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Contestador

Contestador is a beautiful island in the Pacific Ocean home to 28 000 habitants. Ruled by dictator Tom Shark under a conservative way of life. Under authoritarian and capitalist ideologies the government rules the country promoting happiness and self sufficiency in a structured and organized manner. Fishing and production of local products are the main sources of the thriving economy. The one resort governmentally owned attracts new tourist each year and helps provide employment to individuals on the island. Living in Contestador will bring you family unity, community involvement, and most of the time a stress free life.

Etymology: The island name dates back to the 1800s when the first explorer set foot on the island, or at least the first documented explorer’s expedition, Edwardo. H. Contestador. Said to have travelled across the north Americas by foot and to have crossed up to half of the Pacific Ocean before his death at 49 years of age on his famous boat. Transcripts of his travels explain how when he arrived on the island that was to be named Contestador. he was crying of joy and thanking the heavens for having answered his prayers of finding a place to rest for the end of his days. Therefore frequently saying ‘contestador’ the Spanish word for ‘answer’ and misleading the men reporting his travels into thinking he wanted the island to be called Contestador. As of that point the island was refered to as its current name on the maps.

Geography: Contestador is an island situated in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and near the Mexican coast. It occupies an area of km2, it is ranked among the smallest countries in size. Contestador does claim a very vast area in the pacific ocean surrounding its island which would enlarge its area of half its actual size but this claim has yet to be approved worldwide. Temperatures on the island are approximately 18C to 29C depending on the season and the water temperatures attain a maximum of 81F. Precipitations vary from 80mm to 20mm in the warmest months. 45% of the island is covered with tropical rainforest which helps create shade from the warm weather and supplies the island with a sufficient amount of wood and herbs to create medicine. An interesting fact about the island of Contestador is its lack of volcanoes or high elevations unlike most of the other islands in the pacific ocean.

History: In the year of 1976 there lived approximately 9000 individuals on the island of Contestador. The majority of the population were desendence of Europeans explores from the 1900s who had adapted to mild climates and settled the island. Immigrants from all over the globe were also present on the island who had gradually came from north America and Mexico or from travel boats in the years of exploration.

At this point in Contestador no religion was more strongly represted than another as individuals lived freely and had atheistic beliefs. Even though people on the island shared similar beliefs each were economically independent, most families lived sustainably, only farming and fishing the quanity needed for their survival, a great majority of which was based on fishing. For habitants of the island life was set up to be happy, relaxed, and stress free. But while ‘paradise’ ruled in Contestador, the rest of the world was advancing economically, creating worldwide trade routes and making scientific discoveries. Contestador would only take place in these events approximately a decade later when its economy greatly developed.

The huts and wooden homes and structures built in Contestador were of no force against the tropical rainforest storm that hit the island in 1977. This storm named Bill is the biggest recorded storm to have hit Contestador. The damage was disastrous, killing 300 individuals and harming hundreds leaving no structures holding. This storm left families with nothing destroying their most important survival equipment, their boats. The winds of over 190km which accompanied the storm definitively blew away all of the islands ‘paradise’ aspects. Having no foreign affairs connections with any other country or the means to travel to any other place, the people of Contestador were left to fend for themselves.

The grand-son of a very popular fishermen, Tom Shark of 31 years of age who lived on the island and survived the storm, was the only fishermen to still have his boat intact. This was due to the fact that he had brought it inland in his shed which was surrounded by trees to fix the chipping paint. Presently still continuing his education Tom was said to be a extremely determined person who enjoyed helping others and being a leader. Taking his boat to sea allowed him to not only feed his family but also bring enough food to feed the whole island. Other families were so grateful to have food that they started giving whatever was left of their valuables possessions to Tom. Peoples would therefore barter to get their food. This is the official event that started Contestador’s economy. But during this time many spiritual and religious leaders emmergered. This was mostly from individuals who had been traumatized by the storm, and the loss or injuries of their relatives, people who seeked spiritual or a higher level of guidance. These individuals wanted the general population of the island to pray to the gods and spirit to help them fix the disaster the island had become. This disorganized individuals on the island and caused conflicts, especially with getting food from Tom as they would rather sacrifice their valuable possessions to the spirits or as offerings rather than feeding themselves.

In may of 1977, approximately two months after the storm, Contestador was well on it’s way to becoming the happy island it had been before with the new ideas Tom was suggesting to the people of the island. Becoming the island’s hero Tom Shark was known all over for saving the island from starvation. Bringing fresh food from the sea to the island quickly led to him becoming the island’s leader, being the most respected man to everyone there. He had gained most of the valuable possessions from the people on the island due to them wanting fish. Tom decided to embark on the trip of a lifetime to see if he could find help for his island. He brought with him his cousin and left his close relatives to take care of fishing business. While on his trip to the United States of America Tom has a chance to see a different way of life, a life that he would like to bring back to Contestador. With the help of the president, Tom discovered new ways of expanding his economy such as using currency, taxing goods and services, and creating private industries. Exchanging the possessions he had accumulated from fishing to an industry which made boats he got himself a bigger and stronger boat to be able to have more facility making his way to Contestador. This allowed him to bring resources like glass, plastic and precious metals back to his people. With the promise of an exchange in goods between the two countries Tom Shark and his cousin made there way back to Contestador. Once back on the island Tom and his cousin were greeted as hero's and were frantically welcomed back home. Tom knew that what his people needed was a leader and so he decided to call an assembly. At the assembly Tom explained to his community all of what he had seen in America and told them all about the great dreams he had for Contestador’s future. Due to Tom’s astonishing speech that night he was elected as leader. Before long Tom had established a currency and helped his community properly reconstruct their homes so that the disastrous storm left no sign of its passage. Explaining the concept of private business’ and their benefits to his community Tom picked out the best baker, the best chef, best craftsman, barber, doctor, engineers... and helped them start their private business to start Contestador’s economy.

The present state of Contestador is perpurous with many rich and successful business families who came to establish themselves there due to the beautiful climate and society.