Urcea and Verona Department of Education: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name          = Verona Department of Education
|seal                =
|seal_width          = 175
|seal_caption        =
|logo                = Verona Department of Education logo.svg
|logo_width          = 175
|logo_caption        = Logo of the Verona DOE
|picture              = 50 Marcus Clarke Street Feb 2016.jpg
|picture_caption      = The DOE headquarters in Aurimá.
|formed              = {{Start date and age|1906|9|3}}
|preceding1          = Education Office
|jurisdiction        = [[Verona|Commonwealth of Verona]]
|headquarters        = DOE Headquarters<br />600 Palmetto Pkwy, [[Aurimá]], [[Verona|VA]] 33001
|coordinates          =
|employees            = 5,174
|budget              = $87.4 billion
|chief1_name          = Gabriel Figueiredo
|chief1_position      = Superintendent of Education
|parent_agency        = [[Verona|Verona Education Secretary]]
|website              = [https://doe.verona.gov/ Official Website]
|chief2_name=|chief2_position=|chief3_name=|chief3_position=|chief4_name=|chief4_position=|chief5_name=|chief5_position=|chief6_name=|chief6_position=|chief7_name=|chief7_position=|chief8_name=|chief8_position=|chief9_name=|chief9_position=|parent_department=}}


{{Infobox country
The '''Verona Department of Education''' ({{lang-cd|Verona Departamento de Educação}}; '''VDOE''') is a branch of the [[Government of Verona|state government]] of [[Verona]] in [[Cartadania]] responsible for the regulation of public education. The agency is headquartered in Verona Frond Six Building in the state capital, [[Aurimá]], along with various other branches and offices of the state government. Formed in 1906 to centralize the state's education system and authority, the Verona Department of Education has the largest education responsibility in the country, second only to the federal equivalent. It apportions funds and sets standards for the education of it's 12.1 million students, a figure larger than the population of twenty-five individual states, and the eight smallest states combined.
|conventional_long_name = Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea
|native_name =        ''Rìognum Urciona Abostolo'' ([[Lebhan language|Lebhan]])
|image_flag =        UrceaRepublic.png
|alt_flag =          <!--alt text for flag (text shown when pointer hovers over flag)-->
|flag_border =        <!--set to no to disable border around the flag-->
|image_flag2 =        <!--e.g. Second-flag of country.svg-->
|alt_flag2 =          <!--alt text for second flag-->
|flag2_border =      <!--set to no to disable border around the flag-->
|image_coat =        Kingdom_Arms.png
|alt_coat =          <!--alt text for coat of arms-->
|symbol_type =        <!--emblem, seal, etc (if not a coat of arms)-->
|national_motto =    Ad majorem Dei gloriam
|englishmotto =        ("For the greater glory of God")
|national_anthem =    <!--in inverted commas and wikilinked if link exists-->
|royal_anthem =      ''[[Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory]]''
|other_symbol_type =  <!--Use if a further symbol exists, e.g. hymn-->
|other_symbol =
|image_map =          <!--e.g. LocationCountry.svg-->
|loctext =            <!--text description of location of country-->
|alt_map =            <!--alt text for map-->
|map_caption =        Location of the '''Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea''' in [[Levantia]]
|image_map2 =        <!--Another map, if required-->
|alt_map2 =          <!--alt text for second map-->
|map_caption2 =      <!--Caption to place below second map-->
|capital =            [[Urceopolis]]
|largest_city =      capital
|official_languages = [[Julian Ænglish]]<br>{{wp|Latin language|Latin}}<br>[[Lebhan language|Lebhan]]
|ethnic_groups =     
|religion =          [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholicism]]
|demonym =        Urcean (noun)<br>
Urcean (adjective)<br>
Urceans (plural)
|government_type =    {{wp|Constitutional Monarchy}}
|leader_title1 =      [[Apostolic King of Urcea]]
|leader_name1 = [[Riordan VIII]]
|leader_title2 =      [[Chancellor and Temporary President]]
|leader_name2 = [[Bridget Farrell]] ([[National Pact|NP]])
|legislature =       
|upper_house =        [[Gildertach]]
|lower_house =        [[Concilium Daoni]]
|established_event1 = [[Golden Bull of 1098|Golden Bull]]
|established_date1 =  1098 AD
|area_rank = 2nd
|area =              6,089,476 km2 (2,351,160 sq mi)
|population_estimate = 1,523,756,952
|population_census = 1,341,602,401
|GDP_nominal = $73,177,035,889,788
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $48,024
|currency =          [[Taler]] (₮)
|currency_code =     
|time_zone =          <!--e.g. GMT, PST, AST, etc, etc (wikilinked if possible)-->
|electricity =        <!--e.g. "230 V–50 Hz"-->
|drives_on =          right
|cctld =           
|calling_code =      <!--e.g. [[+1]], [[+531]], [[+44]], etc-->
}}


'''Urcea''', officially the '''Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea''', is a {{wp|Constitutional Monarchy}} in [[Levantia]]. It occupies a position in the southern half of [[Levantia]], and it neighbors, among others, [[Fiannria]] to the north, [[Burgundie]] and [[Dericania]] to the east, and [[Anglei]] to the north.. The Kingdom's historic borders have largely sat between the [[Ionian Mountains]] and the [[Odoneru Ocean]], though its modern borders includes territories beyond both of its "natural borders", a concept that developed in the 17th century. Urcea has the [[List of nations|world's largest population]], and the world's largest {{wp|metropole}} depending upon one's definition of that term. Urcea's economy is either the largest in the world, with a nominal {{wp|gross domestic product}} exceeding $64 billion.
Gabriel Figueiredo, a member of the [[Jupiter Independent School District]]'s board of trustees, was appointed Superintendent of Education by [[Governor of Verona|Verona Governor]] Alícia Rosa on 8 February 2026.


Although Urcea's roots as a semi-[[Latinic]] nation stretch back to the early foundation of [[Adonerum|Adonerii]] settlements in the Urce river valley, a recognizable Urcean civilization came into being in the chaotic period following the collapse of [[Great Levantia]] and the coalescence of cities and areas into early medieval polities. It was during this period that the earliest roots of modern Urcean culture was established as a fusion between the settled Latins and native [[Gaelic people|Gaels]], a duality that defines Urcean national identity. It was a major part of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] from its foundation, and its history is shaped by that institution, and has its historical origins as unions of several of the Empire's constituent parts. At times, Urcea came to dominate the Empire, but ultimately played a major role in its downfall throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. The [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholic faith]] has proved to be a major factor in the development of the Urcean state, and the Apostolic Kingdom played a pivotal role in the [[Great Confessional War]] and the entrenchment of Catholicism in Levantia. Urcea's closeness with Catholicism is one of its best known characteristics worldwide, and the [[Pope|Papacy]] resides in [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] under Urcean temporal protection. The nation and its government are officially [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholic]], and much of the nation's policy decision-making revolves around {{wp|distributism|distributist}} and {{wp|Catholic social teaching|Catholic social}} principles, including {{wp|subsidiarity}} and its application with communal, local democracy. The Catholic faith proves to be one of the defining characteristics of the country; the great [[Kirav|Kiravian]] scholar P. G. W. Gelema once stated that "if [[Caphiria]] is an army with a state, than it should very much be said Urcea is a Church with a state".
== History ==
The Department of Education was established on 3 September 1906 following the need for a centralized educational authority. Prior to the creation of the department, education was overseen by county education boards or multi-county organizations. The government conducted a survey of needs throughout the commonwealth and set out to develop a set goal and basic curriculum that each school district was required to follow. This survey resulted in the creation of the department to be responsible for maintaining these objectives and the office of Superintendent of Education was created, with the superintendent being an official appointed by the Governor.


A very highly developed and influential [[Occidental world|Occidental]] nation, the Apostolic Kingdom rates highly in {{wp|Human Development Index}} (HDI) and gross domestic product per capita. Urceans enjoy one of the world's largest and healthiest economies, with a per capita income of more than $45,000 annually and with burgeoning middle and upper classes. The arms manufacturing and energy sectors are among the nation's largest, but the Urcean export economy is perhaps best known for its large scale {{wp|grain}} production, earning it the moniker of "breadbasket of the [[Odoneru Ocean|Odoneru]]". With involvement from mercantile interests from [[Burgundie and Caphiria]], many scholars have argued that the Urcean-Odoneru grain trade was the birthplace of {{wp|capitalism}}, though there is a significant minority view that questions this assertion.
In 1938, the Commonwealth Board of Education was merged into the Department of Education. Together, they introduced a precursor to the legislative bill that would separate school districts from the county and city governments. They also sought to solve the issue of ghost districts, those with no enrollment or active schools. Prior to the late 1940s, many school districts in Verona did not operate schools but spent money to send children to schools operated by other districts. In the late 1940s state lawmakers passed another bill abolishing those districts, prompting a wave of mass school district consolidation.


Urcea's foreign policy focus primarily relies on maintaining balanced hegemony over [[Levantia]] and growing its colonial empire abroad, but historically had a focus on involvement in the affairs of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]]. While a major participant in the [[Great War]] and subsequent [[Occidental Cold War]], Urcea's relationship with its powerful neighbor [[Caphiria]] has been improving in recent years as shown by the formal end to the Cold War with the [[Assumption Accords]]. Both as a consequence and a cause of the end of the Cold War, Urcea's overseas focus has shifted from [[Sarpedon]] to [[Crona]], where it maintains an active union and relationship with [[New Yustona]], which many critics have labeled as a Urcean colony. Urcea's involvement in [[Crona]] has been growing by the year as a greater number of [[Levantia|Levantones]] move west in search of new opportunities, a phenomenon actively supported by the Urcean government.
In 1956, the General Assembly authorized the creation of the University System of Verona, a multi-system organization that encompasses the four-system schools throughout the state. It serves as a regulatory authority and reports directly to the state and, though sometimes thought of as a part of the Department of Education, it is a distinct and separate sister entity.


Urcea is a member of the [[League of Nations]], the [[Levantine Union]], the [[Levantine Union Defense Council]], the [[Nysdra Sea Treaty Association]] as well as, nominally, the [[Holy Levantine Empire]].
In 1961, the Verona Department of Education, in conjunction with the Commonwealth Revenue Board and General Assembly, granted school districts the power to tax residents. Prior to this, Verona school districts were allocated funding from the localities they served. The new configuration removed the municipalities' oversight of funding and use, giving the school districts more control. In spite of this, Verona school districts still receive the bulk of funding from the state directly and from the federal Department of Education.


'''Urcea''', officially the '''Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea''', is a Constitutional Monarchy in [[Levantia]]. It occupies a position in the southern half of [[Levantia]], and it neighbors, among others, [[Kuhlfros]] to the north. The Kingdom's historic borders have largely sat between the [[Ionian Highlands|Ionian Mountains]] and the [[Odoneru Ocean]], though its modern borders includes territories beyond both of its "natural borders", a concept that developed in the 17th century. Urcea has the [[List of Nations|world's largest population]], and the world's largest metropole depending upon one's definition of that term. Urcea's economy is either the largest or second largest in the world, with a nominal gross domestic product exceeding $64 billion.
In 2002, the Verona education system underwent a major revision, known as the Verona Instructional System Alignment (VISA), that restructured the grading system, instructional timeframe, curricula, and pipeline for primary and secondary education. The changes went into effect on 3 January 2002, in preparation for school systems to migrate to this model when school begins (typically the third monday in January), but were authorized in January 2000. Alongside VISA was the Verona Post-Secondary Alignment (VAPSA), which only established a system by which schools can admit students on an academic basis and simultaneously eliminated the cost of attendance for baccalaureate programs, the cost of which shifted to a tax-funded model with funding from the federal government. VAPSA also reinstated the mandatory requirement that all teachers have a masters degree, which is now funded by the state as well.


Although Urcea's roots as a semi-[[Latinic people|Latinic]] nation stretch back to the early foundation of [[Adonerum|Adonerii]] settlements in the Urce river valley, a recognizable Urcean civilization came into being in the chaotic period following the collapse of [[Great Levantia]] and the coalescence of cities and areas into early medieval polities. It was during this period that the earliest roots of modern Urcean culture was established as a fusion between the settled Latins and native Celts, a duality that defines Urcean national identity. It was a major part of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] from its foundation, and its history is shaped by that institution, and has its historical origins as unions of several of the Empire's constituent parts. At times, Urcea came to dominate the Empire, but ultimately played a major role in its downfall throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. The [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholic faith]] has proved to be a major factor in the development of the Urcean state, and the Apostolic Kingdom played a pivotal role in the [[Great Confessional War]] and the entrenchment of Catholicism in Levantia. Urcea's closeness with Catholicism is one of its best known characteristics worldwide, and the Papacy resides in [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] under Urcean temporal protection. The nation and its government are officially [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholic]], and much of the nation's policy decision-making revolves around distributist and Catholic social principles, including subsidiarity. The Catholic faith proves to be one of the defining characteristics of the country; the great [[Kirav|Kiravian]] scholar P. G. W. Gelema once stated that "if [[Caphiria]] is an army with a state, than it should very much be said Urcea is a Church with a state".
== Duties ==
The Verona Department of Education is responsible for the oversight of public primary and secondary education in the state of Verona, involving both the over 100 individual school districts in the state as well as private schools. It is also responsible for the safety of students. However, it does not have any jurisdiction over parochial schools (whether or not accredited), and unlike in a few other states and several countries, home schooling is illegal. All schools are, however, required to follow the states basic curriculum, the Verona Education Standards.


A very highly developed and influential [[Occidental world|Occidental]] nation, the Apostolic Kingdom rates highly in Human Development Index (HDI) and gross domestic product per capita. Urceans enjoy one of the world's largest and healthiest economies, with a per capita income of approximately $45,000 annually and with burgeoning middle and upper classes. The arms manufacturing and energy sectors are among the nation's largest, but the Urcean export economy is perhaps best known for its large scale grain production, earning it the moniker of "breadbasket of the [[Odoneru Ocean|Odoneru]]". With involvement from [[Burgundie|Burgundian]] and [[Caphiria|Caphirian]] mercantile interest, many scholars have argued that the Urcean-Odoneru grain trade was the birthplace of capitalism, though there is a significant minority view that questions this assertion.
Although school districts are independent governmental entities, VDOE has the authority to oversee a district's operations (either involving an individual school or the entire district) if serious issues arise (such as poor performance, financial distress, or reported mismanagement). This can be in the form of requiring the district to submit corrective action plans and regular status reports, assigning monitors to oversee operations (including the authority to assign a management board, which essentially replaces and performs the duties of the elected school board), and in extreme cases closure of a school campus or even the entire school district.


Urcea's foreign policy focus primarily relies on maintaining balanced hegemony over [[Levantia]] and growing its colonial empire abroad, but historically had a focus on involvement in the affairs of the [[Holy Levantine Empire|Empire]]. While a major participant in the [[Great War]] and subsequent [[Occidental Cold War]], Urcea's relationship with its powerful neighbor [[Caphiria]] has been improving in recent years as shown by the formal end to the Cold War with the [[Assumption Accords]]. Both as a consequence and a cause of the end of the Cold War, Urcea's overseas focus has shifted from [[Sarpedon]] to [[Crona]], where it maintains an active union and relationship with [[New Yustona]], which many critics have labeled as a Urcean colony. Urcea's involvement in [[Crona]] has been growing by the year as a greater number of [[Levantia|Levantines]] move west in search of new opportunities, a phenomenon actively supported by the Urcean government.
In addition to primary and secondary education, VDOE has oversight duties with respect to driver's education courses (initial permits) and defensive driving courses (used to have a ticket dismissed and/or for lower insurance premiums). VDOE also manages the commonwealth's higher education system, including its three university systems, the community college system, and the 6 independent public universities.


Urcea is a member of the [[League of Nations]], the [[Levantine Union]], the [[Levantine Union Defense Council]], the [[Nysdra Sea Treaty Association]] as well as, nominally, the [[Holy Levantine Empire]].
The [[Verona Interscholastic Federation]] (VIF), which oversees academic and athletic interscholastic competition in Verona public schools, is a separate entity not under VDOE oversight.


*
== Superintendent of Education ==


==Etymology and Nomenclature==
== Commonwealth Board of Education ==
''Main Article: [[Name of Urcea]]''
The Verona Commonwealth Board of Education is the governing and policy-making body of the Verona Department of Education. It sets AP-12 education policy in the areas of standards, recommended instructional materials, and accountability. The Board adopts textbooks for grades K-8 via statewide teacher input, adopts regulations to implement legislation, and has authority to amend and modify the Education Standards. These standards are designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level in addition to recommended supplementary areas (known as primary and secondary focii). The Board of Education has thirteen members, including one student member, all appointed by the Governor of Verona. The student member is selected from a group of three students nominated by the board.


The word Urcea is derived from the name of the river Urce, whose origins remain a subject of scholarly debate - many suggest the name is a derivative of a much earlier Latinic term, originating perhaps as early as circa 1000 BC. Regardless, the city of Urceopolis, or the city of the river Urce, was established roughly 887 BC, establishing prevalent use of the river's name by that period. By the late seventh century and early eighth century AD, the term "Urcean" ("Urciona", natively), describing somebody living near the Urce river, was well established in the local lexicon, and was oftentimes used as an epithet, i.e. "Julius the Urcean", regarding someone who lived in the geographical proximity of the river. The term eventually evolved from someone living on the river to somebody living in the southern portions of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]].
=== Regions ===
 
{| class="wikitable collapsible"
Given the [[Latinic people|Latinic]] origin of the term, "Urce", "Urcea", and "Urcean" was originally pronounced with a "hard c", [k], and a "short-u". As the Gaelic natives of [[Levantia]] began to more heavily mix with the [[Adonerum|Adonerii]] settlers, the modern soft ⟨c⟩ and "long-u" became more prevalent.
! District || Counties || Manager
 
|-
Though the nation is usually referred to simply as "''Urcea''", several other naming conventions have arisen since the nation's founding that are in use in specific circumstances. ''"The Apostolic Kingdom"'' is typically used by the [[Government of Urcea]] to refer to itself and the nation. Less common, the term ''"the 34 Provinces"'' will be used to refer to Urcea as a whole, although this term is somewhat erroneous given that there are 29 provinces, with the remainder being royal holds or states.
| '''Verona''' || ''Commonwealth at-large'' || Soraya Durán
==History==
|-
''Further Information: [[List of Urcean monarchs]]''
| LaMarque || Amelia, [[Cara County, Verona|Cara]], Elisabeth, Everglade, Mayes || Ruben Núñez
 
|-
The history of Urcea as a unified state can be treated as beginning in [[Golden Bull of 1098|1098]] with the political union of the [[Urceopolis (Archduchy)|Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and [[Grand Duchy of Yustona]] into a united kingdom called Urcea, though scholars are in disagreement about whether or not the idea of the "Urcean state" began at that point or earlier, during the period of the Archduchy's ascendancy.
| San Marcos || Andres, Buena Vista, San Marcos || Yanira Miguélez
 
|-
Coming up from the chaotic period following the destruction of [[Great Levantia]], power began to slowly accumulate in the Duchy and later Archduchy of Urceopolis, accelerated by the initial formation of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], which elevated Urceopolis to a duchy. Following the accumulation of Urceopolis, Yustona, and some other lands, Urcea was elevated to a Kingdom in [[Golden Bull of 1098|1098]] by the [[Emperor of the Levantines]]. After its consolidation, several hundred years of dynastic turmoil would follow before [[House de Weluta]] solidified its reign at the end of the [[Great Confessional War]] and Protestant reformation. The de Weluta dynasty would rule over the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] intermittently until the beginning of the 19th century, after which time a period of increasing liberalization and reform changed Urcea from an amalgamation of personal territories and holdings to a unified and powerful nation-state. After a brief period of deposition before and during the [[Red Interregnum]], the de Welutas reestablished control and continued the shift of the country in a more [[Constitution of Urcea|constitutional]] direction. Urcea, a Constitutional Monarchy, participated in the [[Great War]] and the downfall of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], and has been an important world power in the period since. Throughout its entire history, [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholicism]] has played a critical political and social role in Urcea, and the association between Catholicism and Urcea is known throughout the world as one of the country's defining characteristics.
| Palm Coast || [[Andina County, Verona|Andina]], [[Lynnhaven County, Verona|Lynnhaven]], [[Santa Rosa County, Verona|Santa Rosa]], [[Sierra County, Verona|Sierra]], [[Victoria County, Verona|Victoria]] || Noemi Notario
===Early Period===
|-
''Further Information: [[Early history of Urcea]]''
| Pinellas || Guarias, Heralamis, Lagoa, Riverside, Santa Maria || Leyre Ruiz
 
|-
The Urcean nation's origins lay in the establishment of the [[Adonerum|Adonerii]] colonies in [[Levantia]], but its direct antecedent is [[Great Levantia]], an empire that stretched from the southern coast of modern day Urcea to the northern coast of modern day [[Kuhlfros]]. It was during this time that [[Latinic people|Latinic]] people began to rule over, and eventually intermix with, the native Celtic population of Levantia. Following the collapse of Great Levantia, several Latin-speaking polities formed, the Duchy of Urceopolis being chief among them. Following a period of feuding with other Latin states states, [[Hištanšahr]], and [[Gallawa]], Urceopolis was subsumed into the emerging [[Holy Levantine Empire|Levantine Empire]] and elevated into an [[Archduchy of Urceopolis|Archduchy]] under the rule of [[St. Julius I]], and his brother Aedanicus was granted the [[Grand Duchy of Yustona]]. St. Julius and his descendants laid the groundwork for continued Latino-Gaelic integration and official recognition of their shared vulgar languages.
| Florence || Florence, Montilla, São Fernando, Vero || Rafael Hoyo
===Archducal Period===
|-
''Further Information: [[History of Urcea (800-1098)]]''
| Orange || Lençois, Los Angeles, Orange, Richmond, Sinhedes, Trinity || Tereza Teixeira Meireles
 
As an Archduchy, Urceopolis sometimes feuded with the Emperor, and found itself a part of the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]] following the division of the Empire in 917. During the period of the divided Empire, the main line of St. Julius died out and was inherited by descendants of his brother Aedanicus, the [[Grand Duchy of Yustona|Grand Dukes of Yustona]], who merged the lines together by marrying a female descendant of the Urceopolitan line. This established the House of Julio-Yustona which ruled both realms, and eventually the unified Kingdom, until 1153. During this period, the [[Eastern Kingdom of the Levantines|Eastern King of the Levantines]] conquered the Southern Kingdom, reforging the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], and soon after it became an elective monarchy, with the first Urceopolitan Emperor elected in 1014.
===Early Kingdom Period===
''Further Information: [[History of Urcea (1098-1214)]]''
 
During the first decades of the Kingdom's existence, the Julio-Yustonas reigned in relative peace and prosperity, and King Niall I managed to acquire the long-sought Electorate of [[Canaery]], becoming the first King-Elector of Urcea. However, Niall's two surviving sons both ascended to the throne and both reigned for a combined seven years before the second, Niall II, died as a boy, throwing the country into a succession crisis. Seán Aleckán, a descendant from St. Julius I in the female line who had no ancestors who were King, dispatched several other claimants and became King Seán I, founding the Aleckán dynasty. Seán I's reign mostly involved strengthening his own regime by marginalizing other claimants, and he was succeeded by his son Seán II without incident. The following King, Niall III, was the first King of Urcea elected as [[Emperor of the Levantines]]. Niall's death lead to a revolt of the magnates, installing Cónn of Holmfilth, who descended distantly from one of the Julio-Yustonan Kings, as King Constantine I. Emperor Niall's son, meanwhile, was passed over, beginning the [[Saint's War]].
===Saint's War Period===
''Further Information: [[History of Urcea (1214-1402)]]''
 
The House of Cónn ruled for a peaceful forty years and encouraged construction before being overthrown by Emperor Niall's long-exiled son, Donnchad of the Aleckán dynasty, in a bloodless coup in 1253. The Cónn Crown Prince swore loyalty to the new King, appearing to end the dynastic struggle, but Donnchad's son relied on Cónn loyalists against his enemies and eventually named the Cónn Prince, James, as his heir. King James I ruled for a long time, but the Crown reverted to the Aleckán dynasty. A Cónn claimant next took the throne, but died childless, plunging the Kingdom into a sixty three year period of military anarchy from 1339 to 1402 known as the Great Interregnum, leaving the country divided and [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] under the control of the Pope. A scion of the [[House de Weluta|de Weluta]] family, heirs of the Aleckán line, eventually emerged victorious, and the new King Louis II married the Cónn heiress, ending the centuries-long dynastic turmoil.
===Reformation Period===
''Further Information: [[History of Urcea (1402-1575)]]''
 
[[Emperor Leo III of the Holy Levantine Empire|Emperor Leo III]] played a critical role of shaping both Urcea and [[Levantia]] during the Reformation Period.
 
The first reign of the [[House de Weluta|de Welutas]] saw a focus on rebuilding the international reputation and internal infrastructure of the Kingdom. Ruling for a century over a period of remarkable national unity, the unity came to an end during the reign of James III as the Protestant Reformation began, creating a small but problematic Protestant minority in the Kingdom. A minor succession crisis allowed the Protestant, Riordan V of the House of Julio-Angloise, seized the throne in 1546. During his reign, a period of Catholic persecution began, sparking the Urcean War of Religion, a major theater of what became known as the [[Great Confessional War]]. Riordan's son, Donnchad was an accomplished commander but was ultimately defeated and killed in 1565, leading to a restoration of the [[House de Weluta]]. His successor, [[Emperor Leo III of the Holy Levantine Empire|King Leo II]], lead the Kingdom on the Catholic side for the remaining period of the Great Confessional War, eventually being elected Emperor and leading [[Dragonnades]] against Levantine Protestants. As a consequence of the war, Urcea saw major territorial aggrandizement at the expense of [[Angla]] and [[Gassavelia]] was firmly entrenched as the preeminent power in the [[Holy Levantine Empire]].
===Imperial Period===
''Further Information: [[History of Urcea (1575-1798)]]''
 
Following the conclusion of the [[Great Confessional War]], Urcea saw a period of growth and prosperity that coincided with greater integration of the former estates in Gassavelia. In 1702, King Riordan VII was elected Emperor Riordan I of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], beginning more than a century of Urcean control over the Empire. During this period, dramatic changes were occurring in Urcea with the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and the continued decline of the power of the nobility, who had suffered a major blow in the [[Dragonnades]] and were continuing to weaken relative to the Crown. King Leo IV was denied the Imperial Crown, but won it on the battlefield during the [[War of the Caroline Succession]], acquiring the [[Grand Duchy of Carolina]] in the process and ensuring hereditary succession for [[House de Weluta]]. After several decades, the Princes of the Empire eventually won back both Carolina and the right of the [[Collegial Electorate]] to select the Emperor during the [[Second Caroline War]]. Throughout this entire period, the [[Constitution of Urcea]] began to emerge and take form. Urcea acquired part of [[Urlazio]] and the Kingdom of [[Dorhaven]] during this period.
===Reform Period===
''Further Information: [[History of Urcea (1798-1902)]]''
 
Following its loss of territory and the [[Emperor of the Levantines|Imperial Crown]] following the [[Second Caroline War]], Urcea implemented a series of liberalizing reforms in line with King Niall V's philosophy of [[Crown Liberalism]], which greatly enhanced the power of the [[Concilium Daoni]] while also implementing important reforms of the [[Royal and Imperial Army (Urcea)|Royal Army]]. By fully engaging the Urcean population in the affairs of the state, Niall reasoned that he could unleash the full power of the population and economy in a truly national effort in any war the country would face. During this period, Urcea became openly antagonistic with respect to its relation to the rest of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], ushering in decades of the slow decline of the Empire. Urcea utilized its reforms under [[King Aedanicus VIII]], who won the [[Third Caroline War]] in the 1840s, setting Urcea at odds with its Imperial neighbors permanently and reconquering the [[Grand Duchy of Carolina]]. Aedanicus's reign would feature continue reforms to the [[Constitution of Urcea]] which brought it close to its present form. The King also implemented a large naval reconstruction project which would set the tone for his son's similar construction project a few decades later. Following the King's death in 1889, [[Procurator]] and army general [[Gréagóir FitzRex]] seized power in a brief period that became known as the Crown-Regency, which lead to the conflict known as the [[Red Interregnum]]. The Red Interregnum was fought for five years and resulted in the creation of the short-lived [[Urcean Republic]], which facilitated the restoration in 1902.
===Restoration Period===
''Further Information: [[History of Urcea (1902-1955)]]''
 
On 19 November 1902, [[Patrick III of Urcea]] was crowned [[Apostolic King of Urcea]], inaugurating a period of dramatic political, social, and military reforms. Many of the social changes inaugurated during the Regency - such as the abolition of [[Social class in Urcea]] - were confirmed, and the King was given broad authority (known as The Enabling) to rewrite and solidify the [[Constitution of Urcea]]. Sweeping changes were made, including the opening up the economy, changing [[Procurator]] to an elective office, the legalization of usurious banking practices that would eventually lead to the [[Great Depression]], and an unprecedented period of military buildup. During this period, Urcea also reengaged with the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], ending the century-long [[Recess of the Julii]]. This period saw King James VI elected [[Emperor of the Levantines]], and Urcea's increasing influence over the Empire lead to the breakout of the [[Great War]] in 1927, which would last until 1953. The war, which primarily pitted Urcea and its allies against [[Caphiria]] and its allies on multiple theaters throughout the globe, was the world's deadliest conflict and would result in the end of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], the creation of the [[League of Nations]], the beginning of the [[Occidental Cold War]], and the establishment of Urcea as one of the world's superpowers.
===Modern Period===
''Further Information: [[History of Urcea (1955-present)]]''
 
Since the conclusion of the [[Great War]] and [[Third Fratricide]], Urcea has established itself as a cornerstone of the new Levantine geopolitical order which features the [[Levantine Union]] and has additionally been established as a global superpower with only [[Kiravia]] and [[Caphiria]] as potential rivals. Since the end of the Great War, Urcea has focused on domestic improvements in quality of life for those living in the Kingdom and has developed a healthy political culture. The Modern Period has seen the beginning and end of the [[Occidental Cold War]] with [[Caphiria]], a period in which the two powers sought geopolitical supremacy over the other. Since the end of the Occidental Cold War in [[2034]] with the [[Assumption Accords]], Urcea and Caphiria have grown increasingly close as partners on the world geopolitical stage. Remaining one of the world's most religious countries, Urcea's outward influence has been marked by a heavy use of soft power and support of global missionary efforts. Since the late 2020s, Urcea has been a key participant in [[The Deluge]].
==Geography==
 
*[[Magnag]], the largest lake in Urcea, as viewed from its western coast.
*The Ionian Mountains, which set the boundary of the [[Ionian Highlands]], seperate much of Urcea from the rest of [[Levantia]].
*Much of the sweeping Urcean Plain has been replaced with urban and suburban sprawl.
*Urcea's southwestern coast typically features marshland, as seen here in Cape Aedan.
*The [[Ionian Highlands]] in the east, a popular vacation destination.
*The sprawling tropical jungles of [[Gassavelia]] sits in stark contrast to the rest of the country.
 
Urcea occupies a position roughly constituting the southwestern third of [[Levantia]] displays a broad array of geographical and geological diversity owing to the more than thousand-mile length between the Northern and Southern ends of the country, ranging from the largely flat temperate riverine areas that dominate the majority of the country to the Ionian highlands in the east, to the jungles of [[Gassavelia]] in the south. Urcea proper, that is, the territory of the Apostolic Kingdom on the Levantine mainland as well as [[Halfway]] but not including [[Dorhaven]], [[Medimeria]], or its Crona possessions, has a total area of more than two million square miles, all of which is divided into either a [[Urcea#Provinces.2C%20Royal%20Holds.2C%20and%20Semi-Autonomous%20States|Province, Royal Hold, or State]]. This figure does not include any overseas territories the Kingdom may possess.
 
Urcea and its various subnational units. The demographic and political center of the country is in the northern half of the country, particularly in the Urce River Valley, culminating with the political, cultural, and economic capital of the country, [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]], though significant economic weight exists elsewhere, particularly on the coast of the Odoneru Ocean extending from the city of Beldra to the border with [[Kistan]]. This region is sometimes called the "Odoneru Megalopolis" and is, along with Urceopolis and [[Burgundie]], one of the primary ways in which imports via maritime trade enter [[Levantia]]. The modern industrial manufacturing heartland of Urcea has emerged in the Ionia-Novaterra-Glenfort region, referred to as the "Upper Urce Valley" as the old manufacturing center around Urceopolis and in the "Lower Valley" has switched to primarily to a service economy.
 
The fastest growing region in the country is the Cape Aedan and Callan area which was historically border swamp lands of Urcea proper, though due to developments in agricultural technology these previously difficult areas have increased their share of agriculture, making them largely the new agricultural heart of the country beginning in the mid-20th century. The eastern highlands have shifted to a largely urbanized economy based on large deposits of recently discovered shale oil and natural gas beneath the ground, creating a large hydrofracking sector in the area. The Bay of Cana, which embraces the provinces of Cape Aedan and Callan as well as the [[Canaery|Electorate of Canaery]] has also yielded large offshore oil deposits discovered at the end of the 20th century.
 
The Ioni mountains generally serve to denote the delineation between Urcea proper and the rest of Levantia, while the delineation between "north" and "south" Urcea is arbitrary and depends on the context. The most widely accepted dividing line between "north" and "south" is a line running approximately southwest from the [[Magnag]] to the Sea of Canete.
===Ecology===
The first major ecological area of Urcea is the Urcean Plain, the central part of the country surrounded by the [[Ionian Highlands]] and the southern mountains. Historically, Urcea's position near the Tropic of Cancer and wide open plains allowed for megafauna and megaflora to thrive before the growth of civilization, though their decline was acutely felt and early historians noted the consistently shifting and unstable ecological conditions as many animals without natural predators grew without consequence while species without a food supply died out. According to many environmental historians, the ecosystem of the Urcean plain finally settled around the end of the first millennium, though by that period most of the Urcean plain was covered in farmland and most of the animals in it domesticated. Today, this area is heavily populated, but environmental preserves dot the plain allowing some of the natural, temperate flora and fauna to restore themselves. There is a significant white-tailed deer problem in the Urcean plain as natural predators are largely absent from the region.
 
The [[Mountain of the Blessed Sacrament]], on the southern cape of [[Levantia]], is one of Urcea's most recognizable natural features
 
The second region notable for its ecology is the expansive jungles of [[Gassavelia]] in the south of the country. Due to its lesser population density, much of the ecology of the area has been largely undisturbed. Being a near-tropical jungle and rainforest, over a million different types of insects and an estimated 35,000 different kinds of plant. The Urcean government, through the [[Ministry of the Environment and Energy (Urcea)|Ministry of the Environment and Energy]], actively works to preserve wildlife and natural splendor of the area.
 
The third major ecological area of the country is the [[Ionian Highlands]] that runs the length of the country's eastern border, which has a similar kind of flora and fauna as the Urcean plain.
===Climate and environment===
Much of Urcea enjoys a temperate and mild climate A great majority of Urcea has a very temperate and mild climate, with temperatures ranging from 74 °F to 95 °F in the summer and 35 °F to 50 °F in the winter. The exceptions to this are in the [[Gassavelia|Gassavelian]] and [[Ionian Highlands|Ionian]] areas, with the former experiencing tropical temperatures exceeding 100 °F in the summer, and the latter experiencing fairly cold mountains due primarily to its elevation. Very little of the country sees large amounts of snowfall during the winter besides the Ionian Highlands, which can experience up to sixty inches of snow seasonally.
 
Urcea's southern coasts, primarily from [[Canaery]] to its eastern coastal border, are known for it's lush and beautiful environment, and in that way are similar to the [[Caphiria|Caphirian]] northern coast. The country is primarily powered by clean nuclear energy, though renewables, particularly wind energy due to the large availability of coastal land, also provide a large amount of power regionally. The [[Ministry of the Environment and Energy (Urcea)|Ministry of the Environment and Energy]] strictly enforces environmental regulations, and efforts are continuously underway to protect the country's environment in the face of its large population and continued economic growth.
==Government and Politics==
''Main Article: [[Government of Urcea]]''
 
Urcea is a constitutional monarchy, with the [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] serving as the head of state and central constitutional organizing principle of the nation, with Urceans being "subjects" as well as "citizens", though his sovereignty is shared with the national legislature. Under the King is the [[Procurator]], who is elected nationwide and the Cabinet, called the [[Concilium Purpaidá]]. The Purpaidá's members are appointed by the [[Chancellor and Temporary President]] of the [[Concilium Daoni]], who leads the national legislature. Below them are a series of royal holds, provinces, and states with varying degrees of home rule within Urcea's federal system.
 
The [[Julian Palace]] is the seat of the [[Government of Urcea]].
===Executive===
''See Also: [[Government of Urcea#Executive%20Branch|Executive Branch]], [[Procurator]], [[Concilium Purpaidá]]''
 
In the Executive Branch, the [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] maintains a mostly nominal but important role, directly appointing judges and military officers. The King can also intervene in disputes between the [[Procurator]] and Concilium Purpdaidá, typically when the Procurator and [[Chancellor and Temporary President]] are of different parties. The Procurator, elected by the nation at large, determines the government's policy program and directs the [[Concilium Purpaidá]] to implement it. The Procurator also has functional command and control of the [[Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea]] and proposes the Royal Budget. In the 21st Century, the [[National Pact (Urcea)|National Pact]] has typically controlled the office of Procurator.
 
The [[Concilium Purpaidá]] is the nation's Cabinet and has broad powers to implement policies via regulation where statutorily authorized. Members of the Purpaidá nominally follow the Procurator's policies, but are appointed by the Chancellor and Temporary President, who is the leader of the [[Concilium Daoni]].
 
The office of [[Censor (Urcea)|Censor]] also falls under the executive branch, and the two Censors are responsible for the maintenance of morality and public virtue as well as for the national decennial census. The Censors have authority to issue media content standards, and can issue formal objections to morally harmful pieces of legislation that come before the [[Concilium Daoni]]. The Censors are elected nationwide but the pool of candidates are selected by the [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] and [[Urcean Conference of Catholic Bishops]].
===Legislative===
''See Also: [[Government of Urcea#Legislative%20Branch|Legislative Branch]], [[Chancellor and Temporary President]], [[Concilium Daoni]], [[Gildertach]]''
 
The [[Concilium Daoni]] is the lower chamber of the Kingdom's national legislature and its primary legislative body, and it is led by the [[Chancellor and Temporary President]] who serves as majority leader within the Daoni. The Chancellor nominates the members of the [[Concilium Purpaidá]], although they are formally appointed by the King via constitutional advice. Members of the Daoni, called [[Delegate (Urcea)|Delegates]], are elected from 500 single-member constituencies using first past the post voting. Made up of committees that mirror the structure of the [[Concilium Purpaidá]], the Daoni considers legislation as well as treaties and Royal budgets. In the 21st Century, the [[National Social Union (Urcea)|National Social Union]] has typically controlled the Concilium Daoni.
 
The Daoni is joined by the [[Gildertach]], the nation's upper chamber, which is comprised of representatives from each of the [[Guilds (Urcea)|guilds]] in Urcea. The Gildertach's responsibilities are primarily constrained to approving or denying trade deals and regulating the guild system itself.
===Federal subdivisions===
''Main Articles: [[Government of Urcea#Subdivision|Subdivisions]], [[List of subdivisions and territories of Urcea]]''
 
Federalism is a key element of the construction of the [[Government of Urcea]], and home rule is considered a necessary provision of the philosophy of subsidiarity. Accordingly, there are three federal subdivisions in Urcea. ''Crownlands'' are the first kind and the most prestigious, consisting of the [[Urceopolis (Archduchy)|Archduchy of Urceopolis]], the [[Grand Duchy of Yustona]], and the [[Canaery|Electorate of Canaery]]. These are areas that the [[Apostolic King of Urcea|King]] directly holds title to through his own personal right, and not through his position as King. In crownlands, a unicameral parliament serves as the local legislature under the direction of an appointed Governor-General. The second and most common kind are ''Provinces'', which are general lands bound to the Kingdom as a legal entity. In provinces, an elected bicameral legislature and elected Governor serve as the government. The third kind are "States", which are semi-autonomous entities designed for ethnic enclaves. States are governed in the same way as provinces except that the elected executive is called Secretary-General. Besides their administrative apparatus and relation to the central government, the primary difference between the three forms of government are differences in tax rates and the types of taxes levied.
===Counties and Local Governments===
''See Also: [[Government of Urcea#Local%20Government|Local Governments]]''
 
The various provinces, holds, and states of Urcea are divided into dioceses which are coterminous with [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholic]] dioceses but have little function other than electoral and judicial organizing. The municipal level is where local government in Urcea is effectively exercised, and the most common kind of local government is that of the commune, where every citizen over the age of 21 can vote in a communal assembly on legislative and budgetary issues affecting the commune. There are also guild communes and more traditional mayor-council types of local governments, though these are rare and usually reserved only for the largest of cities. The prevalence of communes in Urcea have earned the nation both praise and condemnation for its commitment to what some have called "radical subsidiarian Christian democracy", a relatively uncommon philosophical persuasion even in [[Levantia]].
===Politics===
''See Also: [[Government of Urcea#National%20Politics|Politics of Urcea]]''
 
As a consequence of the division of power between the [[Apostolic King of Urcea|King]], the [[Procurator]], and the [[Chancellor and Temporary President]], there are four distinct political power structures that can take form. In a situation where the Procurator and Chancellor are of the same party, members of the [[Concilium Purpaidá]] are all from the leadership's party and that party's platform become the government's program. When a Procurator and Chancellor come from a different party but reach an agreement called a "Purpaidá Coalition", whereby a minority of members of the Purpaidá are appointees of the Procurator's party in exchange for a mutually agreed upon policy program being established by the Procurator. In a situation where a hung [[Concilium Daoni|Daoni]] exists, the Procurator can help broker a majority coalition in the Daoni, whereby a mix of the Procurator and Chancellor's parties sit on the Purpaidá in a roughly even split between parties. In the final form, the Procurator and Chancellor are of different parties and do not reach an agreement, typically leading to "Royal Rule", where the King can intervene in government affairs in order to solve policy divisions between the Chancellor's appointees on the Purpaidá and the Procurator.
 
There were traditionally two major political parties in Urcea, a stable system that existed roughly from the end of the [[Red Interregnum]] and restoration of [[King Patrick III]] up through the [[2035 Urcean political realignment]]. Under this system, most recently the [[National Pact (Urcea)|National Pact]] and the [[National Social Union (Urcea)|National Social Union]] contested major elections along with the [[Julian Party (Urcea)|Julian Party]] and the [[Democratic Labor Party (Urcea)|Democratic Labor Party]] sometimes playing important roles in deciding majorities in the Concilium Daoni in addition to holding local offices. Following the 2035 realignment, however, the National Social Union dissolved into two new major parties; the [[Union for National Solidarity (Urcea)|Union for National Solidarity]] and the [[Social Labor Party (Urcea)|Social Labor Party]], the latter of which formed as a result of a merger between former National Social Union members and the Democratic Labor Party at the Casanam Conference in 2036. The National Pact and Julian Party both remained unchanged during the realignment, resulting approximately in three major parties and the Julian Party left.
===Law===
''See Also: [[Consolidated Laws of HMCM's Kingdom and State]]''
==Demographics==
The 2010 national census of Urcea counted a total population of 1,341,602,401, though the country enjoys a net population growth of approximately 1.46% per year, and the total population of the Apostolic Kingdom in 2036 was estimated to be 1,463,679,455. Much of the population growth is natural, as Urcea's considerable population density and development means the country is a world leader in out-migration, and Urceans leaving the country typically relocate to one of its possessions in [[Western Crona]], such as [[New Yustona]]. Urcea's population density - 611.2 per square mile - is among the highest in the world, though this density is not evenly spread throughout the country and a majority of Urceans live in just six of Urcea's [[Government of Urcea#List%20of%20Subnational%20Divisions|subnational divisions]], of which there thirty four.
===Ethnicity===
Self-reported ethnic origin (2015):
 
''[[Urcean people|Urcean]]'' (81.4%)
 
''[[Gassavelian people|Gassavelian]]'' (7.2%)
 
''Garán'' (3.8%)
 
''[[Caenish people|Caenish]]'' (2.8%)
 
''[[Ænglish people|Ænglish]]'' (2.2%)
 
''[[Derian people|Derian]]'' (1.4%)
 
Other (1.2%)
 
In terms of identity, Urcea is a relatively homogeneous country; some 83% of people in Urcea view themselves as ethnically [[Urcean people|Urcean]]. Sizable minorities of other ethnicities exist in Urcea, though many of these also consider themselves to be part of the larger Urcean identity, such as [[Caenish people]], [[Gassavelian people]], Garán people, as well as a small percentage of [[Derian people]] within Urcea. The only major ethnic group in Urcea that retains a significant and separate identity are the [[Ænglish people]] who occupy the northeastern most part of the country, known as [[Ænglasmarch]].
===Language===
''Main Article: [[Culture of Urcea#Language|Language in Urcea]]''
 
Over the course of its history, Urcea has had a diverse linguistic heritage spanning many different languages from different ethnic and regional backgrounds. Beginning in the late medieval period through the present, however, [[Julian Ænglish]] is the language spoken by the majority of people in Urcea. By 2030, census information suggested almost 90% of the population spoke Ænglish as a first language. It is an official language of the [[Government of Urcea]] and used in nearly every government document and meetings of government bodies, but it is not the only official language. [[Lebhan language|Lebhan]], the traditional language of the people of and around [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]], is an official language and was once believed to be the traditional language of the entire country, though that theory has since been disproven. It is still spoken as a first language today in isolated, rural parts of the country, such as some parts of the [[Ionian Mountains]], and according to the 2030 census and subsequent studies this Lebhan-speaking population amounts to 5% of Urceans. [[Gassavelian people]], the majority of whom speak Ænglish as a first language, also have a small population of individuals who retain their unique ancestral language. This population, which speaks a Latinized version of the ancient Audonian language, comprise no more than 3% of all Urceans. Least prominent as a primary language - but extremely prominent otherwise - is Latin, which is spoken by a minority of Urceans of [[Derian people|Derian]] descent in the eastern frontier of the country. Latin, however, is an official language of state and is the primary liturgical language of Urcea according to a 2034 study which stated that 78.4% of [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholic]] parishes use the traditional mass, which is said entirely in ecclesiastical Latin. Some documents of the [[Ministry for the Church in Urcea]] are propagated in ecclesiastical Latin.
===Religion===
''Main Article: [[Culture of Urcea#Religion|Religion in Urcea]]''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Religious affiliations in the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea (2010)
!Affiliation
! colspan="2" |% of population
|-
|-
|Christianity
| Everglades || Henrico, Monteiro, Prince Lucás, Seneca || Suzana Sá de Assis
|'''96.2'''
|'''Urcea'''
|-
|-
|[[Levantine Catholic Church|Levantine Catholicism]]
| Centralia || Amari, Belleaire, Nassica, [[Richland County, Verona|Richland]], Sinas, Varina || Kevin Biel
|'''94.5'''
|'''Urcea'''
|-
|-
|Other Christian
| Roseland || Santa Ana, Rosalía, Westbrook || Diego Ovejero
|'''1.7'''
|'''Urcea'''
|-
|-
|Other
| Vírgenes || Avetera, Espanadia, Vírgenes || Olívia Rodrigues Álvarez
|'''2'''
|'''Urcea'''
|-
|-
|Irreligion
| Olympia || Coronado, Luisa, Pasadena, [[Olympia County, Verona|Olympia]], Sayalona || Manoel Rocha Santana
|'''1.8'''
|'''Urcea'''
|-
|-
|Atheism
| Rathan || Castelle, Mariposa, Secotan, Summerlin || Mateo Soria
|'''1.3'''
|'''Urcea'''
|-
|-
|Agnosticism
|}
|'''.5'''
|'''Urcea'''
|}Religion is considered a fundamental cornerstone of public and private Urcean life, and consequently the vast majority of Urceans identify as members of the [[Levantine Catholic Church]] according to census information, and the national average for weekly mass attendance is 66.45% according to a 2034 study. The Catholic Church, as the central institution of Urcean life, is embedded in state activity in addition to serving as the central organizing place of most communities and localities throughout the country. Catholicism is recognized as the official state faith, though non-adherents are under no legal obligation to be members of the Church since the early 19th century, and discrimination against non-Catholics is against the law. Despite this, [[Discrimination around the world|religious discrimination]] remains a common problem, and many of the small percentage of non-Catholic Urceans often don't reveal their true religious beliefs for fear of becoming social outcasts.
 
Besides the majority Catholic faith, a small percentage of Urceans hold other religious beliefs. Less than 2% of Urceans are Protestants of various forms; of this 2%, the largest denomination is the Free Ænglaschurch, the remnant of the Protestant state church of the [[Kingdom of Angla]]. Ænglaschurchers comprise about 54% of non-Catholic Christians in Urcea; the remainder are typically either methodists or mennonites. There are also a variety of non-Christians - approximately 2% of the population - within the Apostolic Kingdom. These are typically immigrants from [[Western Crona]] or adherents to the revived neo-Audonian faith among some [[Gassavelian people|Gassavelian]] intellectuals and nationalists.
 
The final religious group in Urcea are those adhering to irreligion, in both the atheistic and agnostic forms. In 2030, this figure was around 2% of the population, though it declined from a high of 3% in 1990. The vast majority of irreligious live in or around the [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] Metropolitan Area, and of these the majority of irreligious are aged 55 or older.
===Education===
''Main Article: [[Education in Urcea]]''
 
Education in Urcea is divided into three main sections based on the seven liberal arts, and employs a K-12 system. Schools are primarily administered by Urcea's provinces but are regulated by the [[Collegium Scientificum]]. Urcea's education enjoys high attainment levels, with 98.4% of the population having attained at least a secondary education according to a 2035 study. Additionally, 52% of Urcean adults possessed some form of post-secondary/tertiary education, ranging from traditional four year liberal arts schools to seminaries to trade schools. In [[2037]], Urcea was ranked by a [[League of Nations]] survey as one of the top ten "most educated" nations.
==Culture and Society==
''Main Article: [[Culture of Urcea]]''
===Influences===
===Social class===
Urcean society features a relatively mobile class system without solidified boundaries, although there is typically a distinction between the poor and working class, the middle class, and the upper class. The classes in Urcea are typically, but not always, defined by wealth and income levels. There are cases of so called "legacy optimates" who are not especially wealthy but nonetheless are members of the upper class due to their historical descent from Urcean nobility.
 
Prior to the 20th century, Urcea employed a relatively [[Social class in Urcea|strict and well defined]] class structure. This system was reformed several times and was primarily based on the amount of landed property one held although it was also determined by heritage. This system was definitively abolished by [[Patrick III of Urcea|Patrick III]] during the Restoration, though it had been effectively prorogued by [[Gréagóir FitzRex]] approximately a decade before.
===Heritage===
===Education===
''Main Article: [[Education in Urcea]]''


Urcean education is provided in public, private, and home schools and employs a K-12 system in addition to several different types of higher education. The public education system is based around the seven liberal arts, educating students with the trivium and quadrivium in two distinct periods of education known as "Sextets". Education is administered by the provincial and local authorities but is regulated by the [[Collegium Scientificum]]. Urcean public education is designed to instill in students the "foundations of self-regulation and self-governance in order to create higher ordered individuals" and is heavily influenced by [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholic]] teaching and thought. Private schools, on the other hand, are usually secular and do not employ liberal arts-based education.
== Standardized tests ==
Prior to 2002, Verona assessed student performance in the elementary school and secondary school grades via the Verona Education Standards Assessment (VESA), administered at the end of each year beginning in Grade 4. Beginning in January 2002, Verona completely eliminated the VESA and instead opted for a model where teachers formulate their own grading systems for the students similar to collegiate systems, although with oversight from various superior bodies (e.g., principals, directs of primary and secondary education, district superintendents, and VDOE review board). The Verona Education system as a whole underwent a major overhaul in 2004 that marked the end of an era.


Higher education in Urcea is conducted through traditional four year liberal arts schools in addition to trade schools run by the [[Guilds (Urcea)|guilds]], seminaries, normal schools, and community colleges.
== School and district accountability ==
===Attitudes and worldview===
Urceans' attitudes and worldview is predominantly shaped by Urcean interpretation of [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholic]] teaching. The world is viewed essentially as hierarchical and the family, rather than the individual, as the basic unit of society. Much of society and government is viewed through the analogous lens of family, and consequently Urceans tend to have a relatively corporatist worldview which is reflected by the influence and role of [[Guilds (Urcea)|guilds]] in society. Urceans have extremely traditional tendencies and tend to view the social progressiveness of other cultures with suspicion. The political ideology of Urcea reflects these views and is intertwined with that of [[Organicism]], an "ideological marriage" which is reflected by Urcea's highly federal, highly hierarchical, highly democratic but illiberal state and [[Constitution of Urcea|constitution]].
===Kinship===
===Cuisine===
===Religion===
===Arts and Literature===
''See Also: [[Urcean literature]]''
===Media===
===Sports===
''See Also: [[Culture of Urcea#Sports|Sports in Urcea]]''


Urceans enjoy a variety of sports, with three major sports and a multitude of less popular sports played on a collegiate and lower academic level. The most popular sport in Urcea by far is baseball, which is widely considered the national sport of Urcea. The game, which became popular in the 19th century, is represented by the [[Continental Baseball Conference]] (CBC) at its highest level and its affiliate minor leagues at lower levels. Urcea has ten CBC teams and one hundred minor league CBC affiliate teams. After baseball, the second most popular sport is [[Horse racing in Levantia|horse racing]], and the country is home to several prestigious tracks; the [[Hippodrome (Urceopolis)|Hippodrome]] is among the world's most famous tracks and the home of the second of three legs of the Triple Tiara. Gridiron football is the third most popular sport in Urcea, having grown in popularity among soldiers returning from the [[Great War]]. The Royal Association of Football Clubs features 28 teams and is exclusive to Urcea, playing its season during the CBC off-season. Other sports, such as basketball, are popular at the collegiate level. Motorsports are popular in [[Canaery]] but remain a regional pastime.
=== Education performance rating ===
===Music===
The Department of Education maintains a five-tier rating system based on academic accountability from end-of-curriculum testing (Grade 5, 8, and 12), though it is currently undergoing a revision to better reflect the state's instructional model. The commonwealth ranks all schools within its borders and publishes this information on its website. Ratings can also be found on individual pages. Schools in more populated areas tend to trend higher on the scale while schools in more rural areas tend to trend lower.
===Symbols===
''See Also: [[National symbols of Urcea]]''
==Economy and Infrastructure==
The Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea has market mixed economy, owing to the origins of the country and the modern philosophical constitution of the country on semi-distributist and Catholic social principles. The country is generally appraised a strong economy, with a GDP per capita of roughly $48,000 as of 2018 and a total national GDP of $70 trillion, which makes it the world's largest economy. Industrial manufacturing, agriculture, and natural resource gathering (yielding uranium overseas, among other resources) constitute some of the largest segments of the economy, though most economic analysts have classified the country as partly post-industrial due to a shift to some service economy sectors. The Urcean economy experienced rapid growth in the late 20th century due to increasing economic modernization and technological innovations, allowing an average 3.1% growth rate between 1972 and 1999, after which point the economy began to slow down and "normalize" relative to potential growth in productivity. The economy has additionally seen a major growth period since the end of the [[War of the Northern Confederation]], as the "nuclear revolution" in energy has fueled a major boom due to plentiful and cheap energy.
 
Urcea's trade relations primarily involve countries in Levantia owing to the lack of tariffs within the [[Levantine Union]], though trade agreements between Urcea and other countries, such as [[Kiravia]], have been growing more prevalent in the 21st century. Urcean economic interests in Crona have lead to greater trade across the Levantine Ocean, with a particular emphasis on new markets in [[New Yustona]], which serves as a hub for trade goods in the eastern hemisphere and a gateway for goods to flood back to Levantia. Urcea traditionally suffered a fairly large trade deficit mostly reliant on exporting food and other goods to [[Sarpedon]], but with the rise of the [[Nysdra Sea Treaty Association]] and development of markets in [[Crona]] - in addition to increased trade with [[Caphiria]] - the nation has enjoyed a trade surplus fairly regularly since [[2014]].
 
Urcea's economy is divided into forty statutory industries; within these industries, every firm and their workers are federated together into [[Guilds (Urcea)|guilds]]. Unlike many other industrialized countries, much of Urcea's economic regulation takes the form of self-regulation within the guilds. The guilds, which feature equal representation between employers and labor, are responsible for setting labor conditions, minimum wage, and other related policy areas. Most guilds also pool resources in order to provide benefits of some form, reducing the burden of businesses within the guild while simultaneously providing sound retirements and, in some cases, health insurance, for its members. Urcea's guilds exercise wide authority over the economy, as they not only self-regulate but also are responsible for approving any proposed trade deals with foreign nations. The guilds are assembled with elected representatives for each guild in the [[Gildertach]], Urcea's upper legislative chamber, and in the Gildertach they have the limited authority to approve or disapprove trade laws and the ability to change the guild law, under which the guilds are governed.
 
Because of the guild system and the nation's economic philosophy, Urcea enjoys low class antipathy and relatively low income inequality.
===Industries and Sectors===
Arms manufacturing is one of the nation's largest industries, providing military equipment both for the [[Urcean military]] and militaries abroad.
 
Agriculture is a major industry in Urcea. Urcea's fair climate and sweeping plains are perfect for growing both wheat and maize, and the country exports both of these in large numbers, particularly to countries circling the [[Odoneru Ocean]]. As a consequence of the wheat surplus, the dairy industry became large in the 19th century and is another important sector in the economy today, with milk being another major export besides being consumed in most homes across the country. Another sector that benefits from the nation's agricultural strength is beer production, and in the province of Goldvale hops and wheat for brewing purposes are grown in large quantities. In the south of Urcea, and especially in [[Canaery]], wine production is a major industry.
===Currency===
The Royal Bank of Urcea, pictured here, is primarily responsible for minting and maintaining the Taler, the currency of Urcea. ''Further Information: [[Taler]]''
 
The [[Taler]], sometimes called the Dollar, is considered one of the world's strongest currencies, currently exchanging at U$1 for $1.95 USD. The currency itself is the common currency issued by the [[Levantine Union]]; nevertheless, it is coined in Urceopolis and much of its stability is attributable to the Royal Bank of Urcea. The Taler is often used as the "default currency" of business in [[Levantia]] and even in some parts of [[Audonia]] and [[Sarpedon]], as well as finding use in parts of [[Crona]] as a general currency of trade. It is a fiat currency, though in the past it was based on a gold standard. The Taler is one of the globally accepted hard currencies and is a primary reserve currency in [[Levantia]] and abroad.
 
Adoption of the Taler was not uniform in Urcea or within the [[Holy Levantine Empire|Empire]] at first, but rather, continuous efforts through the centuries to adopt a common Imperial currency in place of local currencies found success, many times at the behest of [[Apostolic King of Urcea|Apostolic King]] for the purposes of enhancing Urcean commercial interests. Finding its origin in the thaler of the [[Holy Levantine Empire|Kingdom of Ultmar]] and in some smaller mercantile states in [[Crona]], the Taler eventually became the trade currency of the Empire as a whole, and after the Empire's collapse Urcea continued to use it..
 
Despite the relatively uniform economic nature of the Taler, it will still have some regional variety in the type of bills and coins themselves; Urcean bills, for example, tend to show scenes of the Holy Levantine Empire's history related to the Apostolic Kingdom's role within it, particularly the Battle of Drumfree and [[Emperor Leo III of the Holy Levantine Empire|Emperor Leo III]] as well as other Urcean-born Emperors or other themes commonly relating the country and continent. Other adopting states have tended to display their own head of state or historic heads of state, though [[New Yustona]] and others continue to use the Urcean-printed version. As such, the Urcean variety of the [[Taler]] is the most commonly found variety due to the volume of currency required for the Urcean economy to function.
===Healthcare===
''Main Article: [[Healthcare in Urcea]]''
===Guilds and Labor===
''Main Article: [[Guilds (Urcea)]]''
===Transportation===
A map of the National Interprovincial Highway Service. Personal transportation is dominated by automobiles, which operate on a network of public roads, including one of the world's longest highway systems. The world's second-largest automobile market, Urcea has one of the highest rates of per-capita vehicle ownership in the world, with 765 vehicles per 1,000 Urceans in 2007. About 40% of personal vehicles are vans, SUVs, or light trucks. The average Urcean adult (accounting for all drivers and non-drivers) spends 55 minutes driving every day, traveling 29 miles (47 km). Mass transit accounts for 9% of total Urcean work trips. Traditionally, nearly all automobiles were fueled by gasoline, and in 2025 the vast majority of new cars were based on traditional internal combustion engines. As of 2018, however, the proliferation of cheap nuclear energy has lead to widespread adoption of electric vehicles; consequently, a majority of available new vehicles in 2018 were based on electric engines.
 
Urcea's transportation infrastructure is characterized by a large network of super-highways, called the "National Interprovincial Highway Service", and traditional railways in both the heavy and freight varieties for transporting people and goods, respectively. Air travel is also prevalent within the country.
 
The National Interprovincial Highway Service (NIHS) is owned by the Royal government under the Ministry of Commerce, which does not charge tolls with the exception of the immediate area around [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] which has the roads with the highest use in the nation. The NIHS is largely paid for using general tax funds from the Royal Treasury, though the Ministry of Commerce does use these toll incomes to offset some of the costs that would otherwise be part of the budget.
 
The national railway infrastructure is also owned by the Ministry of Commerce as the National Interprovincial Railway Service, though the government owns nor operates any railway companies, and all users of the National Railway System are privately owned freight and passenger service corporations that use the rails free of charge. Transport of goods by rail is extensive, though relatively low numbers of passengers (approximately 150 million annually) use intercity rail to travel.
 
The Royal government owns Archducal International, the largest airport in the nation, which is located in Preserve County just outside of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]]. All other airports are owned by provinces, local municipalities, or even in some cases, by private corporations. The civil airline industry is entirely privately owned and has been largely deregulated.
 
The National Interprovincial Highway and Railway Services, along with the nationally owned public airports, are managed and maintained by the [[Ministry of Commerce (Urcea)|Ministry of Commerce]].
===Energy===
Urcea's energy sector is primarily defined by its increasing reliance on clean nuclear energy due on increased uranium availability as a result of [[The Deluge]]. In 2018, nuclear energy accounted for nearly 60% of the nation's total energy production, with natural gas, coal, and petroleum constituting about a third of the nation's energy production while other, non-nuclear renewables constitute the remainder.
 
Historically, petroleum was the primary energy source in Urcea. In 2025, energy consumption per capita was 7.8 tons (7076 kg) of oil equivalent per year, among the highest in the world. In the same year, 31% of Urcea's energy came from petroleum, 27% from natural gas, and 23% from nuclear. The remainder was supplied by coal power and renewable energy sources. Urcea was among the world's largest consumers of petroleum. Between 2005 and 2014, however, many new clean nuclear power plants have been constructed and some estimates have put Urcea's reduction of petroleum consumption at nearly half of its 2005 figures as of 2014; these figures continued to decline after. Nuclear power became the nation's largest energy source in 2011. A large part of the so-called "nuclear revolution" was the Urcean integration of [[New Yustona]]. During the [[War of the Northern Confederation]], it was discovered that massive quantities of uranium ore lay under New Yustona, leading to widespread exploitation for energy use in [[Levantia]].
 
For decades, coal power has played a limited role in Urcea's power sector relative to many other developed countries, in part because of public perception in the wake of early industrial accidents. In 2010, several applications for new "clean coal" plants were filed, though these make up a far smaller percentage of Urcea's energy supply given the rising supply of nuclear power. Urcea is the world's largest producer of natural gas due to a robustly developed hydrofracking sector and the preponderance of well-designed drilling infrastructure.
===Technology and the internet===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|
!Rank
|This article is a '''incomplete''' because it is pending further input from participants, or it is a work-in-progress by one author.
!Definition
<small>Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions.</small>
!Schools
in rank
|-
!<span style="color:#710193">''Exemplary''</span>
|Schools with an '''Exemplary''' rating have demonstrated very high scoring on standardized tests for
at least 2 consecutive school years, or at least one school year following rank 'Proficient'.
|4,355
|-
!<span style="color:#55A5FA">''Proficient''</span>
|Schools with a '''Proficient''' rating have demonstrated above average scoring on standardized tests.
|13,790
|-
!<span style="color:#74B72E">''Accredited''</span>
|Schools with an '''Accredited''' rating have demonstrated average scoring on standardized tests.
|5,081
|-
!<span style="color:#FFD300">''Warning''</span>
|Schools with a accreditation '''Warning''' have demonstrated below average scoring on standardized tests
for at least one school year.
|726
|-
!<span style="color:#FF0000">''Probationary''</span>
|Schools with a '''Probationary''' rating have demonstrated below average scoring on standardized tests for
at least two consecutive school years.
|242
|-
!colspan=2|''Total''
!24,194
|}


<small>'''Note:''' To contribute to this article, you may need to seek help from the author(s) of this page.</small>
=== Gold Performance Acknowledgements ===
|}Urcea is considered one of the world's most advanced countries in terms of technology. The country is considered about on par with [[Caphiria]] in terms of the development and adoption of microprocessor-based devices, though some industrial sectors lag behind in automation due to concerted political and social resistance, especially from the [[Guilds (Urcea)|nation's guilds]].


Unlike most other major pioneering nations, computing in Urcea was a relatively underdeveloped and unexplored field prior to the [[Great War]]. The potential usefulness and applicability of computing devices was considered limited outside of academic and some engineering capacities, and consequently new devices were largely considered technological novelties. With the outbreak of war and interest in interdicting [[Caphiria|Caphirian]] weapons trade with [[Dericania]], the ability to encode and decode sensitive information became of vital importance, though throughout the late 1920s the country struggled to catch up with its neighbors in terms of computer development. The country invested considerably in acquiring foreign devices and experts, such that by [[1940]] Urcea was on par with the other great powers of the time and had managed to crack Caphirian codes several times throughout the latter portion of the war. Computing hardware and software developed considerably during the War, and by the end of the conflict the [[Collegium Scientificum]] was considered a world leader in academic computer development. After the war, several experts - both foreign and domestic - went into business, applying lessons learned to commercial enterprises. The major pioneer - and largest firm - was ITM, or International Tabulation Machines, which developed many business-use large computer mainframes. ITM, and its later smaller competitors, developed mainframes that became commonplace in commercial use by the late 1950s and 1960s. These computers were very large and required terminals to use while relying on complex vacuum circuits. They employed rudimentary and often proprietary encoding languages. An early adopter of these large computers was the [[Levantine Catholic Church]] for parish and diocesan registries, which had grown to considerable sizes due to Urcea's large population. By 1965, considerable efforts were made to create commercially available microprocessors, and by 1970 the first - the Integrated Systems Processor 1000 - hit the market. The development of microprocessors spawned a considerable interest in smaller computers and created a widespread phenomenon of hobbyist computer construction and development.
== Colleges and Universities ==
 
{{infobox organization
The Selectro 1000PC was released in 1972 with little fanfare; Selectro was a minor competitor of ITM and its 1000PC computer was primarily intended as a niche product targeted towards computer hobbyists. Historians consider it to be the first commercially available personal computer in Urcea and among one of the world's first. Early success of the product lead to increased production and advertisement, and the development of the first spreadsheet program lead to dramatically increased demand for the product by 1974.
| name = University System of Verona
==Military and National Defense==
| image = University system of Verona logo.svg
''Further Information:'' [[Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea]]  
| image_border =
 
| size = 200px
The seal of the [[Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea]], which is formally a ministry within the [[Concilium Purpaidá]].
| caption =
| map =
| msize =
| mcaption =
| abbreviation = USV
| motto =
| formation = 1956
| extinction =
| type =
| status =
| purpose = educational oversight
| headquarters = [[Aurimá]], [[Verona]], Cartadania
| location =
| region_served =
| membership = 157 public colleges and universities, with a combined endowment of approx. $94 billion
| language =  
| leader_title = Chancellor
| leader_name = Arjen Mallette
| main_organ =  
| parent_organization = [[Verona Department of Education]]
| affiliations =
| num_staff =
| num_volunteers =
| budget =
| website = [http://www.usv.edu/ www.usv.edu]
| remarks =
}}


Urcea's armed forces are divided into three branches:
The '''University System of Verona''' ('''USV''') is the state agency that includes the 157 public institutions of higher learning in Verona. The system is governed by the Verona Board of Regents and is an arm of the Department of Education. It sets goals and dictates general policy to educational institutions within the state. The USV also dispenses public funds (allocated by the state's legislature) to the institutions. The USV is the largest university system in Cartadania by total student enrollment, with 5.7 million students in 157 public institutions. USV institutions are divided into three categories: research universities, comprehensive state universities, and state colleges.


*the '''[[Royal and Imperial Army (Urcea)|Royal and Imperial Army]]'''
The agency designates four systems: the [[University of Verona]] and [[Verona Institute of Technology]] systems as "research universities", the [[Verona Commonwealth University]] system as "comprehensive state universities", and the [[Verona Community College system]] as "state colleges". The University of Verona is the state's flagship university system and contains the state's overall oldest institutions of higher learning. After the state unified the VCU system with the Verona State University system (VSU) in 1990, the VCU system became the largest higher learning system in the USV and Cartadania, with over 750,000 students. The independent University of Central Verona is the state's designated military school.
*the '''[[Royal Air Force (Urcea)|Royal Air Force]]'''
*the '''[[Royal Navy (Urcea)|Royal Navy]]''', which also includes the '''Royal Marine Corps'''


Historically, the Royal and Imperial Army saw the most action and was the primary focus of the nation's military efforts, but since the [[Great War]] the Navy has evolved into the branch of primary concern, given Urcea's maritime border with [[Caphiria]]. In modern times, Urcea's Armed Forces are primarily engaged in [[New Yustona]] and [[Crona]], but prior to the [[Assumption Accords]] it was heavily deployed in [[Urlazio]] and in [[Dorhaven]]. The Urcean military's budget exceeds $3.6 trillion dollars, among the largest in the world during peacetime but trailing [[Caphiria]].
* [[University of Verona system]]
* [[Verona Commonwealth University system]]
* [[Verona Community Colleges system]]
* [[Verona Institute of Technology]]


The Royal and Imperial Army is the largest of the three branches with more than 4,000,000 active duty personnel and 4,000,000 personnel in reserves. The Army has some 5,000,000 combat and transportation vehicles of various age that can be called upon for active duty use, alongside more than 127,000 pieces of artillery and rocket artillery. The Army also has more than 78,000 aircraft for use, though the majority of these are transportation helicopters or fixed wing aircraft for transportation use.
== See also ==
[[List of school districts in Verona]]


The Royal Navy, between its primary service and its attached Royal Marine Corps, has the most active duty personnel of the three branches, with more than 4,700,000 active duty personnel (of these, more than 600,000 are marines) and 1,500,000 reservists (of which more than 354,000 are marines). The pride of the Urcean Armed Forces, the Navy has 1,557 combat vehicles including 54 aircraft carriers, and also maintains 178 amphibious assault and command vessels with 75 other miscellaneous vessels. The Navy, not including the Marine Corps, maintains 24,236 aircraft, including 8,258 fighter aircraft. The Royal Marine Corps maintain more than 124,000 various vehicles, including more than 1,100 tanks and 5,300 aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capability.


The Royal Air Force is the smallest of the three branches, with more than 3,400,000 active duty personnel and more than 1,000,000 reservists. The Royal Air Force maintains some 47,108 pieces of equipment, including 10,578 fighters, 1,826 bombers, 2,938 ground attack aircraft, 11,132 cargo planes among other varieties of aircraft. The Royal Air Force was previously known as the ''Royal Air Fleet'' and was founded in 1904 for the purposes of coordinating all military airships. The Royal Air Force maintains the navy-based ranks from the Air Fleet era, making it similar to the [[Burgundie|Burgoignesc]] [[Royal Air Service]] in that respect.


In addition to its conventional armed forces, the [[Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea]] are estimated to have more than 7,500 warheads of various types, though it is surmised that not all of them are active. Given Urcea's 136 active ballistic missile submarines, it's estimated that of the 7,500, at least 3,264 are submarine-based, with the remainder being strategic bomber or intercontinental ballistic missile based.


Despite Urcea's powerful standing military, training of the populace is key. Basic military education (BME) is a nation-wide course mandatory in high schools governed jointly by the Armed Forces and the [[Collegium Scientificum]]. In BME, students are taught how to fire and service several types of weapons, how to camouflage themselves within their surroundings, how to form basic entrenchments, and how to properly enter a building in a combat scenario. The training also includes basic instructions on how to drill and move in formation. Unlike other major [[Occidental world|Occidental countries]], Urcea has no organized militia or national defense reserve force. Instead, so-called "volunteer armies" are organized on the provincial level and then federalized during wartime, creating a separate part of the [[Royal and Imperial Army (Urcea)|Royal and Imperial Army]] with a mostly breveted command structure.
[[Category:IXWB]]
[[Category: Canonical Article]]
[[Category: Verona]]
[[Category: Urcea]]
[[Category:Verona state agencies]]
[[Category: Holy Levantine Empire]]
[[Category: Levantia]]
[[Category: Country]]
[[Category: Levantine Union]]

Latest revision as of 10:00, 24 May 2023

Verona Department of Education
Logo of the Verona DOE

The DOE headquarters in Aurimá.
Agency overview
FormedSeptember 3, 1906; 117 years ago (1906-09-03)
Preceding agency
  • Education Office
JurisdictionCommonwealth of Verona
HeadquartersDOE Headquarters
600 Palmetto Pkwy, Aurimá, VA 33001
Employees5,174
Annual budget$87.4 billion
Agency executive
  • Gabriel Figueiredo, Superintendent of Education
Parent agencyVerona Education Secretary
WebsiteOfficial Website

The Verona Department of Education (Cartadanian: Verona Departamento de Educação; VDOE) is a branch of the state government of Verona in Cartadania responsible for the regulation of public education. The agency is headquartered in Verona Frond Six Building in the state capital, Aurimá, along with various other branches and offices of the state government. Formed in 1906 to centralize the state's education system and authority, the Verona Department of Education has the largest education responsibility in the country, second only to the federal equivalent. It apportions funds and sets standards for the education of it's 12.1 million students, a figure larger than the population of twenty-five individual states, and the eight smallest states combined.

Gabriel Figueiredo, a member of the Jupiter Independent School District's board of trustees, was appointed Superintendent of Education by Verona Governor Alícia Rosa on 8 February 2026.

History

The Department of Education was established on 3 September 1906 following the need for a centralized educational authority. Prior to the creation of the department, education was overseen by county education boards or multi-county organizations. The government conducted a survey of needs throughout the commonwealth and set out to develop a set goal and basic curriculum that each school district was required to follow. This survey resulted in the creation of the department to be responsible for maintaining these objectives and the office of Superintendent of Education was created, with the superintendent being an official appointed by the Governor.

In 1938, the Commonwealth Board of Education was merged into the Department of Education. Together, they introduced a precursor to the legislative bill that would separate school districts from the county and city governments. They also sought to solve the issue of ghost districts, those with no enrollment or active schools. Prior to the late 1940s, many school districts in Verona did not operate schools but spent money to send children to schools operated by other districts. In the late 1940s state lawmakers passed another bill abolishing those districts, prompting a wave of mass school district consolidation.

In 1956, the General Assembly authorized the creation of the University System of Verona, a multi-system organization that encompasses the four-system schools throughout the state. It serves as a regulatory authority and reports directly to the state and, though sometimes thought of as a part of the Department of Education, it is a distinct and separate sister entity.

In 1961, the Verona Department of Education, in conjunction with the Commonwealth Revenue Board and General Assembly, granted school districts the power to tax residents. Prior to this, Verona school districts were allocated funding from the localities they served. The new configuration removed the municipalities' oversight of funding and use, giving the school districts more control. In spite of this, Verona school districts still receive the bulk of funding from the state directly and from the federal Department of Education.

In 2002, the Verona education system underwent a major revision, known as the Verona Instructional System Alignment (VISA), that restructured the grading system, instructional timeframe, curricula, and pipeline for primary and secondary education. The changes went into effect on 3 January 2002, in preparation for school systems to migrate to this model when school begins (typically the third monday in January), but were authorized in January 2000. Alongside VISA was the Verona Post-Secondary Alignment (VAPSA), which only established a system by which schools can admit students on an academic basis and simultaneously eliminated the cost of attendance for baccalaureate programs, the cost of which shifted to a tax-funded model with funding from the federal government. VAPSA also reinstated the mandatory requirement that all teachers have a masters degree, which is now funded by the state as well.

Duties

The Verona Department of Education is responsible for the oversight of public primary and secondary education in the state of Verona, involving both the over 100 individual school districts in the state as well as private schools. It is also responsible for the safety of students. However, it does not have any jurisdiction over parochial schools (whether or not accredited), and unlike in a few other states and several countries, home schooling is illegal. All schools are, however, required to follow the states basic curriculum, the Verona Education Standards.

Although school districts are independent governmental entities, VDOE has the authority to oversee a district's operations (either involving an individual school or the entire district) if serious issues arise (such as poor performance, financial distress, or reported mismanagement). This can be in the form of requiring the district to submit corrective action plans and regular status reports, assigning monitors to oversee operations (including the authority to assign a management board, which essentially replaces and performs the duties of the elected school board), and in extreme cases closure of a school campus or even the entire school district.

In addition to primary and secondary education, VDOE has oversight duties with respect to driver's education courses (initial permits) and defensive driving courses (used to have a ticket dismissed and/or for lower insurance premiums). VDOE also manages the commonwealth's higher education system, including its three university systems, the community college system, and the 6 independent public universities.

The Verona Interscholastic Federation (VIF), which oversees academic and athletic interscholastic competition in Verona public schools, is a separate entity not under VDOE oversight.

Superintendent of Education

Commonwealth Board of Education

The Verona Commonwealth Board of Education is the governing and policy-making body of the Verona Department of Education. It sets AP-12 education policy in the areas of standards, recommended instructional materials, and accountability. The Board adopts textbooks for grades K-8 via statewide teacher input, adopts regulations to implement legislation, and has authority to amend and modify the Education Standards. These standards are designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level in addition to recommended supplementary areas (known as primary and secondary focii). The Board of Education has thirteen members, including one student member, all appointed by the Governor of Verona. The student member is selected from a group of three students nominated by the board.

Regions

District Counties Manager
Verona Commonwealth at-large Soraya Durán
LaMarque Amelia, Cara, Elisabeth, Everglade, Mayes Ruben Núñez
San Marcos Andres, Buena Vista, San Marcos Yanira Miguélez
Palm Coast Andina, Lynnhaven, Santa Rosa, Sierra, Victoria Noemi Notario
Pinellas Guarias, Heralamis, Lagoa, Riverside, Santa Maria Leyre Ruiz
Florence Florence, Montilla, São Fernando, Vero Rafael Hoyo
Orange Lençois, Los Angeles, Orange, Richmond, Sinhedes, Trinity Tereza Teixeira Meireles
Everglades Henrico, Monteiro, Prince Lucás, Seneca Suzana Sá de Assis
Centralia Amari, Belleaire, Nassica, Richland, Sinas, Varina Kevin Biel
Roseland Santa Ana, Rosalía, Westbrook Diego Ovejero
Vírgenes Avetera, Espanadia, Vírgenes Olívia Rodrigues Álvarez
Olympia Coronado, Luisa, Pasadena, Olympia, Sayalona Manoel Rocha Santana
Rathan Castelle, Mariposa, Secotan, Summerlin Mateo Soria

Standardized tests

Prior to 2002, Verona assessed student performance in the elementary school and secondary school grades via the Verona Education Standards Assessment (VESA), administered at the end of each year beginning in Grade 4. Beginning in January 2002, Verona completely eliminated the VESA and instead opted for a model where teachers formulate their own grading systems for the students similar to collegiate systems, although with oversight from various superior bodies (e.g., principals, directs of primary and secondary education, district superintendents, and VDOE review board). The Verona Education system as a whole underwent a major overhaul in 2004 that marked the end of an era.

School and district accountability

Education performance rating

The Department of Education maintains a five-tier rating system based on academic accountability from end-of-curriculum testing (Grade 5, 8, and 12), though it is currently undergoing a revision to better reflect the state's instructional model. The commonwealth ranks all schools within its borders and publishes this information on its website. Ratings can also be found on individual pages. Schools in more populated areas tend to trend higher on the scale while schools in more rural areas tend to trend lower.

Rank Definition Schools

in rank

Exemplary Schools with an Exemplary rating have demonstrated very high scoring on standardized tests for

at least 2 consecutive school years, or at least one school year following rank 'Proficient'.

4,355
Proficient Schools with a Proficient rating have demonstrated above average scoring on standardized tests. 13,790
Accredited Schools with an Accredited rating have demonstrated average scoring on standardized tests. 5,081
Warning Schools with a accreditation Warning have demonstrated below average scoring on standardized tests

for at least one school year.

726
Probationary Schools with a Probationary rating have demonstrated below average scoring on standardized tests for

at least two consecutive school years.

242
Total 24,194

Gold Performance Acknowledgements

Colleges and Universities

University System of Verona
AbbreviationUSV
Formation1956
Purposeeducational oversight
HeadquartersAurimá, Verona, Cartadania
Membership
157 public colleges and universities, with a combined endowment of approx. $94 billion
Chancellor
Arjen Mallette
Parent organization
Verona Department of Education
Websitewww.usv.edu

The University System of Verona (USV) is the state agency that includes the 157 public institutions of higher learning in Verona. The system is governed by the Verona Board of Regents and is an arm of the Department of Education. It sets goals and dictates general policy to educational institutions within the state. The USV also dispenses public funds (allocated by the state's legislature) to the institutions. The USV is the largest university system in Cartadania by total student enrollment, with 5.7 million students in 157 public institutions. USV institutions are divided into three categories: research universities, comprehensive state universities, and state colleges.

The agency designates four systems: the University of Verona and Verona Institute of Technology systems as "research universities", the Verona Commonwealth University system as "comprehensive state universities", and the Verona Community College system as "state colleges". The University of Verona is the state's flagship university system and contains the state's overall oldest institutions of higher learning. After the state unified the VCU system with the Verona State University system (VSU) in 1990, the VCU system became the largest higher learning system in the USV and Cartadania, with over 750,000 students. The independent University of Central Verona is the state's designated military school.

See also

List of school districts in Verona

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