Porta Bianca

Porta Bianca, officially the Commonwealth of Porta Bianca (Cartadanian: Comunidade da Porta Bianca), is a state of Cartadania located in the northeastern Taínean Sea. The state is an archipelago that includes the main island of Porta Bianca and a number of smaller ones. The capital and most populous city is Amar. The island's population is approximately 12.6 million, making it the ninth most populous state in Cartadania. Porta Bianca's rich history, tropical climate, diverse natural scenery, traditional cuisine, and attractive tax incentives make it a popular destination for travelers from around the world.

Originally populated by the indigenous people of the northern Taínean region, Porta Bianca was claimed by Cartadania in 1691 as a territory before becoming a state in 1730. The island's cultural and demographic landscapes were shaped by the displacement and assimilation of the native population and settlement from mainland Cartadanians. Within Cartadania's colonial years, Porta Bianca played a very distinct role as a basing site to southern Crona. It also was a very popular site of tourism for mainlanders and international tourists alike.

Cartadania's control over the island produced a distinctive creole Romantic culture, uncommon of Sarpedonic region, and language that combined indigenous, Vallosian, Sarpedonian, and southern Levantine elements.

Etymology
Porta Bianca is Old Cartadanian for "white port". Porta Biancans often call the island Yunisuyara, its indigenous name, which means "white water place". The shortened term suyara is sometimes used to identify someone from Porta Bianca of Tainean heritage. The island is also popularly known in Cartadanian as a fronteira do paraiso, meaning the "paradise's frontier".

For much of its history before claim and statehood during the territorial era, the main island was known as Suyara. This has, over time, become the term for people of Tainean descent living in Porta Bianca. It is also used to refer to the chain in a geographic sense; the Suyara Archipelago. The state's founders renamed the island to Porta Bianca, deriving from the fact that all of the states beaches, with the exception of one, have white sand.

Pre-Cartadanian Era
Reconstructed village in Mecahuatl Parish The ancient history of the archipelago, which is today Porta Bianca, is not very well known. Unlike other indigenous cultures of the occident which may have left behind archaeological and physical evidence of their societies, very few artifacts and little evidence remains of Porta Bianca's indigenous population. Scarce archaeological findings and early Cartadanian accounts from the colonial era constitute much of what is known about them. Early Cartadanians did co-exist and even intermixing with the indigenous, preserving their culture down many generations. This exists solely in biolgical heritage, as the society of these indigenous peoples collapsed not long after Cartadanian arrival.

Census records from 1700 reveal that approximately 43% of Cartadanian men in Amar were married to Tainean women, and some present-day Porta Biancans have Tainean ancestry.

Cartadanian colony and territorial era
Pineapple fields in Carolina Parish In 1691, when Porta Bianca became a territory, it became a forward station for the Cartadanian Navy. This would give Cartadania a closer starting point for its pursuit of Crona. The territory was also used for agriculture in its highlands. The interior of the state's main island is covered in coffee and pineapple plantations in many parishes. The outer portions stretching from low hills to the beaches are often used for tourism.

In the late 1690s between 1696 and 1699, and following the territorial status of Porta Bianca, many mainlanders flocked to the island. They sought many of the new incentives the federal government was offering for relocating and developing the island, including tax reductions, large swathes of land, and federal grants. The territory's population grew, on average, 651% each year until Congress ended the program in October 1699. By 1700, the territory's population had cross 1.5 million, and migratory growth from other states was beginning to slow. It was around this time that Porta Bianca's government began to mature from a loose gathering of parishes to an actual single entity controlling the entire island chain.

In 1706, the territorial government began an aggressive campaign for representation in Congress, as it lacked voting power in the federal legislature. In 1710, with the ratification of Cartadania's new constitution, Congress gave Porta Bianca and all of Cartadania's other territories equal representation to states in Congress. The territory elected it's 3 senators and Alahuela approved the election. This gave Porta Bianca a slight edge over some states, chiefly those who were less populous and tended to vote conservatively. There was some backlash in those states about giving territories congressional power, with many opposers stating that it would blur the line between state and territory. Congress, however, proceeded with the powers and responded back that "congress still holds majority power of all territories".

It would turn out that this was not enough for the growing territory. As its population kept growing and other people groups began arriving, such as Burgundians from Flordeterre and Port-de-Vent, and Pelaxians, the territorial government began to seek more control over the islands.

Statehood referenda
Beginning in 1724, Porta Bianca's governor petitioned Congress to grant Porta Bianca statehood, to which they originally refused. Many congressman stated that Porta Bianca was too far to cooperate with other states as a fully-fledged member of the union. The issue was presented again to Congress in 1725, to which they agreed conditionally. They required the territory's residents to vote on the manner and, should the vote be in favor of statehood, draft a constitution to be approved by the Senate.

In 1726, the first vote was held, but not many residents voted, so Congress nullified the results and required a revote. Upon the second vote, approximately 81% of the territory's population turned out to vote, with all voting in favor of statehood. From this vote, there was a period of stagnation as the territorial government began drafting and scrapping constitutions. It ultimately based its constitution on a mix of Milan and Venice's constitutions, even replicating the parochial structure of Milan. This initial constitution was submitted to congress, but was declined and sent back due to its failure to address equality "regardless of race or ethnicity", something Venice and Milan addressed in their amended constitutions two years later.

In 1729, after a period of internal issues, the constitution was amended and sent back to Congress. Again, some conservatives opposed the addition of Porta Bianca to the union as a state, mostly those from San Andreas. The Senate, however, chose to continue with admission as it had stated it would approve the issue if conditions were met.

Finally, on the 7th of September 1730, the Commonwealth of Porta Bianca was admitted to the union as the 7th state. The Congress stated, "We welcome the Commonwealth of Porta Bianca into our humble union as our 7th state. Per negotiations, the commonwealth is required to elect a new governor and appoint all offices detailed in its constitution, effective immediately.". This began a new age for the island chain and would lead to some very unique situations.

Early statehood
In the 1730s, the power of plantation owners, who were becoming more conservative, began to fade at the hands of the descendants of immigrant laborers, who were voting in favor of more liberal ideas.

Following its statehood, Porta Bianca quickly modernized through construction and its rapidly growing tourism economy. State programs began to promote the Tainean culture and it would become a staple of Porta Bianca. Though the Tainean people no longer live on the islands that compose the state, what is known of them is often seen throughout the commonwealth.

21st century
In more recent years, Porta Bianca has seen an explosion in its population, sitting at approximately 11.6 million residents at the 2030 census. It's economy has diversified, although is still heavily based on tourism. That said, Porta Bianca has one of the strongest economies in Cartadania, with its gross state product sitting at approximately $745.1 billion as of June 2038. It still serves as a forward base to Crona, but has recently ceded some of that power to base in the territory of The Solemias.

Recently, Porta Bianca has begun a very large infrastructure overhaul as many of its highways have now become outdated and need to be widened. This is seen with the recent completion of State Highway 101, a former 4 (2-2) lane highway that has been upgraded to 8 lanes (4-4) to help ease congestion.

More recently, with the eminent collapse of Covinia, Cartadania as part of its mission to the LoN and E5, will assume control over the Tronitas island group just north of Porta Bianca's main island. Congress has stated that following this, the islands would be ceded to the Commonwealth as a part of its territory.

Climate
Porta Bianca has a tropical monsoon climate on the Koppen climate classification. Summer highs usually reach around 31 °C (88 °F) during the day, with the temperature reaching a low of 24 °C (75 °F) at night. Winter day temperatures are usually around 28 °C (83 °F); at low elevation, they seldom dip below 18 °C (65 °F) at night. The northern mainland of Porta Bianca experiences one of the highest average annual rainfall on Earth, about 12,000 mm (460 inches) per year. The state only experiences two seasons; the dry season runs from October to April and the wet season is from May to October.

The temperatures are relatively stable year around. The warmest temperature recorded in Porta Bianca is 40 °C (104 °F) on 30 October 1959 in the city of Minaka Falls. Porta Bianca's temperatures are kept quite tolerable by the prevailing winds that circulate above the island. These keep the islands cooler than most equatorial places. The lowest temperature recorded in Porta Bianca is -6.1 °C (21 °F) observed in September 1963 at the summit of Mount Taini.

Administrative divisions
Porta Bianca is divided into 34 parishes (the equivalent of counties in most other states). Most parishes have an elected government known as the Parish Commission. It is the legislative and executive government of the parish, and is elected by the voters. Its members are called Commissioners, and together they elect a president as their chairman.

A more limited number of parishes operate under home rule charters, electing various forms of government. These include mayor-council, council-manager (in which the council hires a professional operating manager for the parish), and others.

Porta Bianca's parochial structure is nearly identical to that of Milan, one of only three states to have parishes (the last being Montecarlo).

State government
The state government of Porta Bianca is modeled after the federal government with adaptations originating from other states and early colonial government. As codified in the Constitution of Porta Bianca, there are three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch is led by the Governor of Porta Bianca, who is assisted by the Lieutenant Governor of Porta Bianca, both of whom are elected on the same ticket. The governor is the only state public official elected statewide; all others are appointed by the governor. The governor and lieutenant governor oversee 36 agencies and departments from offices in the State Capitol. The official residence of the governor is Aloi Hill.

The legislative branch consists of the bicameral Porta Bianca General Assembly, which is composed of the 100-member Porta Bianca House of Representatives led by the Speaker of the House, and the 34 member Porta Bianca Senate led by the President of the Senate. The General Assembly meets at the State Capitol.

Porta Bianca Supreme Court The judicial branch of Porta Bianca is the Porta Bianca State Judiciary. It consists of the state's highest court, the Supreme Court of Porta Bianca, which meets at Ascari Hall, adjacent to the capitol building. The commonwealth also has a number of smaller appellate and trial courts across all of its 34 parishes, which also have their own courts.

Law enforcement
Porta Bianca's statewide police force is the Porta Bianca State Police. It is a division of the state's Department of Public Safety. Its troopers have statewide jurisdiction with power to enforce all laws of the commonwealth, including city and parish ordinances. The State Police are primarily a traffic enforcement agency, with other sections that delve into trucking safety and narcotics enforcement. Game wardens were formerly a part of the state police, but have since been relocated to the Department of Game and Wildlife.

The elected sheriff in each parish is the chief law enforcement officer in the parish. They are the keepers of the local parish prisons, which house felony and misdemeanor prisoners. They are the primary criminal patrol and first responder agency in all matters criminal and civil. The sheriffs are responsible for general law enforcement in their respective parishes. Amar is an exception, as the general law enforcement duties fall to the Amar Police Department.

Economy
The history of Porta Bianca's economy can be traced through a succession of dominant industries: education, tourism, coffee, pineapple, sugarcane, sandalwood, and the military. Even before it became a state and was still a territory, tourism has been the largest industry, contributing 19.6% of the gross state product (GSP) in 2004. In recent years, the state has added manufacturing as a major sector of its economy (primarily pharmaceuticals, textiles, petrochemicals, and electronics) as well as services (primarily finance, insurance, real estate, on top of tourism).

Porta Bianca's total gross state product in 2037 was $745.1 billion, placing it at 9th in the nation. It has a GSP per capita of $64,046, lower than the national GDP per capita.

Taxation


Porta Bianca residents used to pay the most per capita in state taxes within Cartadania. This was drastically reduced with 2030's HB256, SB7, SB8, and SB9. HB256 rewrote the state's tax code and the Senate Bills gave the parishes control of education, health care, and social services. It has one of the lowest sales tax rates in the country at only 4.00%. Still, Porta Bianca has the 7th highest fuel tax of all 36 states and territories at 11.92 cents per liter (45.12 cents per gallon).

Cost of living
The cost of living in Porta Bianca, specificall in Amar, is quite high compared to that of other major cities in Cartadania. The cost of living does not account for some costs, such as increased travel costs for flights to the mainland. The states utilities are on par with the mainland states, with the exception of water, which has more steps to go through before being pumped to cities.

The median home value in Porta Bianca in July 2038 was $617,200. Porta Bianca has the highest median home values of all states, including Verona, which had a median home value of $581,600. Research placed the 2030 median sale price of a single family home in Amar, Porta Bianca at $602,900. Unlike other territories, Cartadania's postal operation code prohibits extra shipping costs as a result of Porta Bianca's insular status. So, relative to any other state in the union, shipping costs are on par. This means that goods are typically similarly priced between it and other states, and in some cases, may be cheaper due to the states low sales tax.

Demographics
The Cartadania Office of the Census estimates that the population of Porta Bianca was 12,624,039 on 1 July 2038, making it the eighth most populous state in Cartadania. The population density of the state is 97.52 people per square kilometer (252.58 per square mile).

Ethnic groups
According to census estimates, the population of Porta Bianca in 2037 was:


 * Pardo 57.2
 * Burgoignesc/Charentais 28.7%
 * White (Latinate/northern Levantine descent)
 * Cronan 2.6%
 * Punthite 0.4%
 * Native 11.1%

The major ancestry groups of Porta Bianca are Burgoignesc (47.2%), Taino (9.1%), Caphirian (8.7%), Audonian (7.8%), Pelaxian (6.3%), Urcean (4.5%), and Angle (1.4%).

Education
Porta Bianca parish and city public school systems are administered by school boards with members elected at the local level. Formerly, all schools in the commonwealth were administered directly by the state's government as a result of extreme variation between school boards. This was changed in 2030, when the commonwealth drafted SB9, returning all power over schools back to their parishes and cities for the first time since 1971.

Porta Bianca high schools (grades nine through twelve) are required to administer a standardized, multiple choice End of Course Test, or EOCT, in each of eight core subjects: algebra, geometry, trigonometry, history, economics, biology, an elected physical science, and Cartadanian literature and composition. The official purpose of the tests is to assess "specific content knowledge and skills".

Porta Bianca is home to several notable colleges and universities, which include Commonwealth University of Porta Bianca in Amar, and Suyara University in Kairi. Most notably, though, is the University of Porta Bianca, which is the commonwealth's flagship research university. Porta Bianca's workforce of more than 6.5 million is constantly refreshed by the growing number of people who move there along with the 100,000 graduates from the universities, colleges, and technical colleges across the state, including the highly ranked University of Porta Bianca, Commonwealth University of Porta Bianca, and Suyara University.

Music
The music of Porta Bianca has evolved as a heterogeneous and dynamic product of diverse cultural resources. The most conspicuous musical sources have been Burgundie, Pelaxia, and Audonia, although many aspects of Porta Biancan music reflect origins elsewhere in Sarpedon, Levantia, and other places within the Tainean and Vallos, and, more recently, from Cartadania itself. Porta Bianca's music culture today comprises a wide and rich variety of genres, ranging from indigenous genres to hybrids.

Much of the music that is played today is heard in the other 30 states. However, Porta Biancan music is not mainstream in Cartadania and only some states have dedicated radio stations to the music. The coastal parishes tend to have more tropical style beats, incorporating sounds from steel drums, the cavaquinho, and various other instruments. This style of music, known locally as Oualie, has begun to spread out of the state to other states and sovereign territories nearby.