Monday, September 28, 2009

Kingdom of Kikiyaya

THE KINGDOM OF KIKIYAYA Pacific Blue Archipelago

Welcome to the webpage of the Department of Information and International Relations of The Kingdom of Kikiyaya Pacific Blue Archipelago.


FACTS ABOUT THE COUNTRY

HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM
The islands of Kiki, Yaya, and Blue Rock are located 556 nautical miles southeast of Japan in the Pacific Ocean. There is no written history and not much is known from the time before the nation was officially recognised as a sovereign state in 1850.

In 1783, a Japanese fishing fleet accidentally stumbled upon the “Invisible islands”. (Due to a permanent donut shaped cloud of fog around the islands, they cannot be seen by passing boats for about 8 months a year during the North-East Monsoon). The Japanese were warmly welcomed by the Kikiyayans, who offered them housing, food and social entertainments until most of them returned to Japan about two years after their arrival. The Japanese were impressed by Kikiyaya’s natural beauty and hospitable population. They were confronted with pristine silver and white sand beaches, coconut palm and casuarina forests, mango, pineapple and papaya orchards, intricately constructed rice and wheat paddies on the mountain slopes, two waterfalls, one of which has a drop of 56 metres, as well as two fresh water lakes.

In 1786, the People of Kikiyaya were confronted with a small invasion of 200 armed Japanese marines who occupied the main island of Kiki for three months, until the local tribal chief came to a friendly peace deal by offering the Japanese marines unlimited local entertainment, and the Japanese Empire the right to fish in Kiki’s territorial waters without disturbance for a period of six weeks a year.

In 1850, Chief Momola declared the three islands of Kiki, Yaya and Blue Rock to be a sovereign state and ever since diplomatic relations between the Kingdom and Japan have been friendly and supportive. Momola crowned herself Queen Kikitoto (Toto meaning ruler in Kikiyayan language). She ruled the archipelago until her death in 1905, at age 75. Her First Daughter, Toto Kippykono, became Queen in 1905. She was educated in Tokyo, Bangkok, Jakarta and London. Toto Kippykono married six husbands; two Japanese noblemen from Tokyo, two local artists from Maori descent, one Chinese-Thai businessman from Bangkok and one young man from Indonesia without occupation. Queen Kippykono was a popular ruler and was adored by the over 25.000 strong Kikiyayan population. She introduced rights for men in 1935, as traditionally males had been considered to be slightly inferior to females. In 1935, a man became the first Bongpo of a Family Circle (head of a household) in the modern history of Kikiyaya, but, unlike Kikiyayan females, he was not allowed to marry more than one partner. In 1949, “The New Liberating Law For Equal Rights For All” was accepted by the nation, allowing everyone who has reached the age of 24; male, female or otherwise, to marry more than one adult partner of either the same or opposite gender during the annual Wedding Festival. Despite the Liberation Act, only few men have ever decided to marry and become Bongpo. The Traditional Way still prove to be the most preferred way.

The Great Queen Kippykono died at very old age in 1968 and her first son was crowned King Ram Kikitoto II, later that year. As a young prince, Ram Kikitoto was educated in London. During the Wedding Festival in Kiki Town in 1960, he married 43 wives at age 24 and had 69 children. The Prince had met his first girlfriend in Tokyo in 1959 during a state visit to Japan. Her name was Anne and she was a European tourist. She was the first white Caucasian to set foot on the Island since “The Incident”, when an American yacht with a Caucasian crew had stranded on the coast of Blue Rock in 1932. Anne’s exotic European looks made her the sweetheart of the nation. She was the first female the Prince married during the Wedding Festival and would therefore become the First Woman of the Kingdom. In 1965, King Ram Kikitoto II and Queen Anne gave birth to The First Daughter, Crown Princess Kikitoto III. Unfortunately, Queen Anne died in 1973 during a dinner-accident when a fishbone caused her a fatal breathing malfunction.

The First Daughter was educated in London between the age of 8 and 17. Her Royal Highness Princess Kikitoto III married 16 partners at age 24, most of them from Japanese and Taiwanese origin, but she has been travelling through Asia during an extended sojourn that started in the spring of 2000 and, at this moment, it is unknown when she will return to the Kingdom. Currently, King Ram Kikitoto II is 74 years old and in good health. He is expected to reign until his death. He is expected to be succeeded by his oldest daughter.

GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
The Kingdom has a total area of 65 square kilometres. This is divided by three islands; Kiki, Yaya and Blue Rock. The lush island of Kiki is currently the only permanently inhabited island of the Kingdom. The capital is called Kiki Town and has a population of about 2000.

The 1.856 strong population of the lowlands of Yaya Island migrated to Kiki due to rising sea levels in the last three decades. Yaya Island is a flat, dull looking island with only few trees and elevations that, in olden times, was used for prawn farming. It lies 20 centimetres above sea level. Since global warming started to affect low-lying Pacific islands in the 1980s, half of Yaya Island has already disappeared under water while another 40 percent of the land disappears under water for at least 6 months a year during the monsoon. Permanent residency on Yaya has not been possible ever since, decimating the Kingdom by almost half of its territory.

The third island is called Blue Rock. It has no vegetation and no natural harbours. Blue Rock has never been inhabited by humans. Blue Rock is one large bare peak (pong) that towers 65 metres above sea level.

The small archipelago is volcanic and has one silent volcanic mountain called Kiki Bong (bong meaning “mountain” or “great” in Kikiyayan). Kiki Bong is a 21 kilometre long impressive green mountain range that stretches across the island from the south-west to the north-east. The range has an average height of 750 metres. On the south-side there is one cone shaped peak called Kiki Bong Pong that rises 1.451 metres above sea level. On the top, one can find the Royal Beacon, a construction for bonfires, in olden times used for sending smoke messages to the people of Yaya. The volcano has not been active in modern history. The Royal Beacon has been used last time in 1981 to warn the Yayans for an approaching tsunami.

The rich soil south of Kiki Bong Pong is mainly used for basic agriculture, flower growing and foresting of coconut palms. The rugged jungle area north of Kiki Bong is dedicated to the wild animals whilst humans are not allowed to stray there without governmental permission.

CLIMATE
The climate of Kikiyaya is tropical with temperatures between 20 and 35 degrees centigrade during the hot and dry season and between 18 and 30 during the wet and cool season. The islands are affected by two monsoon systems (North-East and South West Monsoon), causing most of the rainfall between the months of July and November. Typhoons often occur during the North-East Monsoon but they tend to increase in power when they have left Kikiyayan territory and get closer to the east coast of Japan.

FLORA & FAUNA
The peace-loving character of the non-violent Kikiyayans is reflected in the Kingdom’s flora & fauna. There are no known poisonous plants or trees and no large predator animals. The “No Closed Door”-policy on the islands extends to the animal world as well; there are no caged domestic animals in the Kingdom. Wildlife consists mostly of a rich variety of insects, small mammals and birdlife. The Kikiyayan Fisher and Blue Rock Kite Flyer are the most appreciated creatures due to their parrot-like intelligence and ability to communicate by speech. The Blue Rock Rat is a unique marsupial only found in the jungle of the Kingdom. It looks like a rat the size of a cat and eats roots, bark and insects. Beatles have a very special position in Kikiyayan culture as they are regarded to be the Deliverers of Good Luck. The population is mainly vegetarian, although they occasionally supplement their diet by seafood or fish. Consuming large animals is frowned upon and those who do want to eat animals respectfully restrict themselves to the consumption of animals that have died a natural death or small-brained animals and simple life forms such as larvae, shrimps, prawns, squid and small fishes.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Since 1850, the Archipelago is a Kingdom, ruled by the Bong Bong or First Person (equivalent to the western concept of Queen and King). The Head of State or Bong Bong is responsible for the well-being of all Kikiyayans and visitors to the Kingdom. The Bong Bong does not have more rights than any other member of the Kingdom, but will have additional duties and responsibilities. The First Person or Bong Bong has the duty to introduce new ways of conduct. The majority vote of the people is required to make these new ways effective. Every full moon, the entire population, including children, gather at the Palace to discuss and vote for or against New Ways, accept or reject New Laws and Settle Differences by means of a simple legal and voting system. During this gathering, an auspicious day is selected for the Wedding Festival, which occurs once a year before the Monsoon during which all 24-year old girls will get married. It’s the biggest festival of the year. The Bong Bong always seeks advice among the population, especially among the Bongmo’s or chiefs of households, before presenting New Ways of Conduct to the National Referendum which includes all members of the nation above the age of the 8. Thus every child above the age of 8 has the right to vote.

In case of total failure of the First Person, the nation has the right to strip the Bong Bong from her or his responsibilities (this has never occurred in modern history). The First Son or First Daughter (Bong Bong Tchon) will succeed as the new Head of State. The First Person rules until death and is succeeded by his or her Bong Bong Tchon. It is the Kingdom’s main objective to help all people to find happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction, relaxation and spiritual enlightenment by living in perfect harmony with each other and with nature.

ECONOMY
The Kingdom is a predominantly agricultural and fishing community and all produce and catches are for the use of the Kikiyayans only. The Kingdom has no economy, monetary system or export system in the modern sense. There is no currency. There are no businesses or shops etc., in the Kingdom. All produce are shared equally among the population. Food is bountiful and no stomachs have gone hungry since 1981.

Foreign moneys are mostly received from the Japanese Government for the right to fish in Kikiyaya’s territorial waters for six weeks a year, or from the United Nations Protection Act for Small Autonomous Pacific Island Nations, and a number of private, commercial and governmental sponsors in the rest of the world. Foreign moneys are received by the Bong Bong and kept at the Bank of Tokyo and are used for importing specialised products for the greater good of the community, such as solar panels, satellite dishes and light bulbs. There is no telephone connection, no electricity system and no fuel such as petrol or diesel. The community house has several television sets powered by solar energy. Power is created by water and windmills as well as solar panels.

The islands have no manmade ports or marinas, but an airstrip was constructed in the north of Kiki with the help of the Japanese in the 1930s, which is now in use by the Royal Family. The Kingdom keeps one Lear Jet aero plane at the airport of Tokyo, which is used to transport sick people from the Kingdom to the nearest hospitals in either Tokyo or Singapore and to transport essential goods from foreign countries back to the Kingdom.

POPULATION & PEOPLE
Currently, the Kingdom has a population of 4.988. They all live on the main island of Kiki. The Royal Family and Advisers reside in Kiki Town, a small settlement in the south of the main island. All constructions on the island are made by natural materials such as palm leaves for roof constructions and walls, timber for floors and bamboo for support columns. The Palace is the largest construction on the island. It has between fifty and sixty rooms. A small part is used for living space for the Royal Family but most of the Palace is used as the island’s main storage barn for rice and wheat and other food. Half of the population of Kiki Town finds shelter in the Palace during the Monsoon. Domestic animals and cattle are also welcome as the “No Closed Door”-policy also applies to the Royal Palace.

The nation was severely diminished after a tsunami, followed by severe floods and illness in 1981, which cost the lives of more than 14.500 Kikiyayan men, (nearly 80% of the adult male population) and 560 women and children. The population has been stable since the 1990s and is in an upward spiral since the introduction of the New Baby Project in 1994. 100 Taiwanese, Chinese, Thai and Japanese male immigrants were invited to the island for a long sojourn to mix with the local ladies. The birthrate quadrupled within one year and is still rising.

EDUCATION
The Kingdom has no education system in the modern sense. Young people observe the elders and are taught by the entire nation. Every Kikiyayan has the responsibility to take care of, to educate and raise all children in the nation, to teach them about good and bad, about which is useful or not so useful, about the elements of the earth, about the sea and the fishes and the land and the trees and animals, about farming and herbal medicine and natural healing methods.
The Head of State or Bong Bong has the right to send his offspring abroad to learn English and Japanese and to learn about the ways of the other people in the world. The Bong Bong and First Son or Daughter have the duty to be sufficient in English and Japanese in order to be able to communicate to foreign authorities.

SOCIETY & CONDUCT
The People of Kikiyaya are a simple yet highly evolved, passive, peace-loving, non-violent spiritual nation. It is regarded a divine virtue when one is able not to upset anyone in society by harsh words or actions. There is no such thing as killing and stealing in the Kingdom, nor physical fights and aggressive shouting. In fact, there are no words in Kikiyayan to describe theft, rape or the killing of mammals, including humans. Women, children and men live and work together in harmony, and enjoy much play time and love-making.

The working day starts at first light and finishes before noon. After noon it is not common for people to do laborious work and most time is spent playing and love-making. Board and beach games are popular entertainments in the Kingdom. Sports such as surfing, canoeing, tree climbing, coconut throwing and running are popular among most of the men and boys, while fresh water swimming, ball games, cliff-climbing and “doing theatre shows” are popular among most women. Children are encouraged to make their own toys and they enjoy playing with animals and with each other.

Kikiyayans are not shy about their bodies and normally walk around in the nude. Women, men and children enjoy love-making and they spend a great deal of their time grooming and pleasuring each other. Kikiyayans do not understand the concept of seclusion, isolation, privacy or shame and there are no words for in Kikiyayan.

Women have a special place in Kikiyayan society and are referred to in Kikiyayan as “Bongmo” or Great Mother. The virtues of Bongmos are highly appreciated and they are the role models of everyone in the community, including men and boys. Kikiyayan society is therefore a matriarchal and feminine society.

Women and men only use clothing for practical purposes such as protection from the sun or rain, but normally they do not dress indoors or around the house. There is no difference in protective clothing for men, women and children. People that are covered by protective clothing without good reasons are frowned upon and foreign visitors and immigrants are highly appreciated when they follow local customs. Adult women who haven’t reached middle-age usually wear the Kikiyayan type skirt for one week a month.

Traditionally, Kikiyayan men are regarded inferior to women because they are unable to give birth and are thought to have lower intelligence. Intelligence, knowledge and wisdom are highly regarded in Kikiyayan society and are considered female virtues. Traditionally, men are appreciated for their good looks and love-making, dancing and singing, physical strength, and navigational virtues.

Traditionally, a young adolescent woman around the age of 13, selects a number of unmarried males and invites them into her mother’s Family Circle. Love-relations are the norm thus the girl will choose partners that she finds attractive and vice versa. She will have relations with all partners, but won’t give birth until she has reached the age of 18. After giving birth the first time, she will “Settle Down” with a number of her favourite partners, in general between 3 and 5 males. Those males who are not desired are allowed to be chosen by other girls. Men and boys that are not desired by any female mostly end up living in an All Male Family Circle. A general concern is that no one should ever feel like someone’s possession and it is possible to change partners throughout one's lives. Every Bongmo has the responsibility for the well-being of all her partners.

It is allowed for everyone, male, female or otherwise, to have temporary relations with persons outside the Circle. When the girl reaches the age of 24, she will marry her most favourite partners during the annual Wedding Festival and start her own Family Circle. She will be the new Circle’s Head or Bongmo. The ages of her partners may vary from 16 to 50.

Kikiyayan values regarding marriage and sexuality have always been very flexible and in general there is a ‘do as you please as long as it doesn’t upset anyone’-policy. Therefore, one can find all kinds of Family Circles in the Kingdom. Some consists exclusively of males, others consist of females and children, but most traditional Family Circles still consist of one Bongmo, her male partners and her off-spring.

Kikiyayan society is divided in hundreds of Family Circles. The women are responsible for the day-to-day activities to maintain the household. They nurse the children and occupy themselves with handicrafts. The men in the Circles are responsible for the production and gathering of food, fishing, cooking and construction of dwellings. They are also responsible for the maintenance of the fleet of canoes and public dwellings, such as the community house as well as the Royal Dwellings and the Royal Beacon. No one is allowed to do hard labour after noon, and no one is allowed to do hard labour for more than four hours, this in order to preserve the body.

Children are very much loved by everyone and most people will consider every child as their own. Every Kikiyayan is responsible for the well-being of all children, thus they are well taken care of. Survival rates of babies and young children in Kikiyaya are comparable with those in Japan and the USA, despite the fact that the Kingdom has no modern medical facilities and just rely on natural healing methods.

The average age of the Kikiyayan man is 92 and 95 for women. The longest living Kikiyayan (a female), died in a boating accident in 1973 at the age of 136.

LANGUAGE
The official language of the Kingdom is Kikiyayan, but the Royal Family and Government also understand English and Japanese, especially since the introduction of a television set on the island that is hooked up to Asiasat. Kikiyayan has no written script. In the last few decades, the Roman alphabet was introduced, but it is only used by the Royal Family and Administration for purposes of international relations.

Kikiyayan is a tonal language. The language also has a number of “clicks” produced by the tongue and, “grunts”, most of them expressing approval or disapproval. There are a large number of words that are exclusively spoken by either men or women. Kikiyayan is best spoken with a friendly, high, soft voice, both by males and females. Deep sounds or loud sounds are considered harsh and undesirable but accepted and enjoyed when sung by men when they are out at sea fishing.

How do you say hello in Kikiyayan?
Well, that is a little bit complicated. Whenever a Kikiyayan meets another person, he or she will identify him or herself by mentioning his or her gender and the place of birth. The person that is being greeted by the Kikiyayan will understand whether he deals with a male or female and where he or she is from.
Thus a male person from Yaya visiting Kiki would greet a Kikian by saying “Ayayakonikakapo” meaning: I am from Yaya (Ayaya), I greet with my heart (konikaka), I am a male (po).
A female person from Kiki would greet a Yayan by saying: “Akikikonikakamo,” meaning: I am from Kiki, I great you with my heart, I am a female.”
A Kikiyayan meeting a foreigner would greet him by saying “Akikiyayakonikakamo or Akikiyayakonikakapo,” depending on their gender. A Japanese male may say “Anipponkonikakapo,” and an American female may say, ‘A-americankonikakamo.”
However, there are many more ways to greet other people. Another popular greeting for women is an expression of desire such as “Akikiyayakonikakamotektekpo” which roughly translates to “I am from Kikiyaya, I great you with my heart, I am a female, I like your looks.”
The vocal greeting is accompanied by placing the palms of the hands together and holding them in front of the forehead while producing a smile and a deep bow. Married men and women greet each other by a friendly touch of their tongues.

VISITING THE KINGDOM
The Kingdom is not open to foreign visitors or uninvited immigrants without prior approval of the Bong Bong and the People of Kikiyaya. Occasionally, foreign visitors are invited by the Royal Family and Government. In order to protect the culture and traditions of the nation it has been agreed by the People to have a discouraging attitude towards uninvited alien visitors. Every Kikiyayan has the duty to expel any uninvited alien trespassers and/or produce them to the Authorities. Normally, the alien will be welcomed by the Bong Bong and then swiftly deported by being flown out of the country to the nearest international airport. The costs of deportation are to be paid for by the alien.

Direct correspondence with the Government is not possible.
You can contact the Kingdom’s special envoy in Tokyo.