Costa d'Oro
Most Serene Republic of Costa d'Oro Serenissima Repubblica de Costa d'Oro | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
Motto: Semper liberum (Anglish: Forever free) | |
Anthem: Inno alla libertà (Anglish: Hymn to Freedom) | |
| Capital and largest city | Prospera |
| Official languages | Vetullian |
| Ethnic groups | Vetullian |
| Religion (2023) |
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| Demonym(s) | Costadoran |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Chamber of the Illustrious | |
| Chamber of the People | |
| Population | |
• 2023 census | 16,349,172 |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $1,149 billion |
• Per capita | $70,291 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $1,330 billion |
• Per capita | $81,373 |
| HDI (2023) |  0.962very high |
| Currency | ducat |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy (Anno Domini) |
| Driving side | right |
Costa d'Oro, officially the Most Serene Republic of Costa d'Oro, is a country located in Eastern Parthenia neighboring Vetullia.
During Antiquity, Costa d'Oro was populated by Urbin communities until it was conquered by the Remillian Empire, which over time assimilated the natives into their own culture and integrated their territory into the core province of Remillia Ulterior. After the collapse of the empire, the region of Remillia Ulterior saw the rise of several trade-oriented city-states, chief among them Prospera. This metropoli eventually founded a union of city-states known as the Golden League to defend against piracy and foreign aggression in the High Middle Ages. The leadership of Prospera over this alliance further consolidated during the Lower Middle Ages, just as the League was becoming one of the main trade hubs in Southern Parthenia. The Golden League reached its height in the 15th and 16th centuries, a time at which it boasted one of the largest navies in the continent and had become the banking epicenter of the Christian world. The following centuries would be marked by a slow decadence. Banking institutions spread to other major cities of the continent, leaving Prospera as a merely regional financial center. Other more heavily populated countries also began to form under the banner of ambitious monarchs, and the competition among powers for naval expansion left the Golden League with a small armada to defend its interests abroad. The early industrialization of countries such as Angland or Eisenland left the artisan manufactures of the League in an even more precarious position. In 1809, the growing disenchantment among the population materialized in a liberal revolution that overthrew the old guildmasters and renamed the Golden League to the Costa d'Oro (Anglish: Golden Coast), the customary name of the region where the union sat.
Economy
Costa d’Oro has a highly developed market economy centered around the tertiary sector but with a significant contribution of manufacturing. Some of the main areas of economic activity include tourism, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles. Its strategic location, non-existent import tariffs, and corporate-friendly legal environment also make it a major hub for trade, transport, and financial operations, especially for commodity markets.
Owing to the liberist revolutions of the 19th century and their impact on defining the national identity of Costa d’Oro, state involvement in the economy is minimal. The Most Serene Republic boasts no minimum wage, a complete absence of trade barriers, and no capital gains tax. Eminent domain is also non-existent, but its purpose is largely fulfilled by the republic’s characteristic tax on the self-assessed value of real estate, which taxes property over a self-reported price under the commitment to sell the property at the stated price to the state or any private party. This feature has also encouraged the appearance of private airports and highways in recent years, although most of the roads continue to be paid for by the state. Corporate taxes have a testimonial rate while income is taxed at a low flat rate with an exemption for the lowest income bracket. Most of the state’s income is consequently drawn from value-added and property taxes, with “sin taxes” on tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana complementing them. Additionally, the state also reaps income from auctioning annual pollution rights.
A welfare state has existed since the 1970s, although it is strictly bounded by the principle of subsidiarity and thus emphasizes the role of private initiative. Education and healthcare are paid for through vouchers, with the private providers of services being given ample freedom to operate their businesses. At the university level, the relatively smaller number of vouchers is cleared out by assignment to the highest scorers in the country’s standardized university entrance test.
The electricity market is formed by private producers who make use of the state-owned power network. The most frequently used source of electricity is nuclear energy, which faces little regulation other than that strictly mandated by international organizations. Other important sources of electricity include fossil fuels (especially natural gas), hydroelectricity, and solar energy. The vast majority of Costadoran cars to this day are powered by either gasoline or diesel engines, with electric cars being noticeable only among high-end users.
The national currency of Costa d’Oro is the ducat. Due to the central bank enjoying a high degree of independence and the government not pursuing nor being expected to pursue an expansionary monetary policy, the value of the ducat remains high and it is frequently used as a reserve currency. This feature benefits Costadoran savers but harms the competitiveness of Costadoran exports. It is also worth noting that the Costadoran state enforces no legal tender for private use. Individuals and businesses in Costa d’Oro can conduct transactions with whatever currency they desire, and they can pay the applicable taxes in such currency provided that it is fungible and durable and they can certify that the transaction was performed with that mean of exchange.