1 Based on the gambling reference in the challenge post, here's the flag of JAQCPOT, showing its 'BlaqcJaqc' emblem. The Joint Association of Quality Casinos and Performers' Orbital Territory was one of the first privately owned orbital space stations to be launched, quickly challenging the more traditional gambling centres on Earth such as Las Vegas and Monte Carlo. Outside of any country's jurisdiction, JAQCPOT is now the premier playground for billionaires, trillionaires and those so rich they've stopped counting, offering unimaginable prizes, free-flowing champagne and beyond luxurious accommodation, all complete with stunning 360° panoramas of Earth and the cosmos.
2 GIOCATORIA
The Republic of Giocatoria was founded in 2014 when, following the sensational exit of Italy from that year’s World Cup, the island of Lucicudi, one of the Aeolian Islands, exercised its right to declare itself an independent nation. That right had been granted by King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies in 1848 when, following an attempt by Sicily to secede from his Kingdom, the Lucicudians supported the King and supplied him with money and weapons. Although Ferdinand’s action seemed out of keeping with his behaviour at the time, it is believed by some historians that the Lucicudians had arranged to keep ready a fast ship were the king to have been deposed and forced to flee. The right to independence was to be effective from the date of Ferdinand’s death.
The entitlement to independence was challenged by the Italian government despite rulings in the island’s favour by both the Corte di Cassazione and the Corte Costituzionale. The issue was finally resolved when the new nation offered a ‘double or nothing’ game of poker to the Italian leader Fabio Scommessoni – who accepted and won the prize of 400 billion Euros, although it has been suggested that his opponent, Marco Truffatori, deliberately lost the game.
Giocatoria is a lottocracy where every 5 years all the major government positions are decided by selecting citizens' names at random. The head of government, the Banchiero Principale, may however stay on for a second term if he can throw 3 successive double sixes of the dice at a special ceremony held during the last month of his normal term of office. Now internationally renown as the major centre for gambling, anonymous account banking, no taxes, no extradition treaties and free ice cream, Giocatoria is one of the wealthiest nations in the world.
The flag of the republic was approved on 1 April 2016 (when the nation formally adopted the name Giacatoria) and features 21 horizontal stripes plus a canton bearing the skull and crossbones within a roulette wheel and a different card suite symbol in each corner. The white skull and crossbones on a black background was chosen as it was used extensively by pirates and was known as the Black Jack flag – although that flag is popularly known as the Jolly Roger some experts believe that name originally referred to a red flag with that motif (thus corrupted from the French Jolie Rouge, ‘Pretty Red’)
3 The Order of Jesus' Apostles arose in London, England, in the 15th Century, during the terrible pandemic known as the "Black Death". Several laymen came together, and under the direction of a parish priest named Christopher comforted and cared for the sick, dying and grieving. They were known for their ability to articulate the scriptures and for the care they took as they helped bury the dead. Their movement grew, spreading rapidly throughout the British Isles and to mainland Europe. Known as the "Apostolic Brothers", the OJA became an official Church Order in 1472.
The flag of the Order of Jesus' Apostles:
4 The flag of Buda and Pest, the twin cities overseen by the twin Jacks, a legendary set of brothers that built rival cities on either sides of the Danube. Rivalries have fallen away long ago, and now the bridges that join the two are denoted by the yellow bars.
5 Black Jack's Armed Contracting Company
Black Jack's is the premier private military company of the 22nd century. Founded by Jacob "Black Jack" Martin in the 2093 after serving with the United States Navy SEALs (and after participating in a number of joint operations with the other special operating forces of the United States Military, as well as the British SAS, Israeli Shayetet 13, Korean 707th Battalion, and others), Black Jack's original team earned a name for itself after thoroughly humiliating anti-terrorism units in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Mexico. Since then, the company has earned contracts for counter-terrorism (including training), corporate security, bodyguard services, bounty hunting, anti-piracy, privateering, as well as traditional mercenary functions. To date, Black Jack's has toppled thirty governments (13 for foreign governments, 17 for domestic revolutionaries) and has been utilized in over seventy armed conflicted (including a time when the company successfully occupied Damascus for twenty-three days, during which time the company flag flew over the city). Rumors abound that the group has been hired to conduct terrorist attacks, though nothing has ever been proven.
2 GIOCATORIA
The Republic of Giocatoria was founded in 2014 when, following the sensational exit of Italy from that year’s World Cup, the island of Lucicudi, one of the Aeolian Islands, exercised its right to declare itself an independent nation. That right had been granted by King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies in 1848 when, following an attempt by Sicily to secede from his Kingdom, the Lucicudians supported the King and supplied him with money and weapons. Although Ferdinand’s action seemed out of keeping with his behaviour at the time, it is believed by some historians that the Lucicudians had arranged to keep ready a fast ship were the king to have been deposed and forced to flee. The right to independence was to be effective from the date of Ferdinand’s death.
The entitlement to independence was challenged by the Italian government despite rulings in the island’s favour by both the Corte di Cassazione and the Corte Costituzionale. The issue was finally resolved when the new nation offered a ‘double or nothing’ game of poker to the Italian leader Fabio Scommessoni – who accepted and won the prize of 400 billion Euros, although it has been suggested that his opponent, Marco Truffatori, deliberately lost the game.
Giocatoria is a lottocracy where every 5 years all the major government positions are decided by selecting citizens' names at random. The head of government, the Banchiero Principale, may however stay on for a second term if he can throw 3 successive double sixes of the dice at a special ceremony held during the last month of his normal term of office. Now internationally renown as the major centre for gambling, anonymous account banking, no taxes, no extradition treaties and free ice cream, Giocatoria is one of the wealthiest nations in the world.
The flag of the republic was approved on 1 April 2016 (when the nation formally adopted the name Giacatoria) and features 21 horizontal stripes plus a canton bearing the skull and crossbones within a roulette wheel and a different card suite symbol in each corner. The white skull and crossbones on a black background was chosen as it was used extensively by pirates and was known as the Black Jack flag – although that flag is popularly known as the Jolly Roger some experts believe that name originally referred to a red flag with that motif (thus corrupted from the French Jolie Rouge, ‘Pretty Red’)
3 The Order of Jesus' Apostles arose in London, England, in the 15th Century, during the terrible pandemic known as the "Black Death". Several laymen came together, and under the direction of a parish priest named Christopher comforted and cared for the sick, dying and grieving. They were known for their ability to articulate the scriptures and for the care they took as they helped bury the dead. Their movement grew, spreading rapidly throughout the British Isles and to mainland Europe. Known as the "Apostolic Brothers", the OJA became an official Church Order in 1472.
The flag of the Order of Jesus' Apostles:
4 The flag of Buda and Pest, the twin cities overseen by the twin Jacks, a legendary set of brothers that built rival cities on either sides of the Danube. Rivalries have fallen away long ago, and now the bridges that join the two are denoted by the yellow bars.
5 Black Jack's Armed Contracting Company
Black Jack's is the premier private military company of the 22nd century. Founded by Jacob "Black Jack" Martin in the 2093 after serving with the United States Navy SEALs (and after participating in a number of joint operations with the other special operating forces of the United States Military, as well as the British SAS, Israeli Shayetet 13, Korean 707th Battalion, and others), Black Jack's original team earned a name for itself after thoroughly humiliating anti-terrorism units in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Mexico. Since then, the company has earned contracts for counter-terrorism (including training), corporate security, bodyguard services, bounty hunting, anti-piracy, privateering, as well as traditional mercenary functions. To date, Black Jack's has toppled thirty governments (13 for foreign governments, 17 for domestic revolutionaries) and has been utilized in over seventy armed conflicted (including a time when the company successfully occupied Damascus for twenty-three days, during which time the company flag flew over the city). Rumors abound that the group has been hired to conduct terrorist attacks, though nothing has ever been proven.