Official Name: The Park.
Founder and First Leader: Jor (George Livingstone Barnaby Cuthbert)
Form of Government: Anticipatory Zoocracy
Political system: 35 Archons are selected each year by sortition (lottery), a system put into place by Jor, The Park’s first leader and the founder of modern zoocracy. The selection of sortition over direct elections was made by Jor based upon his study of ancient Human political systems. Modifications were made to some of the original ideas, but Jor felt the basic tenets of anticipatory zoocracy could best be maintained through the use of sortition.
Selection of Archons: All adult Park citizens must submit their name as a candidate for Archon by the end of October each year. The names are then divided into six groups, according to Animal classes. At the beginning of January, five candidates from each Animal class are selected to serve as Archon. The names are then put together in one pool, and five more Archons are selected from that pool.
Calendar: Until 28 AZ (After Zoocracy), Animals in The Park used the Varrian Calendar. That year, the 35 Animals serving as Park Archons made the controversial decision to harmonize the calendar with that of the world outside The Park. This calendar is known in The Park as the Human Gregorian Calendar (HGC). The Park’s original calendar, the Varrian Calendar, was based on the solar year and consisted of 12 months. These months were Proto, Barnabus, Varrah, Myrodia, Anthi, Karpos, Azafran, Otium, Karpouzi, Felis, Alepou, and Calypta. The months were alternately 32 and 29 days in length, with the exception of Alepou, which was 28 days in length. Every four years, an extra day was added to Alepou. As the Human Gregorian calendar year does, the Varrian year began in the Winter season; the Varrian month of Proto, then, corresponded to the Human Gregorian Calendar’s month of January. The Varrian Calendar was based on the year that Zoocracy was established in The Park. Dates before that year were written as B.Z. (Before Zoocracy). Dates after that year are written as A.Z. (After Zoocracy). In 29 AZ (2011), citizens in The Park began to use the Human Gregorian Calendar alongside the Varrian Calendar. Full calendar harmonization took effect in January, 2013 (31 AZ).
Economy: Based on private enterprise, but the central government plays an active role in many economic activities.
Currency: Unofficially, the Ftoo (F). Currencies of all species are valid in The Park, but many shops and services prefer to use the Ftoo.
Population Mix: Comprised of three types of Animals: those whose sole residences are located within the boundaries of The Park, those whose primary residences are within The Park, and those whose secondary residences are in The Park.
Citizen Participation: Voting rights are awarded on the basis of birth and residence.
