Santes Republic

Helena is part of Commonwealth Antarctic

Santes Republic
Constituent Republic of Vekllei
Part of the Antarctic Commonwealth
Capital	Glass Town
Population	2,802
Area	207 km²
Languages	English
Vekllei Accession	1836, as part of the British Atlantic Territories

The Santes Republic is a constituent republic in the Atlantic Ocean, and part of Commonwealth Antarctic. Its closest neighbour is Helena, which lies over 2,000km north of the territory. As such, Santes is considered the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world.

The republic comprises six small islands, of which five are closely grouped together. Gough island, a UNESCO world heritage site, lies 320km southeastwards of the main island group and is home only to seabirds and a small Vekllei Weather Service station. The main and only permanently-inhabited island of Santes is roughly circular in shape and rises dramatically from the sea in a volcanic cone.

The climate is mild and windy, and the islands are home to significant biodiversity. Many Santesians are descended from the original European male settlers who had mixed-race wives from Helena, and the majority of the local population is now mixed-race. Almost all live in Glass Town, the capital, which is home to the government, a hospital, two schools and a Maritime Service naval station.

Their society is communal, even by Vekllei standards. All local food sources are shared, consisting of potatoes and coastal shellfishing. Livestock are also raised for consumption. Aside from a VTOL landing site at the naval station, Santes is inaccessible by air and has to be reached by ship. Historically an ageing, shrinking population, the republic has been rejuvenated by interest in the Vekllei localism movement.