Victoria

Victoria, officially the Commonwealth of Victoria, is a state located on the north-central coast of the Cartadania. With 10.2 million residents across a total area of about 170565 km2, Victoria is the eleventh most populous and eighth-most extensive state in Cartadania. The state capital is the city of Salezara in central Victoria, while Ciudura is the most populous city in the state, located along the northeastern coast. The Ciudura metro area is the most populous urban region in the state, with 4.1 million residents spread amongst three counties.

Victoria is the only state in Cartadania's history that has merged with another. In 1881, Victoria merged with then-Setoria and Albaria, forming the identically named regions within the state. The history of the merger can be seen in the unusual nature of the county borders between the original Venetian counties and those of the Setoria and Albaria regions in that the counties of Victoria are irregular in their borders while the counties of Setoria and many in Albaria have relatively flat edges and squared-off shapes. Symbolically, the state has remained relatively unchanged over the 342 years it has existed.

Since the mid-20th century, Victoria has experienced rapid demographic and economic growth. Its $815.7 billion economy is the ninth-largest of any Cartadanian state; the main sectors are tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, and transportation. Victoria is well-renowned for its beach resorts, amusement parks, warm and sunny climate, and nautical recreation; attractions such as Arcanum, the Bridgeton Launch Center, and Columbia Beach draw tens of millions of visitors annually. Victoria is a popular destination for retirees, seasonal vacationers, and both domestic and international migrants; it hosts nine out of the ten fastest-growing communities in Cartadania. The state's close proximity to the ocean has shaped its culture, identity, and daily life; its colonial history and successive waves of migration are reflected in Alshari, Audonian, Cronan, Indigenous, and Levantine influences. Victoria has attracted or inspired writers such as Riley Jude Cote, Giulitta Rauseo, and Jacques Vandame, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes, particularly in golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports.

Victoria's state legislature is the Victoria General Assembly, which was established in July 1665, making it the second oldest current law-making body in Cartadania. It is made up of a 50-member Senate and a 150-member Chamber of Emissaries, a trait it retained from the first republic. The state government is unique in how it treats cities and counties, manages local roads, and prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms. Victoria's economy has many sectors: agriculture in the Gipulla Valley; high-tech industry in Southwestern Victoria; and military facilities in the Toledoba area, the site of the state's main seaport.

History
The area that today corresponds to the Venetian territory was already inhabited by indigenous peoples from approximately 12,000 BC, similar to other states in the area. These people, who eventually came to be known as the Ettian native to Alexandria, are the oldest continuously existing civilization in northern Sarpedon.

Although Alexandria's coast was a site of interest for the Adonerii league, and Serdica (today part of New Venceia) was a port city of Adonerum, Victoria did not see much in terms of development due to its position so far west. The only such settlement in the area that was known to have an Adonerii population was Toledoba, the site of Victoria's largest seaport. Many historians believe that it was probably of similar purpose as Serdica had been early on–one of agricultural production. Victoria began as the West Alexandria Territory (WAT), and because Alexandria was a directly controlled colony of Caphiria, Alexandria, and consequently Victoria, remained relatively undeveloped early on. In fact, it was left relatively unchanged aside from a few small port towns, and although east Alexandria focused mostly on the coastal production of sugar cane, coffee, cocoa, and other crops that were then exported back south to urban Caphiria, Victoria served little purpose.

Territorial split
Although Victoria remained part of Alexandria until the mid-17th century, the distance between Calaine and the developing towns of Victoria's western border was great enough for Calaine to grant those localities a great deal of autonomy. In this era, Victoria, separated from Alexandria by large swaths of savanna, developed more similarly to Santiago, and although the two states do not share a border, this was one of several ways Verona influenced the state. Nonetheless, Victoria developed a very unique and, due to its low population early on, agrarian culture.

Between 1640 and the territorial split in 1665, Victoria constructed the city of Arlington in what is today Columbia County. Here, the state constructed its own government buildings, originally presented as secondary locations for Calaine to meet, the actual motive behind the construction was very soon realized. On 3 January 1665, the Venetian territory sent six representatives to Calaine to advise then-governor Marce Pinelli that the territory would govern itself from the newly constructed city. Contrary to expectation, Pinelli and the General Assembly agreed to this stipulation and the request was further sent to Venceia. Victoria had a soft start to self-government and was only challenged when the Luson states, Victoria included, decided to split from Caphiria in 1671.

Venetian Republic and First Cartadanian Republic
In 1671, Victoria did not join Alexandria, Santiago, and Verona in creating a loose confederation, instead opting to create its own republic. This was very short-lived due to economic instability and inability to obtain certain resources from other countries due to lack of international recognition. Thus, in 1675, Victoria joined the First Cartadanian Republic as its fourth state.

Victoria remained a relatively undeveloped state for much of the first republic up until the Ano Vermelho. This event, which would be the most gruesome on domestic soil in Cartadania's recorded history, caused a dramatic shift in the state's growth models. Nonetheless, the development of other cities was continuously minor and the state's interior remained untouched.

Second Republic
Victoria's entry into the second republic was a turning point in the state's history politically more intense than even that of the Ano Vermelho. Victoria had long been a conservative state, a characteristic that it held alone amongst the Luson states. With the incorporation of Ciudara and Salezara, the state began to shift more from an agrarian society to an industrial and suburban one. The 19th-century was marked by a population boom that saw Victoria's population increase from just over half a million to over 3 million in less than a century. Arlington, the original capital of Victoria, saw its population cross 400,000 at the end of the 1880s and was the state's largest city until the Second Great War.

The first settlements and towns in southern Victoria were founded much later than those in the northern part of the state. The first permanent Cartadanian settlers arrived in the early 19th century. People came from Santiago to southern Victoria and the Taínean islands west of the Odridian peninsula to hunt for treasure from the ships that ran aground on the Venetian Reef near Carina Island.

The state officially ratified Cartadania's second constitution on 9 July 1711. For much of the time after, it focused on urbanization in and around central coastal Columbia County and Toledoba. It focused heavily on the economies of these regions and the residents of the areas generated some very creative methods to improve them. In 1881, Victoria absorbed the former states of Setoria and Albaria. Failure to maintain a functional economy left these two states with a tough decision–dig themselves out of the hole or merge with another state willing to accept the financial burden. Alexandria and Santiago both denied requests for annexation, citing too large an economic "pit", while Victoria conditionally accepted the request under the requirement that both states needed to come to an agreement on how to end their economic downturn. Following the models of Victoria and Verona, Setoria and Albaria were able to pull themselves out of poverty but still opted to merge with Victoria, forming the identically named regions within the state. The history of the merger can be seen in the unusual nature of the county borders between the original Venetian counties and those of the Setoria and Albaria regions in that the counties of Victoria are naturally irregular in their borders while the counties of Setoria and many in Albaria have relatively flat edges and squared-off shapes. To date, it is the only state merger to occur in Cartadania's history.

Great War and modern history
When Cartadania entered the Great War, the position of Victoria gave it a great advantage–it had access to the Odoneru. As a result, the navy constructed a second naval base in Toledoba, a sister site to Elentia Naval Station. It was also expanded to have operations for the air force and army, officially becoming Joint Base Toledoba, and Victoria's coastal cities in Columbia County have large defense manufacturing sectors as well, with Angelico subsidiary Allocca having its headquarters in Salezara and manufacturing sites across the county and state.

Though Cartadania's primary domestic goal during the Great War was securing its border with Caphiria, a situation in which Victoria had no major role, Victoria did play a large part in the international commitments made by Alahuela, where its manufacturing sectors were operating well above their anticipated output. Victoria saw the largest upheaval in its population during this time frame, a jump of 4 million which caused a lot of state resources to be overwhelmed. Coupled with the stream of migration from the state's new interior to the coasts and the General Assembly was forced to pass laws regarding urbanization and development.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries brought many political reforms to Victoria. In a series of laws passed between 1892 and 1908, reformers worked for standard state-issued ballots (rather than those distributed and marked by the parties); obtained closed voting booths to prevent party workers from "assisting" voters; initiated primary elections to keep party bosses from selecting candidates; and had candidates listed without party symbols.

In 1941, Victoria was described as still being very largely an empty State. Subsequently, the growing availability of air conditioning, the climate, and a low cost of living made the state a haven. In an effort to reverse depopulation due to the loss of working-class industries, the state initiated urban renewal projects in the 1960s. Some resulted in the break-up of intact residential neighborhoods, producing social volatility, and some older residential areas around the state have had units renovated and have become popular with new populations.

Today, with a census population of 10.2 million residents, Victoria is the eleventh-most populated state in Cartadania. It has the third-fastest growth rate in the country, after Milan and Trentino. The population of Victoria has boomed in recent years with the state being the recipient of the largest number of out-of-state movers in the country as of 2020. The state's growth has been widespread, as cities throughout the state have continued to see population growth.

Climate
The overall climate of Victoria is warm to hot almost all year. The temperature in the state varies from 22 to 36 °C (72 to 97 °F). The coast is tropical (Af, As, and Aw), tempered by the cool trade winds and the cooler Jordas current; in the more elevated, semi-arid regions of the state's southeast, it is very hot and dry (often above 22 °C (72 °F), but seldom above 30 °C (86 °F)), although the nights are cool. The state has a generally low-lying topography

The extreme southern portion of the state that lies inland along the equator is part of the Pantanal region of Cartadania (located in all four major Luson states). It is characterized by very high humidity and large amounts of rainfall. While it doesn't receive as much rainfall as Alexandria's pantanal, monthly precipitation does range from 80 mm in July to 195 mm in March. It typically rains on almost 215 days every year in their region, making it one of the rainiest places in the country.

Fauna
Victoria is host to many types of wildlife including marine mammals like the, , (the state animal), , and , terrestrial mammals like the , , , , , , , es, , , , , and , and reptiles such as  and. In 2020, there were about one million as well.

Bird species in Victoria include the peregrine falcon, harpy eagle, Sarpedonic flamingo, crested caracara, snail kite, osprey, white and brown pelicans, sea gulls, whooping and sandhill cranes, roseate spoonbill, white ibis, and others. The state is a wintering location for many species of Odoneru birds. As a result of climate change, there have been small numbers of several new species normally native to cooler areas of the Odoneru basin: snowy owls, harlequin ducks, and razorbills. These have been seen in the northern part of the state.

Victoria also has more than 500 nonnative animal species and 1,000 nonnative insects found throughout the state. Some of these nonnative species do not pose a threat to any native species, but some do threaten the native species of Victoria by living in the state and eating them.

Flora
The state has more than 26,000 square miles (67,000 km2) of forests, covering about half of the state's land area.

There are about 3,000 different types of wildflowers in Victoria. This is the fourth-most diverse state in the union, behind Milan, Verona, and Viterna. In Victoria, wild populations of coconut palms extend up the state's coastline. Many of the smallest coral islands in the Venetian islands are known to have abundant coconut palms sprouting from coconuts deposited by ocean currents. The state also has large populations of homonymously named, although these are a date variety and do not produce coconuts.

Regions
Victoria is divided into three superregions–the Setoria valley, Victoria proper, and the Albaria territory. These are further divided into Desert, Pantanal, and Lower Savanna for the Setoria Valley, Upper Victoria and Lower Victoria in Victoria proper, and Oceanside, Ranges, and Upper Savanna for the Albaria territory.

Population
The Cartadania Office of the Census found that the reported population of Victoria was 10,148,180 at the 2020 Census, which was finalized on 31 December 2020, making it the eleventh most populous state in Cartadania, and fourth-most populous in the Luson region. The population density of the state is 59.5 PD/km2, making Victoria the sixteenth-most densely populated state.

Ancestry
According to census findings, the population of Alexandria in 2020 was:


 * Pardo or Cartic 50.1
 * Latinate or northern Levantine descent 15.7
 * Coscivian 11.1%
 * Burgoignac 8.6%
 * Pelaxian 6.2%
 * Native 5.3%
 * Cronan 2.6%
 * Alshari 0.4%

As its heritage and identity would indicate, there are no dominant ancestry lines amongst Venetian people, although the state does have a sizeable Coscivian community as compared to other states. This thought to be due to the state's position along the Odoneru and being fairly close to Saint Kennera and Pribralter. Like most of Cartadania, though, the Pardo group still holds the majority of the population.

Languages
The federal official language in Cartadania is Cartadanian, and as a result, the language of business, government, and instruction in Victoria is Cartadanian as well. Typical among Cartadanians of the Luson region, some 13% percent of the state is fluent in Caphiric Latin, but relative to other states in the region, this is the lowest percentage, even when compared to Trentino. Approximately 17% of the population has reported speaking a other than Cartadanian at home in Victoria. A minor language native to neighboring Alexandria known as Ettian that is similar to that of the Sinitalian people is commonly spoken in the eastern portions of the state.

The most common languages spoken in Alexandria as of 2024 are:
 * 80% Cartadanian
 * 13% Latin
 * 5% Ettian
 * Other languages less than 1% each

Religion
Victoria has historically been mostly, although there is a moderately sized community within the state as well. The Catholic Church is the largest single denomination in the state, as Cartadania was a former constituency of Caphiria and is proximate to southern Levantine possessions of Burgundie and Urcea, some of the largest countries on the planet, all of whom have a Catholic majority. With approximately 58% of the state identifying as Catholic and 27% identifying as irreligious, the remaining 15% constitute other religious groups from around the globe.

Local government
The State is divided into 142 counties across the eight regions. Some counties have been named for prominent figures in both Cartadanian and Venetian history, and many bear names relevant to their geography or features. Counties in Victoria have their own elected legislative branch, usually called the Board of Supervisors, which usually also has executive authority in the county. Victoria limits the authority of cities and counties to enact ordinances by what is known as. Counties and cities may only pass laws expressly allowed by the General Assembly or which are necessary to effect powers granted by the state. Dillon's Rule will invalidate local ordinances that exceed authority granted by the state.

Victoria recognizes all local units of government as equal, so there is no legal difference between a town and city, but merely a matter of naming choice. Victoria's current constitution does not allow for consolidated city-county governments nor does it permit independent cities, but there have been efforts for the state to allow one or the other. None have successfully passed the state's senate.

State government
As with all other Cartadanian states and the federal government, the Government of Victoria is based on the separation of legislative, executive, and judicial power. Executive authority in the state rests with the. Both the Governor of Victoria and lieutenant governor are elected on separate ballots to four-year terms of office, limited to two terms. Most of the executive officials that comprise the governor's cabinent are appointed by the governor, although there are some that are elected.

Legislative authority resides in the Victoria General Assembly, composed of the Senate and Chamber of Emissaries. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the commonwealth's senate, while members of the Chamber of Emissaries select their own speaker. The Victoria Constitution sets the number of senators at 50, each of whom is elected from single-member districts. It also mandates a minimum of 150 representatives, apportioned among the representative districts. The state currently sits at the legally defined number of 50 senators and 150 representatives, each of whom serves two-year terms with no limit. The state's laws are codified as the Code of Victoria. Victoria's law mirrors heavily off of Santiago's laws with influences from Alexandria.

Victoria's judges and justices who make up the state's judicial system are elected by a majority vote in both the Chamber and Senate with approval from the governor. The system consists of a hierarchy from the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Court of Appeals of Victoria to the Circuit Courts, the trial courts of general jurisdiction, and the lower General District Courts and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts. The Supreme Court has seven justices who serve twelve-year terms, with a mandatory retirement age of 75. The Supreme Court selects its own Chief Justice from among its seven members, who is informally limited to two four-year terms.