Livoli

Grand Principality of Livoli Gran Principato di Livoli
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Speranza, Pace, Unità" (Livolese) "Hope, Peace, Unity" (English)
Anthem: "This Land of Ours"
Capital and largest city	Livoli
Official languages	Livolese
Government	Semi-Constitutional Monarchy
• Grand Prince	Piero IV
• Prime Minister	Liovanni Umbrori
Legislature	Parliament
Area
• Total	428,000 km2 (165,000 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	6,841,000
Currency	Denarius
Driving side	right

Livoli, officially the Grand Principality of Livoli is a country located within the Süd Depths. Covering an area of 428,000 km² and a population of 6,841,000, Livoli is a developed nation with a high standard of living. Livoli enjoys a temperate climate, abundant arable land, and good amounts of mineral resources which contribute to its economic stability. Livoli shares an island with the rival nations of Savossina, Viarese and Ercortu. The four nations have been at war off an on for several centuries, and currently Livoli maintains a fragile peace. Ercortu and Savossinia are currently at war over a disputed region to the north of Livoli.

Livoli operates under as a form of semi-constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the Grand Prince of Livoli, who wields immense political power despite his constitutional status. The head of government is the Prime Minister of Livoli. The current Grand Prince is Piero IV of House Fiorilli. The current Prime Minister is Liovanni Umbrori of the Partitu Naziunale Conservatore di Livoli.

The economy of Livoli is considered as modern and developed. Livoli's main industries are mining (including copper, zinc, tin, and iron), agriculture, forestry, and tourism. Livoli relies on an extensive network of railways and roads for logistics, and maintains a large fleet of freight and passenger steamships. Livoli has put significant investment into its railroads, hosting an extensive network of rail lines and steam locomotives.

Geography

The most mountainous region in Livoli is the Vulpes Mountains, which covers the entire length of the northern shore. The Midlands located in the central most part, is fairly flat, and is predominantly used for agriculture, although farming activity is scattered throughout the state. Parts of Livoli are still densely forested. With its rugged topography, Livoli has a great number of rivers. Several of Livoli's largest rivers have been dammed at some point to provide hydroelectricity. Many rivers begin in the Vulpes Mountains and flow out to the coast. Livoli's major population centres are mainly situated on rivers.

Environment

Livoli's environment consists of many different biomes or communities across its different regions. It has large areas of temperate rainforests. A distinctive type of moorland found across the north and north-west. Livoli also features a diverse alpine garden environment, such as cushion plant. Highland areas receive consistent snowfall above ~1,000 metres every year, and due to cold air, this level often reaches 800 m, and more occasionally 600 or 400 metres. This environment gives rise to the cypress forests of the Central Plateau and northern mountainous highlands.

A view of Livoli's countryside, with the Vulpes Mountains in the distance.

The Livoli temperate rainforests cover a good portion of the country. Rainforest found in deep gullies are usually difficult to traverse due to dense understorey growth, such as from horizontal (Anodopetalum biglandulosum). Higher-elevation forests (~500 to 800 m) have smaller ground vegetation and are thus easier to walk in. The most common rainforests usually have a 50-metre canopy and are varied by environmental factors.

The human environment ranges from urban or industrial development, to farming or grazing land. The most cultivated area is the Midlands and western area of the country, where it has suitable soil but is also the driest part of the state. In the south, Lake Fausto is the largest standing body of fresh water in Livoli. House Fiorilli has an estate on the lake, along with many other wealthy individuals. The lake is open for public use through a series of beaches.

Soil

Livoli's soils are not more fertile than those of its neighbors, largely because most are severely leached and the areas with driest climates (least leaching) were unaffected by glaciation or alluvia derived therefrom. The mountainous areas of the country, mostly near the Vulpes Mountains and closer to the border of Fiucce have generally poor soil. Most of these lands are thus not used for agriculture, instead utilizing the land for other economic activities.

On the north coast, apart from some relatively fertile alluvial soils used for fruit-growing, there are also deep red, easily workable soils known as "krasnozems" ("red land"). These soils are highly acidic and fix phosphate very effectively, but their extremely favourable physical properties make them extensively used for dairying, beef cattle and fodder crops.

The Midlands and the southern part of the country present a different story from the rest. Owing to a relatively dry climate and alkaline (mostly dolerite) parent material, these soils are relatively unleached and contain lime in the deeper subsoil. They are mostly classified as "prairie soils" or "brown earths" and bear some resemblance to chernozems, although they are much lower in available phosphorus and somewhat acidic in the surface levels. Their higher nutrient levels, however, allow them to support productive pasture, and large numbers of sheep and goats are grazed in these regions. Some grain crops are also grown in the driest areas. In the alluvial areas of southeastern Livoli, rich alluvial soils permit apples to be grown.

Flora

Livoli has relatively diverse vegetation, from the heavily grazed grassland of the Midlands to the tall evergreen forests, and large areas of cool temperate rainforests and moorlands in the rest of the country.

Government

Politics

Grand Prince Piero IV.

Livoli has been governed under a constitutional monarchy for several centuries, with the Grand Prince of Livoli as head of state. The executive branch consists of a Prime Minister as the head of government, who presides over the Council of Government (cabinet). Under the Constitution of Livoli, the prince shares his veto power with the unicameral Parliament of Livoli, meaning that the Grand Prince holds the authority to veto any legislation approved by parliament, and vice versa. The members of parliament are elected for four-year terms and are chosen through a majority electoral system. Each member of parliament represents a district of Livoli, numbering 113. All legislation requires the approval of parliament, which is currently controlled by the Partitu Naziunale Conservatore (National Conservative Party). Both parliament and the Grand Prince can put legislation into motion, where they must gain the approval of the other. Other politicial parties include the Liberal Party, Social Democratic Partyy and Progressive Party. Members of the judiciary of Livoli are appointed by the Grand Prince.

Royalty

The current Grand Prince is Piero IV of House Fiorilli, who rules with his wife Grand Princess Alessa. Typically, the Grand Princess will serve as regent in the absense of the sovereign, unless specifically appointed otherwise. In the past, it is common for the Grand Princess or other high ranking members of the royal family to serve as regent. The current Prime Minister is Liovanni Umbrori of the Partitu Naziunale Conservatore, which is currently the dominant party and generally supports the Grand Prince. The Grand Prince is chosen by a system of agnatic seniority, which the order of succession to the throne prefers the monarch's younger brother over the monarch's own sons. A Grand Prince's children (the next generation) succeed only after the males of the elder generation have all been exhausted. Piero IV was the eldest member of the family upon the death of his uncle Giotto II, who was the last of the previous generation. Currently, the brother of Piero IV, Stanislao, is the heir apparent. This system as been known to create succession conflicts, where the heir apparent or individual attempting to succeed is undesirable due to advanced age. Younger generations have attempted (and many have succeeded) to claim the throne from their elder counterparts.

Military

The Livoli Defence Force (LDF) is the main military institution of the Grand Principality of Livoli. It is a combined arms force with land and naval elements. All men are required to spend 24 months serving in the security forces after their 17th birthday.

Annually, approximately 10,000 persons are trained in recruit centres. Depending on their awarded speciality the conscript recruits are then transferred to speciality training camps or to operational units. Active personnel numbers around 12,000 and reserve personnel numbers around 75,000.

Economy

Livoli hosts a modern and developed economy and profits from it's industries such as mining (including copper, zinc, tin, and iron), agriculture, forestry, and tourism. The mining and metallurgy industry is the most profitable in the country. A number of companies own various steel mills and iron foundries. Del Conte Zinc Corporation is the largest holder of zinc mines and processing plants in Livoli. Cumpagnia Minera Cunsolidata Gilardi (Gilardi Consolidated Mining Company) is the largest producer of iron and tin. The Säästla-based Carcofini Tobacco Leaf Company owns a large amount of tobacco plantations in Livoli and is a major tobacco producer in the Süd Depths.

Steam shovels are widely used for excavating in Livoli.

Agriculture

Livoli is a large producer of fruit, chiefly apples. Portions of Livoli have rich soil where corn, oats, wheat, and potatoes are grown. Dairying is an important part of the agriculture industry. Livoli has approximately 80,000 head of milk goats and 10,000 head of dairy cattle. Butter, cheese, ice cream and milk are some of the most produced dairy products, most of which come from goat milk. All dairy products consumed in Livoli are made domestically and imports no foreign dairy products.

Forestry

Logging and forestry activities do take place in Livoli, but to a smaller extent. The forestry industry makes up only 10% of the nations GDP, mostly in the form of sawn wood. Most forest products are used domestically for construction purposes.

Mining

Livoli has few productive coal mines, so much of the coal used in the country is imported from Hafodmark, a major coal producer in the Süd Depths. All coal mined in Livoli is used domestically. Copper and iron are valuable minerals extracted, and often exported for revenue. Zinc and tin are mostly used domestically.

Dairy Goats are the single most largest provider of dairy products in Livoli.

Transportation

Livoli relies on an extensive network of railways and roads for logistics. Livoli has put significant investment into its railroads, hosting a modern fleet of both diesel-electric and steam locomotives. Several Livoli based railroads operate in other countries, providing valuable logistics and transporation for tourists and goods. Steamships provide overseas goods and passenger transport, and it is very common for wealthy Livolians to travel abroad on luxury steamships. Alfred Holt and Company is the largest maritime shipping company and the holder of the most steamships in Livoli. The largest railroad company in Livoli is the Versisso, Bisceli and Eastern Railroad (commonly called VB&E).

Passenger Steamship, HRH "Bonavoila"