Halfway

Halfway is a province of Urcea in the Sea of Canete. It is considered part of Urcea's Insular region. Initially settled as part of the Ancient Istroyan civilization, Halfway long sat at the crossroads of Latinic, Istroyan, and Audonian civilizations before its conquest during the Crusades and establishment of the Principality of Halfway, which imparted on the island a definitive Levantine identity. In 1474, the Principality was inherited by the Apostolic King of Urcea, though it remained a separately governed entity until it was incorporated into the crownland of the Kingdom of Crotona in 1660. Reorganized as a province in the late 19th century, the island's population strongly associates itself with the Urcean identity, partly due to the nearly 500 years of association between Urcea and the island and partly due to the resettlement of Urcean mainlanders to the island.

Province of Halfway
Province of Urcea
Flag
Location of the Province of Halfway
Country	Urcea
Cathedral City	Koureiros
Government
• Governor	Bridget Quinius Aulus (NP)
Population  (2014)
• Total	10,582,573

History

Geography

Economy

Halfway's economy is primarily reliant on tourism given its tropical location, safe environment, and built-up infrastructure. The island's pink sands are considered to be iconic and a major tourist draw; many huge resorts dot the nation's shoreline. The economy is also dependent on the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea, whose major presence on the island since the Occidental Cold War has been enhanced. The demilitarization of Lariana in the wake of the Assumption Accords has lead to an increased military presence on the island, strengthening the local economy. Urcea's major Royal Navy base for the east Sarpedon theater is located on Halfway, where it has been since 1905.

Besides tourist and military sources, a major cornerstone of Halfway's economy is the presence of the Royal Orbital Service and Space Command (ROSSC), Urcea's space program. The ROSSC's primary spaceport, the Lucás IV Starport and Launch Facility, is on Halfway, whose advantageous near-equator location allows for easy orbital launches. Consequently, the technology sector is very well developed on the island as many engineers and engineering firms have relocated to the island since the ROSSC's establishment in 1952. The ROSSC's service to other Levantine nations, such as Burgundie, has only served to further develop the island's economy and reliance on the technology sector, and the Government of Urcea has taken special care to use some of the fees assessed for ROSSC services for use in development of the island.

Government

Halfway is a Urcean province. As a province, Halfway as a chief executive known as a Governor and a bicameral legislature known as the Great Court. Like other provinces, the Governor of Halfway has extensive powers to propose laws to the legislature, execute the laws of the province and Kingdom, and to set forth executive policies while appointing a large number of public officials. Elections in Halfway take place every five years in conjunction with the national elections.

The Great Court has existed in several forms since the establishment of the Crusader principality and is arguably the oldest provincial legislature in Urcea. In its current form, the Great Court has an upper chamber, the Lion Chamber, and a lower chamber, the Principal Assembly. The Lion Chamber, so called for the large room in which the highest knights and lords of the Principality once convened to discuss military affairs, is comprised of 18 High Magistrates. The Principal Assembly, the lower chamber, has 82 members. Both bodies, as per Urcean law, elect their legislators in specific legislative districts determined after every decennial census. The Great Court is unusual from other Urcean provincial legislatures not only due to its vintage but also by its nomenclature; nearly all other provincial legislatures simply use the terminology of "Legislature", "Senate", and "Assembly", giving Halfway a unique signifying tradition.