Simha City is a city within a small sovereign nation on the Obsidian Peninsula. It is also the informal name for the Simhalan Republic, the liberal-democratic republic of which Simha City is the capital and largest city. This article will discuss both but refer to the nation exclusively as the Simhalan Republic for clarity.

The population of the Simhalan Republic is about 4 million, with about 3.2 million in Simha City, 400 thousand in Banda Town, and 250 thousand in Kottai City. The rest live in rural areas and small towns. This gives the Simhalan Republic an Urban Primacy Index of 8.

The Simhalan Republic's "continental" territory is on the Obsidian Peninsula, but it also includes a number of small islands and the much larger Erimalai Island, which is separated from the mainland by the Uyarntatu Straits. Formerly, the territory of the Republic included Rat Island, but it was sold to the Coiné Union for use as a coaling station and military base. These functions have been abandoned and it is now officially an uninhabited nature preserve and naval gunnery reservation. In real world terms, the territory of the nation outside of Erimalai County is similar in areal size to the state of Rhode Island in the US, or somewhat larger than Luxembourg.

Divisions

The territory of the Simhalan Republic is divided into three Cities, two of which are divided administratively into urban districts, and five rural Counties.

The cities are Simha City, comprising 18 urban districts, Banda town, comprising 3 urban districts, and Kottai City, which is a unified urban district-city. Simha City's districts consist of the highly-urbanized core districts (of which there are ten) and the incorporated suburbs of Lena Park, Cirrotai Village, Anil Malai, Mara Malai, Pleasant Hills, Simha Heights, Old Katar, and Yew River. What parts of the territory remain parts of the counties and which become, or are annexed into, urban districts is a political matter, so some of the outlying "urban" districts are partially rural with ongoing agricultural activity, whereas parts of the "rural" counties contain unincorporated towns and transit suburbs of the cities.

The districts and counties are subdivided into wards, which are arranged for the administrative convenience of the government, and informally into neighborhoods with various names. Although wards are used in arranging elections, local government officers are appointed for them at the district or county level and not by ward-specific elections.

Simha City (Outer incorporated districts)

Lena Park

Lena Park is a mostly-upscale mid-to-high density incorporated district of Simha City. It was lightly bombed during the war. The National Botanic Gardens are located there, as is the "Temple" of the Infernal Order of Heating Men. Lena Park is served by the M line of the subway (not necessarily an exhaustive list.) The subway station Kalar Gardens is in Lena Park.

The party visited this district in "The Infernal Order of Heating Men."

Cirrotai Village

This district is named for a village that was incorporated into Simha City and overtaken by its expansion. It is a low-to-medium density suburban area, with transit-oriented suburbs and some remaining rural areas. The Starry Falls Commune is located there. The M line of the subway serves the district and it runs above-ground there. Known stations are Cirrotai Village (proper), "Starry Creek" (where the commune is), and "Forest Hills" (a suburb).

The party visited this district in "With Awe and Trembling."

Anil Malai

A district which is the location of a good Haldari steam bath, according to the jewelry trader Samia on the Star of Haldar.

The party has never unambiguously visited the district during a session, though Lunette expressed an intention to go to the steam bath in character at the end of "Shot on Film." She said it was "nearby," so that could imply that "Shot on Film" also took place in or near Anil Malai.

Mara Malai

An outlying district which has been rapidly developing post-war.

This district has been visited, by implication, in "A Straightforward Job," as it is the location of the airport and the Aerodyne Club. It was not mentioned by name, however.

Pleasant Hills

The party passed through this district by implication in "Snoop Job on the Star of Haldar" but it was not mentioned by name. It has a subdivision known as the 18th ward, where the Banda Town railway station is. Long distance trains swap in electric locomotives for the run to Union Station in the associated yard.

Simha Heights

A large outlying district. It is urbanized and apparently affluent enough to be somewhat aspirational as a place to live, though given its size, its neighborhoods undoubtedly have considerable socioeconomic diversity.

The party spent at least part of "The Case of the Missing Metro" in this district, as Palatakoo Station and the offices for the Q subway line are located there. Ms. K's uncle Hahmsterzun technically lives in Simha Heights, but seemed to not identify with the district. A player character visited him in "The Infernal Order of Heating Men."

At least the G and J subway lines also serve the district, since they were noted to stop at Palatakoo Station on a subway map seen in-character, but the J might have been a typo for M as Simha Heights is an outlying district and the J is an interior circumferential line.

Yew River

This is an outlying, rural district with some commuter suburbs. It includes Mastapar National Laboratory, a hydroelectric power plant, and a government-owned Ordinance Works that was built underground during the war to protect it from bombing.

The Q line serves the district (and is probably the only subway line.) Yard facilities are located there. Subway stops are shown on the Q line map. The party visited the district during "The Case of the Missing Metro."

Old Katar

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character.

Simha City (Urban core)

Industrial District

This district, which obviously contains factories and so forth, may have been visited by the party in "The Cinema Spectral," depending on your interpretation. At least some residential development exists here, likely oriented toward the working class.

Docks District

The party might have visited this district in "The Cinema Spectral," but the wording is ambiguous.

South Marina

This district appears on the map but has not been visited in character. It was obliquely mentioned in "The Case of the Missing Metro," in the name of the South Marina Tower, a subway signaling control facility that oversees downtown Simha City.

Downtown

This is a highly urbanized and dense district which is, as its name implies, downtown. It has skyscrapers and is the location of Union Station, where many long distance passenger trains call.

It is probably the location of the old Camberline family seat and the former Palace Museum (destroyed by bombing), as well.

The party visited the new, giant obelisk-shaped headquarters of the Camberline Airplane Company in this district, which also contains a penthouse where Gwen Camberline lives. Pompeius Alexander Gambhir-Lam, the comptroller of banks, lives in a townhouse in this district, from which a corpse was recovered by the RIS in "A Family Matter."

Chief Belka was away consulting in this district during "The Cast of the Missing Metro," explaining his absence. He also lives there, taking the subway from his apartment on Embassy Row to the RIS's offices in the Fruitmarket District.

Fruitmarket

This is an urbanized and semi-industrial district near Downtown.

Though rarely mentioned by name, many RIS episodes are at least briefly set in this district, as the headquarters of the RIS, in the Old Camberline Building, is located there.

North Marina

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character.

New City

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character.

Dhivaraya

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character.

North Shore

This is an upscale mostly-residential district, where there are many old mansions and country houses, some dating from feudal times. It is on the coast, and was historically threatened by pirates, leading to some of these houses being lightly fortified.

The party visited this district in "Red in Tooth and Claw."

Vical

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character. It, unusually, elected two Royalist members of parliament, so presumably the district has some strong connection to the former feudal powers in Simha City.

Banda Town

This city appears on the map and has been mentioned in character during "A Snoop Job on the Star of Haldar," but none of its districts have been visited during an episode.

Downtown

Banda Heights

Banda Marina

Kottai City

This city appears on the map and has been mentioned in character during "The Baron of East County," but the party has not visited it during an episode.

Rural Districts

West County

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character.

South Shore County

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character.

East County

A large, rural and somewhat "underdeveloped" district that was the location of "The Baron of East County" and "East County Burning." There is at least one lighthouse there, overlooking the Uyarntatu Straits, and many farms.

East Shore County

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character.

Erimalai County

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character.

Unincorporated Islands

This district appears on the map but has not been mentioned or visited in character.

Government

The Simhalan Republic is a democracy with a two-round runoff voting system used in National, City, and District elections with single winners, such as for mayors and the president. Since more than one member is elected to most parliamentary constituencies, plurality voting determines the first winner, with any additional winners being drawn from party lists in proportion to the party preferences of the voters. Elections are generally free and reasonably fair. The current major parties are the Liberal Democratic Party, a center-right classical liberal party which governs in coalition with the right-wing Civic Nationalist party. The largest opposition party is the Simhalan Workers' Party (WP), a social democratic party, with minor opposition parties including the Communist Party of Simha City and the Royalist Party. The Workers' Party was in government before the war, and a Civic Unity Front (with the cabinet ministers coming from the LDP and WP) governed the city during the war.

The Simhalan Republic has a unicameral parliament lead by a prime minister, and an elected President. Parliament has 65 members including a Speaker who is not popularly elected, and hence cannot vote, but is rather selected by the members of the house and is typically a respected former member or respected retired jurist.

The LD+CN coalition holds 34 seats, controlling parliament but with no margin for defections. A W+CN+C coallition is considered impossible as the CN has ruled out working with communists; the possibility of a CN+W coallition has been discussed a little more seriously but would likely face a great deal of difficulty in developing a mutually acceptable platform. A more realistic possibility would be a W+C coalition if the zeitgeist shifts in favor of the Left, which would likely result in both of these parties gaining seats. As it stands, most pundits predict the LD+CN governing coalition will continue past the next elections.

Constituencies, number, and parties of MPs:

The at-large constituencies are only drawn from party lists, and are used to fine-tune party proportionality based on the votes cast within several related districts (Simha City or Banda Town.)

Judges in the Simhalan Republic face mandatory retirement at age 60.

Normal elections are held in even-numbered years, in the Winter.

Head of State

The head of state is a nonpartisan President of the Republic, who is directly elected by popular vote in a two-round runoff (unless a candidate gets an outright majority in the first round.)

Although the Presidency is mostly a ceremonial position, the President has certain reserve powers (such as an ability to call snap elections, the ability to grant pardons and clemency, and the ability to grant special civilian and military honors) that are actually discretionary to the officeholder. On the other hand, some of the formal powers of the President as head of state, such as accepting diplomatic credentials, appointing and removing government officers, and appointing the cabinet themselves, are exercised according to strict constitutional provisions or upon the binding "advice" of parliament.

Although there is no upper house of the Simhalan parliament, the president can, on the advice of the government, appoint any Simhalan citizen as a Presidential Counselor for a fixed term, and they are then eligible to serve as a cabinet member. One can be reappointed any number of times, and the president (again on the advice of his government) can also dismiss counselors early.

The president serves a single six-year term. No one may be re-elected president.

The incumbent president is Dr. Marcus Winthrop Kinnam, who was elected in 4790, and whose term will expire in 4797 after elections in the Winter of 4796. President Kinnam is a cat. He is an economist and former university dean who served as a nonpartisan technocratic administrator during the war, and was well-liked by the public for his perceived role in bringing an end to food and fuel shortages. He had a minor scandal in 4793 when he was caught by a hot microphone making a rude remark about a cabinet minister's intelligence, but he remains fairly popular.

Current Cabinet

Prime Minister

The current prime minister and head of government for the Simhalan Republic is Conrad Tuzi, age 63, a rabbit, Liberal Democrat for Simha City at Large.

Deputy Prime Minister

The deputy prime minister is Archibald Fox, a fox, 47, Liberal Democrat for Lina Park.

Foreign Minister

The foreign minister is Tristan Olokom, an opossum, age 50, Liberal Democrat for the West County, elected from the party-list. He is the first non-placental mammal to be a cabinet minister. Though he is a native of the Republic whose ancestors came as visiting scholars, his appointment to head the foreign ministry was seen as an explicit attempt to garner good relations with the New World.

Interior Minister

(LD Anil Malai - Plurality) - Incumbent TBD

Defense Minister

The defense minister is Constantine Nadar, Civic Nationalist for Banda Heights, a 46-year-old sloth bear. During the war, he was Lt. Col. Nadar, a war hero, albeit a controversial one. He is a vocal proponent of a larger professional standing army for the Republic, which is part of the Civic Nationalist platform.

Finance Minister

The finance minister, a member of the LDP, recently resigned in disgrace after a sex scandal. The president has, on the advice of the prime minister, appointed Clement J. Hund, 55, as a presidential counselor so that the PM could make him temporary finance minister. A by-election to fill the vacant parliamentary seat in Old Katar is planned. Although the seat is expected to go to the Liberal Democrats, the election is closely watched because an upset win by the Workers' Party could put the LDP-CNP coalition into minority government. Although the only other likely coalition (Workers' Party - Communist Party) would still fall short of a majority, the government could be toppled by a vote of no confidence, likely leading the president to call snap elections unless a different minority government could form.

Civil Works Minister

(CN Banda Town at Large - Party List) - Incumbent TBD

Welfare Minister

The welfare minister is Dr. Gertrude Periya-Anil, a squirrel, age 60, Liberal Democrat for Lena Park (elected from the party list.) She is the first woman cabinet minister from the LDP, though there were previously several women cabinet ministers during the pre-war Worker's Party government and two during the Civic Unity Front government during the war, both as WP members of the LDP-WP grand coalition.

Transport Minister

Dr. Ing. Karl Kochka, a cat, age 68, Liberal Democrat for Kottai City, is the transport minister. He is a civil engineer known for his role in developing the SKBER railway.

The former transport minister was Cornelius Seraphicus III, who resigned and then later died by suicide after his scheme to discredit the public prosecutor who was investigating his corruption was foiled by the RIS in "Red in Tooth and Claw." His seat in parliament (North Shore plurality) was easily won by another Liberal Democrat in the by-election following his resignation from the cabinet and parliament, but the MP for Kottai City was appointed to the cabinet position as he was better qualified.

Agriculture Minister

(CN East County - Plurality) - Incumbent TBD

Minister of Industry and Science

Bernard Patrick Yutu, age 38, a rabbit, Liberal Democrat for Yew River, is the minister of industry and science.

This minister was mentioned in "The Valley of the Quills," and apparently has a hand in the Republic's exploration of nuclear technology and ancient ruins.