Vitrea

Vitrea, officially the State of Vitrea, is one of the thirty-eight federal entities, including Alahuela, that together constitute Cartadania. It is the nineteenth-most populous Cartadanian state as well as the fifteenth-most extensive. The state capital is Aguerica, centrally located within the Valley of Sun. Santaluz, is Vitrea's most populous city, with just over half a million residents, and its metro area is the most populous urban region, with approximately 4.8 million residents.

The state's name literally means "stained glass", originating from the exposed amethyst outcroppings found in the state's interior, thought to have been created by the volcano that once stood there, now a caldera lake. Vitrea arose from the lands of southwestern Satheria. Vitrea, though not as economically influential as some of the eastern states, became one of the earliest and most influential industrial powerhouses during the 18th century. The state's economy is moderately diverse, although health care, transportation and the government remain the largest sectors, and it remains largely dependent on oil and gas production, as well as tourism. The state government has an elaborate system of tax credits and technical assistance to promote job growth and business investment, especially in new technologies.

Vitrea has diverse terrain and landforms, and from east to west, contains a mix of cultural features characteristic of Etracian, Central, and Satherian zones. The Aegis Mountains along the eastern border reach some of the highest elevations in the country. The central part of the state is marked by the Korahanui desert and Lençois zone, while level, fertile plains define West Vitrea (except for the Aqutiak mountains separating the desert from the coast. The state is twice bisected by the Sargantana River, and the DuQuesne River forms its northwestern border with Montecarlo. Its economy is dominated by the health care, music, finance, automotive, chemical, electronics, and tourism sectors, and cattle, soybeans, corn, poultry, and cotton are its primary agricultural products. Much of the state lies within the Valley of Sun, an arid bowl-like region that contains the Korahanui and is bordered by the Aqutiak and Aegis mountain ranges. The Aegis Mountains run through the confluence of the Etracian, Luson, and Satherian regions in an area known as the Sargantana Ridge, where the state's highest point, Ponto Ellisstino, can be found. The valley extends southwesterly until it meets the Aqutiak. Though the state lies in the tropics geographically, the majority of the state's interior experiences a hot semi-arid desert climate as a result of the rain shadows produced by the Aqutiak and Aegis ranges, which in turn formed the Korahanui Desert. Despite this desertification in the states interior, the land west of the Aqutiak is extremely lush, fed by the two rivers on either side and a heavy amount of rainfall.

Vitrea's early settlements and population centers clustered around rivers and other waterways that empty into the Kindreds Sea and tended to be more common outside of the state's interior. In 1818, Vitrea's current boundaries took form following the settlement of a border dispute with Loumara within the Korahanui desert. Vitrea's moderately sized population and economy give it some influence in national politics, as it serves as a major battleground in presidential elections, most notably in 1984 and 1988.

Early history
Vitrea is thought to have been inhabited for the last approximately 4,000 years. Well-preserved artifacts left by the Calaran people (for which Calaxara is named) in the Valley of Sun depicting animals, people, and symbols were made over a time period of eight thousand years preceding the Iron Age, based on about 300,000 records. Although the demography of ancient Vitrea was multi-ethnic, including, for example, Tuscans and Linaca besides the Calarans, the latter were the dominant constituent. They inhabited and controlled much of the Valley of Sun and northwestern portions of the Etracian region.

The arrival of Latinate people in the Valley of Sun is thought to have occurred around 1226 A.D. and, due to the difficulty reaching the area due to the Aegis Mountains and Tainean and Kindreds Seas separating Cartadania from the mainland, as well as the dense forests and large rivers of neighboring states, presence remained quite miniscule. Intermixing amongst the groups generated a local culture quite unique to the area, especially considering the desert landscape of the state. The part of today's Vitrea southeast of the DuQuesne river – together with the present state of Montecarlo – became Regio Satheria (Montecarlo and Vitrea), while modern Vitrea west of the Aqutiak Ridge was part of a separate colony.

17th to 20th Century
Regio Satheria became the Satheria Territory in 1621 and was partitioned into the State of Montecarlo and Territory of West Aegis in 1815. Though they contained roughly the same amount of people throughout history, Montecarlo's urbanization outpaced that of West Aegis and thus, Congress was more willing to allow a state to be formed from the land of Montecarlo. The people of West Aegis tried multiple times to petition congress for statehood but was rejected many times. West Aegis encompassed what is today Vitrea and Loumara. It was bound by a loose government structure that contained settlements such as Aguerica, Ancosi, Bridgeport, Harwick, and Vitania, which served as important locations for the region. Much of West Aegis's territorial period was quite dormant outside of the development of the region in terms of trade and covert research due to its location. Although the state's beaches have always been popular.

Though Vitrea was not a state in 1697 when the Ano Vermelho initially got its footing, the upper-class that oversaw Verona and the other two states through monetary means and held control of the state's resources that were exiled used Satheria as a stopping block, whether trans-Aqutiak or via the various seas. As a result of early Cartadania being thrust into a civil war between the classes, Satheria, under the control of the lower- and middle-class, became a sort of base for many events being planned west of the greater Luson region. These individuals would eventually become an integral part of the state's history and economy. The Ano Vermelho is where the state gets it's motto, Semper Vigilans, a Latin phrase meaning "always vigilant".

Congressman Neizan Sartori (UCON-SA) was quoted "We admire the people of West Aegis and their resilience, but no one wants to live in the desert". The following year he lost his reelection. As a result of so many rejections, the territory entered a period of rapid growth along its coastline. Santaluz grew from 40,000 people 1840 to 630,000 in 1940, and Aguerica from 5,000 to 350,000. In 1950, the territorial capital was relocated from Santaluz to Aguerica to create a more central location. The territory used a modified version of Montecarlo's constitution with tweaks to sections, especially those pertaining to wealth, declaring itself as the state of Vitrea due to the gemstones found in the state that earned it one of its nicknames–Land of A Thousand Gems. It was then sent to Alahuela for review. Congress, having witnessed the changes occurring across the state, approved the request and Vitrea became a state on 3 April 1953.

Present day
Vitrea's population grew tremendously with residential and business development after the second Great War, aided by the widespread use of air conditioning, which made the intensely hot summers more comfortable. It has also received large amounts of federal government spending on major military and research institutions in the state, especially those with the Department of Energy. It is home to three Air Force bases, the Nudesi Missile Range, and the federal research laboratories Las Casitas National Laboratory and Bell National Laboratories.

Similar to the urbanization happening in Bahia, Vitrea is undergoing rapid urbanization and has been one of the top five fastest-growing states for the last ten to fifteen years. The urban centers of Aguerica and Santaluz have doubled in population in this timeframe, which has really required the state to spend more money than typical on infrastructure. One such example has been the opening of the state's passenger rail system, VIA, which connects the state's major economic zones. The state's economy has been growing rapidly, diversifying into many different industry areas. The state's relatively low cost of living has made it a very attractive target for residents and businesses alike. The state government has an elaborate system of tax credits and technical assistance to promote job growth and business investment, especially in new technologies.

Geography
Vitrea has a geographic area of 119110.4 km2 and is roughly comparable in size to Lutsana. It is the nineteenth-largest state in Cartadania and the largest state in the Satheria region (although the Satherian rainforest is not within the state). Much of Vitrea lies within the Valley of Sun, an arid bowl-like region bordered by the Aqutiak and Aegis mountain ranges. The Aegis Mountains run through the confluence of the Etracian, Luson, and Satherian regions in an area known as the Sargantana Ridge, where the state's highest point, Ponto Ellisstino, can be found. The valley extends southwesterly until it meets the Aqutiak. Though the state lies in the tropics geographically, the majority of the state's interior experiences a hot semi-arid desert climate as a result of the rain shadows produced by the Aqutiak and Aegis ranges, which in turn formed the Korahanui Desert. Despite this desertification in the states interior, the land west of the Aqutiak is extremely lush, fed by the two rivers on either side and a heavy amount of rainfall. There is also a small region of Loumara's Lençois region that extends into the states northern region where it has a tropical savanna climate. Because of this, the state is often divided into three regions–Coastal, Inland, and Lençois. It has one of the most contrasting climates in all of Cartadania.

Geographically, Vitrea is bounded by Montecarlo to the northwest via the small DuQuesne River, Loumara to the north, Catania to the northeast via the Sargantana River, Galiza to the east, Navarra and Calaxara to the south, and the Bay of Siena to the west.

State government
The government of Vitrea is conducted according to the state constitution. The government of Vitrea, like the other 32 state governments, has exclusive authority over matters that lie entirely within the state's borders, except as limited by Cartadania's Constitution.

Power in Vitrea is divided among three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Vitrea's executive branch is headed by a governor, who is elected to a four-year term. The governor may serve any number of terms, though no more than two in a row. Vitrea is one of a few states that has no state-sanctioned residence for its governor. During their term, the governors reside within their private home, with executive offices housed in the executive tower at the state capitol. The current governor is Ismael Ordóñez.

Most of the business of government is conducted in Aguerica, the state capital, located within the Valley of Sol. Elections for governor and most statewide offices, as well as most county elections, are held in primary election years (even-numbered years divisible by four).

The Vitrea General Assembly is bicameral and consists of a forty-member Senate and a 80-member Chamber of Emissaries. Each of the forty legislative districts has one senator and two emissaries. Legislators are elected for two-year terms.

Each Legislative Session covers a two-year period. The first session following the general election is known as the first regular session, and the session convening in the second year is known as the second regular session. Each regular session begins on the second Monday in January and adjourns sine die (terminates for the year) no later than Saturday of the week in which the 100th day from the beginning of the regular session falls. The President of the Senate and Orator Princeps, by rule, may extend the session up to seven additional days. Thereafter, the session can be extended only by a majority vote of members present of each house.

The Judiciary of Vitrea is the unified court system of commonwealth, and consists of the Supreme Court of Vitrea (SUTRIVI), the appelate courts of Vitrea, known as the Vitrea Courts of Appeals, as well as a Circuit Court and General District Court sitting in each County, the latter being courts of general jurisdiction over "all justiciable matters". Vitrea's Supreme Court has a single chief justice and four associate justices, each serving no more than 12 years in their role. It is seated in Aguerica with hearings in Santaluz between June 1 and September 30. The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction in death penalty cases, but nearly all other appellate cases go through the Vitrea Court of Appeals first. The court has original jurisdiction in a few other circumstances, as outlined in the state constitution.

Politics
Vitrea is a swing state in Cartadanian politics, and its trend for one of the three major parties is not very consistent. Once a UCP stronghold, as the more rural regions of the state voted more conservatively, the near-parity between Progressistas, SDP/Coalition, and UCons has has become increasingly apparent. In more recent local elections, the SDP has gained more ground, but Vitrea has been quite moderate in presidential campaigns. Aguerica and Santaluz, as well as their metro areas, tend to vote largely with and for SDP candidates. Counties that are around Morelo County are sometimes more moderate in various years but tend to vote similarly to Aguerica itself. Other cities like Belez, Hidalgo, Porto, and Satheriana also tend to fall more left-leaning that other parts of the state. With the exception of Oparoa, the counties that surround the other cities are very moderate politically. The sway in politics is controlled largely by the nine largest counties in the state, most of which are around Aguerica or Santaluz (Isadora and Ballesteros counties, located in the Ancosi, Loumara MSA are the exceptions).

Vitrea has also been particularly favorable for Centrisma candidates, one of Cartadania's "lower eleven" parties. It only has six emissaries in Congress, five of which are held by Vitrea itself. During the 2024 election cycle, Vitra was in sway between SDP and Progressista, but inevitably voted for Samaria Kalanie of the Progressistas via SDP coalition, which allowed her to become the top candidate in Cartadania.

Outside of national politics, the state tends to elect SDP or Centrisma governors as well, but its legislature, the Vitrea General Assembly, tends to have a large UCon influence. Nonetheless, there is no lack of bipartisan agreement within Vitrea's government and things tend to move rather smoothly, despite political differences.

Administrative divisions
Vitrea consists of 16 counties, the sixth least in the country. Some counties have been named for prominent figures in both the state and national histories, but the vast majority of the counties have geographically significant names. Each county in Vitrea has its own elected legislative branch, usually called the Commissioners Court, which usually also has executive authority in the county. Vitrea's constitution provides all counties and cities with home rule authority, which gives county commissions considerable power to pass legislation within their county, just a municipality would. Municipalities have full home rule powers, may adopt a charter, ordinances and resolutions for self-government. Each municipality chooses its own form of government, but most have elected mayors and city councils or city commissions.

Criminal law
Vitrea, like the vast majority of Cartadania, is a common-law jurisdiction (exceptions being Bahia and São Andreas). Though Cartadania itself is abolitionist for capital punishment, the State of Vitrea itself is a retentionist, and it is not unheard of for Class 1 felonies to be tried with a death sentence, though they are relatively rare. Vitrea also has strong right of self-defense and self defense laws, allowing citizens to use near-lethal force to defend themselves, their families, or their property.

Taxation
Vitrea assesses an income tax based on certain brackets of net income. The state has a base sales tax rate at 5.55% which municipalities can increase to a maximum 7.5%. Overall, Vitreans have an average overall tax burden in the country, with 0.64% average property tax rate, 1.10% vehicle tax, and 9.72 cents per liter for fuel tax. This ranks Vitrea quite average among the states for total state and local tax burden. The state sales tax in Vitrea can have additional percentages added through local options (e.g. special-purpose local-option sales tax or SPLOST), but there is no sales tax on prescription drugs, certain medical devices, or food items for home consumption.

The state general assembly may allow municipalities to institute local sales taxes and special local taxes, such as the 2% SPLOST tax and the 1% sales tax for metropolitan transit authority serviced counties. Excise taxes are levied on alcohol, marijuana, and motor fuel. Owners of real property in Vitrea pay property tax to their county. All taxes are collected by the Vitrea Department of Revenue (VIDOR) and then properly distributed according to any agreements that each county has with its cities.

Agriculture and mining
Compared to other states, Vitrea has a small agriculture industry that includes certain fruit, vegetables, dairy, and alcohol production, and at less than 5% of the GSP, it makes a relatively minor direct contribution to the state's overall economy. The total economic contribution is likely more than double this value. Airborne exports of perishable fruits and vegetables amounted to approximately €87 million in 2010. Cotton is largely produced here as well.

Mining was previously a larger sector of Vitrea's economy during the industrial age, but has shrank in modern times. Today the mining sector consists of, , , , and.

Energy
Vitrea extracts more coal and generates more electricity than it consumes. The state has the potential to generate 31.6 TWh/year from 13.1 GW of wind power, and 10,290 TWh/year from solar power using 4,048 GW of photovoltaic (PV), including 5.6 GW of rooftop photovoltaic, and 1,638 GW of concentrated solar power.

Vitrea relies heavily on natural gas, nuclear, and renewable power. In 2020, the generation mix was gas, nuclear, coal, hydro and other renewable sources. North Morelo Nuclear Power Plant is located in the state, about 61 km east of Aguerica. It is the highest output facility in Vitrea and supplies a third of the state's nuclear power.

Population
The Cartadania Office of the Census found that the reported population of Vitrea was 6,786,011 at the 2020 Census, which was finalized on 31 December 2020, making it the nineteenth-most populous state in Cartadania. The population density of the state is 57.0 PD/km2, making Vitrea the twentieth-most densely populated state, after Acara and just ahead of Santarém. According to census findings, the population of Vitrea in 2020 was:


 * Pardo or other Sarpedonian 49.5%
 * Cronan 18.2%
 * Alshari or Polynesian (incl. Loa) 14.4%
 * Latinate or northern Levantine descent 8.7
 * Indigenous 6.5%
 * Kiro-Borealian or Coscivian 2.4%
 * Audonian or Audonian descent 0.6%

Vitrea is rather diverse in terms of national and ethnic origin amongst Cartadanian states, especially with regard to indigenous groups. High affinity for international immigration and domestic migration, as well as its rapidly urbanizing coastal area, makes it a popular location for many families to live and work.

Languages
The federal official language in Cartadania is Cartadanian, and as a result, the language of business, government, and instruction in Vitra is Cartadanian as well. Uniquely among the southern states, some 16% percent of the state is reportedly fluent in Insuo Loa, and another 15% speaks a language other than the two aforementioned. Approximately 39% of the population has reported speaking a other than Cartadanian at home in Vitrea, with the most common languages spoken in the state as of 2023 being Insuo Loa, Pelaxian, Latin, Burgoignesc, and Svéaran Kiravic.

Religion
Vitrea has been largely throughout much of its history and is the state with the largest irreligious community relative to its population in the country, though there are multiple religious institutions throughout the state. Catholicism is the largest single denomination in the state, mostly due to immigration patterns and historical ties. With approximately 19% of the state identifying as Catholic and 61% identifying as irreligious, the remaining 20% constitute other religious groups from around the globe.

Education
Public primary and secondary education is handled by the states forty-one school districts which are administered by the county boards of education and in turn regulated by the Vitrea Department of Public Instruction. Each school district has its own elected Board of Education that sets policy, budget, goals, and approves expenditures. Management is the responsibility of a Superintendent of Public Instruction. The state has 931,077 students as of 2026, nearly all of which are enrolled in the state's 1,300 public schools. This is due, in part, to the fact that Vitrea's general assembly strictly prohibits public funding of private schools from the state, counties, municipalities, or school districts. For the handful of private schools that do exist within the state, they receive all of their funding from the families of enrolled students and through private donations.

Vitrea spent $12,041 for each student in 2023, and was 27th in the nation in expenditures per student.

Higher education
Vitrea has two post-secondary education systems–the State University System of Vitrea and the Vitrea College system. The University of Central Vitrea is the state's flagship 4-year doctoral-granting institution and is a Tier 1 research university with very high research activity. It enrolls approximately 26,044 students as of Spring 2026 and is the second-largest university in the state. The University of Vitrea, located in Santaluz, is the largest university in the state with 39,211 students currently enrolled as of Spring 2026. Other large universities include the University of Southern Vitrea, the University of Vitrea-Hidalgo, and Oparoa State University. There are also a number of independent universities throughout the state as well as private institutions.

Transportation
Transportation in Vitra is overseen by the Vitrea Department of Transportation (VITRAN), a part of the executive branch of the state government. Vitrea's major Interstate Highways are IH-24, IH-25, IH-27, and IH-35. Vitrea's highway system is relatively new and contains around 62915.3 km of roadway. The state is considered to have some of the best and most polite drivers in the country. With a maximum speed limit of 130 km/h and its growing population centers, the state's highways are usually quite active as well. Currently, the state is undergoing a €83 billion expansion and renovation project to upgrade all four interstates to eight lanes in Santaluz and Aguerica and six lanes in their metro areas, upgrade and expand bridges across the state, and expand rail and public transit service throughout.

The largest airports in the state are Valle Batanero-Aguerica International Airport and Santaluz-Triana International Airport, both handling about seven million passengers a year. These airports have a limited number of international flights (mostly to other parts of Sarpedon and southern Crona) while most long-distance flights are directed to larger airports. No major airline hubs passenger services through either airport. The Vitrea Port Authority controls the state's only seaport and regulates all airports.

Vitrea is part of the south-central rail corridor and thus is serviced by LusoRail, the national rail network of Cartadania. It is within the Bianca network, which means trains here can operate at speeds up to 200 km/h in some locations. The state's hilly to mountainous geography has hindered the development of rail travel in the past, but it has begun to expand, especially in the state's coastal region. This can be seen in the VIA network, Vitrea's state rail system, that has seen rapid buildout in the last eight to ten years. Despite this, highways and cars prevail as the top form of transportation thanks to the state's population distribution and geography.