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.