Lombardia

Lombardia, officially the Commonwealth of Lombardia, is a state located in the central region of Cartadania, south of the Jordas Bay. It is the fourth-most populous Cartadanian state as well as the seventh-most extensive. The state capital is Figueroa, centrally located within the Figueroa Valley. The Castelusia Metro Area is the most populous urban region, with approximately 7 million residents. Castelusia, the center of the aforementioned metropolitan area, is Lombardia's most populous city.

The state takes its name from the Lombard River, whose name in turn originated from the indigenous Sarpedonic Lum bardhi meaning "white river". Lombardia arose from the lands west of Santiago that were contested from colonial times between Cartadania and then-Vachena. It existed as Iordania Province in Vachena until its annexation in 1799. It was partitioned from the resulting South Jordas Territory, which was the first expansion of the new Republic of Cartadania, and became the 7th state admitted to the Union on 15 December 1799, and the second outside of Cartadania's original borders (after Porta Bianca). Lombardia became one of the earliest and most influential industrial powerhouses during the 18th century. Although it has transitioned to a more information- and service-based economy in the 21st century, it remains a semi-industrial state, ranking fourth in GDP as of 2023, with the third largest manufacturing sector and second largest automobile production.

Lombardia's early settlements and population centers clustered around rivers and other waterways that empty into the Jordas Bay. In 1781, Lombardia's current boundaries took form following the settlement of a long-running border dispute with Santiago.

Lombardia's large population and economy give it considerable influence in national politics; in the late 20th century it was a major battleground in presidential elections, most notably in 1984 and 1988. Castelusia, along with Figueroa as the capital, is recognized as a global city. The state has some of the country's largest universities, with its flagship University of Lombardia ranking among the ten best public universities in the country. Lombardia is also among the ten overall best states based on metrics such as governance, healthcare, education, and economic opportunity.

Etymology
According to the state's historians, Lombardia takes its name from the Lombard River, whose name, in turn, originated from the indigenous Sarpedonic Lum bardhi meaning "white river". The Lombard River is a tributary of the Jordas Bay, for which Lombardia lies south of, and flows through both Figueroa and Castelusia.

Geography
Lombardia has a geographic area of 170,981.17 km2 and is roughly comparable in size to some of the Deric States. It is the seventh-largest state in Cartadania. Much of Lombardia, excepting the areas along the Trentine River, lies within the Lombard Valley. This area is bounded by a line of mountains known as the Ursa Range that separates the state from Aveiro and Espírito Santo. The valley extends southerly into Toscana and Ferara as gently rolling hills where it is then bounded by the Aegis Range. Though the state lies in the tropics geographically, the majority of the state experiences a Mediterranean climate as a result of the cool Jordas Current offshore, enhanced by upwelling of cold sub-surface waters, which often creates summer fog near the coast. This is forced inland by the western ranges that force prevailing winds to circulate.

Geographically, Lombardia is bounded by Santiago to the east via the Trentine River, Ferara to the southeast, Toscana to the south, Aveiro to the south west, and Espírito Santo to the west. The Jordas Bay, north of the state, plays an important role, not only in climate, but also in transportation. The state is generally flat or rolling hills except for the mountains of the Ursa Range.

State government
The government of Lombardia is conducted according to the state constitution. The government of Lombardia, like the other 30 state governments, has exclusive authority over matters that lie entirely within the state's borders, except as limited by Cartadania's Constitution.

Power in Lombardia is divided among three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. The Lombardia General Assembly is composed of the Lombardia Chamber of Delegates and the Lombardia Senate. Lombardia's governor is unique in Cartadania as the office is vested with significant authority in budgeting. The legislature may not increase the governor's proposed budget expenditures. Unlike many other states, significant autonomy is granted to many of Lombardia's counties.

Most of the business of government is conducted in Figueroa, the state capital. Elections for governor and most statewide offices, as well as most county elections, are held in midterm-election years (even-numbered years not divisible by four).

The Judiciary of Lombardia is the unified court system of commonwealth, and consists of the Supreme Court of Lombardia, the appelate courts of Lombardia, known as the Lombardia Courts of Appeal, as well as 93 Circuit Courts sitting in each County, the latter being courts of general jurisdiction over "all justiciable matters". Lombardia's Supreme Court has a single chief justice and six associate justices, each serving no more than 12 years in their role. It is seated in Figueroa with hearings in Castelusia between June 1 and September 30.