You can contact Project Alphistia at: alphistia@gmail.com
Click here for The Alphistian Manifesto
Click here to go to a history of Alphistia 1967-77
Click here to go to the Alphistian Language pages
Click here for a detailed description of the geography of Alphistia.
Click here for the 2005 Draft Constitution of Alphistia.
Click here to go to the Landanomikle, a story of Alphistia's imagined past.
Click here for the Online Encyclopedia Alphistiana
My name is Tony and Alphistia has been a part of my life for a long time now. It has been a geofictional country project since I was a boy. One of my favorite writers Ursula K. Le Guin, calls these inventions: "the inner lands".
What is Alphistia?
Alphistia is a "geofictional country". Words such as "micronation" or "model country" are also good descriptions of what Alphistia is. It began as a "neighborhood nation", 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 continued until 1974, when the first "real, existing" Alphistia ended. After that, Alphistia has existed in various incarnations on paper, and since 1995, on the web.
What is "Project Alphistia"?
Project Alphistia was established in 1995 and provides information about the Alphistian homeland (which in the Alphistian language is called the "Lesenum").
Where would Alphistia be located?
There are quite a few possible locations for Alphistia. 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.
(map drawn by Adam Parrish)
What sort of political system does Alphistia have?
Alphistia would be a republic with a democratically elected parliament (called the Kilrete), and a prime minister-president (called the Spor). The Spor would appoint a cabinet from elected Kilrete members. Elections would be held using a system of proportional representation to ensure a diversity of opinion. There would be local elected councils at the provincial and town level.The legal system would be based on the national constitution and a legal code. It would be a non-adversarial system, and there would be no jury trials. There would be be a national court of appeals, which would not make politicized interpretations of the Constitution..
How would the Alphistian economy be organized?
Alphistia would have a "social market" economy. It would resemble the traditional Scandinavian economic systems, of a partnership between economic, government and union interests, There would be comprehensive social welfare benefits like 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 would play an important role in the national economy. All workers would be free to join trade unions. There would be worker representatives on company management councils, and all workers would receive a standard benefits package guaranteeing paid vacations, holidays, sick leave, family leave etc. Universal access to health care would be provided by the Alphistian Health Service.
What would be the basic characteristics of Alphistian society?
Alphistia would have its own political and social norms. Alphistians would 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. Alphistia would be a society with people from many backgrounds and cultures, and efforts would be made to promote tolerance for racial and cultural diversity, sexual orientation etc. There would be a focus on green issues, the development of a non-car dependent culture, building of livable small-scale 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?
Alphistian was invented 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 3000 words. The vocabulary will continue to be developed until all the necessary words for everyday use exist.
What is the Skansatala?
The Skansatala is the Alphistian national epic, like the Kalevala of Finland or the sagas of Iceland. A shortened version called the "Landanomikle" has been written and is available.
Click here to go to the Landanomikle
