Open border Proposal between Gobrassanya and Alora

Introduction

Currently the nations of Gobrassanya and Alora have had very close ties for quite a long time regarding economic interests. Additionally the Grand Lakes International Region is a unique cross border region where citizens from each country live, work and participate in the economies of both countries simultaneously. Some citizens work in one country and live in the other. The area also shares a major systems and international airport, being the only place in the country to have the distinction of having an international airport that exists in two countries at the same time. The Grand lakes region has participated as if it has had a single economy only separated by the use of different currencies. with the rise of electronic transactions and digital currencies this provides the opportunity to open the region to all citizens of both countries and elimnate the restrictions caused by having to negotiate border crossings and clear through customs when traveling between countries.

Challenges

Open borders would pose challenges regarding the idea of loosening restrictions and this could have several implications and benefits

Benefits

Citizens would be able to come and go as they please from either country without having to negotiate a "border crossing"
there would no longer be strict customs and security enforcement.
Travel between countries would become easier especially in cross border economies like Grand Lakes, Malinton/Queensburg and the Asperic coastal cities.
Both countries have citizens that share the same or complimentary nationalities and cultural heritages that would no longer be as divided
Cost of enforcement and military presence would decrease as border checkpoints would no longer need to be staffes or have limited staffing.
- Border checkpoints could be converted to welcome centers or Stop-and-Go checkpoints (see proposals below)

Implications

Less security
- Potential for increase in cross border crime
- people can cross the border to potentially avoid enforcement or prosecution
- trafficking
Different currencies in each country
- this could be remedied by pegging one currency to another.
- And both currencies are currently valued based on the value of the United Standard Dollar.

Many if not all of these implications can easily be addressed by having agreements in place and cooperation between the countries.

Proposals

Option 1 - Border Removal

Decommision border control checkpoints and customs facilities between Alora and Takora allowing freeflow of travel between countries
- Checkpoints can be converted to welcome centers.
- freight traffic would still negotiate the ports of entry along the border and proceed through weigh stations.
Border checkpoints would need to be converted to welcome centers or decommissioned altogether.

Option 2 - Limited Checkpoints

Convert checkpoints to "Stop-and-Go" fucntionality.
Citizens would stop breifly and pass a border security point
- would no longer be required to show government documents or passports
- would be simply waived through to gain entry to the other country.
- Border security would be able to "selectively" detain and investigate individuals based on established security criteria
  - this would be similar to interior border checkpoints in the United States. (By the way I hate these.)
- This option would require some modification to existing border crossing facilities to allow stop and go operation.

Option 3 - Minimal Change

Leave the border checkpoints in place
Instead convert the Grand Lakes International Region into a special economic zone
- (and potentially have other international economic zones)
Allow freeflow of travel and limited or no border control in these "zones" as detailed in option 1
In the international zones, border control checkpoints would be located further inland at the boundaries of the economic zone
- (For example. changing the Grand Lakes region into a special cross border area with freeflow, then placing checkpoints further inland to the country when leaving the "economic zone".)
  - (there is an example of this at the Grand Lakes Int'l airport since it is literally one airport in 2 countries.)

Option 4 - Do Nothing

Leave the border checkpoints as is and continue participation in the GPFTA

Summary

Personally I like option one the best. This proposal can also be expanded to include Khaiwoon as well if it chooses to participate.

Country Code - Working Proposal

OpenGeoFiction Country Codes for Telecommunications - Numbering Plan (Proposal) Proposal to use a 3 digit country code that conforms to the regions as listed below.

Zone 1 (Tarephia)
Zone 2 (Western Uletha)
- +200 Southern Uletha Numbering Plan-proposed (Gobrassanya/Khaiwoon/Alora)
Zone 3 (Eastern Uletha)
- +381 - Izaland (already claimed by this user)
Zone 4 (Antarephia)
Zone 5 (Northern Archanta)
Zone 6 (Southern Archanta)
- +611 - United States of Archanta (already claimed by this user)
Zone 7 (Reserved for New World continents Ereva)
Zone 8 (Reserved for New World continents Kartumia)
Zone 9 (Reserved for New World continents Orano and Pelanesia)

--Indyroads (talk) 18:19, 28 August 2023 (UTC)

Demirhan/Jalacosa Border region.

Geography

I have not spent a lot of time mapping this area. this region is intended to be more desolate than other areas. Ideally I had envisioned this area as a more mediterranean style desert. Somewhat of a rift zone since there is a chain of seas toward the southeast that form somewhat of a straight line yet do not connect to the Mesembrican Sea. The areas along the border are lower in elevation with mountains (Hamasa Range) to the south. If there are changes you propose to climate or geography let me know. For instance if you were wanting to have a wetter or more agricultural terrain in this area, we can discuss that.

Relations

Alora has more of a western feel to the country and while it is religious (Christic) it is not zionist and the government seeks to keep peace and work to promote good relations with its neighbors, even if culturally and religiously there are larger differences.

Dagazan and the border areas (including Medrano) were intended to be transitional territories with a mixture of native Takorans, people of Islamic culture from the north and immigrants from Castellan countries across the sea to the west. hope this helps.

For me these plans sound good. In fact I didn't have any plans for that area which were written in stone but they were mostly in line with what you've proposed. I imagined there must be some barrier (a desert, high plateau etc.) which would allow to justify stark cultural differences between our countries. As you mentioned there should be rift valley there and we don't have much choice about that given the outer circumstances so we should choose option with desert. I will probably extent desert area in Demirhan Empire as far as that big predefined river.

Speaking about human geography and relations I'm not sure if zionism is even a thing in OGF as Jews are supposed to have a homeland somewhere (although I would not feel attached to the idea of it being our neighbour)... Regardless of that I'm ok with having good relations between our countries, I just wanted to clear these things out before mapping the border region. As for my plan for the region as you can see from the map (which needs revise regarding the rivers and some other stuff) Dağezan is supposed to be one of key cities of the country, actually third largest. It is also supposed to have quite international feel as it is probably the only place where our countries and local cultures can directly interact (because of the desert). I also wany to throw several western (probably Castellanese) names on the coast which would suggest colonization attempts in the past to create more consistent picture with Alora. Rustem Pasha (talk) 19:44, 15 November 2024 (UTC)