Bahia

Bahia, officially the State of Bahia (, , ; meaning "bay"), is a state located in the western region of Cartadania known as Taínea, named for the Taínean Sea, which it borders. It is the 27th-most populous Cartadanian state as well as the 23rd-most extensive. The state capital is Pinhel, centrally located within the Bahia Piedmont. Greater Aguandra is the most populous urban region, with approximately 1 million residents, over fifty percent of the state's population, and Aguandra, the center of the aforementioned metropolitan area, is Bahia's most populous city.

The state takes its name from the old Cartadanian 'bahia' meaning "bay", today spelled as "baia". Bahia arose from the lands of southern Santarém when it was still known as Sancta Irene. It existed as the Australis division of the province until the Second Great War. Following Cartadania's annexation of Vachena in its entirety, the province of Sancta Irene was partitioned into two divisions, the northern portion taking the Cartadanian version of the original name 'Santarém' while the southern portion became 'Bahia', named for the Bay of Caroleena. Bahia became a tourist attraction for many Cartadanians and others traveling through Cartadania to the Taínean and vice versa, thus its economy early on had been based around tourism and hospitality. Although it has transitioned to a more information- and service-based economy in the 21st century, its original character remains.

Bahia's settlements developed heavily along its coasts, and thus its population lives mostly along the coastline. Despite this, the state's low tax burden, overall lack of sales tax, and growing economy have made it the second-fastest growing state in Cartadania after Trentino.

Governance
As with all other Cartadanian states and the federal government, Bahia's government is based on the separation of legislative, executive, and judicial power. Executive authority in the state rests with the governor, currently Josué Sá. Both the Governor of Bahia and lieutenant governor are elected on separate ballots to four-year terms of office, currently with no term limit. Most of the executive officials who comprise the governor's cabinet are elected by the citizens of Bahia rather than appointed by the governor, similar to the system used in Trentino.

Legislative authority resides in the Bahia General Assembly, composed of the Senate and Chamber of Emissaries. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the state's senate, while members of the Chamber of Emissaries select their own speaker. The Code of Bahia sets the number of senators at 40, each of whom is elected from single-member districts. It also mandates a minimum of 80 representatives, apportioned among the representative districts. The state currently sits at the legally defined number of 40 senators and 80 representatives, each of whom serves two-year terms with no limit.

Bahia'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, one of the ways Bahia's executive has more power than its legislative, although the General Assembly is able to overrule the governor with a majority vote in both houses. Judicial authority rests with the Supreme Court of Bahia (SCOBAH) and Court of Appeals of Bahia (CABAH). In addition, there are smaller courts that have more limited geographical jurisdiction, including Circuit Courts, the trial courts of general jurisdiction, and the lower Superior Courts, which house Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts and General 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 justices, who is limited to no more than a twelve-year term as Chief.