender has stated on multiple occasions that he has no plans to bid for an Olympic games due to the exorbitant cost and questionable returns.

The Shoppers have competed in every Olympics since Snowdon in 2012. However, they perform much better at Winter Olympics due to being better at winter sports such as hockey and skiing. See 2014 Winter Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics for more information.

Interestingly, Shops Island is one of the very few countries which has never competed in the UFGA World Cup. Soccer has never been a major sport for Shoppers, and as such there is neither the interest nor the skill required to qualify (or even to try to qualify) for the World Cup.

Music


Many consider Shopper music to be behind-the-times and largely unoriginal; most Shopper music follows after that of older musicians from the USA and other Antarctic countries. Newer genres such as rap and hip-hop are almost non-existent on the music scene, instead giving way to classic pop, jazz, and rock music from times before. In spite of this, new music still manages to top the Shopper charts quite frequently, although most of these record-setters are very brief and quickly give way to more reliable and widely-liked hits.

Car Culture
Ever since Shops Island began to industrialize, the importance and the cultural significance of the car became very evident in Shopper culture. Over time, what type of vehicle someone owns became a status symbol, and Shops Island quickly became a hot market for niche manufacturers from the Ninja Archipelago, as well as a lucrative market for mass-manufacturers based in the USA and UnitedTerra.

It didn't take long for the small town of Tomville to become the hub of Shops Island's car culture, as it sat at the confluence of three of Shops Island's largest highways. Similarly, the fast-growing Bureau of Transportation became a key figure in shaping traffic laws, thus hoping to eliminate more rebellious and dangerous aspects of car culture, such as street racing and speeding. Ironically enough, Tomville still has the highest municipal speed limits in Shops Island, as well as the most race tracks per capita.

As Shops Island became an automotive force to be reckoned with in its own right, two new, innovative types of vehicles were born from Shopper factories and quickly became popular throughout Antarctica: the pickup truck, and the muscle car.


 * Pickup trucks weren't invented in Shops Island, instead being thought up by the automotive giants based in the USA. However, these manufacturers only saw pickup trucks as a tool for industry, and as such did little to customize them. Shopper manufacturers were the first to design and build consumer-grade pickup trucks, which quickly became popular among rural folks in Shops Island and across the rest of Antarctica. Currently, Brookelas Town has the most pickup trucks per capita out of any country in Antarctica.


 * Muscle cars, on the other hand, were a uniquely Shopper invention. One of the main traits of Shopper car culture quickly became a fascination with speed and power. Most consumer vehicles which were being imported to Shops Island were built for reliability and style, not for speed or power. In protest of this, auto manufacturers based in Tomville started mass-producing high-powered, fast cars with large engines and sleek bodies for the sake of pure fun. While these types of vehicles never really popularized outside of Shops Island, they are immensely popular in Tomville, the birthplace of the muscle car.

Even though Shoppers have an affinity for fast and powerful cars, PASCAR is deeply unpopular in Shops Island, and the enjoyment of this brand of motorsport is considered to be scrubby. Instead, Shoppers prefer to watch monster truck tournaments, demolition derbies, or rally-cross.

Demographics
Shops Island is quite diverse, with creatures of all species, cultures, and other things due to an immigration rate that accounts for almost all of the country's population growth not including populations added from imperialism. Obesity is uncommon on Shops, partly due to the fact that fast food restaurants aren't efficient in the country, and that many citizens are very active, however this has recently started changing. The island also has an almost perfect literary record of 97%; almost all of the population speak English as their mother language. Those who don't are also provided with special translation services for a moderate tax fee.

Immigration
Up until September 2011, most immigrants came from Asiapelago nations, such as South Joseon, the Finipines, and Zhou, among other nations. In September 2011 after the nation's recession was stabilized, it started becoming a favorite country among people looking to move to new places due to it being a so-called "land of opportunity". No official records system was set up for immigrants until November 2011. In immigration records released every December by the Department of Immigration and Customs, it was found that a large chunk of immigrants up until the end of 2012 have been from the USA, with Club Penguin Island in specific. However, due to the millions of penguins that move to-and-from the (Club Penguin) island every year, the large immigration rate isn't very surprising to experts. Many more immigrants come from countries in the Ninja Archipelago, namely Castilla, Frankterre, and Rusca, along with other countries across Antarctica. Sometimes, penguins from countries such as Zhou or Slumolia will also try to illegally immigrate, but they're usually stopped by the island's Department of Immigration and Customs.

In 2012 after the SIA was formed and it became the head government agency, over the course of the year many child agencies were authorized by the Shops Island Council and created by the government so they (the government) wouldn't actually have to do all of the important jobs themselves. The Department of Immigration and Customs was one of the child agencies created, and they were officially given the job of overlooking all immigration activities and records.

Honorary Citizens
Shops Island has recently started recognizing prominent figures across Antarctica for heroic acts that have been deemed of great value to the Shopper people and Antarctica as a whole. Below is a list of all those who have been bestowed with this honor.

Species
The native species on the island are penguins and puffles. However, some other exotic breeds have been found roaming the island due to pet-owners who import exotic pets then release them into the wild. A good example of this is The Great Golden Crisis of 2012, when a citizen (Jonathan Kari) accidentally got his rare Golden puffle cloned, and they escaped into the wild and turned rabid.

Puffles are by far the most diverse animals on the island. Over 30 unique species of puffle have been spotted on the island that can't be found anywhere else in the world. However, when a pet shop opens on the island it usually has many exclusive breeds as well as a few imported breeds of puffle native to other places such as Club Penguin.

Many other species of animals can also be found on the island, but as imported pets. A recent pet trend on the island is pet foxes, so more foxes have been imported (and smuggled) into the island over any other species right now.

Here is a list of species, and how much of the population they take up (in percentage)


 * Penguins- 65%
 * All Puffles- Approximately 27%[1]
 * Native puffles (pets included)- 20%
 * Non-Native/Imported puffles- 7%


 * Other imported animals- 8%

 [1] - It is unknown exactly how much of the population puffles take up, because nobody has counted ALL of the puffles in the wild, so instead scientists use strange algorithms to make approximate numbers such as 27%.

Education

 * See Also: Shops Island National Library

Shops Island, like many nations have made a law stating it's mandatory for every young penguin to attend school for two years of kindergarten (Junior and Senior Kindergarten/JK and SK), six years of elementary school, two years of middle (Junior High) school, and four years of High School. This system is different in Freezestonia and Moon Island.

School exam finals are at an average of 71.3% as of 2018, and students spend ~190 (167 in Freezestonia, 250 in Moon Island) days a year in school.

Subjects
There are many subjects throughout the different stages of school in Shops Island. Below is a comprehensive list of them. The given multiple beside certain courses (such as "x3") indicates the minimum number of required credits in that subject area (in this case, three credits).

Elementary School (Grades JK to Six)

Mandatory (All)

All of these courses are taught concurrently throughout the school year, often by the same teacher.


 * Mathematics
 * Reading
 * Writing
 * Grammar (English)
 * Basic Science
 * Social Studies (Basic History/Geography)
 * Physical Education

Middle School (Grades Seven and Eight)

Mandatory (All)


 * Mathematics (x4)
 * Language (English) (x4)
 * Foreign Language (x2)
 * French (Vonkouver, Penguin City, Shops City)
 * Spanish (Goberna, Shops City)
 * German (Bro Town, Penguin City, Shops City)
 * Science (x4)
 * History (x2)
 * Geography (x2)
 * Physical Education (x2)
 * Health
 * Art (x2)

Secondary/High School (Grades Nine to Twelve)

Mandatory


 * Mathematics (x4)
 * English language studies / Literature (x4)
 * History (x2)
 * Geography (x2)
 * Foreign Language (x1)
 * Physical Education (Only for one semester, Grade Nine)
 * Art (Only for one semester, Grade Nine)
 * Visual Arts (x1)
 * Drama
 * Music
 * Science (x3)
 * Chemistry
 * Biology
 * Physics
 * Computer Science
 * Engineering Science (Grade Twelve only)
 * Civics (Only for one semester, Grade Ten)
 * The Trades (Only for one semester, Grade Ten)

Elective/Optional


 * Art
 * Visual Arts
 * Drama
 * Music
 * The Trades
 * Construction (Carpentry, Plumbing)
 * Manufacturing (Ironworking)
 * Automotive
 * Computer Technology
 * Computer Programming
 * Communications
 * Law
 * Law and Ethics
 * Environmental Science
 * Philosophy
 * Anthropology
 * Physical Education
 * Intro to Health Sciences

Colleges and Universities
This is a list of the largest colleges and universities on Shops Island. There are many smaller ones across the country that are not listed.
 * LordMaster96University.png LordMaster96 University (Vonkouver)
 * Mie2.png Moon Island Institute of Education
 * Central Shops University of Business and Technology
 * Northern Shops College of Agriculture
 * Southern Shops University
 * Shops City University
 * University of Vonkouver
 * Penguin City Technical Institute
 * Universidad de Goberna/University of Goberna (Classes in Spanish available)
 * Universität Brostadt/University of Bro Town (Classes in German available)
 * CK Town College
 * Prosperity University (Shops City)
 * University of Moon Island, Wizzint (UMIZ)

Welfare
Due to an abundance of jobs, and with the job market continuously growing, the Shopper government is very strict about who gets handouts. The government says that only Shopper citizens with severe disabilities "that inhibit the ability to be a productive member of society", and those who are so poor that their lives are in danger (essentially, the homeless) will receive welfare. So far, the government has stuck to this guideline faithfully. Those who are caught cheating the system are forced to pay back all the welfare they received in full, plus an extra 20% punishment fee. Repeat violators can be thrown in prison for up to ten years.

Healthcare and prescriptions free for all Shopper citizens. Dentistry is not included as free healthcare. Non-citizen immigrants and foreigners have to pay for their healthcare.

Geography
Shops Island's geography is mostly flat and desolate, with the exception of the Mario Mountains and other mountain belts which stretch through Eastern Shops from the northwest coast of Shops Island down to the outskirts of San Vancelton. There is a notable lack of rivers or special vegetation outside of the Mario Mountains, save the ones built up by Shoppers.

Climate
Shops Island has a lower-temperate climate through spring, summer and fall, and has a quite cold climate during the winter - colder than much of Antarctica. These constantly low temperatures are one of the reasons why plant life is rare throughout the country. Within and north of the Mario Mountains, especially around Horizont, snow is present year-round as opposed to just during the winter.

Environmental Policy
The Shopper government's environmental policy is lacking in substance, to say the least. Every government except for Chill57181's has had little to no regard for environmental protection, prioritizing economic growth and resource extraction at the expense of natural habitats and landscapes. The current government under Lavender is the worst offender, however; Lavender's government has thrown almost all previous Shopper environmental regulations out the window in favor of pro-business policy. Indeed, Shops Island has been investigated and indicted multiple times for crimes against nature by the UAN. Shops Island is a prime target for Eco-terrorists and pro-environmental protesters because of the government's policies. The Shopper government has been known to allow dumping of sewage in the ocean and cares little for seaway protection. Clear-cutting forestry operations are popular in Southern Shops and in any other forested regions of the country, although deforestation of the Mario Mountains is strictly prohibited. On more than one occasion, the Shopper government has either covered up or refused to take responsibility for oil spills caused by Shopper companies on Shopper territory.

Almost all of Shops Island's environmental degradation comes from three sources: Forestry in Northern Shops and New Delphis, Mining on the Shopper mainland, Uranium Island and Farleya, and Oil Extraction from Northern Shops Island, the Marmalade Islands and the East Ocean Territory.

Metropolitan and Surrounding Areas
Shops Island has many cities and lots of surrounding towns and Residential Areas. This list does not contain cities within Malesia or the Dominion of Notron, as they are independently administered by local governments.

Other Notable Cities and Municipalities

 * Bro Town, Eastern Shops - Bro Town is a small, yet influential community nestled in the Mario Mountains just west of Penguin City. It has a significant Puffish and Germanic culture, and is very conservative compared to many Shopper cities.


 * Horizont, Eastern Shops - Horizont is located on the northern coast of the Shopper mainland. It is very rich in oil, and as such has much mining and resource-exploration activity in the area. It is a very young community, with the primary purpose of housing the miners and oilfield workers of the area.


 * Brookelas Town, Western Shops - Brookelas Town is seen by much of Shops Island as a backwards redneck town with little significance to the rest of Shops Island as a whole. The residents of Brookelas Town have a lower quality of life than Shoppers elsewhere, due to a government neglect and a backwards-thinking population.


 * Yuri102212 City, Western Shops - Despite its self-righteous name, Yuri102212 City is hardly a city in its own right. With a population of just under 7500, this community was created in 2012 to house miners during the 2012 Shops Island Gold Rush, but since has become inward-oriented and is only kept alive by its fiercely-loyal residents.


 * Tomville, Eastern Shops - Tomville is an eccentric, yet largely-irrelevant community along the eastern coast of the Shopper mainland. Conveniently located midway between San Vancelton and Vonkouver, Tomville is a major highway-transportation hub and as such has developed a very automotive-oriented culture.


 * City of Goberna, Western Shops - The City of Goberna (not to be confused with Goberna proper) is a very uptight and wealthy community located entirely within Goberna, the larger and more important city. The City of Goberna is mainly inhabited by residents of Puffish origin, and was formed in rebellion to the overwhelmingly-Hispanic nature of Goberna proper.


 * CK Town, Southern Shops - CK Town is a tight-knit, yet also small and insignificant community in its own right, with a population that barely reaches 2000. CK Town is very relevant to the rest of Shops Island, however, as it houses the main operating center of the SIA and as such is very important for the Shopper military and for Shopper space exploration.

States


Shops Island consists of several states and independent states, which are:


 * CentralShopsFlag.png  Central Shops - The state with many government offices and main branches (coloured darker grey on the map).
 * EasternShopsFlag.png  Eastern Shops - The largest state in the island. Also the state with many places (coloured blue on the map).
 * SouthernShopsFlag.png Southern Shops - The least developed state (coloured lime on the map).
 * WesternShopsFlag.png  Western Shops - The most industrial state (coloured yellow on the map).
 * NorthernShopsFlag.png  Northern Shops - Part of the Yowien Partition.
 * FrosianIslandsStateFlag.png  Frosian Islands - A group of islands between Eastshield and UnitedTerra. Originally known as the Free Republic of Guymed, it became a Shopper territory in July 2013 and a state in 2015.
 * NewDelphisStateFlag.png  New Delphis - The only Shopper land on the Antarctic mainland; a great source of income for Shops.

Independent States
Independent states are classified by the Shopper Government the same as any other federal states, although these entities exercise much more internal power and have been given much more leniency to draft laws and tax as they please.


 * FreezestoniaFlag.png  Freezestonia - An independent state located east of Shops Island (coloured light orange on the map).
 * DoggyLand flag.PNG Shepherd Island - Part of Freezestonia located northwest the island (coloured light orange on the map).
 * ChillIslandFlag.png  Chill Island - An independent island and state located just south of the island (coloured lighter grey on the map). Although most people consider it a state, it is sometimes considered a colony due to it's small population.
 * Moon Island Flag.png  Moon Island - An independent state located far northeast of Shops Island (coloured purple on the map).

Artificial (manmade) States
All these states were built artificially by Shops Island. Plutonium Bay and Uranium Island are not colonies or territories, but are just located on (sea) land claimed by shops. Politically, they are part of Eastern and Western Shops, even though they aren't located anywhere near the states.


 * PlutoniumBayFlag.png  Plutonium Bay - Completely filled with plants which pump out tons of plutonium for SIA Drones, it's even larger than Nuke Island, and is strategically placed so pollution gets blown to Yow.
 * SeashellsFlag.png  Seashells - A popular tourist destination. It is also a shopper colony.
 * UraniumIslandFlag.png  Uranium Island - Antarctica's largest uranium mine; Made artificially just to be a mine.
 * FortCelatumFlag.png  Fort Celatum - An SIA base, which doubles as a brutal prison for Shops' most notorious criminals.

Territories and Colonies

 * BuhuIsleFlag.png  Buhu Isle - A small island town north of the Ninja Archipelago, and Shops Island's first colony.
 * LoveIslandFlag.png  Love Island - An extremely remote island and popular tourist destination.
 * SeashellsFlag.png  Seashells - A completely artificial Shopper colony with 1000 normal residents. The resort and all of the beaches generate a huge source of income for shops, because it is a very popular tourist attraction.
 * VailandFlag.png  Vailand - A Shopper colony close to the Yowien Sea.
 * CheeselandFlag.png Cheeseland - A joint colony of Shops Island and the United Provinces, located in the Weddell Sea.
 * EastOceanTerritoryNew.png Shopper East Ocean Territory - A large portion of ocean in the Asiapelago.
 * PowerIslandFlag.png L'île de la Puissance - A small artificial island in the Yowien Sea, off the coast of Bar Crab City.
 * MarmaladeIslandsFlag.png Marmalade Islands - An archipelago rich in oil. It was given to Shops by Snowiny to pay off a debt.
 * FarleyaFlag.png Farleya - A Shopper colony with lots of shipping and fishing industries.
 * NorthernTerritories.png Northern Shopper Territories - A collection of territories in the far north of Antarctica.
 * SandilaFlag.png Sandila - A small archipelago located southeast of the United Provinces.
 * MaLOLaysiaFlag.png Malesia - A formerly-independent country located next to Shops Island, Malesia is technically a Shopper territory, yet it is treated as and acts like an independent state, retaining its own monarchy, a distinct economy, and it's own identity on the Antarctic stage.

Space

 * ShopperSpaceColonies.png Shopper Extraterrestrial Colonies - A series of smaller space colonies located within the Sol system.
 * NotronFlag.png Dominion of Notron - A semi-independent state in which Shops Island holds mostly ceremonial power.

Former

 * AxlePowers.png Axle Powers Capital Territory - A territory occupied by the Axle Powers. Former colony of Shops Island.
 * FlystoniaFlag.png South Flystonia - A colony jointly owned by Shops Island and Amataria from 2013 to 2015. The colony was granted independence due to a technical oversight.
 * PuffaliaFlag.png Puffalia - A Shopper colony for a matter of months before it fought a war for independence.

Transportation
Shops Island has many modes of transport around the country, and to other locations. Shops' transportation ministry also has connections with the Land Transport Ministry of Antarctica.

Air
Air travel is a common form of transport between faraway places in Shops Island and between the Shopper mainland and other countries or islands. There are only five airlines that operate out of Shops Island or its territories. Due to government intervention when Penguin Air, Shops Island's largest airline was created, airfares are low in comparison to most countries.

Air Lines

 * Shop Jet (Shops City Hub)
 * Penguin Air (Penguin City Hub)
 * Freezestonian Air (Pallinn Hub)
 * Frosian Airwaves (Erikshaven Hub)
 * Diamond Airlines (Yuri102212 City Hub)

Well-Known Airports

 * Chill57181 International Airport (Shops City)
 * Vonkouver International Airport
 * Yuri102212 City National Airport
 * Pallinn International "Pengurt Seaside" Airport
 * President Bro International Airport
 * Penguins' First Airport (Dancing Penguin City)
 * Moon Island City International Airport

Road
Automotive transport is the simplest, cheapest and most effective mode of transportation for the majority of Shoppers. Shopper roads are efficient and well-constructed, making vehicular travel convenient for most purposes (other than long-distance travel, where airplanes are generally preferred).

Many car companies have their central manufacturing facilities on Shops Island. Cars are an extremely common way to move around Shops Island, and almost every family owns one. Shops also manufactures and exports cars to other nations, while receiving imports from places like Alemania, South Joseon, the USA and Japaland in return.

Space

 * See article: SIA

Shops has an active space program which has put penguins on the Moon, Mars, Saturn's moon of Titan, and in other places far across the galaxy. Space travel is one of the SIA's crowning achievements. Space travel is restricted to Shopper astronauts and is not available for common use by the public. An attempt at space travel for the common citizen was once attempted when a local entrepreneur named Slender tried to start a space tourism industry. However, the operation was condemned and terminated by the Shopper government.

Shops Island is notable for being one of the few countries that has access to Hyperspace and is one of only three countries in Antarctica with the ability to manufacture hyperdrives, although their systems are much less efficient than those belonging to Ed Island or the USA.

The Shoppers also have a large array of space fighters stationed on the moon, although this fleet has been left derelict for a while and poses minimal threat to other space-faring nations.

Sea
Travel by sea is a much less common form of transportation. Most naval movements in and around Shops Island are focused on the Western Shops Industrial Division. The oceans in and around Shops Island are also safe for civilian use as the all-pervasive SIA naval presence in Shopper waters, making sure nothing goes amiss. Ships are used in heavily watered areas like Pallinn, which has three working ship terminals, or industrial areas like Goberna, which has two working ports.

Public Transportation
Public transport carries a heavy stigma with it across Shops Island. Using public transport is viewed as something that only poor people would do. However, the concept has started to become increasingly popular among the younger generations. Many larger cities have not only bus services, but also street car services and local subway systems.

Rail

 * See also: Shops Island Subway, Rail Transport in Shops Island

Rail travel is common thanks to the successful Shops Island Subway system which links almost every town and city in the country to one-another with a modern set of rail lines. Travel via train is also cheap and efficient compared to other modes of transportation when it comes to speed and cost-efficiency.

Most passenger rail lines are run by diesel or electric bullet trains (or the cross-country subway, naturally). These trains are fast and clean, but are generally weak.

All cargo moved by train is done so by steam or rather primitive diesel locomotives. Shops is one of the last countries in Antarctica to use this form of train travel, but it works. Steam engines can haul a massive load. Shops Island builds the largest steam engines in Antarctica; the biggest weighing in at over 220 tons.

Infrastructure
Shops Island has large amounts of very advanced infrastructure, ranging from electricity to water services and through transportation. Infrastructure in the country is modern and well-developed, and is a source of Shopper pride.

Energy
Most of Shops' energy is produced through the means of coal burning, natural gas, and hydroelectric power. These methods are used the most because of their availability and simplicity. Hydroelectric power is popular in northern Shops Island because of the rapidly flowing rivers and mountains. Coal and natural gas are popular elsewhere because they have become proven methods of generating lots of electricity over the years.

Alternative forms of energy such as solar power or wind power have yet to take off in Shops Island. There is a general consensus among the Shopper population that such systems are incapable of generating enough electricity to power the entire country, and as such have not taken off yet.

There are a few nuclear power plants in Shops Island, but the idea of nuclear plants is still mostly in the works; nuclear power holds a large stigma throughout most of Shopper society, even though the government has been trying to change that.

Almost all vehicles in Shops Island are powered by petroleum products. They are capable of traveling further and are better at heavy-duty work than their green counterparts. Electric and solar cars are quite unpopular throughout Shops, due to the focus of driving in Shopper society and green vehicles' inability to travel long distances.

Roads and Highways

 * See main article: Shops Island Highway System, Shops Island Bureau of Transportation

Shops' freeway system is government-backed and revered as one of the most effective highway systems in Antarctica. The roads connect all of the Shopper mainland, along with a tunnel which connects the Shopper mainland to Freezestonia. There is also a separate stretch of highway in Moon Island administered by the Shops Highway System. This system has not spread to smaller islands like Shepherd Island or Chill Island. The Shops Island Highway System has recently expanded to Northern Shops, and there are plans to install it in New Delphis and the Frosian Islands.

Alongside the sprawling highway system which spans Shops Island from coast to coast, these roads and highways frequently cross over a well-maintained system of bridges and culverts built to high standards. To the Shopper government, the maintenance of highway infrastructure to ensure safe transport is paramount, and often takes priority over the creation of new roads.

All of Shops Island's roads and highways are also graced by a well-regulated signage system, which is standard and rigid for all Shopper roads. These signs serve many roles, from indicating speed limits, to identifying potential road hazards, giving directions to motorists, as well as a multitude of other purposes. On city streets and local roads, the speed limit is typically 60 km/h (37 mph) unless otherwise posted. On Shopper highways, the speed limits can range between 100 km/h (60 mph) and 140 km/h (87 mph), although the standard on highways tends to be 120 km/h (75 mph).

Electricity
Because Ben didn't want to pay the Governance for electricity, he attempted to power Shops by other means and keep the money for himself. However, he's no electrician, and his poorly provided electricity was difficult to build and maintain, and very costly. Shopper cities also often experienced power outages from poor wiring and large mall parties using a lot of energy. Once Ben's dictatorship was overthrown, Shops Island hired the Governance to build Telenacles and supply the island with all of its energy needs. However, Shopper presidents, notably Bro and Lavender, have limited the amount of influence the Governance itself has inside Shops besides providing electricity, such as not recognizing any Saints. The exception to this was Kermit, recognized in Shops as a Saint by popular demand after protests were held across the nation.

The price of electricity depends on location. Those in cities and closer to power plants pay less for electricity, and those who live further away pay more. Shopper electrical receptacles run at 120 volts.

Water
The Shopper government is in control of all water supplies that are used for consumption and personal usage throughout Shops Island, and distributes water sources free to its citizens without cost or tax. Water is completely controlled by the government to prevent independent businesses from levying heavy charges for water on citizens.

Shops Island also uses water as a method of transport; much of Shopper trade is conducted through ships and waterways. There are many man-made canals and waterways throughout Shops Island to help distribute water to its citizens and also to accommodate transport by sea.

Communications

 * See also: Shopper Broadcasting Service

All communications infrastructure, be it telephone, internet, or other sources, are controlled by the Governance. A competitive market for communications has emerged between Governance Telenacles and other Governance-owned providers in Shops, allowing for generally low prices across the board.

Military

 * See the SIA, Shops' official military, for more information. Or for more specific information, see the SIA's respective army, navy, air force and special forces pages.

Shops Island has a formidable military; the most powerful in the Asiapelago. Shops Island has Antarctica's largest navy, second largest air force, and third largest standing army. Their military tends to rely on equipment and Blitzkrieg techniques to mercilessly crush and slaughter their enemies. Multiple wars such as the Great Yowien War, the GSWVI, the Fall of Nexon, and the Frosian War have hardened them into a military that threatens to destroy any and all opposition.

Shops has proven dominance over the Asiapelago in all three theaters. They maintain heavy aerial dominance via their large squadrons of futuristic fighters and long lines of bombers. Their sea strength is supported by numerous warships, dreadnoughts, aircraft carriers, and submarines which threaten to obliterate anyone who dares stand in their way. Their army has thousands upon thousands of tanks and artillery weapons, which the military is used to using in devastating efforts against their opponents.

In addition to the three main branches of the military, the Special Forces, the Space Command Fleet and the Coast Guard are all present to serve more specific roles. The special forces encompass the most advanced Shopper soldiers and have a wide array of high-tech equipment to take care of complex military tasks. Instead of relying on brute force like the army does, the special forces rely much more on strong intelligence and secrecy to accomplish their goals. The Space Command Fleet is a formidable force of spacecraft compared to all other space faring nations, although the fleet is rarely used; much of the equipment has either been scrapped or given to Notron since 2013. The Coast Guard is seen by many as a less powerful and less important second fiddle to the navy, responsible for search and rescue operations and civilian safety rather than protection of the seas. They are also officially responsible for keeping the Shops Sea safe from hostile pirates, though friendly pirates like Rockhopper may dock on Shops as they please to sell their wares, but this role is mostly taken care of by the navy. The Coast Guard can also legally search any ships in the Shops Sea that they suspect to be pirate vessels, contain stolen goods, or to be harboring criminals.

Trade
Shops Island imports and exports many goods, and has become the linchpin in the trade networks of multiple Antarctic countries. The Shoppers trade in heavy volumes with the USA, Castilla and the Axle Powers, and are still a high-value investment for many other Antarctic countries. Shops Island's significant diplomatic power and its wide-ranging connections has enabled trade with almost all Antarctic countries, barring those whom have very poor or no relations with the Shoppers.

The Shopper government constantly aims to maximize exports while minimizing imports. However, this effort has largely fallen flat on its face over the past few years as Shopper economic growth has plateaued, and citizens look for more niche possessions with cannot be made in Shops Island.

Imports

 * Electronics (from South Joseon, Japaland, Zhou and the Culldrome Isles)
 * Cell Phones
 * Computers
 * Software
 * GPS
 * Factory Machinery and subway cars (from the USA and Polaris)
 * CNC Mills
 * Plasma Equipment
 * 3D Printers
 * Immigrants (from Club Penguin Island and the Ninja Archipelago, mainly)
 * Porcyals (from the Culldrome Isles)
 * Minerals (from Munijoch)
 * Gold
 * Copper
 * Platinum/Palladium
 * Iron Ore
 * Timber (from the Culldrome Isles and Munijoch)
 * Exotic Food (from Latin Antarctica)
 * Automobiles
 * Puffle cars (from Puffle'and)
 * Sports and Luxury Cars (from the Ninja Archipelago)

Exports

 * Food
 * Grain and Corn (from Northern Shops)
 * Steel (from Western and Eastern Shops)
 * Automobiles (from Western Shops and Tomville)
 * Pickup Trucks
 * Muscle Cars
 * Uranium and Plutonium (from Uranium Island and Plutonium Bay)
 * Furniture (from Western Shops)
 * Textiles
 * Clothing (from Western Shops)
 * Cotton (from Southern Shops)
 * Minerals (from Eastern Shops, the Marmalade Islands, etc.)
 * Gold
 * Iron Ore
 * Coal
 * Copper
 * Oil (from Malesia and the Marmalade Islands)
 * Weapons (from Western Shops)
 * Airplanes
 * Helicopters
 * Handheld Weapons
 * Tanks
 * Ships
 * Transport Units

Relationships with other Nations

 * See main article: Foreign Relations of Shops Island

Mainland


 * East Pengolia image flag.png East Pengolia - Absolutely Horrible! - East Pengolia is seen by Shoppers as their arch-nemesis, and the last real opponent they have in Antarctica. Shops Island despises East Pengolia for their communist government, relations were also weakened further during the Great Yowien War and the Puffalia Conflict.
 * Freezelandflag.jpg Freezeland - Good - Shops Island and Freezeland are on friendly terms, although they rarely trade or hold diplomatic talks.
 * PolarisFlag.png Polaris - Great - Polaris is a major trading and financial partner for Shops, and the two nations have very strong diplomatic relations, with numerous embassies for each other in both nations.
 * USA flag.PNG United States of Antarctica - Excellent - Diplomatic ties with the USA are strong, and Shopper relations with the USA go all the way back until 2010. Shops used to owe quite a bit in debt to the USA, but paid it all back after the Great Yowien War.
 * GhostliaFlag1.png Ghostlia - Fair - Although they have never had any direct interaction in the past, when President Lavender had an accident, Ghostlia expressed their sympathies by sending him some Cactus Juice and mashed potatoes and peas.

Ninja Archipelago


 * Pengvaria Flag.png Batavia - Good - Batavia and Shops both agree on many important issues, and Batavian engineers often cooperate with the Shopper government in building artificial islands and outpost in the Shops Sea.
 * Flag of Castilla.png Castilla - Excellent - Castilla supports the island, and they trade with each other. King Carlos and Lavender are also good friends.
 * Frankterre Flag.png Frankterre - Good - Shops and Frankterre often trade and have strong diplomatic relations with each other. Shops and Frankterre often conduct military operations with each other in the Yowien Sea.
 * Liguria Flag.png Liguria - Good - Shops and Liguria are on cordial terms, although Shops Island often likes to tease Liguria about its military.
 * Bandera de Lisboagal.png Lisboagal - Great - Shops Island sees Lisboagal as a country with potential and sells many natural resources to the Lisboaguese.
 * Magyaria Flag.png Magyaria - Good - Shops Island and Magyaria largely ignore each other.
 * UK Flag 2.png Puffle'and - Fair - Shops Island has tried to make friends with Puffle'and, although they find it hard because Swiss Ninja is their king. Shops Island holds closer relations with the colonies.
 * Austiceiaflag.png Austiceia - Good - Shops Island and Austiceia have good relations, although they rarely communicate.
 * Flag of Calada.png Calada - Great - Calada is Shops' closest friend of all of the Puffish colonies. Many Caladians have emigrated to Vonkouver.
 * Ruscoe Federation Flag.png Ruscan Federation - Fair - Shops Island and Rusca are often at odds, but remain peaceful and cordial towards each other.
 * Snowprus Flag 2.png Snowprus - Fair - Shops Island and Snowprus have stable diplomatic relations, although Shops sees Snowprus' economic policy as irresponsible.
 * Snozerland Flag 2 edited-1.png Snowzerland - Poor - Shops Island and Snowzerland have had many bouts of conflict with each other, and both countries try to constantly outdo each other in terms of economic and military strength.
 * Alemania Flag.png Alemania - Good - Shops takes a different diplomatic approach to Alemania as opposed to Snowzerland. Shops has established stable diplomatic relations with Alemania, citing it as an independent state. Many Alemanian immigrants come to Shops Island every year.

Asiapelago


 * Amataria Flag.png Amataria - Fair - Shops Island sees Amataria as mostly a joke, but they maintain stable relations due to their close proximity and Munijoch's good relations with them.
 * FlagOfJapaland.png Japaland - Great - Shops Island is Japaland's strongest ally in the Asiapelago. They trade items like automobiles and electronics frequently.
 * Flag of North Joseon.png North Joseon - Horrible! - Shops Island supports sanctions against North Joseon, and has deemed North Joseon as an enemy of both Shops Island and an enemy of freedom.
 * SouthJoseonFlag.png South Joseon - Excellent - The two countries' governments get along and both even once had portals to one another. They were closed in 2013. Shops currently has around 7000 soldiers stationed along the Joseonean border. In times of war, South Joseon is also used as a naval and air base for the Shoppers.
 * Asaina flag.png Zhou - Good - Shops and Zhou are the two largest nations in the Asiapelago, and had before competed for supremacy over the whole archipelago. Their strong alliance with Snowzerland had caused Shopper suspicion. After the breakout of Snoss War in July 2013, their relations completely melted down. They were bitter enemies for almost a year, until Shops finally made peace with the Zhouese after Zhou publicly disowned Puffalia during the Frosian War. Their relations are now good, but Shops is still hesitant to trade heavily with Zhou.

Other


 * AxlePowers.png Axle Powers - Excellent
 * Culldromeislesflag.png Culldrome Isles - Excellent - Ever since the Great Yowien War, the Shoppers and Culldroms have been close allies. Their alliance was strengthened in the formation of The Axle Powers. President Lavender considers the Culldrome Isles to be Shops' best military partner, and one of Shops' best trading partners. The leaders of the two countries are friends on a personal level.
 * Ed Island Flag.png Ed Island - Excellent - Shops helped Ed Island fight for independence against Snowiny. Both nations are highly cooperative in many scientific endeavors with each other.
 * Munijoch.jpg Munijoch - Excellent - Former president Joseph Yslenski and Lavender are friends on a personal scale, which contributed to great cooperation between the two countries, including the formation of the Axle Powers, which strengthened their alliance. Under The Globalist, Munijoch has grown somewhat distant, but the nations remain allies.
 * Flag of the Seal Islands.svg Seal Islands - Excellent - The Shoppers have warm relations with the Sealiens, and their two leaders are good friends on a personal level.


 * AzukriFlag.PNG Azukri - Good - Most diplomatic relations between Shops Island and Azukri are handled between consulates in Magonia. Nonetheless, relations have been characterized as positive.
 * Magonia flag.PNG Magonia - Great - Magonia and Shops Island get along quite well and the leaders are quite close personally. The Shopper populace has particular respect for emperor Slender, who served Shops Island in the Frosian War.
 * UnitedTerra flag.PNG UnitedTerra - Good - The UTR used to consistently bug Shops about their lack of a proper military, and said that Shops was corrupt with an aristocracy-like government. However, once the military expansion happened and fending off the Snoss, the UTR has come to respect them.
 * Western Union 2017 Flag.png Western Union - Fair - Although the Western Union and Axle Powers share a friendly rivalry, Lavender sees the union as an unorganized mess and their internal politics as a joke.
 * AcadiaFlag.png Acadia - Poor - Shops Island used to have good relations with Acadia, although during this time the Acadian government was largely considered a joke. Relations had since soured as Acadia's multiple penguin rights abuses, as well as increasing differences between Lavender and Brant's ideologies became more and more apparent.
 * CandviaFlag.png Candvia - Poor - Prior to the Great Yowien War, Shops Island and Candvia were on good terms. However, the Candivan opposition to the war and Shops Island's future conquest has caused relations to sour.
 * Cheeese.png Caseusopolis - Fair - Shops and Caseusopolis are allies, but they don't have much interaction besides that. Shops has stated that they will go to war against Caseusopolis if they hindered Shops' absolute trade monopoly in the area (partially the reason they joined the Western Union in the first place).
 * DuckNewFlag.png Duck Island - Poor - Shops Island does not recognize the legitimacy of Duck Island.
 * FelipenasFlag.png Finipines - Good - Shops Island and the Finipines maintain stable relations. They are trading partners, with Shops exporting many industrial goods to them, such as steel. However, the Finipines has some weariness towards Shops as they don't trust Castilla, while the Castillans are some of Shops' closest allies.
 * MAI.png Margate - Fair - Margate has a love-hate relationship with Shops Island. They often compete in showing off their muscles to each other, and have had many arguments over the Oil Archipelago. However, they still trade actively.
 * Tropicalis Flag.png Tropicalis - Great - Tropicalis is a popular tourist destination for Shoppers, and the Shopper government admires the state of Tropicalis' military. Lavender has stated frequently that Tropicalis sticks out "like a sore flipper" among the "scrubby" Western Union members, and has frequently offered Tropicalis a spot in the Axle Powers should they choose to accept it.
 * NewUnitedProvincesFlag.png United Provinces - Fair - Their relations have been fair but constantly fluctuating ever since their first formal relations began. Shops has constantly given the UP the cold shoulder, albeit the times when the Shoppers actually needed Snowinian assistance. Their relations are currently on indifferent terms. The United Provinces are often the butt of Lavender's jokes. The UP's leadership of the Western Union and their slow ascendance to the position of great power in Antarctica forced the Shoppers to deal with the UP as if not equals then near equals, and relations between the two, despite simmering tensions during situations such as the Achadia Crisis, are holding steady and they interact regularly.

Projection and Recognition
"Shops doesn't have allies. We only make agreements with those who serve our purposes at the time."

- Former President Bro on Shopper foreign policy.

Other nations started to officially recognize the Shopper government as a legitimate entity in late 2011, after mass influxes of immigrants into the new country. In the early years of Shops Island's existence, the nation was widely regarded by other countries as corrupt due to supposed nepotism in the higher levels of government. For the first few years of Shopper independence, the country kept a low profile, mainly focusing on domestic and scientific matters.

The international community's opinion of Shops Island began to change in 2013, after the country had undertaken ambitious expansions in its military and economy. Having gained powerful allies before undergoing an ambitious expansion of their military, the Shoppers fared much better than other countries who tried to become an international power and make allies afterwards. After the events leading up to and including the Great Yowien War, Shops Island became a respected nation and a rising star on Antarctica's economic and political stage. Hopes were high for the country in these early years, and Shopper growth outpaced expert predictions, with the country quickly becoming one of the most powerful, feared and respected nations in Antarctica.

Shops Island is well known for its knee-jerk and belligerent attitude on the international stage, often throwing its military might behind causes which it finds just.

Trivia

 * Vonkouver's land area is completely artificial. That section of the island was man-made.
 * The highest peak in the island are the Chilly Peaks which is located in Eastern Shops.
 * The island wasn't correctly mapped until August 2012, and debates continued over the issue for months afterwards.
 * Shops has the same motto, and anthem: "Never never never give up!"
 * Most Shopper flags have a 1:2/height:width scale ratio.
 * Many things on Fanon about Shops Island are based off of or are interpreted from real things on Club Penguin Shops, another wiki in the Club Penguin Wiki Network.
 * A few of these things include the SIA, Vonkouver, and most of the government officials' positions (presidents until Lavender were the head bureaucrat at the time, and most governors were administrators).


 * Shops Island uses a mix of both the metric and imperial systems, measuring things in metric for long distances and scientific measurements and speed, while imperial is used for shorter length measurements and weight.
 * The name "Shops Island Sliders" was set in stone for the national hockey team when the Shops Island Sports Committee were all hungry for burgers; the other options included "Shops Island Big Pacs" and "Shops Island Poppers".
 * In case you haven't noticed, Shops Island's official and favorite color is Lavender . Picking a president of the same color was just a coincidence, I promise!