Lunation... A history

Lunation... what is that? you might say.
Lunation is my plan for a country on the Moon. the Moon's true name is Luna. That is what it shall be referred to from now on here. If possible, Lunation would be sponsored by big companies and hopefully even the US government. If not, I'll just have to take matters into my own hands.
Lunation would be a country on the Near side of Luna. Earthdwellers could look up and point at Luna's disk and say, "There's Lunation, right there. On the edge of the Sea of Tranquility."
The first stage would be a base. Probably called Tranquilitatus Alpha, it would be situated on hte eastern "shores" of the "sea". Of course, there is no water on Luna. It is an area of dried lava, darker than the rest of the area. It is called a Mare, pural Maria, which is Latin for "Sea". It is so named becasue that's what early astronomers thought they were.
As a lot people know, Mare Tranquilitatus, or "The Sea of Tranquility", is where the first Apollo mission landed. Lunation could be split into states, named after Each local LM. this would create six states, around the center of Luna's disk.

How would it be Governed?

Lunation would basically be a democracy, with the tiny detail that the rulership would be set up like a monarchy. However, if the "King" does his job poorly, the Congress and public reserve the right to Impeach him.

Lunation's advantages

What good would a country on the Moon be? you may ask. Well, a lot.
1. Luna can serve as a launching point for Mars Missions, since it has a lower escape velocity less fuel would be required.
2. Luna is a world of untapped resources. If necessary, Lunation could build a Mars ship itself. These resources also serve as a precious export, perhaps for building Space Stations or Orbital Spacecraft.
3. Luna has water ice on it. The colonies could be built near these ice deposits, and they could fend for themselves,completely unreliant on Earth.
4. Away from the constant interference of Earth, Luna serves well as a radio beacon, sending messages out to the stars for others to find. it could also recieve messages, if there are any.
5. With no appreciable atmosphere, Luna is the perfect place for astronomers.
6. For the romantics, what could be better than looking up in the sky at a full "Blue Marble" Earth?

Disadvantages

1. Lunation would require a lot of Earthside resources, in the beginning. However the export of Helium 3 in the future could more than pay it off.
2. If in the wrong hands, Luna could become a devastating weapon. A base that few can reach.
3. Being over a quarter of a million miles away, Earthside trips could take weeks.
4. Luna has a much lower ravity than Earth, about 1/6 of it's gravity. However, there are areas called "Mascons" which have higher gravity levels and provide a small magnetic shield.
5. Solar radiation could be a problem. a Coronal Mass Ejection, or CME, would be able to do devastating damage to anything alive that is above the Lunar Surface. There would have to be constant monitoring, and "storm cellars" tha could be used to wait it out.

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Earthrise...
Who can argue with that? such a breathtaking view would be constantly visible from Lunation.

Apollo Saturn V

One of the most powerful rockets ever built, the Saturn V took men to Luna from 1969 to 1972. A pity it had to stop, huh? We have the ability to go now. We just need a leader to set the goal.