| The Pleiades | |
|---|---|
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Country |
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Capital |
Espiritu Santo |
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Governor |
Esmeralda Song |
The Commonwealth of The Pleiades, formerly the West Atlantines, is a state in the Kingdom of Aloia consisting of nine or ten islands in the Pacific Ocean and the associated minor islets. The capital and largest city is Espiritu Santo, located on Electra Island.
Before joining the Kingdom of Aloia in 1877, the islands were dominantly Spanish-speaking, home to a culture very similar to the other Atlantine islands. The islands were acquired by Queen Victoria Augusta of Aloia and the Aloian colonizers decided to name the island cluster after a national symbol, the Pleiades star cluster. The ten primary islands all exchanged their native Spanish names for Greek names. Nine of the islands were named for stars in the Pleiades cluster and the largest was named Artemis, after the Greek goddess most closely associated with the Pleiades nymphs from myths.
Artemis, formerly Isla Libertad, is the most populous island, but many of its residents live in poverty as the Aloian government has focused development efforts in the capital Espiritu Santo and the resort islands of Calaeno, Maia, and Alcyone. Uprisings occured in 1902 and 1933 on Artemis and 1922 on Sterope.
The Pleiades is home to four national parks and a World Heritage Park. All of Taygeta forms Palm Island National Park. The Pleiades has Libertad, Aguascalientes, and Calaeno Coast National Parks. San Esteban y Santiago World Heritage Park has been a source of conflict between the Aloian government and the Esamir regional government. The WHP consists of all of Pleione (formerly San Esteban) and half of Alcyone (formerly Santiago). Defense and administration of the islands has been an ongoing disagreement in Aloian politics, between parties and between the national and regional government.