Culture of Cartadania



Many aspects of Cartadanian culture can be traced back to the early cultures of Western Levantia and the Latinic Empire of the 16th century and their collision with Cartadania's native civilizations. The Latin brought Catholicism, Punthites, and the feudal encomienda system. After the fall of the Latinic empire, the Cartadanian people attempted to establish a pluralistic political system, between conservative and liberal ideals, however it was not without difficulty. The conservatives supported the involvement of the Catholic Church in the state, while liberals favored the separation of these. Some aspects of Cartadanian culture are contributions of Caphirian, Coscivian, Pelaxian, and other immigrants. Native people and Punthites played a large role in the formation of Cartadanian language, cuisine, music, dance and religion. The famous elements of Cartadanian culture are its art, music, style, and iconic food. Popular tastes in drama in Cartadania have long favored comedy; the improvisational style known as the Comédia de arte began in Cartadania in the mid-16th century and is still performed today.

Education
Public education in Cartadania is free and compulsory from age 5 through 17 or 18 years of age. It is divided into elementary (primária) and secondary (secundária) years, with a traditional three-tier school plan.

Students spend five to six years in an elementary school and seven years in a secondary school, itself divided into middle and high school of three and four years respectively. Primary education is uniform for all students within their respective states but may differ across states. Students who attend private schools are still bound by their state board of education’s curriculum. Secondary education (Escola secundária) is divided into two stages: Escola inferior, known as middle schools and last three years with a middle year exam and exit exam, and Escola superior, known as high schools and lasts four years with a second-year exam and fourth year senior proficiency assessment. Cartadania does not allow students to exit schools without completion of diploma requirements.

Funding for education depends largely on where it is located. Most often, schools and their respective districts receive funding from the federal government, their state government, the locality/localities the district may operate in, and in many cases from taxation of residents within attendance boundaries. Because education is largely controlled by state and territorial governments, internal structure varies by jurisdiction. The federal government’s Department of Education sets forth a curriculum that each state and territory must maintain at minimum at any given time. Failure to comply can result in a district or even the state or territory losing funding from the federal government or federal assumption of responsibility for the school.

Public universities in Cartadania are maintained by the state and territorial governments, except those that exist within the capital, which are maintained by the Department of Education. Post-secondary education in Cartadania is a broad area and there can be little uniformity between the institutions. It is governed separately from the elementary and secondary school system. Generally, admission to a university requires that a student meet certain academic requirements. Costs are determined by residency and income during the application and registration processes.

Science and technology
There is a regard for scientific advancement and technological innovation, resulting in the flow of many modern innovations. Many of the technological innovations of the 20th and 21st centuries were either invented in Cartadania, first widely adopted by Cartadanians, or both. Things like the transistor, nuclear power, the personal computer, online shopping, and the development of the Internet were originally developed in Cartadania.

Cartadanians drive for the advancement of science became very strong and eventually an international endeavour. With the arrival of the Space Age, Cartadania began to develop modern ways to facilitate space travel and exploration. The Information Age was important because it saw the development of not only the personal computer, but also the internet and various interconnected services. It allowed people continents apart to connect in just seconds. Cartadania also has a strong development of health and physical sciences.

One of the many reasons Cartadania was capable of having so many firsts in STEM fields is because of its ease of immigration and assimilation. The idea that everyone has something to contribute was popularized around the beginning of the 20th century when Cartadania saw a surge in immigration, many of the immigrants were scientists or studying in some related STEM field.

The Great War threw the nation into overdrive with the development of atomic weaponry, advanced aircraft, biological and chemical weapons, and many other ways to defend itself. As a result of the efforts of many scientists, Cartadania has one of the most advanced militaries on the planet.

There is great emphasis on STEM in many schools throughout the country as a result of its value.

Carnival
Carnival is an annual festival held between the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday and Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period before Easter. During Lent, Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival", from carnelevare, "to remove (literally, "raise") meat." The largest of the Carnival festivals in Cartadania is Sierra Carnival, with an average two million people celebrating Carnival. Other large carnival festivals include Carnival of Vila Real, Carnival of Santa Domenica, and Amar Carnival. Many Cartadanians also visit Pelaxia to attend the Carnival of Fátima, another very popular celebration.