Provinces of Belmonte

The provinces of Belmonte (Luzelese: províncias de Belmonte) are the second-tier subnational entities of Belmonte which holds a certain degree of political and legal autonomy as described and protected by the Constitution. Currently, there are seven provinces in Belmonte which in turn are divided between several municipalities.

History

The first national subdivisions of Belmonte were established during colonial times, where the first captaincies were founded in the 16th and 17th centuries. Initially with a high amount of autonomy and independence, the captaincies acted as countries of their own under the crown, being led by the country's political and economical elites. Although such autonomy briefly ceased during Gaullican rule over the region, the captaincies would be once again the centre of Belmonte's political framework during the confederal era, only to permanently ceasing to exist after the Federalist Revolt.

During the First Republic, the former captaincies were replaced by the current provinces, although most of their powers would be stripped in favour of a strong federal presence. Most of the current federal pact was established in the Riachuelo Agreement and consequently the 1836 and 1935 Constitutions, while the Berquó dictatorship instituted a centralist regime that ended after his fall.

Government

According to the constitution, all provinces has their governments and constitutions (although they should obey federal law), with the executive being headed by a governor (governador), the legislative by the legislative assemblies (assembléia legislativa) and the judiciary by regional courts. In the provinces of Anchieta, Juazeiro and Laranjeiras, the governor is elected directly by popular vote for a five-year term, while in the remaining provinces the governor is the leader of the party with the biggest number of seats in the Legislative Assembly, either having the largest electoral performance or through party coalitions. After elected, the governor appoints his secretaries with each given a portfolio, and an attorney-general.

The Legislative Assembly acts as the unicameral legislature of the provinces, being responsible for the introduction, discussion and vote of laws and budgets. Provincial laws can be vetoed by the governor, with the veto itself being able to be overturned by the assembly with a simple majority. The assembly also can vote for a motion of non-confidence against the governor, although this is not possible in provinces where the office is elected by popular vote. Regional courts, in turn, acts as a trial, appellate and constitutional court, being subjected to provincial law.

Despite being categorized as a proper province, the Federal Capital, comprised of the capital city of Castelonovo, has the same powers and institutions of a municipality, given its special condition and size. This has led to the criticism of many sections of civil society in what has been described as a legal and administrative limbo, although there is no provision for administrative reforms in the foreseeable future.

List

Provinces of Belmonte

State	Name in Luzelese	Postal code	Flag	Capital	Largest city	Area	Population (2020)	Density	Date of admission	№ deputies
Anchieta	Anchieta	AC		Riachuelo	Riachuelo	344,462km²	16,647,508	28.5	August 7th, 1764	96
Favônia	Favônia	FA		Belojardim	Belojardim	84,797km²	2,138,393	15.5	April 1st, 1889	12
Federal Capital	Capital Federal	CF		Castelonovo	Castelonovo	5,895km²	4,388,284	227.7	July 6th, 1935	26
Juazeiro	Juazeiro	JU		Pinheiros	Pinheiros	179,504km²	7,774,460	25.5	August 7th, 1764	44
Laranjeiras	Laranjeiras	LA		Ípsia	Ípsia	52,183km²	3,481,097	27.1	August 7th, 1764	18
Pindarama	Pindarama	PI		Imboporã	Imboporã	313,850km²	1,236,927	2.2	June 15th, 1917	6
Piratini	Piratini	PR		Julianópolis	Sabugosa	22,453km²	667,521	13.8	January 1st, 1988	4

See also

• Administrative divisions of Belmonte