1. Account Name (your NationStates account name): Chiho

2. Nation Name (in-character nation name): Chihoese Commonwealth

3. Government type (monarchy, republic, stratocracy, etc.): Unitary parliamentary republic

4. Population: 60,714,300

5. GDP per Capita: $42,428

6. Location claim request (Please use an image for your claim):

7. Secondary claim request (if first claim is unavailable):

8. Please pick one of the following League of Nations statuses:

   • League Member

   • League Observer

   • Non-Member*

9. *If you picked Non-Member, please provide a compelling reason as to why your nation is not part of the League of Nations:

10. Does your nation have carriers? If so, please provide a detailed explanation as to the development of carriers in your nation and why they exist: Yes. The Chiho Naval Defence Force currently has two helicopter carriers in its fleet.
    As a seafaring nation, a capable navy has always been one of the foremost priority areas for the nations military and civilian leaders. While the current two carriers were commissioned in the early 2000's, the navy's first carriers were acquired in the mid-1970's by the then military government. The military government had acquired a Poppy Fields War era aircraft carrier due for scrapping. The reasons behind the acquisition were three pronged. Firstly, there was an atmosphere of paranoia among members of the military government about their ability to defend the relatively sparsely populated islands. The carrier program was intended to be a part of a rapid reaction platform in which to defend those regions. Secondly, there were also fears that the international community would impose a naval blockade as part of an economic embargo against the nation. While the fears may have been unfounded, carriers were intended to be an affordable and practical deterrent as opposed to weapons such as nuclear weapons, as proposed by more hawkish members of the military government. Lastly, the carrier program was a component of economic development plans; intended to foster a thriving shipbuilding industry.
    In the late-1980's, the first domestically produced aircraft carrier was laid down in Mizusawa. However, the carrier would remain unfinished due to the collapse of the military government in the 1990's. The unfinished carrier would be scrapped as the newly elected government had more pressing priorities, and an expensive carrier program was deemed not to be the best use of resources in light of the economic situation.
    The current carrier program supports the nations aims of reviving the maritime tradition as a maritime nation, the continued development of a capable blue-water navy as a means to protect seaborne trade and national interests, as well as catalyst for the growth of a strong and prosperous shipbuilding industry.

    The two helicopter carriers, the CCS Tsuru and the CCS Myeong can support the deployment of 20 aircraft each. Both carriers have the ability to support the deployment of STOVL aircraft. Plans for a fully fledged aircraft carrier were scrapped in 2015, with funds allocated to the building of guided missile destroyers instead.

11. Does your nation have nuclear weapons? If so, please provide a detailed explanation as to how your nation has access to nuclear weapons: No. However, Chiho possesses a civilian nuclear power generation industry. The acquisition of nuclear weapons as a guarantor of national sovereignty has been a fierce point of contention among those in Parliament. The current ruling coalition does not support the acquisition of nuclear weapons, but rather, supports the continued development of the domestic nuclear sector as a means of cleaner energy.
    In addition, the navy currently possesses three nuclear powered attack submarines.
    

SECTION II | ROLEPLAY QUESTIONS

• Have you read the Roleplay Rules in full and understand them? Yes

• Do you understand Historical Consent rules as laid out in Section III of the Roleplay Rules? Yes

• Do you understand, and accept, that the Roleplay Chancellery has the right to remove you from the roleplay temporarily or indefinitely for violating both regional rules and roleplay rules? Yes