Cartadania
Federative Republic of Cartadania República Federativa da Cartadania (Cartadanian) | |
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 Coat of arms
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Motto: "Sic Semper Tyrannis" Thus always to tyrants | |
Coat of arms of the Old Republic  | |
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| Capital | Alahuela |
| Largest city | Sierra |
| Official languages | Cartadanian |
| Ethnic groups | By race:
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| Demonym(s) | Cartadanian Carto(a) (colloquial) Odridian/Odridiano(a) (antiquated) |
| Government | Federal presidential federal system |
| Samaria Kalanie (PP) | |
| Adriana Floriadi (PP) | |
| Victor Cabello (SDP) | |
| Esperanza Rodriguez | |
| Legislature | National Congress |
| Senate | |
| Chamber of Emissaries | |
| Establishment | |
• Separation from Caphiria | 1621 |
• Civil War / Ano Roxo | 1697-1698 |
• Reform | 1710 |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,122,251 km2 (1,591,610 sq mi) (5th) |
| Population | |
• 2020 census | 369,586,126 (9th) |
• Density | 92.1/km2 (238.5/sq mi) (26th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total |  $28.5 trillion (4th) |
• Per capita | $75,038 (1st) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $28.5 trillion (4th) |
• Per capita | $75,038 (1st) |
| Gini (2024) |  34.1medium |
| HDI (2024) | 0.976 very high |
| Currency | Escudo (CRE) |
| Mains electricity | 120 V, 60 Hz |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +10 |
| Internet TLD | .ca |
Cartadania, officially the Federative Republic of Cartadania (Cartadanian: República Federativa da Cartadania), is a sovereign country in northern Sarpedon, with territories around the globe. Located in the heart of the western world and along the southern Odoneru Ocean, Cartadania shares land borders with Pelaxia and Caphiria. Cartadania covers an area of 4,122,251 square kilometres (1,591,610 sq mi), making it the worlds fifth-largest country by area, and with around 372 million inhabitants, it is the second-most populous nation in Sarpedon and ninth-most populous worldwide. It has a largely tropical climate with Mediterranean zones, predominantly along the Urlazian Sea, its tributaries, and the Jordas Bay. The Cartadanian territory also includes insular areas proximal to Crona (Solemia), Polynesia (Lotoa), as well as Sarpedon (Ciulaga, Providência, Santa Domenica, and Santa Elena).
A highly developed and high income country, Cartadania owes its development to its healthy mixed economy and strong economic growth over the years, and has used it's size to maintain stability in the region. It has a very high level of human development and enjoys the second longest life expectancy in the world, after Burgundie. Cartadania plays a prominent role in regional and global economic, military, cultural and diplomatic affairs, with a majority of academics considering the country to be both a regional power and a great power. Cartadania's economy is the world's fourth-largest by both nominal GDP and GDP (PPP) as of 2024, at approximately $27 trillion. Cartadania has one of the world's fastest growing major economies. Cartadania's national development bank plays an important role for the country's economic growth, and its diplomatic outreach and support programs to develop emerging and young economies has been one of paramount recognition.
It is a founding member of ARGUS, the Community of Lusophone Nations, the League of Nations, the Union of Sarpedonian States, and the now-defunct Levantia and Odoneru Treaty Association. Cartadania is a great power in Sarpedon and considers itself a great power in international affairs, while some analysts identify it as a great power with potential superpower status in the future. One of the world's major breadbaskets, it has also been the largest producer of coffee (for at least the last 264 years), oranges, and sugarcane.
Cartadania is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse countries in the world, with its rich cultural heritage reflecting influences by indigenous peoples, Latin settlement, forced Alshari migration, immigration from Levantia and the Middle East. It is among the world's 17 megadiverse countries, and one of the most densely biodiverse per square kilometer; its territory encompasses the Satherian rainforest, tropical grassland, and coastlines along three major seas and the Odoneru Ocean.
History
Geography
Climate
The climate of Cartadania is characterized for being tropical with strong Mediterranean zones presenting variations within several natural regions and depending on the altitude, temperature, humidity, winds, and rainfall. The diversity of climate zones in Cartadania is characterized by having tropical rainforests, savannas, steppes, deserts, and mountain climates.
Mountain climate is one of the unique features of the Aegis, Turian, and Ursa mountain ranges and other high altitude reliefs where climate is determined by elevation. Below 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in elevation is the warm altitudinal zone, where temperatures are above 24 °C (75 °F). About 82.5% of the country's total area lies in the warm altitudinal zone. The temperate climate altitudinal zone located between 1,001–2,000 metres (3,284–6,562 ft) is characterized for presenting an average temperature ranging between 17 and 24 °C (63 and 75 °F). The cold climate is present between 2,001–3,000 metres (6,565–9,843 ft) and the temperatures vary between 12 and 17 °C (54 and 63 °F). Beyond the cold land lie the alpine conditions of the forested zone and then the treeless grasslands of the charnecas. Above 4,000 metres (13,000 ft), where temperatures are below freezing, the climate is glacial, a zone of permanent snow and ice.
Biodiversity and environment
The Cartadanian ecology is megadiverse and the country is thought to have the largest diversity of flora and fauna outside of Crona (however, this measure does include its Cronan territories). The megadiversity is in large part due to the varied geography and climate, which in turns causes a large variation in biomes available for ecological development. Many of the species have found themselves becoming symbols of the state and territorial governments where they are found. The Cartadanian Harpy eagle is both the national bird and the national land animal of Cartadania, while the Urlazian Orca is the national marine mammal, both of which are enduring symbols of the country itself.
There are 72 national parks and hundreds of other federally managed parks, forests, and wilderness areas. Altogether, the government owns about 30% of the country's land area. Most of this is protected, though some is leased for oil and gas drilling; about .86% is used for military purposes.
Environmental issues have been very low but have been on the national agenda since 1984. Environmental controversies include debates on oil and nuclear energy, dealing with air and water pollution, the economic costs of protecting wildlife, logging and deforestation, and international responses to global warming. Many federal and state agencies are involved. The most prominent is the Department of Environmental Integrity (DEI or DIA), created by presidential order in 1984. The idea of wilderness has shaped the management of public lands since the 1960s, with the many federal regulations and acts being passed. The Endangered Species Act of 1940 is intended to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats, which are monitored by the Bureau of Game, Wildlife, and Inland Fisheries.
Politics
Government
Cartadania is a federal, presidential, representative democratic republic with a tradition of liberalism, and an egalitarian political ideology. Federal legislative power is vested in the National Congress consisting of the Senate and Chamber of Emissaries, which together form the legislative body. It makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse, and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove sitting members of the government. The Cartadanian political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1710 constitution, and all members of Congress have been directly elected since its introduction. Currently, federal law sets a minimum of three senators per state, while the number of Emissaries is dependent on the population. As of 2024, this number has been fixed at no more than 550, with 527 seats currently active. Amendments generally require a two-thirds majority of both the Senate and the Chamber of Emissaries; the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law, are valid in perpetuity. The legislative bodies in each political entity are the main source of law in Cartadania.
The President of Cartadania is both head of state and head of government of the Union and is elected for a four-year term, with the possibility of re-election for a second successive term. The current president is Samaria Kalanie of the Progressistas Party. The President appoints the Secretaries of each federal department (except Veteran Affairs, which is actually appointed by the Secretary of Defense), who assist in government. Since 1757, the party system has been dominated by the Social Democracy Party and the United Conservative Party, with occasional one-offs from the Progressistas Party. So far every president since 1759 has been a member of one of these parties (the Partido Conservador was the predecessor to the UCP).
The judiciary of Cartadania consists of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, whose judges are now appointed by the incumbent bench with Senate and presidential approval. It interprets laws and overturns those it finds unconstitutional, like any other branch of government, but the degree of autonomy granted to the courts via judicial review has allowed the interpretation of law to sometimes result in the courts acting more as a legislative body. On more than one occurrence, the supreme court has ordered the other branches to comply with a decision its bench has made, and historically, it has very rarely been challenged.
According to the World Democracy Index, Cartadania ranked first in 2020, a position it had not held since 2000. With regard to the freedoms and laws of Cartadania, the country is seen as a "full democracy" with a high degree of freedom and autonomy. It is considered to be one of the most stable countries in the world, and its citizens often rank as some of the world's happiest.
Administrative divisions
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Cartadania is composed of 32 states and six territories (Alahuela is considered a territory). The states and territories are the principal administrative units in the country. These are divided into subdivisions of counties (comarca) or parishes (paroquia or paroisse) and independent cities (cidades independentes). Alahuela is a federated independent city that serves as the capital of Cartadania and is equal in power and status to the states. The states and seven territories (Alahuela, Ciulaga, Lotoa, Providência, Santa Domenica, and Santa Elena) choose the President of the Republic. Each federal entity has presidential electors equal to the number of their Representatives and Senators in Congress, Alahuela has 5. Congressional Districts are reapportioned among the states following each centennial Census of Population. Each state then draws single-member districts to conform with the census apportionment.
The states are further grouped into six informal regions–the Charente, Etracian, Luson, Satheria, Taínea, Turiana Ocidental, and Valeria, mostly associated with historical and cultural ties. The Luson region is the largest by both population and land area, covering 1,126,318.5 square kilometres (434,874.0 sq mi) with a population of 188.9 million, while the Valerian region is the smallest by area at 240,871 square kilometres (93,001 sq mi) and the Etracian region is the least populous, with 8.513 million people.
The governments of the states have jurisdiction over their rules and regulations (as long as they do not conflict with federal law) and share sovereignty with the federal government. Some states utilize a specific set of shared code rules, and consequently, may be associated together. For example, the Commonwealth states–Lombardia, Milan, Porta Bianca, and Verona–share a basic law framework commonly, but informally, known as the Commonwealth Code (Cartadanian: Lei comunidensis, and because these states tend to have a policy of zero-tolerance regarding intentional crimes, the "Commonwealth" states are sometimes thought to all be stricter. However, the title "Commonwealth" is one purely of choice that originated during the end of the Ano Roxo, and holds no true political value.
The territories operate in equal weight to the states but lack the degree of autonomy afforded to the states. Territories are semi-autonomous regions with their own charters and codes of law, but do not possess constitutions of their own, and as a result operate at the will of the federal constitution. Therefore, a territory may not codify, with the intent to undermine, any regulation or law brought into force by congress. Even if that law is then devolved to the states, the decisions of Congress will continue to stand (except where struck down or challenged by a federal court). In every other aspect, the governments of the territories are nearly identical to those of the states.
Law
The Constitution of Cartadania is the supreme law of the country and consists of written text and unwritten conventions. The Constitution Act affirmed governance based on congressional precedent and divided powers between the federal and state governments in a system of parallel sovereignty. The Constitution guarantees basic rights and freedoms that usually cannot be over-ridden by any government—though a notwithstanding clause allows Congress and the state legislatures to override certain sections of the Constitution for a period of five years.
Cartadania has a law system based on Urcean Common law, but some states (i.e., Bahia and São Andreas) operate under civil law based on Caphiric law. Criminal law is primarily a federal responsibility but is not truly uniform throughout Cartadania as many laws may fall to the states. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is officially a state responsibility, conducted by state and municipal police forces, though federal courts do prosecute criminal matters as well.
The Supreme Court is Cartadania's court of last resort responsible for constitutional matters, with the power of judicial review. It generally hears appeals from the courts of appeals (and sometimes state courts), operating under discretionary review, which means that the Supreme Court can choose which cases to hear, by granting writs of certiorari. Consequently, there is generally no basic right of appeal that extends automatically all the way to the Supreme Court. In some situations (e.g., lawsuits between state governments or some cases between the federal government and a state) it sits as a court of original jurisdiction. It is regarded as among the most interventionist and powerful national courts in the world.
Military
The armed forces of Cartadania are some of the largest in the world by active personnel and in terms of military equipment. It consists of the Cartadanian Army (including the Army Aviation Command), the Cartadanian Navy (including Naval Aviation), the Cartadanian Marine Corps, and the Cartadanian Air Force. The president is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and appoints its leaders, the secretary of defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Department of Defense administers four of the five service branches, which are made up of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. The Coast Guard, also a branch of the armed forces, is normally administered by the Department of Homeland Security in peacetime, but can be transferred to the Department of the Navy in wartime. Military service in Cartadania is voluntary, and has been since 1974, but conscription may still occur in wartime. Reservists are available to the armed forces and participate in defense exercises and deployments abroad on a pretty regular basis. Cartadania spent $1.072 trillion on its military in 2024, approximately 4% of its GDP.
Numbering close to 220,000 active personnel, the Cartadanian Army has one of the largest number of armored vehicles in the world, including armored transports and tanks. It is also unique in Sarpedon for its large, elite forces specializing in unconventional missions, the Cartadanian Special Operations Command, and the versatile Strategic Rapid Action Force, made up of highly mobilized and prepared Special Operations Brigade, Infantry Brigade Parachutist, 1st Jungle Infantry Battalion (Airmobile) and 12th Brigade Light Infantry (Airmobile) able to act anywhere in the country, on short notice, to counter external aggression. The Air Force, it is one of the largest in the world has about 5,276 aircraft in service and effective about 328,000 personnel.
Cartadania has not been invaded in modern histry, with the only invasion occurring in the 5th century, prior to the country's existence. Additionally, Cartadania has no contested territorial disputes with any of its neighbors, nor does it have rivalries since the fall of Varshan. The Cartadanian military has also once intervened militarily to subdue the Cartadanian government. It has, for the most part, though, built a tradition of participating in LON peacekeeping missions.
Foreign policy
The foreign policy of Cartadania is the way in which it interacts with foreign nations and sets standards of interaction for its organizations, corporations, and individual citizens. The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the Cartadania, including all the Bureaus and Offices in the Department of State, as mentioned in the Foreign Policy Agenda of the Department of State, are "to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world for the benefit of the Cartadanian people and the international community". In addition, the Cartadanian Chamber Committee on Foreign Affairs states as some of its jurisdictional goals: "export controls, including nonproliferation of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware; measures to foster commercial intercourse with foreign nations and to safeguard Cartadanian business abroad; international commodity agreements; international education; and protection of Cartadanian citizens abroad and expatriation. Cartadanian foreign policy and foreign aid have been the subject of much debate, praise and criticism, both domestically and abroad, especially in times of budget surplus expenditure.
The vast majority of Cartadania's international relations are amicable and it maintains relations with more than 190 countries. Although oversight of foreign policy is the responsibility of the Department of State, the development policy of Cartadania is a semi-independent area of foreign policy. It is formulated by the multiple bureaus within the Department of State and carried out by the implementing organisations. The Cartadanian government sees development policy as a joint responsibility of the international community. The country has participated in various organizations for international development, including those for educational attainment like ARGUS, international peace and security diplomatic organizations such at the League of Nations, and has even participated in economic and military organizations, such as with the now-defunct Levantia and Odoneru Treaty Association.
Law enforcement and crime
Law enforcement in Cartadania is primarily the responsibility of local police and sheriff's departments, with state police providing broader services. Federal agencies such as the Departamento Federal de Investigação (DFI) and the Federal Marshals Service have specialized duties, including protecting civil rights, national security and enforcing federal courts' rulings and federal laws. At the federal level and in almost every state, a legal system operates on a common law. State courts conduct most criminal trials; federal courts handle certain designated crimes as well as certain appeals from the state criminal courts. Plea bargaining in Cartadania is very common; the vast majority of criminal cases in the country are settled by plea bargain rather than jury trial.
Capital punishment is sanctioned in Cartadania for certain federal and military crimes, and used in 8 states. No executions took place from 1997 to 2012, owing in part to a Supreme Court ruling striking down arbitrary imposition of the death penalty. In 2011, that Court ruled that, under appropriate circumstances, capital punishment may constitutionally be imposed. Since the decision there have been more than 1,300 executions, a majority of these taking place in three states: Aveiro, Lombardia, and São Andreas. Meanwhile, several states have either abolished or struck down death penalty laws.
While Cartadania itself has no federal civilian police department (federal marshals are an arm of the Department of Justice and perform specific tasks), the various agencies (e.g., the Department of Justice) work with local police on various tasks, and its not uncommon to see various agencies' officers at crime scenes.
The Border Security agency (ASF) is a Cartadanian federal law enforcement agency tasked with securing the nation's border. Its mission is to detect and prevent illegal aliens, terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering Cartadania, and prevent illegal trafficking of people and contraband. It was an agency within Cartadanian Customs and Border Protection, a component of the former Department of National Security, but the two have been consolidated into a single entity under the Department of Homeland Security. The force was created during the Vachena Crises and was continuously in operation during the Great War and cold war, when relations between Cartadania and Caphiria were still uncertain. With over 21,000 agents, the Border Patrol is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in Cartadania.
Economy
Components and energy
Tourism
Demographics
With a population of 368 million according to the 2020 census, rising to 372.6 million as of 2024, Cartadania is the second-most populous country in Sarpedon after Caphiria, and the ninth-most populous country in the world. Its population density stands at 92.9 inhabitants per square kilometre (241/sq mi). The overall life expectancy in Cartadania at birth is 84.19 years (81.87 years for males and 86.51 years for females). According to health data from participating institutions reporting to the Department of Health and Human Services, Cartadania had a net gain of one person every 100 seconds, or about 864 people per day. The median age of the country is 39.3 years, but is beginning to increase as the nation's largest demographic sector matures.
Cartadania is a fairly diverse land, settled mostly by the Latin people of Caphiria and from descent of Adonerum. Their arrival and settlements played a profound role in the development and culture of the country. The Latin-descent groups that arrived in Cartadania eventually blended with the native Italic populations throughout the country. As such, some 14% of people in Cartadania are Latin, while nearly three-quarters of the population is of some Latin or native Cartadanian combination. Small, relatively homogenous minorities of other ethnicities, making up the remaining portions exist in Cartadania, spread throughout the nation in many different areas.
Largest cities or towns in Cartadania
ICGE Census estimates for July 2030 | |||||||||
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| Rank | Administrative division | Pop. | Rank | Administrative division | Pop. | ||||
 Sierra  Newport |
1 | Sierra | Verona | 8,733,016 | 11 | Kairi | Porta Bianca | 998,513 |  Valorica  Mirada |
| 2 | Newport | Santiago | 4,102,889 | 12 | La Joya | Verona | 997,026 | ||
| 3 | Valorica | Triessa | 3,107,885 | 13 | Los Sueños | Verona | 991,026 | ||
| 4 | Mirada | Verona | 2,587,004 | 14 | Vila Real | Santarém | 984,213 | ||
| 5 | Amar | Porta Bianca | 2,213,407 | 15 | Castelusia | Lombardia | 981,076 | ||
| 6 | Calaine | Alexandria | 2,103,970 | 16 | Oasis Springs | Verona | 873,105 | ||
| 7 | Alahuela | Alahuela | 1,970,183 | 17 | Auvergne | Maresia | 844,510 | ||
| 8 | Suriana | Santiago | 1,920,843 | 18 | Aumiers | Maresia | 809,277 | ||
| 9 | Lynnhaven | Verona | 1,773,842 | 19 | Valencia | Trentino | 714,929 | ||
| 10 | Hermosa | Verona | 1,103,944 | 20 | Aurimá | Verona | 681,338 | ||
- Metropolitan areas
| Rank | Metro area | State or Territory |
Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government data | Other estimations | |||
| 1 | Palm Coast | Verona | 31,678,490 | 30.2 – 36.5 m |
| 2 | Alahuela | Alahuela, Alexandria, Verona | 10,883,207 | 9.6 – 11.3 m |
| 3 | Newport–Carina | Santiago | 10,501,585 | 10.5 – 12.3 m |
| 4 | Orange | Verona | 9,194,867 | 9.2 – 9.3 m |
| 5 | Auvergne | Milan | 9,043,251 | |
| 6 | New Venceia | Alexandria | 7,410,578 | |
| 7 | Castelusia | Lombardia | 7,035,053 | |
| 8 | Centralia | Verona | 7,846,152 | |
| 9 | Olympia | Verona | 5,098,662 | |
| 10 | Valentia | Toscana | 5,043,854 | |
Language
Cartadanian is the official and predominant spoken language in Cartadania. It is a Romance language derived from vulgar latin of the Caphiric latin offshoot in Odros and the Kindreds (hence its categorization as Odo-Kindredian). Cartadanian is one of the most widely spoken first languages in the world, with around 440 million native speakers, and is the second-most spoken Romance language on the planet with a total 520 million speakers (including L2 speakers).
Recognised native minority languages in Cartadania are Charentais, Ettian, Latin, Lotoan, and Suyaran; they are officially protected by the Code for Regional or Minority Languages. The most used immigrant languages are Burgoignesc, Carnish, Coscivian, Ænglish, Etzilian, Lebhan, and other Taínean languages. Cartadanians are typically multilingual: 71% of Cartadanian citizens claim to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language and 34% in at least two. Cartadania's position so close to the largest countries on the planet, both of which have a very large Latin-speaking population, means that being able to communicate in that language is important. A strong willingness to build relations between countries has germinated a culture of learning foreign languages very early in life, and many schools in Cartadania have multilingual options.
Education
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Central Commons of the Erudite University of Alahuela
Responsibility for educational supervision in Cartadania is primarily organized within the individual state and local governments, with regulations by the Department of Education. Optional early education (Cartadanian: Anteprimaria) and kindergarten (Cartadanian: Primaria) education is provided for all children between newborn and five years old, after which school attendance is compulsory for at least twelve years. Primary education usually lasts for five to six years, while Secondary education is divided into intermediate and high schools, lasting three and four years, respectively. Secondary schooling can also be divided into tracks based on whether students pursue academic or vocational education. A system of apprenticeship leads to a skilled qualification that is almost comparable to an academic degree. It allows students in vocational training to learn in a company as well as in a state-run trade school.
Cartadania has many private and public institutions of higher education. A sizeable portion of the world's top universities, as listed by various ranking organizations, are in Cartadania. The Erudite University of Alahuela is one of the largest universities on the planet, enrolling more than 130,000 students on a regular basis. Each state also has its own university system for its respective jurisdiction. While post-secondary education is readily attainable in Cartadania, it is not free like the primary and secondary systems. Costs vary from zero tuition and only the cost of room and board in the Luson partnership states, to standard costs of attendance at many other public and private institutions. Tuition can also vary dramatically, not only from state to state but within a state as well. There are also local community colleges with generally more open admission policies, shorter academic programs, and lower tuition.
Cartadania has some of the most educated citizens in the world, with a 97% secondary graduation rate, of which 71% of those individuals go on to pursue tertiary education. The basic literacy rate in Cartadania sits at 99%, with the largest gaps being those of rural populations in some insular territories. The federal government, in conjunction with state and local governments, works to promote tertiary education, and through its partnership with ARGUS, students from outside the country can come to Cartadania to learn, which in some cases, can afford those individuals a quick track to citizenship.
Health
The Cartadanian health care system is, by law, one of universal health care largely financed by government national health insurance, although, healthcare is provided to all citizens and residents by a mixed public-private system. During a world health care systems assessment, the World Health Organization found that Cartadania provided one of the best overall health care systems in the world. The Cartadanian healthcare system was ranked second worldwide by the World Health Organization in 2020. In 2024, Cartadania spent 7.5% of its GDP on health care, or $5,382 per capita, a figure much higher than the average spent by countries in cultural proximity to it. Approximately 75% of health expenditures are covered by government funded agencies, and care for people affected by chronic diseases such as cancer, AIDS or cystic fibrosis is generally free.
Average life expectancy at birth is 81.87 years for men and 86.51 years for women, one of the highest of the World. The fertility rate in 2024 stood at 1.71 children born/per woman and has been below the replacement rate of 2.1 since 1973. With a low birth rate, women also become mothers at a later age, the mean age at first live birth being 28.2 in 2024. A study published in a Merced medical journal found that Cartadania also had the lowest stillbirth rate out of the occidental countries.
Religion
The Cartadanian constitution enshrines secularism in governance, as well as freedom of religion or belief for all, saying that no religion should have a "state character," while allowing for the state to "cooperate" with religious groups. With regard to the constitution, Cartadanians are free to worship as they please, and freedom of religion issues often prove to be top priorities for local and state governments. A vast majority of Cartadanians are Christian, with many falling under Catholic or some other Christian faith. Islam is the second-largest religion in the country. In 2020, as part of a national survey unrelated to the census, 1.9% of the census population (7.08 million people) gave their religion as Islam. It tends to be concentrated in areas with large Audonian populations, especially those who immigrated from the UAE. Cartadania is unique in that its religious sites are not exempted from taxation by way of property. Income earned from religious jobs in Cartadania may be subject to income tax by specific states, dependent on their laws, but the federal government assesses a specialized, low, flat-rate income tax for religious leaders. Though controversial, this was allowed due to public outcry that special treatment of religious sites went against the separation of church and state, and one of the very reasons Caphiria and Cartadania did not get along, which resulted in its independence.
The confluence of faiths during the Caphirian colonization of Cartadania led to the development of a diverse array of syncretistic practices within the overarching umbrella of Cartadanian Catholic Church, characterized by traditional Cartadanian festivities, like the large Carnival festival. There is also a number of individuals professing no religion constituting a significant demographic group, exceeding 11% of the population as of the 2020 census.
Despite such strong efforts to keep religion out of the government, Cartadania has one of the largest numbers of geographic areas named after catholic saints, including four states and two territories–Santa Domenica, Santa Elena, Santarém (Sancta Irene), Santiago (Sancta Iacobu), São Andreas, and São Ricardo–and hundreds of counties and municipalities. There have been several Cartadanian Popes, including the current, Pope Gregory XVII.
Infrastructure
Science and technology
Water supply and sanitation
Public water supply and sanitation in Cartadania is universal, affordable, efficient, and of high quality. Some salient features of the sector compared to other developed countries are its very low per capita water use, the high share of advanced wastewater treatment, and very low distribution losses. Responsibility for water supply and sanitation provision typically lies with counties and/or municipalities, which are regulated by the states. Professional associations and utility associations play an important role in the sector.
Innovative hydraulic engineering and integrated water management approaches such as the reuse of reclaimed water, the establishment of protected areas in urban rainwater catchments, and the use of estuaries as freshwater reservoirs have been introduced along with water desalination in order to reduce the country's dependence on groundwater in areas with particularly high salinity estuaries.
Telecommunications
Cartadania's system of telecommunications is highly developed. It is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system. The cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly to extremely rural areas, and includes roaming service to foreign countries, while those visiting countries where the operating carrier is also present continue life as usual.
The telephony system employs an extensive system of modern network elements such as digital telephone exchanges, mobile switching centers, media gateways and signaling gateways at the core, interconnected by a wide variety of transmission systems using fiber-optics or Microwave radio relay networks. The access network, which connects the subscriber to the core, is highly diversified with different copper-pair, optic-fiber, and wireless technologies. The fixed-line telecommunications market is dominated by Axiom Communications and Alfa Telecom, while the mobile phone market in Cartadania is dominated by 3 main cellular operators: Axiom Communications, Alô, and Claro.
About 356 million people in Cartadania (approximately 95% of the population) use the internet, and the country has one of the world's fastest average internet connection speeds, with average download speeds of around 235.8 Mbit/s for fixed broadband connections and 104.4 Mbit/s for mobile (cellular only) connections.
The development of the system as a whole is owed to the federal government and states' expenditures towards its development, working with electronics companies and developing the industry, and promoting the usage of more modern technologies through education and research. It is overseen, at large, by the Public Utilities Commission.
Energy
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Cartadania is one of the world's largest energy consumers with much of its energy coming from nuclear and renewable sources, particularly hydroelectricity and ethanol. Powering the homes and businesses of over 375 million people places a particularly unique burden on the federal government, which has begun to crack down on the use on non-renewables and use of fossil fuels. The ongoing transition by Cartadania to a low carbon, environmentally sound, reliable, and affordable energy supply can be seen across the country by construction of solar and wind farms, as well as the construction of dams, of which, the Granita Dam, completed in 2015, is one of the world's largest hydroelectric plant by energy generation. The new system intends to rely heavily on renewable energy (particularly wind, photovoltaics, and hydroelectricity), energy efficiency, and energy demand management.
Nuclear power has been a topical political issue in recent decades due to its precedence in the energy sector, with continuing debates about when the technology should be phased out. Though a formal consensus has not been reached, many officials recommend 2040 as the deadline for Cartadania to phase out its final nuclear facilities. Simon Ohlson Nuclear Generation Facility in Lombardia, located approximately 48 kilometres (30 mi) southeast of Figueroa, is the highest output facility in Cartadania, supplying three-quarters of the state's nuclear power. Olympia Nuclear Generation Station in Verona is another major nuclear power plant within the country, though having opened in 2015, the Verona Department of Energy has stated it will likely be open into the 2050s.
The nation's power transmission grid consists of about 600,000 kilometres (370,000 mi) of power lines operated by approximately 150 companies. The governmental agencies responsible for the energy policy are the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Energy Commission, the Cartadanian Electric Reliability Corporation (C³E), and the Congressional Energy Board.
Transport
Culture
Many aspects of Cartadanian culture can be traced back to the early cultures of Western Levantia and tCaphiria of the past and their collision with Cartadania's native civilizations. The Caphirians brought Catholicism, Audonians, and catalyzed the creation of a feudal encomienda system. After the fall of Caphirian rule over the Odridian zone, 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 Polynesians played a large role in the formation of the 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.