Alphistia Information and FAQ

Alphistia has been a part of my life for a long time now, and I think it says a lot about who I am and what is important to me. It's an imaginary country, or as one of my favorite writers Ursula K. Le Guin calls these inventions: "the inner lands". Although fictional, I write about Alphistia, its history, language, and culture, as though it exists. It makes for easier reading, without all those "woulds, should, and coulds"...

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Alphistia?

Alphistia is a model country. It began as a "neighborhood nation" which I created when I was a nine-year-old boy in 1967 in a town near Cincinnati, Ohio. Various houses on a working-class street were designated as "provinces", and local children joined up as "citizens". A proto-Alphistian language was created, complete with its own alphabet. This childplay continued until 1974, when the first "real, existing" Alphistia ended. For the next 20 years or so, Alphistia has existed on paper in various incarnations.Currently, Alphistia continues its status as a "virtual" country

What is "Project Alphistia"?

Project Alphistia provides information about this model country.

Where would Alphistia be located?

Alphistia as a model nation exists only on paper and as a "virtual country" on the Web, but there are quite a few imagined locations for Alphistia, almost always outside the USA.Recently, a scenario and fictionalized history has been outlined, placing Alphistia on part of a medium-sized island in the North Atlantic, several hundred kilometers southwest of Iceland. The preferred location is undeveloped and thinly populated land without climate extremes, suitable for farming and the development of several dozen small towns and cities. A comprehensive network of electrified railways connect the settlements to each other. Villages are linked to the railway stations by electric buslines. A large part of the territory is left in its natural state.

(Below is an artistic rendering of Alphistian territory. Click on the map for a full-size map.)

What sort of political system does Alphistia have?

Alphistia is a republic with a democratically elected parliament (called the Kilrete), and a prime minister-president (called the Spor). The Spor appoints a cabinet from elected Kilrete members. Elections use a system of proportional representation to ensure a diversity of opinion. There are local councils at the provincial and town level.The legal system is based on the national constitution and a legal code. It is be non-adversarial and there would be no jury trials. There is be a national court of appeals, which does not make politicized interpretations of the Constitution. Alphistia's political system differs from the US and other countries with Anglo-Saxon traditions. It is more like the northern European systems in Scandinavia or the Netherlands.

How is the Alphistian economy be organized?

Alphistia has a "social market" economy. It resembles Germany's economic system of a partnership between economic, government and union interests, as opposed to the extreme laissez-faire system of the US. There are comprehensive social welfare benefits similar to programs in Scandinavian countries or the Netherlands. Co-operatives modeled on the profit-making co-ops of the Mondragon organizations in the Basque region of Spain play an important role in the national economy. All workers are free to join various trade unions. There are worker representatives on company management councils, and all workers receive a standard benefits package guaranteeing paid vacations, holidays, sick leave, family leave etc. Universal access to health care is provided by the Alphistian Health Service and is not provided only to those with jobs.

What are the basic characteristics of Alphistian society?

Just as the US has a national "ideology", known as the American Way of Life, Alphistia has its own political and social norms. Alphistians have the same political freedoms as other Western industrialized countries: to organize politically and express opinions, travel abroad or emigrate, be religious, be creative artistically. The dominant culture is egalitarian and more like a social-democratic society than the increasingly rightwing US. Alphistia would be a society with people from many backgrounds and cultures, and efforts are made to promote tolerance for peoples' racial and cultural diversity, sexual orientation etc. There is a focus on green issues, the development of a non-car dependent culture, building of livable small-sized urban settlements, and providing all Alphistians with the opportunity to balance work with adequate leisure time for hobbies, education, or cultural activities.

What is the Alphistian language?

I invented Alphistian when I was a nine year old boy. It had its own alphabet, grammar, and a vocabulary of several hundred words. Alphistian now uses the Latin alphabet, has a regular and simple grammar, and a vocabulary of about 1500-2000 words. The vocabulary will continue to be developed until all the necessary words for everyday use exist. New words will then be added through everyday usage, or through proposals made by a language committee.
The Alphistian language is at the core of the "Alphistian Idea". A national language other than English greatly aids the development of a unique cultural life, like small countries such as Iceland or Israel.English is important for Alphistians to know as a second language, since it is the international language of the world's educated population.

What is the Skansatala?

The Skansatala is the Alphistian national epic, like the Kalevala of Finland or the sagas of Iceland. Currently it exists only in outline form, describing a mythical Alphistia during a golden age in the distant past.

What else is important to know about Alphistia?

Project Alphistia can provide further information about this personal project. To learn more about Alphistia send email to: alphistia@yahoo.com

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