In SY163, a small band of pilgrims fled Earth's confines. Their destination: Philosateleia. The existence of the small satellite was a well kept secret, and remains so to this day.

The group, which was comprised primarily but not exclusively of stamp collectors, landed on the only major noncontiguous landmass on Philosateleia, and named that subcontinent Philatelis. There they laid the foundations of a new civilization. The journey had begun.

Gaining a Foothold
The hearty band of interglobal travelers faced many challenges. Transporting supplies from Earth was expensive, the spacecraft used to move the goods were unreliable, and communication problems often led to the wrong items being shipped. In addition, some crops did not fare well in the Philosateleian soil, while scientists had to carefully analyze native flora and fauna to ensure that they were both clean and safe for human consumption before they could be added to the settlers' food supplies.

Despite the initial difficulties, the immigrants quickly adapted to their new environment. From the main settlement, Philatelic City, they spread, first occupying the rest of Philatelis, then moving on to Fishlandia and Dulceren. Although settlement of the Wilderness and the mountainous region of Shakalaka is well under way, there are still vast portions of those areas that remain virtually untouched.

Establishing a Government
As the number of residents grew, and as new settlements were established further and further away from Philatelic City, it became impractical for one individual to coordinate all colonization activities on Philosateleia. As no government on Earth had expressed interest in taking responsibility for Philosateleia, the colonists decided to establish their own government.

A leadership convention of community leaders selected Philatelius, a well-respected young man and a member of the original group of settlers, as Postmaster General, head of the Philosateleian Government. In addition, each of Philosateleia's five major areas was declared an administrative region, and a Postal Inspector will be selected in each region once Philosateleia's population reaches a minimum level defined in the Constitution of Philosateleia. Those five administrators will comprise the Governing Council of Philosateleia.

Building a Civilization
Word of the new world spread in underground circles on Earth, and soon more immigrants arrived, ready to begin a new life. As settlers chose their trades, the fledgling Philosateleian economy flourished.

Philosateleia's population continues to grow. The future looks bright for this satellite.