San Serriffe

San Serriffe is an island nation in the southern oceans. It is most usually reported from the Indian Ocean but owing to a peculiarity of ocean currents and erosion its position does vary.

Geography

San Serriffe is an archipelago consisting of two main islands and a number of smaller ones. Of the larger islands, the more northerly (the Caissa Superiore or Upper Caisse) is roughly round and the more southerly (the Caissa Inferiore or Lower Caisse) round but with a promontory extending south-westwards from the south-east, at Thirty Point. The two major islands are separated by the Shoals of Adze, dominated by Cap Em. The capital, Bodoni, is in the centre of the Caissa Superiore, and is served by an international airport. It is linked by fast highways to the major ports, including Port Clarendon. However since the advent of computers, Arial in the Lower Caisse has acquired increasing importance.

Ethnic groups

The native people of San Serriffe are the Flong. However the dominant group are of European stock, the descendants of colonists and known as colons. There is also a large mixed-race group, known as semi-colons.

Government

For many years following independence in 1967, San Serriffe had an autocratic form of government under military strongman General Pica. However, democratic elections have now been held, and since 1997 the ruler has been the charismatic Anthony Bourgeois.

Culture

Among the cultural highlights of life in San Serriffe are:

• The Cult of the Sonorous Enigma
• The Festival of the Well-Made Play
• The Ampersand String Quartet

The relaxation of the islands' strict anti-pornography laws under the Bourgeois government has led to the publication of a series of risqué novels by Serriffean journalists, collectively referred to as the "Times Nude Romances".

National bird

The kwote

Sport

San Serriffe has made little impression on the international sporting world apart from their epic defeat of England at football in [[1999]. The application of the national Rugby Union, the Kwotes, to participate in the Rugby World Cup 1999 was rejected by a Twickenham official on the grounds that, "We don't have any four-figure scoreboards, old boy". However the islands' Ironman endurance challenge, a race involving running, mountain biking and sailboarding from Cap Em to the German immigrant village of Ems in the Caissa Inferiore (popularly known as the Two Em Dash), now attracts international participants, and it is some years since it was won by a Serriffean athlete.

External links

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,308487,00.html http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/exhibits/recent/sanserif.jpg Map of San Serriffe

References

• [www.museumofhoaxes.com/af_1977.htm Special Report: San Serriffe.] The Guardian, 1st April, 1977 (10pp)
• Visit San Serriffe, The Guardian, 1st April, 1978
• Bachaus, T. (2001). The Booksellers of San Serriffe. Newtown, PA: Bird & Bull Press. (edited by Henry Morris)

This article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by fixing it.