Cara County, Verona

Cara County, officially the County of Cara is a county in the Cartadanian Commonwealth of Verona. It is situated in northern Verona on the southern and southeastern banks of the Mendes River, directly across from Alahuela and Rieti County, Alexandria. As of the 2030 census, the county's population sits at 2,494,641, making it the eighth-largest county in Verona by population. It is the largest and most populous division of the National metro area. Cara County is the 5th highest-income county in Verona, and among the top 20 in Cartadania by median family income.

Due to the county's proximity to Alahuela, it is home to Fortaleza, the headquarters for the Department of Defense. It also serves as the base of operations for many of the federal governments offices outside of Alahuela's nine districts and many of its residents are government employees.

History
Cara County holds historical significance as one of Verona's original twelve counties established on 2 November 1630, coinciding with the state's inception. Its name honors the contribution of Llorençe Almeyque Cara, a surveyor from Fortuna, who played a crucial role in mapping the land during that period. Initially, the county comprised sixteen prefectures, which served as self-governing entities until the state abolished the prefecture system in 1703.

Over time, changes in administrative boundaries occurred, resulting in the formation of four additional separate and distinct counties. In 1695, the two southernmost prefectures seceded to create Mayes County, while three prefectures near the state border became Glades County in 1713. In the eastern region, four prefectures situated southeast of the Elisabeth River were also separated. The northern pair became Elisabeth County in 1716, named after the river it adjoined, while the southern duo evolved into Arrechia County in 1801. This is where the boundaries of the counties sit today.

Before the partition of 1716, the county seat was at Elisabeth City (now Santa Isabel) on the southeastern bank at the mouth of Elisabeth River. When the county began to split, Elisabeth City was part of the prefectures given to Elisabeth County. The county seat was moved to Lirata, which was also lost when Arrechia County split in 1801. Finally, in 1807, the county established its county seat in LaMarque, adjacent to the federal capital and in the northernmost portion of the county, where it has remained ever since.

The late 19th century and early 20th century saw a population explosion for Cara County as the Great Wars ravaged Sarpedon. The Department of Defense started heavily investing in the area of northern Verona due to its low cost compared to Alahuela proper and neighboring Alexandria. As a result, many employees of the government, and especially the Department of Defense, both contract and permanent hires, found themselves working in the county. This sparked a migration from other parts of the state and country as the DoD attempted to consolidate its resources and administration in the area, ultimately choosing LaMarque as the location for Fortaleza, the DoD's headquarters.

The county's involvement with the federal government continued to grow as other government offices and agencies began to relocate from other parts of the country and Alahuela to Verona in an effort to save costs while still being quite close to the capital. The result was a five-county area in Verona that today amounts to 7.2 million residents, the overwhelming majority of the Alahuela metro area. Throughout the 1960s, the county's public university, the University of Verona, Northwest, in collaboration with Erudite and the Energy Department, began a research study on the recently discovered plutonium, in which uranium was irradiated and transmuted into plutonium. The plutonium was then chemically separated from the uranium, using the bismuth phosphate process. This allowed the university and federal government to create and test the country's first nuclear warhead in an effort to deter Venceia from dropping another bomb during the cold war like it had done in Lariana during the Second Great War. This research was known as Project Io.

With the surge in population following the postwar baby boom and a growing preference for suburban living, large-scale housing developers seized opportunities to acquire expansive agricultural lands within the central county. These developers transformed the once predominantly rural landscape, dominated by pineapple fields and cattle ranches, into affordable, low-density suburbs. Typically, modestly priced homes were erected on spacious 0.1 ha lots, catering to the demand for three- and four-bedroom houses with generous yards. This residential expansion was driven not only by the high population density in Alahuela but also by the growing desire for larger, more affordable housing options beyond the established districts of the capital city.

The county's growth was further propelled by the federal government's expansion during and after the Second Great War, leading to rapid development and an increasingly suburban character. Additionally, a flourishing technology sector and a stable government-driven economy contributed to the county's rapid expansion and the emergence of a diverse and sizable population. These factors, combined with a thriving economy, have positioned Cara County among the nation's most affluent counties.

While the presence of white-collar government employees had long been notable, particularly in the northern regions of the county, the 1980s through the 2000s witnessed a significant demographic shift. During this period, this group came to dominate the majority of residential neighborhoods throughout Cara County. Consequently, the socioeconomic landscape changed, and the once-working-class communities in areas like Solma, Pleasanton, Foxhill, Praça Santo Antônio, Betoria, and Mar Gordo experienced a notable economic transformation.

Geography
According to the Office of the Census, the county has a total area of 12630.8 km2, of which 12509.1 km2 is land and 121.7 km2 (1%) is water. It is bounded on the north by the southern end of the Aluna Channel, on the northwest by Alahuela, as well as Lanora, Silvana, and Zentera Counties across the Mendes River in Alexandria; on the west by Glades County; on the east by Arrechia and Elisabeth Counties via the Elisabeth River; and on the south by Mayes County. The southwestern portion of the county adjacent to Glades County is occupied by a green belt known as the Orchard Quarter.

The county lies completely within the coastal plain of the state, with an average elevation of 4 m, making it very easy to manipulate geographically. However, due to the county's position very close to the equator, the region was heavily forested in the early years of settlement, which made it costly to remove vegetation, especially in the southern portions of the county. As a result of the climate of the region, the county's coastal areas are also susceptible to flooding. The western portion of the city of Solma even lies below sea level, making it an especially flood prone area.

Government and politics
Cara County is one of the sixteen charter counties of Verona, granting the county greater local autonomy and flexibility compared to general law counties, which operate under the general laws of the state, in areas pertaining to local control, governance structure, legislative authority, home rule authority, and county services. Its seat is the city of LaMarque.

The county is divided into eight supervisorial districts, six equivalent to the former six prefectures and two created from existing districts. They are–Ambrin, Downtown Core (formed from LaMarque district), Emery, LaMarque, São Leovador, Solma, South County, and University City (also formed from LaMarque district, as well as Solma district). The magisterial districts each elect one supervisor to the Board of Supervisors which governs Cara County. There is also a chairman elected by the county at-large, bringing total board membership to nine. A vice-chairman is selected by the board from among its membership. The county operates under the county form of the county executive system of government, with an elected Board of Supervisors. The board confirms a professional, nonpartisan county executive to manage operations of government agencies, such as, -, -, -, -, and -. Except for the Board of Supervisors, each of these elected officers are elected by the voters of the entire county and oversee their own County departments.

Education
Cara Independent School District is the countywide public school district serving all of Cara County. The district consists of 231 elementary schools, 61 middle, and 53 high schools, as well as ten specialty campuses. All of district's 355 schools are fully accredited at rank Exemplary, making it the largest district in the state to achieve a fully exemplary rating, earning the district the VDOE Blue Star Honor in 2028. Cara County's Department of Education contributes about half of its local revenues on education. That being said, however, most of CISD's funding is from federal and state funding, with a small portion also coming from bonds and property taxes. For the 2030 fiscal year, 20 percent of funding was from local revenues and property taxes, 27 percent from federal funding, and 53 percent from direct state funding. When factoring in federal and local contributions in totality, per pupil expenditures are, on average, about €37,549.06 for each of its 331,850, which places it on par with other high income, high population counties across Verona. This gave Cara ISD a 2030 budget of $12.5 billion.

The University of Verona, Northern serves the northern tip of Verona and is located on the outskirts of the city of LaMarque. It enrolls approximately 44,000 students and offers 135 areas of study in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. It is the second-oldest school within the system, established in 1708 as the Northern Verona College. Its ₹5.7 billion endowment makes it the third-largest in terms of assets, while its enrollment makes it the fifth-largest school in the system. It is a large economic driver for the county, as well as the federal government, as many of its graduates go on to become contractors and employees for the fed, especially the Department of Defense.

Transportation
Alahuela Metro Authority (METRO or AMA) is the multi-jurisdiction, metropolitan transit authority for Cara County, as well as Alahuela and surrounding counties in both Alexandria and Verona.