Lombardia

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Lombardia

Lombardy (Ænglish)
State
Comunidade da Lombardia
Commonwealth of Lombardia
Nickname(s): 
O Estado Dourado
(The Golden State)
Motto(s): 
Prosperità
Anthem: Alegria da Lombardia
Map of Cartadania with Lombardia highlighted
Map of Cartadania with Lombardia highlighted
Country Cartadania
Before statehoodSouth Jordas Territory
Admitted to the Union15 December 1799 (10th)
CapitalFigueroa
Largest cityCastelusia
Largest metroGreater Castelusia
Government
 • GovernorLoriana Governale
 • Lieutenant GovernorFlavio Geraci
LegislatureLombardia General Assembly
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseChamber of Delegates
JudiciarySupreme Court of Lombardia
Senators3
Chamber delegation30
Area
 • Total170,981.2 km2 (66,016.2 sq mi)
Area rank7th
Elevation
342.6 m (1,124 ft)
Highest elevation1,713.2 m (5,620.7 ft)
Lowest elevation0 m (0 ft)
Population
 • Total21,926,641
 • Rank4th
 • Density128.2/km2 (332.1/sq mi)
 • Median household income
€81,863
 • Income rank
5th
Demonym(s)Lombard
Lombardo(a)
Language
 • Official languagenone
 • Spoken languageCartadanian
Time zoneUTC-2:00 (Central Time)
CCor abbreviation
LO
ISO 3166 codeCA-LO
Trad. abbreviationLom.
Websitewww.lombardia.gov.ca

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

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

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

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

Etymology

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

History

Pre-Caphirian era

Lombardia is thought to have been inhabited for atleast 4,000 years. Well-preserved rock drawings left by ancient Camuni in the Lombard Valley depicting animals, people, and symbols were made over a time period of eight thousand years preceding the Iron Age, based on about 300,000 records. Although the demography of ancient Lombardia was multi-ethnic, including, for example, Tuscans, Ettians and other Italics besides the Lombards, the latter were the dominant constituent. They inhabited and controlled much of the Valley.

Colonization

The arrival of Caphirians in the Lombard valley is thought to have occurred around 704 A.D. and, due to the difficulty reaching the area due to the Turian Ridge separating Cartadania from Caphiria, as well as the dense forests and large rivers, presence remained quite miniscule. In the 11th century, imperator Darius officially united almost all of present-day mainland central Cartadania into a single geo-political entity, Lusia, dividing it into seven regions. The part of today's Lombardia southwest of the Lombardia river – together with the present state of Toscana immediately to the south of Lombardia – became Regio Iordas (Southwestern Lombardia and Toscana), while modern Lombardia north of the Lombardia River became part of Regio Carina.

Province of Vachena

Lombardia existed as parts of Regio Iordas and Regio Carina until 1671, when Cartadania and Vachena officially split from Caphiria. Under an agreement between Caroleen, Meridia, and Venceia (?) ironically known as the Magna Discordia, Cartadania and Vachena were to remain separate for the time of the Imperial occupation of Vachena. Because Cartadania's territory disjointed Vachena from Caphiria, this made it difficult to uphold the agreement and left a lot of Caphirians in Vachena unable to return home by land for various periods in history. Under the Magna Discordia, because Vachena was part of Lusia, it was to be returned to the Luson people (i.e., Cartadania or the Cartic provinces). However, due to the overwhelming influence of Caphiria in Vachena, Meridia did not press to enforce the agreement at the time.

As provinces of Vachena, Iordas and Carina were largely rural in nature, so far from Caroleena, that they were largely only used for agricultural purposes. The Iordas region was, and continues to be, a wine-producing region and is known for its Malvasia, Merlot, and Trebbiano varieties that it exported not only to Vachena and Cartadania, but also to other parts of the world. Aside from grapes, and consequently wine production, the regions also produced corn, lemons, oranges, peaches, and wheat, among other things. This continued for a while until Alahuela annexed the land in 1798.

Annexation by Cartadania and statehood

In Spring 1798, Cartadania's western states of Santiago and Victoria were beginning to spread the idea of a better life for the people of Iordas and Carina, which ultimately turned out to be an effort to expand their respective territories. Fueled by the lack of representation in their own capital, and the lack of border control between Vachena and Cartadania, the people, first of Carina, began to intermix with the Victorianos and Santiagans, visiting Cartadania (albeit illegally) and vice-versa. In fact, Victorians actually started their own farms in Vachena, which went against Caroleena and Alahuela's separation agreement. Because the vast majority of then-western Cartadanians could speak Latin with dialects similar to those of eastern Vachena, it was becoming difficult to enforce the rule of the Magna Discordia.

In late summer of the same year, uprisings along the coast of Carina caused the Vachenan military to enter the region which made many Santiagans uneasy. The land along the Trentine River which separated Cartadania from Vachena at the time, was fortified by Vachenan military police, which caused Alahuela to send Marshalls to western Santiago. A minor disagreement between the two groups lead Cartadania's Supreme Court to call into question the validity of the Magna Discordia which would lead to Senate Resolution 16. Heightening tensions along this border caused the Department of the Interior (now the Department of Homeland Security) to send agents to the area to assess the impending fallout, and in March 1799, the first Vachena Crisis insued. Buildup of tensions in the region caused a ripple effect across the country. News of the civil unrest in Carina spread to Iordas and Faraya (now Ferara), and the Vachena Parliament issued an emergency order to military police to end the uprising. Venza Sentinate and Caille Herini, then-governors of Carina and Iordas respectively, petitioned Alahuela for voluntary annexation. Originally, Congress refused, but the Supreme Court, in essence, ordered Congress to comply with the agreement in place with Caroleena and Venceia. Because the Magna Discordia only specified a separation of 100-years, the separation had expired in 1771, thus Senate Resolution 17 was authorized and Cartadania's government de jure annexed not only Iordas and Carina, but also the Southern Territory, of which today is Montecarlo, Siena, and southern Ferara.

This annexation did not so easily occur, as the ensuing turmoil caused by the implication rattled Vachena to its core. Cartadania's congress and Supreme Court argued that the basis for annexation were determined with the independence of both countries on expiry of the Magna Discordia's separation agreement. The legal body of Cartadania further argued that the agreement set forth allowed the countries to reunify at the will of the respective people. Vachena's parliament stated that the claim was baseless as the Magna Discordia itself expired with the separation agreement and the sovereignty of Vachena was challenged with Cartadania's annexation (thus constituting a basis for war). Consequently, the battles raged on legally for some time between the two, with Vachena wanting to request the help of Caphiria's Tribunalis Ultima as a third party. Though it never escalated to war, the annexation lead to a complete downturn in Carto-Vachenan relations.

Despite the upheaval and tension that the timing caused, Congress did not officially annex the entirety of Vachena at that time. Instead, on 1 September 1799, it united Carina and most of Iordas to create the present-day borders of the state and gave the area the name Lumbhardi for the river that flowed through it. Still in political disarray, Congress moved quickly and filed a motion to admit Lumbhardi as a state. On 1 December 1799, the then-possession (aka Territory of Second Class) modified its name to the current Lombardia and was admitted to the union as the seventh state on 15 December 1799. This decision was very poorly received by many Vachenans around the capital who opposed the events ongoing in the area. Public opinion improved when Congress allowed permissive retention of Vachenan and Cartadanian citizenship, the first instance of dual-citizenship between the two countries.

Over the decades that followed, Lombardia's population began to explode thanks to its status as a new state, desirable climate, and extremely fertile land. Some Cartadanian historians went so far to consider the neglect of Lombardia "a reflection of our imperial past" and considered Lombardia to be highly favorable for development over the years, which would become apparent when it became Cartadania's fourth-most populous state.

In an effort to, arguably, rub salt in the wound, Alahuela contributed large sums of money for development of infrastructure to Lombardia, which was in contrast to Regio Averius, Regio Spero, and Regio Spirito Santo (Aveiro and Espírito Santo, respectively) whom, like Lombardia's predecessors, were quite suburban and rural in nature. This lead to a short-lived public outcry that eventually settled during the events leading to the Second Great War.

Lombardia's position in Cartadania made it particularly vulnerable during the Great War, especially considering Cartadania's position against Caphiria and Vachena, which supported Caphiria. Thusly, Alahuela began setting up Forte Ataris, one of the largest Army bases in Cartadania. It positioned troops at the base on standby and during the Second Vachena Crisis, at a point where Cartadania and Pelaxia were fearing invasion from Caphiria and moving preemptively, Alahuela surrounded Caroleena and annexed large portions of Vachena. In this time period, Lombardia was one of the most active regions militarily.

Today, the state has more or less focused on infrastructure and suburban development. In the decades following the Great War, the state has been faced with a rapidly growing population with nowhere to put the new residents. Consequently, agricultural tracts have given way to residential communities, some of them carefully planned such as Aranth, Seianti, and Vitellia. Lombardia's development in the 21st century has made it stand out among the 31 states and its position in the country makes it ideal for future development.

Geography

Rolling hills approaching the Ursa range near the Lombard Wine Region.

Lombardia has a geographic area of 170,981.17 square kilometres (66,016.20 sq mi) and is roughly comparable in size to some of the Deric States. It is the seventh-largest state in Cartadania. Much of Lombardia, excepting the areas along the Trentine River, lies within the Lombard Valley. This area is bounded by a line of mountains known as the Ursa Range that separates the state from Aveiro and Espírito Santo. The valley extends southerly into Toscana and Ferara as gently rolling hills where it is then bounded by the Aegis Range. Though the state lies in the tropics geographically, the majority of the state experiences a Mediterranean climate (Csa) as a result of the cool Jordas Current offshore, enhanced by upwelling of cold sub-surface waters, which often creates summer fog near the coast. This is forced inland by the western ranges that force prevailing winds to circulate.

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

Government and politics

State government

Lombardia's Seat of Government.

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

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

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

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

Politics

Loriana Governale, the 57th and current-governor of Lombardia.

Lombardia is a SDP stronghold. Historically, it was a more contested politically, because the more rural regions of the state voted more conservatively, causing near-parity between SDPs and UCons. In more recent elections, however, the SDP has gained more ground, and Lombardia has been strongly left-leaning in presidential campaigns. Figueroa and Castelusia, as well as their metro areas, tend to vote largely with and for SDP candidates. Counties that area around Calónia County, are sometimes more moderate in various years but tend to vote similarly to Figueroa itself. Other cities like Calisnia, Carina, Marale, and Rimego also tend to fall more left-leaning that other parts of the state. With the exception of Carina, the counties that surround the other three cities are very moderate politically. The sway in politics is controlled largely by the nine largest counties in the state, most of which are around Castelusia or Figueroa (Alcoxa and Mourda counties, located in the Newport, Santiago MSA are the exceptions).

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Voter Registration and Party Enrollment of Lombardia
Party Total Percentage
SocDem 7,906,747 54.09%
UCon 4,630,907 31.68%
Independents, unaffiliated, and other 2,080,107 14.23%
Total 14,617,761 100.00%

While UCons usually win more counties, by piling up large margins in the south and west, they are also usually swamped by the more densely populated and heavily SDP Castelusia-Figueroa axis. In 1988, for instance, Garza won 58 counties to Hernandez's thirty-five. While Garza won most of the western and southern counties by margins of 2-to-1 or more, he was almost completely shut out in the larger counties surrounding Castelusia and Figueroa; every large county except Alcoa went for Hernandez.

Lombardia has also been particularly favorable for Progressistas candidates, Cartadania's moderate third party. It has helped elect all four past Progressistas presidents, including Julia Andrade, who was president at the time Lombardia legally became a state. During the 2024 election cycle, Lombardia has been in sway between SDP and Porgressista, but has been leaning more to Progressistas, which has allowed Samaria Kalanie to become the top candidate in Cartadania.

Outside of national politics, the state tends to elect SDP governors as well, but its legislature, the Lombardia General Assembly, tends to have a large UCon influence. Nonetheless, there is no lack of bipartisan agreement within Lombardia's government and things tend to move rather smoothly.

Administrative divisions

Lombardia consists of 93 counties, the fifth most in the country. Lombardia had sixty counties until the end of 1804, when the former state of Firença merged into Lombardia, adding thirty-three more to the state's western border. Some counties have been named for prominent figures in both the state and national histories from both Vachena and Cartadania, but the vast majority of the counties have tribally or geographically significant names. Each county in Lombardia has its own elected legislative branch, usually called the Board of Commissioners, which usually also has executive authority in the county. Some rural counties have a sole C form of government, with legislative and executive authority vested in a single person. These tend to be very low population counties and Lombardia is the only state in Cartadania that still allows these government forms to exist. Lombardia's constitution provides all counties and cities with home rule authority, which gives county commissions considerable power to pass legislation within their county, just a municipality would. Municipalities have full home rule powers, may adopt a charter, ordinances and resolutions for self-government. Each municipality chooses its own form of government, but most have elected mayors and city councils or city commissions.

Criminal law

Lombardia, like the vast majority of Cartadania, is a common-law jurisdiction (exceptions being Haia and São Andreas). It has come to be known for its very "zero-tolerance" approach for ciminal offenses and often has some of the harshest criminal punishments in the country. Though Cartadania itself is abolitionist in peacetime for capital punishment, Lombardia itself is a retentionist state, and it is not unheard of for Class 1 felonies to be tried with a death sentence, though they are relatively uncommon. Lombardia also has strong right of self-defense and self defense laws, allowing citizens to use near-lethal force to defend themselves, their families, or their property.

Economy

Taxation

Lombardia does not have a state income tax, nor do any municipalities assess an income tax. The state does, however, have the second-highest base sales tax rate in the country at 7.25% (second only to Roma Alta's 8.25%) which municipalities can increase to a maximum 10.25%. Overall, though, Lombards typically have some of the lowest overall tax burder in the country, with 0.92% average property tax rate, no vehicle tax, and 9.25 cents per liter for fuel tax. This ranks Lombardia quite low among the states for total state and local tax burden. The state sales tax in Lombardia can have additional percentages added through local options (e.g. special-purpose local-option sales tax or SPLOST), but there is no sales tax on prescription drugs, certain medical devices, or food items for home consumption.

The state legislature may allow municipalities to institute local sales taxes and special local taxes, such as the 2% SPLOST tax and the 1% sales tax for metropolitan transit authority serviced counties. Excise taxes are levied on alcohol, marijuana, and motor fuel. Owners of real property in Lombardia pay property tax to their county. All taxes are collected by the Lombardia Department of Revenue and then properly distributed according to any agreements that each county has with its cities.

Agriculture and mining

Compared to other states, Lombardia has a large agriculture industry (including fruit, vegetables, dairy, and wine production), but at less than 6% of the GSP, it makes a relatively minor direct contribution to the state's overall economy. The total economic contribution is likely more than double this value. Airborne exports of perishable fruits and vegetables amounted to approximately €311 million in 2010. By way of comparison, Lombardia exported more agricultural products by air that year than 14 other states did by all modes of transport, though its agriculture is somewhat dependent on illegal immigrants.

Mining was previously a larger sector of Lombardia's economy during the industrial age, but has all but ceased in modern times. Today the mining sector of Cartadania is primarily concentrated around eastern Viterna, northern Nivarra, and western Galiza, though Lombardia still produces minor quantities of anthracite, feldspar, gemstones, sulphur, and thorium. With the exception of gemstones and thorium, all of these are domestically used.

Energy

Simon Ohlson Nuclear Generation Plant on Renaudin Lake.

Lombardia consumes approximately 256.7 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity per year. Though Lombardia mines anthracite in the Ursa mountains, coal power is the third-largest production method used in the state. Instead, Lombardia relies more heavily on natural gas and nuclear power. In 2020, the generation mix was gas, nuclear, coal, hydro and other renewable sources. Simon Ohlson Nuclear Generation Facility is located in the state, about 48 kilometres (30 mi) southeast of Figueroa. It is the highest output facility in Cartadania and supplies three-quarters of Lombardia's nuclear power.

The state is also a leader in renewable energy commercialization; it produces some of the most wind power in the nation. In 2015, 10.6% of the electricity consumed in Lombardia came from wind turbines. The Deloffre Wind Farm in Deloffre, Lombardia, is one of the world's largest wind farms with a 781.5 megawatt (MW) capacity. The Energy Information Administration states the state's large agriculture and forestry industries could give Lombardia an enormous amount of biomass for use in biofuels. It is frequently the site of experimentation and research for new energy generation methods, and the Cartadanian Department of Energy and Mineral Resources has large research facilities in the state as well.

Demographics

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1820 31,307—    
1830 56,213+79.6%
1840 85,011+51.2%
1850 143,292+68.6%
1860 187,758+31.0%
1870 271,040+44.4%
1880 397,493+46.7%
1890 530,445+33.4%
1900 776,213+46.3%
1910 980,619+26.3%
1920 1,470,074+49.9%
1930 1,923,187+30.8%
1940 2,804,313+45.8%
1950 3,941,008+40.5%
1960 5,066,703+28.6%
1970 6,792,443+34.1%
1980 9,804,305+44.3%
1990 13,004,218+32.6%
2000 16,061,926+23.5%
2010 18,875,380+17.5%
2020 21,926,641+16.2%

The Cartadania Office of the Census found that the reported population of Lombardia was 21,926,641 at the 2020 Census, which was finalized on 31 December 2020, making it the fourth-most populous state in Cartadania. The population density of the state is 128.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (332/sq mi), making Lombardia the ninth-most densely populated state.

Ethnic groups and ancestry

According to census findings, the population of Lombardia in 2020 was:

  • Pardo 37.3
  • Latinate or northern Levantine descent 26.7
  • Audonian or Audonian descent 23.0%
  • Cronan 9.9%
  • Alshari 2.6%
  • Native 0.5%

Lombardia is rather diverse in terms of national and ethnic origin amongst Cartadanian states. High affinity for international immigration and its position as a gateway between heavily populated eastern Cartadania and the rapidly developing west makes it a popular location for many families to live and work.

Languages

The federal official language in Cartadania is Cartadanian, and as a result, the language of business, government, and instruction in Lombardia is Cartadanian as well. Some 19% percent of the state is fluent in Latin, and another 15% speaks a language other than the two aforementioned. Approximately 34% of the population has reported speaking a mother language other than Cartadanian at home in Lombardia.

The most common languages spoken in Lombardia as of 2023 are:

  • 71% Cartadanian
  • 19% Latin
  • 6% Pelaxian
  • Other languages less than 1% each

Religion

Lombardia has been mostly Christian throughout its history, thanks to ties with the Catholic Church, although there is a large irreligious community within the state as well. Catholicism is the largest single denomination in the state, as Cartadania was a former constituency of Caphiria and is proximate to Urcea, the two largest countries on the planet, both of whom have a Catholic majority. With approximately 48% of the state identifying as Catholic and 32% identifying as irreligious, the remaining 20% constitute other religious groups from around the globe.

Culture

Arts

Education

With an educational system made up of public school districts and independent private institutions, Lombardia had 2,981,005 students enrolled in 4,613 public primary, secondary, and vocational schools in Lombardia's 93 regular or seven special school districts as of 2023. Iordas County is the largest of Lombardia's 93 regular districts with more than 350 thousand students and Alfia County is the smallest with less than one thousand students. Lombardia spent $19,920 for each student in 2023, and was 6th in the nation in expenditures per student.

Lombardia's primary and secondary school systems are administered by the Lombardia Department of Public Instruction. School districts are organized within county boundaries. Each school district has an elected Board of Education that sets policy, budget, goals, and approves expenditures. Management is the responsibility of a Superintendent of schools.

Higher education

Lombardia has three post-secondary education systems–the University of Lombardia system, the Lombard Commonwealth University system, and the Lombardia College system. The University of Lombardia-Figueroa is the state's flagship 4-year doctoral-granting institution and is a Tier 1 research university with very high research activity. It enrolls approximately 56,290 students as of Spring 2024 and is the third-largest university in the state. The Lombard Commonwealth University–Seianti is the largest university in the state with 62,841 students currently enrolled as of Spring 2024. Other large universities include UL Castelusia, UL Southwest, and LCU Carina. There are also a number of independent universities throughout the state as well as private institutions.

Healthcare

Healthcare in Lombardia is afforded as a right, not only by the federal constitution, but the state constitution as well. Federal law apportions a set amount of funding to each state each year for healthcare based on the taxes assessed by income and other sources. In 2023, Lombardia received €81.4 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services (equating to about €3,724 per person) just to cover base fees and expenses for its residents. Lombardia extends base coverages for healthcare for all residents, with even more extensions for pediatric healthcare, making it one of the best states to live in regarding coverages.

Like all other Cartadanian states and territories, Lombards have the option to pursue private healthcare insurance which may further extend the coverages available to patients as well as the facilities in which they are covered. Private health insurance is more common in Lombardia's larger cities where public health facilities are known to be particularly crowded with longer wait times compared to private hospitals.

The state has 153 hospitals, both public and private, across the entirety of the state. In accordance with the Lombard Health Millennium Initiative, no person in the commonwealth lives more than 45 minutes from a health facility that can treat the most common ailments. Higher profile cases may be further away as the state's level 1 trauma centers tend to be concentrated around population centers.

Alcohol Use

Lombardia has a higher than average consumption of fermented alcoholic beverages, but lower than average consumption of distilled spirits, in line with most of Cartadania's wine-producing states. Lombards consume, on average, 80 million gallons of wine per year, the fourth-most in the country. There is a particular affinity for red wines, especially those locally grown, such as merlot, which tend to have a cultural effect on the state. There is no shortage of wine festivals, and Figueroa has one of the largest in the country.

Alcohol Policy

Lombardia follows the national standard for consumption, setting the purchase age at 18 years with no set consumption age. It is, by federal law, illegal to serve alcohol to a minor in a public setting, however, it is not uncommon for parents to purchase wines and other fermented alcohols for their children in restaurants. Though the state is generally lax on this rule, it is more generally accepted to consume in this way in the privacy of a home, where it is not illegal to do so.

Infant and maternal health

Lombardia's Department of Health (sometimes referred to as LombardHealth) has one of the most comprehensive guidelines for infant and maternal health in the country. In fact, Lombardia often ranks first or second in these categories because of its provisions for pediatric and maternal care. It is one of only seven states that omits these provisions from the tax code, instead covering the expenses itself (the other six are Alexandria, Maresia, Porta Bianca, Santarém, Victoria, and Verona).

Medical research

The state depends heavily on the medical systems of its large institutions like the University of Lombardia and Lombard Commonwealth University for advancements in medical research. The Lombardia Department of Health frequently works with the state to create new guidelines and develop new methods of care alongside institutions from other states. It often collaborates with the other three commonwealths–Maresia, Porta Bianca, and Verona–as well as Santarém and Toscana for health initiatives.

Legislative Responses

The Lombardia General Assembly tends to highly favor healthcare spending, and as a result, Lombardia has the third-longest lifespan in Cartadania at 85 years (tied with ten other states), following São Ricardo at first with 87 years, and Verona and Alahuela at second with 86. The national average for Cartadania sits around 84 years, which puts all of the aforementioned states relatively close to the national average. In the fifty-seven governorships that have administered the commonwealth, none have outwardly opposed healthcare initiatives set forth by the General Assembly.

Transportation

Carina Tollway exchange with Sunstone Expressway.

Transportation in Lombardia is overseen by the Lombardia Department of Transportation, a part of the executive branch of the state government. Lombardia's major Interstate Highways are IH-25, IH-30, IH-37, IH-45, IH-86, and IH-90. Lombardia's highway system is immense and contains around 133,443.6 kilometres (82,918.0 mi) of roadway. It is consistently ranked as one of the best systems in the country, and the state tends to have a brute force approach to maintenance (well maintained due to more money invested into the system relative to other states). Lombardia is quite unique among states in that it isn't uncommon for the state to completely close a highway to decrease construction, maintenance, expansion, or upgrade times. This was seen with Interstate 86 east of Figueroa in 2011, when LDOT shut down traffic flow routinely in 30-kilometre (19 mi) segments during the highway's expansion to eight lanes towards the Santiago state line. Though it caused some grief to travelers, it reduced construction time by nearly 2/3 the time needed if a semi-closure method had been used. This practice is also seen in Maresia, Roma Alta, and Victoria, where highway maintenance and expansion are currently underway.

LusoRail Spira train passing through Marale.

The largest airports in the state are Castelusia-Pretto International Airport and Figueroa-Champlain International Airport, both handling more than twenty million passengers a year. These airports have a limited number of international flights (mostly to other parts of Sarpedon and southern Levantia) while most long-distance flights are directed to larger airports like Sierra International and Vila Real International Airport. Azul Airlines uses Castelusia-Pretto as a hub specifically for cargo flights, but no major airline hubs passenger services through either airport. The Lombardia Port Authority controls the state's four seaports and regulates all airports.

Lombardia is part of the central rail corridor and thus is serviced by the high-speed rail network of Cartadania. It is a part of LusoRail initiative and Lombardia is also within the Rossa network, which means trains here can operate at speeds up to 330 kilometres per hour (210 mph) in some locations. The states relatively flat, unchanging geography makes it easier for rail travel throughout and across it. Nonetheless, highways and cars prevail as the top form of transportation thanks to the state's immense size.

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