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{{Template:Region icon Kylaris}}
{{Template:Region icon Kylaris}}
{{Infobox country
{{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name = State of Montecara
|conventional_long_name = Montecaran Republic
|native_name =        ''<small>Stado de Montecara</small>''
|native_name =        ''<small>Repùblica Montecarà</small>''
|common_name =        Montecara
|common_name =        Montecara
|image_flag =        Montecara.png
|image_flag =        Montecara.svg
|alt_flag =          Flag of Montecara
|alt_flag =          Flag of Montecara
|image_coat =        MontecaraCoA.png
|image_coat =        MontecaraCoA.svg
|alt_coat =          Coat of arms of Montecara
|alt_coat =          Coat of arms of Montecara
|symbol_type =        Coat of arms
|symbol_type =        Coat of arms
|national_motto =    ''Virtus nostrum tutamen''<br/>Virtue is our safeguard ({{wp|Latin|Solarian}})
|national_motto =    ''Virtus nostrum tutamen''<br/>"Virtue is our safeguard" ({{wp|Latin|Solarian}})
|national_anthem =    ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0JZDEki07I&feature=youtu.be Inno dei Populi]'' <br/>"Hymn of the People"
|national_anthem =    ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0JZDEki07I&feature=youtu.be Inno dei Populi]'' <br/>"Hymn of the People"
|image_map =         MC-topographic.png
|image_map =         MC-topographic.png
|map_caption =         
|map_caption =         
|capital =            Montecara
|capital =            Montecara
|coordinates = 28°30′26″N 6°35′24″E
|coordinates = [[File:WMA_button2b.png|17px]] {{wp|Coordinates|39°40′N 83°15′W}}
|largest_city =      capital
|largest_city =      capital
|official_languages = [[Montecaran language|Montecaran]]
|official_languages = [[Montecaran language|Montecaran]]
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|demonym =            Montecaran
|demonym =            Montecaran
|government_type =    {{wp|Directorial republic}}<br/>{{wp|Direct democracy}}
|government_type =    {{wp|Directorial republic}}<br/>{{wp|Direct democracy}}
|leader_title1 =      Head of Government
|leader_title1 =      {{wp|Head of state}} and<br />{{wp|Head of government}}
|leader_name1 =      [[Colegio]]     
|leader_name1 =      [[College of State (Montecara)|College of State]]     
|legislature =        [[Senate (Montecara)|Senate]] and [[Popular Assembly]]
|legislature =        [[Senate (Montecara)|Senate]] and [[Popular Assembly (Montecara)|Popular Assembly]]
|sovereignty_type =  Establishment
|sovereignty_type =  Establishment
|established_event1 = City founded
|established_event1 = City founded
|established_date1 =  542 BCE
|established_date1 =  542 BCE
|established_event2 = [[Scarlet Bull]]
|established_event2 = Republic established
|established_date2 = 515 CE
|established_date2 = 426 CE
|established_event3 = [[Treaty of Savona]]
|established_event3 = Independence from [[Functionalist Gaullica]]
|established_date3 = 1729
|established_date3 = 16 April 1935
|established_event4 = [[Great Restoration]]
|established_event4 = Current [[Constitution of Montecara|constitution]]
|established_date4 =  28 April 1935
|established_date4 =  9 July 1936
|established_event5 = Liberation from [[Greater Solarian Republic|Etrurian]] occupation
|established_date5 =  10 February 1946
|area =              <!--Major area size (in [[Template:convert]] either km2 or sqmi first)-->
|area =              <!--Major area size (in [[Template:convert]] either km2 or sqmi first)-->
|area_km2 =          {{Template:MC-area-total}}
|area_km2 =          {{Template:MC-area-total}}
|percent_water =      19.04
|area_label2            = Land area
|area_data2            = {{convert|{{Template:MC-area-land}}|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
|percent_water =      {{Template:MC-area-pct-water}}
|population_estimate = {{Template:MC-pop}}
|population_estimate = {{Template:MC-pop}}
|population_estimate_year = 2017
|population_estimate_year = 2023<sup>a</sup>
|population_census =  1,719,512
|population_density_km2 = 1834
|population_census_year = 2015
|population_density_km2 = 2540.71
|GDP_PPP =            {{Template:MC-ppp}} million  
|GDP_PPP =            {{Template:MC-ppp}} million  
|GDP_PPP_year =      2017
|GDP_PPP_year =      2023<sup>a</sup>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{Template:MC-ppp-pc}}  
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{Template:MC-ppp-pc}}  
|GDP_nominal =        {{Template:MC-gdp}} million
|GDP_nominal =        {{Template:MC-gdp}} million
|GDP_nominal_year =  2017
|GDP_nominal_year =  2023<sup>a</sup>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{Template:MC-gdp-pc}}
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{Template:MC-gdp-pc}}
|Gini =              30.7
|Gini =              {{Template:MC-gini}}
|Gini_change =        increase
|Gini_change =        increase
|Gini_year =          2017
|Gini_year =          2023<sup>a</sup>
|HDI =                {{Template:MC-HDI}}
|HDI =                {{Template:MC-HDI}}
|HDI_year =          2017
|HDI_year =          2023<sup>a</sup>
|HDI_change =        increase
|HDI_change =        increase
|currency =          [[Montecaran libra]]
|currency =          [[Montecaran libra]]
|currency_code =      MCL
|currency_code =      MCL
|time_zone =         {{wp|Universal coordinated time|UTC}}
|time_zone =   {{wp|UTC+00:00}}
|date_format =        yyyy-mm-dd (official)<br/>dd-mm-yyyy (common use)
|date_format =        yyyy-mm-dd (official)<br/>dd-mm-yyyy (common use)
|drives_on =          right
|drives_on =          right
|cctld =              .mc
|cctld =              .mc
|iso3166code =        MC
|iso3166code =        MC
|calling_code =       
|calling_code =      +106
|patron_saint =       {{wp|Saint Stephen|Stephen}} and {{wp|Saint Agnes|Agnes}}
|footnote_a =         As of 1 January 2023
}}
}}
'''Montecara''' ([[Montecaran language|Montecaran]]: {{wp|Help:IPA|[ˌmonteˈkärä]}}), officially the '''State of Montecara''' (Montecaran: ''Stado de Montecara''), is a city-state of approximately 1.7 million people located on a 689 square {{wp|kilometer}} main island and scattered {{wp|islets}} located in the middle of the [[Aurean Straits]] between [[Euclea]] and [[Coius]]. It lies at the meeting point of the [[Solarian Sea]] and [[Gulf of Assonaire]] at the narrowest point of the world's busiest sea trade route. Montecara is noted for its unique government and deep-rooted culture stretching back to Solarian times, and is one of the smallest and richest nations in the world.
'''Montecara''' ([[Montecaran language|Montecaran]]: {{wp|Help:IPA|/ˌmon.teˈkä.ɾä/}}), officially the '''Montecaran Republic''' (Montecaran: ''Repùblica Montecarà''), is a {{wp|city-state}} of approximately 1.8 million people located in [[Euclea|Eastern Euclea]]. It consists of a main island and scattered {{wp|islets}} strategically located in the middle of the [[Aurean Straits]] between [[Euclea]] and [[Coius]] where the [[Solarian Sea]] meets the [[Gulf of Assonaire]], the narrowest point of the world's busiest {{wp|sea lane}}. It shares maritime borders with the [[Paretia|Paretian]] kingdom of [[Luzela]] and the [[Tsabara|Tsabaran]] province of [[Natanya]]. Montecara is noted for its unique government and rich history and culture, and for being one of the smallest and wealthiest nations in the world.


Montecara is governed under a {{wp|collegial}} system which relies heavily on direct democracy, setting it apart from almost all modern states. Every citizen aged 21 and older is a member of the legislature, either in the [[Popular Assembly]] (''Senblèa Popolà''), the lower house, or the [[Senate (Montecara)|Senate]] (''Senàt''), the appointed upper house. The [[Colegio]], technically a committee of the Popular Assembly, is the collective {{wp|head of government}} and makes executive decisions by consensus.  
Montecara is governed under a {{wp|Directorial system|directorial system}} system based on {{wp|Non-partisan democracy|nonpartisan}}, direct democracy, setting it apart from almost all modern states. Every citizen aged 20 and older is a member of the legislature, either in the [[Popular Assembly (Montecara)|Popular Assembly]] (''Senblèa Popolà''), the lower house, or the [[Senate (Montecara)|Senate]] (''Senàt''), the upper house. The [[College of State (Montecara)|College of State]], a seven-member body elected by the Senate from among its members, is the collective {{wp|head of government}} and makes executive decisions by consensus.  


The Montecaran economy is highly developed and specialized. The state is a major financial center and {{wp|offshore banking}} hub and maintains an open ship registry, with the result that a large percentage of the world's merchant ships are Montecaran-flagged. The state controls a large number of corporations under the umbrella of [[Montepietà]], the {{wp|sovereign wealth fund}}, which feeds dividends back to the public treasury. [[Taxation in Montecara|Montecara's tax policy]] is famously straightforward and simple, as it has no income, capital gains, estate, or dividends taxes, which makes it an attractive location for multinational firms to incorporate but has also led critics to label it a {{wp|tax haven}}. The currency, the [[Montecaran libra]], is pegged to the [[Euclo]].  
The Montecaran economy is highly developed and specialized and one of the most open in the world. The state is a major financial center and {{wp|offshore banking}} hub and maintains an open ship registry, with the result that nearly one in five of the world's merchant ships is Montecaran-flagged. The state controls a large number of corporations under the umbrella of [[Montepietà]], the {{wp|sovereign wealth fund}}, which feeds dividends back to the public treasury. The state assess no [[Taxation in Montecara|income, capital gains, estate, or dividends taxes]], which makes it an attractive location for wealthy individuals and multinational firms but has also led critics to label it a {{wp|tax haven}}. Montecara is a {{wp|free port}} and levies almost no tariffs. The currency is the [[Montecaran libra]].
 
While not a member of the [[Euclean Community]], Montecara participates in several Euclean institutions. It is in the [[Euclean Community#Zilverzee Area|Zilverzee Area]] and [[Euclean Common Defense Treaty Organization]] (ECDTO). Montecara is home to the [[Aurean Forum]] and the secretariat of the [[Concordance eucléenne]].  


Because of its considerable age and natural limits to growth as an island state with rugged terrain, Montecara boasts a dense and walkable urban environment surrounded by well-preserved areas of natural beauty. These factors have contributed to making Montecara one of the world's premier tourist destinations, with an estimated 7.1 million visitor arrivals in 2017.
Because of its considerable age and natural limits to growth as an island state with rugged terrain, Montecara boasts a dense and walkable urban environment surrounded by well-preserved areas of natural beauty. These factors have contributed to making Montecara one of the world's premier tourist destinations, with an estimated 7.1 million visitor arrivals in 2017.
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==Etymology==
==Etymology==
[[File:Vesuvius from Naples at sunset.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The mountain, namesake of the city-state]]
[[File:Vesuvius from Naples at sunset.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The mountain, namesake of the city-state]]
"Montecara" comes from the {{wp|Latin|Solarian}} roots for "mountain" and "face." This quite clearly comes from the striking rock formation that dominates Montecara's skyline.
Little is known about what early human settlers in Montecara called the island. The first written record that provides a definitive name is a tablet discovered near [[Bayadha]] in northern [[Tsabara]] dated to approximately 1000 BCE which refers to 𐤇𐤉𐤌 ''(ḥym)'', possibly a compound formed from roots meaning "sea" and "enclosure." Ancient Piraeans referred to the island as Πύλαι ''(Púlai)'', likely from a root meaning "gateway." The current name comes from the {{wp|Latin|Solarian}} roots for "mountain" and "face," evidently from the striking rock formation that dominates Montecara's skyline.


==History==
==History==
{{Template:Montecara rulers}}
{{Template:Montecara rulers}}
=== Prehistory ===
=== Prehistory ===
Montecara was part of a {{wp|land bridge}} connecting Euclea and Coius that was formed approximately 5.5 million years ago. It became part of a much broader connection between the two continents during the last {{wp|ice age}} before returning to a narrow isthmus amid rising sea levels by 17,000 BCE. By the end of the ice age in approximately 9,000 BCE, Montecara was a small archipelago consisting of what had been the tops of mountains. [[Monte Cara]], the highest of these, was in fact a {{wp|volcano}} that became extinct in approximately 5,000 BCE.  
A {{wp|land bridge}} connecting Euclea and Coius formed approximately 5.5 million years ago, becoming a much broader connection between the two continents during the last {{wp|ice age}} before reverting to a narrow isthmus amid rising sea levels by 17,000 BCE. Because of its strategic location, the Montecaran land bridge became the primary migration route for early humans leaving Coius for Euclea.


Because of its strategic location, the Montecaran land bridge became the primary migration route for early humans leaving their origins in Coius and settling in Euclea. By 16,000 BCE, bands of humans were traveling along the route seeking new land to the west for hunting and gathering. With the dissolution of the land bridge, Montecara became a semi-permanent place of refuge for tribes who sustained themselves by fishing in its protected bay along trips up and down the Euclean and Coian coasts in a form of marine {{wp|nomadism}}.
By the end of the ice age in approximately 9000 BCE, Montecara had assumed its present island form. With the dissolution of the land bridge, the island became a semi-permanent place of refuge for tribes which sustained themselves by fishing in its protected bay along trips up and down the Euclean and Coian coasts in a form of marine {{wp|nomadism}}.  


=== Piraean era ===
=== Classical period ===  
[[File:Diocletian's Palace from the air.jpg|300px|left|thumbnail|The old city, including Solarian ruins]]
[[Piraea|Piraean]] sailors reached Montecara in the early sixth century BCE and recognized its usefulness as a natural harbor and place of abundant fish. A permanent colony soon followed, with the exact year of Montecara's foundation as a city traditionally given as 542 BCE.
[[Piraea|Piraean]] sailors reached Montecara in the early sixth century BCE and recognized its usefulness as a natural harbor and place of abundant fish. A permanent colony soon followed, with the exact year of Montecara's foundation as a city traditionally given as 542 BCE.


=== Solarian Montecara ===
Montecara was conquered by forces of the [[Solarian Republic]] in 259 BCE. The city would remain part of the Solarian world for nearly seven centuries, with Solarian civilization leaving a profound mark on Montecaran government, language, art, and culture that endures to this day.  
[[File:Diocletian's Palace from the air.jpg|300px|left|thumbnail|The old city, including Solarian ruins]]
Montecara was conquered by forces of the [[Solarian Republic]] in 259 BCE. The city would remain part of the Republic for nearly seven centuries, with Solarian civilization leaving a profound mark on Montecaran government, language, art, and culture that endures to this day.
 
The Solarians wasted little time in recognizing Montecara's economic value. The expansive natural harbor offered protection for seafarers and made it easy to harvest abundant stocks of shellfish. Perhaps even more importantly, the [[Lacùna da sel]] (''Salt Lagoon'') was a readily accessible source of sea salt thanks to its vast, shallow expanse and Montecara's warm climate, which allowed for easy and inexpensive solar evaporation. Early trade was organized around fishing, salting the catch, and then exporting it to other parts of the Republic. Archaeological records indicate that the salted fish trade was being exploited on an industrial scale by the middle of the first century BCE.  


The city remained part of the Solarian world through the fall of the Republic and birth of the Empire in 15 CE.  
The Solarians wasted little time in recognizing Montecara's economic value. The expansive natural harbor offered protection for seafarers and made it easy to harvest abundant stocks of shellfish. Perhaps even more importantly, the [[Salt Lagoon (Montecara)|Salt Lagoon]] was a readily accessible source of sea salt thanks to its vast, shallow expanse and Montecara's warm climate, which allowed for easy and inexpensive solar evaporation. Early trade was organized around fishing, salting the catch, and then exporting it to other parts of the Republic. Archaeological records indicate that the salted fish trade was being exploited on an industrial scale by the middle of the first century BCE.  


Central authority began to crumble in the early fourth century CE, and after a series of civil wars exhausted the state's resources, the last Imperial troops withdrew from Montecara in 426.
The city remained part of the Solarian world through the fall of the Republic and birth of the Empire in 15 CE. Central authority began to crumble in the early fourth century CE, and after a series of civil wars exhausted the state's resources, the last Imperial troops withdrew from Montecara in 426.


=== Montecaran Commune, 426–1380 ===
=== Middle ages ===
[[File:Vittore_carpaccio%2C_miracolo_della_Croce_a_Rialto_01.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Capràxi]], ''Presentation of the Doxe on the day of his election'', 1296]]
[[File:Vittore_carpaccio%2C_miracolo_della_Croce_a_Rialto_01.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Capràxi]], ''Presentation of the Doxe on the day of his election'', 1296]]
By the early fifth century, Montecara had been left largely to fend for itself. The population dwindled as Solarian civilization receded, drying up trade and leaving infrastructure to crumble. Montecara was once again a minor fishing settlement and trading post that fought off occasional seaborne raids, only surviving thanks to its sheltered location and Solarian-built defenses. It existed amid a patchwork of other city-states, feudal holdings, and petty kingdoms that had been left behind as civilization faded.  
By the early fifth century, Montecara had been left largely to fend for itself. The population dwindled as Solarian civilization receded, drying up trade and leaving infrastructure to crumble. Montecara was once again a minor fishing settlement and trading post that fought off occasional seaborne raids, only surviving thanks to its sheltered location and Solarian-built defenses. It existed amid a patchwork of other city-states, feudal holdings, and petty kingdoms that had been left behind as civilization faded.  
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It differed from them, however, in its advantageous geography and stable governance. Because the city's leading families recognized their need to band together in a world of hostile pirates and barbarians but were also determined not to let any one family grow too powerful, they maintained the city-state's Solarian civic republicanism. Emulating the government of the old Republic, they formed a Senate of prominent family chiefs who chose a leader from among themselves. This official was called the ''Doxe'' (from Solarian ''dux'', "leader"), and he served for life as {{wp|primus inter pares}}. This in turn strengthened the state's identity and gave its rulers a sense that they had a stake in the common good, and that they could not simply rule for their own profit and power.  
It differed from them, however, in its advantageous geography and stable governance. Because the city's leading families recognized their need to band together in a world of hostile pirates and barbarians but were also determined not to let any one family grow too powerful, they maintained the city-state's Solarian civic republicanism. Emulating the government of the old Republic, they formed a Senate of prominent family chiefs who chose a leader from among themselves. This official was called the ''Doxe'' (from Solarian ''dux'', "leader"), and he served for life as {{wp|primus inter pares}}. This in turn strengthened the state's identity and gave its rulers a sense that they had a stake in the common good, and that they could not simply rule for their own profit and power.  


From the sixth through the tenth centuries, Montecara grew considerably in might as its fleet grew from fishing boats to powerful galleys. The city-state's newfound naval power enabled it to negotiate treaties with other states that granted it trade concessions in exchange for naval protection. Montecara's stores of salt and preserved fish made it an important trade destination, and the {{wp|salt tax}} (''gabèla'') became a major source of state income. As the merchant fleet reached far-flung ports, mariners set up colonies and trading posts around the Solarian Sea that reached deep into the hinterland. Citizen-soldiers were augmented by large numbers of mercenaries recruited from abroad. This colonial {{wp|thalassocracy}} became known as the [[Stado Ultramarìn]] (Ultramarine State).  
From the sixth through the tenth centuries, Montecara grew considerably in might as its fleet grew from fishing boats to powerful galleys. As the fleet reached far-flung ports, mariners set up colonies and trading posts around the Solarian Sea that reached deep into the hinterland. Citizen-soldiers were augmented by large numbers of mercenaries recruited from abroad. This colonial {{wp|thalassocracy}} became known as the [[Stado Ultramarìn]] (Ultramarine State). The city-state's newfound naval power enabled it to negotiate treaties with other states that granted it trade concessions in exchange for naval protection. Montecara's stores of salt and preserved fish made it an important trade destination, and the {{wp|salt tax}} (''gabèla'') became a major source of state income. Merchant fleets were supported by an increasingly elaborate financial system that included some of the first precursors to {{wp|joint-stock corporations}} by the early 1300s.


This period also laid the foundation of Montecara's formidable banking sector as the process of financing trade became formalized. Lending money at interest was considered unholy, so Montecaran merchants skirted around the practice in various ways, for instance by lending in one currency or precious metal and requiring payment in another, higher-valued alternative. As these arrangements became common, the taboo against moneylending faded, and the forerunners of modern banks were founded in the twelfth century. Merchant fleets were supported by an increasingly elaborate financial system that included some of the first precursors to {{wp|joint-stock corporations}} by the early 1300s. The elite used their wealth to make great achievements in art and architecture, including the [[Basìlica di San Stefàn ed Agnès]] (completed circa 1290).
This period also laid the foundation of Montecara's formidable banking sector as the process of financing trade became formalized. Lending money at interest was considered unholy, so Montecaran merchants skirted around the practice in various ways, for instance by lending in one currency or precious metal and requiring payment in another, higher-valued alternative. As these arrangements became common, the taboo against moneylending faded, and the forerunners of modern banks were founded in the twelfth century. Montecarans also laid the groundwork for the modern system of {{wp|government bonds}}, in large part thanks to the fact that, as a republic, creditors did not need to fear that a truculent king or prince might refuse to pay back the loans that had been issued to him personally. Montecaran credit was the responsibility of the state as a whole, which greatly increased lenders' confidence that they would be paid back and thus allowed Montecara to borrow at far lower rates than would have been offered to monarchs. This cheap credit was reinvested in infrastructure, naval power, and early industry, providing Montecara with a key advantage against other polities of the era.  


This period of growth and prosperity also had a dark side. The Montecaran economy became focused on an increasingly exploitative trade system that included plantation-grown coffee, spices, cocoa, sugar, and tobacco, and most notoriously, the Coian slaves who produced these lucrative cash crops, and Montecara became a hub of the slave trade. Captives from Coius and western Euclea were brought in fetters to markets in Montecara to be sold off or shipped directly to receiving ports elsewhere. The most common use for slaves was as agricultural labor; women, considered more useful for domestic purposes, fetched a premium, and {{wp|eunuchs}} were some of the most valuable slaves of all. This meant that a lively trade in these ''castrati'' arose, and slave-trading houses often employed a professional ''castradòr'' to neuter prepubescent boys. The long tradition of ''castrati'' in Montecaran music is one of the curious legacies of this period. The slave trade would continue at some level until its total abolition in 1820.
The elite used their wealth to fund great achievements in art and architecture, including the [[Basìlica di San Stefàn]] (completed circa 1290). Wealthy merchant families patronized authors, playwrights, composers, acting troupes, and musicians, even outbidding each other to secure the most fashionable artists for their households. Fashion, too, became a focus of elite life, with the most expensive outfits fetching sums large enough to buy an apartment.  


==== The Last Solarian Expedition ====
This period of growth and prosperity also had a dark side. The Montecaran economy became reliant on an exploitative trade system based on plantation-grown coffee, spices, cocoa, sugar, and tobacco, and most notoriously, the Coian slaves who produced these lucrative crops. Montecara became a hub of the slave trade by the mid-16th century. Captives from Coius and western Euclea were brought in fetters to Montecara to be sold, often being reexported to continental Euclea. The most common use for slaves sold in Montecaran markets was as agricultural labor; women, considered more useful for domestic purposes, fetched a premium, and {{wp|eunuchs}} were some of the most valuable slaves of all. This meant that a lively trade in these ''castrati'' arose, and slave-trading houses often employed a professional ''castratòr'' to neuter prepubescent boys. The long tradition of ''castrati'' in Montecaran music is one of the curious legacies of this period. The Montecaran slave trade was finally abolished only in 1820, though slavery was banned on Montecaran soil in 1758 due to fear of slave rebellions.
{{main|Last Solarian Expedition}}
* 504-505: Emperor Dagobeot requests and receives an alliance with Montecara. The allies coordinate a seaborne invasion of the province of Constellus
* 513: The Montecaran navy facilitates the invasion of the island of Cartholadinum by General Tacitus de la Croix and participates in the [[Siege of Cartho]]. Siege lifted and invasion carried out in June 514.
* 522-524: de la Croix assists the Montecarans in subduing southern Lusitan coastal cities.


==== The Regicide and the Scarlet Bull ====
=== Early modern period ===
The city-state's growing power made it an attractive prize for the ambitious, and wealthy merchant [[Piero de’ Malatesta]] seized control of the government in early 515 with the aid of an army of foreign mercenaries. His reign was to be short-lived, however; it ended on 16 April with his assassination by the city's burghers. This episode inspired the [[flag of Montecara]], still in use today, and helped solidify the tradition of civic republicanism. To underscore the significance of the event, the burghers issued the [[Scarlet Bull]], establishing the "eternal" status of Montecara as a republic. This law, still in effect, forms part of the city-state's uncodified constitution.
[[File:Venezianischer Meister um 1750 001.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[Maestro de Barxi]], ''Harbor scene with Montecaran and foreign sailors,'' c. 1750]]
 
[[File:Leonardo Donato.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Doxe Aldobrànd Campaneli, 1610]]
* 566: Verliquoian Cartholadinum falls. Montecaran sailors report its loss to the Verliquoians.
Montecara's navy, which boasted over 3,000 vessels at its height, was made increasingly obsolete during the seventeenth century by the widespread adoption of large sail-powered vessels in place of sail-and-oar ships. Montecaran commanders, who had always favored large crews of oarsmen to power their warships, were hampered by intransigence and soon found their military edge dulling. The republic gradually lost many of its overseas territories to hostile neighbors throughout the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.
 
==== War of the Cross and Crescent ====
* ?: [[Bokela]] (Montecaran ''Pota'', then ''Bòccala'')
* 930s-940s: Alliance with Verliquois is defunct by this time. Montecaran navy even supports the Irfanics from time to time against the Verliquois.


=== Loss of independence, 1380–1643 ===
=== Occupation by the Etrurian First Republic ===
 
Forces of the [[Etrurian First Republic]] led by General [[Giorlamo lodare-Dio Schiave]] invaded and occupied Montecara on 31 July 1792, resulting in the loss of Montecaran sovereignty for the first time in over 1300 years.
=== First Montecaran Republic, 1643–1713 ===
Montecara's navy, which boasted over 3,000 vessels at its height, was made increasingly obsolete during the seventeenth century by the widespread adoption of large sail-powered vessels in place of sail-and-oar ships. Montecaran commanders, who had always favored large crews of oarsmen to power their warships, were hampered by intransigence and soon found their military edge dulling. The republic gradually lost many of its overseas territories to hostile neighbors throughout the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.


=== Floren Empire, 1713–1729 ===
=== Gaullican rule ===
* Conquered by Floren Empire under [[Nèstor Pereramon]] during the [[Pereramonic Wars]] in 1713 subsequent to the [[Siege of Montecara (1712–1713)]]
Control of Montecara passed to the Gaullicans after the end of the [[Etrurian revolutionary wars]], and Montecara came under the dominion of the [[Gaullican Empire]] on 12 August 1810. It would remain Gaullican territory for the next 125 years. Gaullican geopolitical theorists, most notably [[Hugues Subercaseaux]], emphasized Montecara's strategic importance as the keystone of the [[Euclo-Coian Transition Zone]], a theory developed after Gaullica annexed Montecara and large portions of modern [[Tsabara]] to justify Gaullican imperialism in the region.
* Became a Floren island fortress and jumping-off point for the invasion of Coius
* Independence restored by [[Treaty of Savona]]


=== Second Montecaran Republic, 1729–1810 ===
Throughout the 19th century, the Gaullicans ruled Montecara with a light touch. Although Gaullican became the language of government and higher education, there was no organized effort to Gaullify Montecaran society. Montecaran language and culture remained lively among the common people, and Montecaran-language newspapers and books remained freely published. Because graduates of the [[University of Montecara]] were all by necessity fluent in {{wp|French language|Gaullican}}, they were often recruited as administrators by the imperial government, which had the effect of creating a relatively wealthy pro-Gaullican faction in Montecaran society. Montecara was legally part of metropolitan Gaullica and was represented in the imperial Senate, with adult male suffrage
[[File:Venezianischer Meister um 1750 001.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Maestro de Barxi]], ''Harbor scene with Montecaran and foreign sailors,'' c. 1750]]
Slavery was banned on Montecaran soil in 1758 under fear of potential rebellion.


=== Gaullican occupation, 1810–1935 ===
The Gaullicans built important infrastructure, modernizing the [[Port of Montecara]] and building the island's first railroads, modern sewer system, and electric and gas lines. Montecarans were often recruited into the [[Gaullican Navy]] and merchant marine, where their expertise at seafaring was valued. Social progress accompanied the industrial revolution, and Gaullica banned child labor in 1867 and created Montecara's first system of public schools in the 1880s. Universal male suffrage was established in 1889.
Montecara fell under the domination of the [[Gaullican Empire]] in 1810 and would remain so for the next 125 years. The Gaullicans had long sought control of the [[Aurean Straits]] for their vital strategic importance and ran Montecara largely as a fortress and naval base. This had the salutary effect of keeping the desire for cultural domination to a minimum; although Gaullican became the language of government and higher education, there was no attempt to thoroughly Gaullify Montecaran society.  


Gaullican rule was also not without local investment. The occupying authority improved the [[Port of Montecara]] and built the island's first rail system. Montecarans were also voluntarily recruited into the [[Gaullican Navy]], where their expertise at seafaring was valued.  
Montecara was, along with the rest of the empire, brought under the rule of the [[Functionalism|functionalist]] [[Parti Populaire]] on 7 October 1920. Socially, Gaullican functionalism was a backlash against the modernizing trends of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The government imposed strict Catholic social and religious mores; it closed brothels and attempted to "rehabilitate" sex workers by confining them in workhouses and convents, which forced the sex trade underground and made it far more dangerous for those who still plied it. The regime was stridently opposed to homosexuality and shuttered meeting places, especially bars and clubs, that were seen to have an {{wp|LGBT}} clientele. Inter-community relations between Solarian Montecarans and [[Atudism|Atudites]], many of whom had roots in Montecara that were centuries-deep, deteriorated as the government promoted an ethno-racial hierarchy and attempted to forcibly assimilate minorities by encouraging the intermarriage of ethnic Solarian men and minority women. The regime lasted fifteen years until the defeat of the Gaullican Empire in the [[Great War (Kylaris)|Great War]].


==== Gaullican functionalism, 1920–1935 ====
=== Independence and interwar period ===
Montecara was an integral part of the Gallican Empire and so was brought under the functionalist rule of the [[Parti Populaire]] on 7 October 1920 with the exile of King [[Albert III]]. [[Functionalist Gaullica]] intensified the socially regressive and anti-modern tendencies of the old Empire.
The reassembled Senate proclaimed independence on 16 April 1935, making Montecara independent for the first time in 142 years.


The Gaullican government imposed strict Catholic social and religious mores on the historically liberal state. Divorce was banned, printing presses were shuttered, and non-Catholics found it nearly impossible to advance in public or private life. {{wp|Corporal punishment}}, unknown in Montecara for centuries, was reintroduced for such crimes as {{wp|sodomy}} and {{wp|Sabbath-breaking}}. Gaullican rule was also stridently anti-communist and anti-unionist, holding up instead the ideology of so-called ''{{wp|distributism|distributisme}}'' as an alternative to the unacceptably secular and anti-hierarchical socialism that was becoming increasingly popular throughout Euclea in the 19th century. Schools and hospitals became the exclusive domain of the Church, and the [[University of Montecara]] lost its independence as professors were replaced with priests.
=== Solarian War ===
{{also|Solarian War|Invasion of Montecara (1944)|Etrurian occupation of Montecara}}
[[File:Polish kid in the ruins of Warsaw September 1939.jpg|300px|thumb|left|A Montecaran boy in the ruins of his home, February 1946]]
The [[Etrurian Revolutionary Republic]], formed in 1938 under the rule of Supreme Leader [[Ettore Caviglia]], had an ambition of rebuilding the ancient Solarian Empire. The assimilation of Montecara was to be a key part of this plan, both for its strategic location and for its idealized status as a bastion of Solarian civilization.  


=== Great War and Restoration ===
Etrurian forces landed in Montecara early on the morning of 4 March 1944. The Etrurians soon organized a referendum, later proved to be fraudulent, that legitimized the occupation and formally made Montecara part of the Etrurian state. Montecara would remain under occupation for nearly two years. CN forces attacked and liberated Montecara over the course of 8–10 February 1946.
[[File:Sidónio Pais presta juramento no Parlamento após a sua eleição para presidente da República, 1918.png|300px|thumbnail|right|The Senate proclaims the restored independence of Montecara on 28 April 1935]]
* Reaction and anti-reaction, 1935-1945: struggle over the place of the Catholic Church in Montecaran society and government. Eventually forced out of its monopoly on social services (education, welfare, healthcare, care of elderly and orphans) by the state.


==Geography==
==Geography==
[[File:Rilke 05.jpg|300px|thumbnail|Exposed limestone cliffs along the eastern coast]]
[[File:Rilke 05.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|Exposed limestone cliffs along the eastern coast]]
Montecara consists of 689 square kilometers of land in the [[Aurean Straits]]. Almost all of Montecara's land consists of a single island, officially called the Island of Montecara but referred to locally as ''ia Isolòna'' ("the Big Island"), which measures approximately 41 km from north to south at its extreme points. It is nearly cut in half by an immense natural harbor, the [[Bay of Montecara]], which has sheltered vessels and provided food to local inhabitants for millennia. The bay is considered part of Montecara's integral {{wp|territorial waters}}, as is the [[Lacùna da sel]] ("Salt Lagoon"), a natural area of shallow water that is so named because it has been exploited as a ready source of sea salt since prehistoric times.  
[[File:Panorama Lago Albano.jpg|350px|thumb|right|The caldera]]
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+ Islands of Montecara
|-
! Name
! Area
|-
| Montecara
| 980 km²
|-
| Lazarèt
| 1.07 km²
|-
| Oçì
| {{convert|7.598|ha|km2|sigfig=2}}
|-
| Romìta
| {{convert|6305|m2|ha|sigfig=2}}
|-
| Incùda
| {{convert|4321|m2|ha|sigfig=2}}
|}
Montecara consists of an archipelago in the [[Aurean Straits]] dominated by its largest island, officially called the Island of Montecara but referred to locally as ''ia Ixolòna'' ("the Big Island"). It measures approximately 54 kilometers across its extreme points. It is nearly cut in half by an immense natural harbor, the [[Bay of Montecara]], which has sheltered vessels and provided food to local inhabitants for millennia. The bay is considered part of Montecara's integral {{wp|territorial waters}}. The outer, ocean-facing coastline includes the [[Salt Lagoon (Montecara)|Salt Lagoon]], a natural area of shallow water enclosed by levees that is so named because it has been exploited as a ready source of sea salt since antiquity. The island's coastline measures just over 303 kilometers. Other islands adjacent to the main island include [[Lazarèt]] and [[Incùda]], a barrier islands at the mouth of the Salt Lagoon, and [[Oçì]], an islet in the Bay of Montecara that has hosted a small monastic community for over a thousand years. The smallest and most remote island belonging to Montecara is [[Romìta]], a barren islet just over two kilometers off the northern coast.


Other islands adjacent to the main island include [[Lazarèt]], a barrier island at the mouth of the Lacùna da sel, and [[Oçì]], an islet in the Bay of Montecara that has hosted a small monastic community for over a thousand years.  
The islands and surrounding region have a topography of rugged cliffs and cavernous rock formations formed mostly of {{wp|Limestone|limestone}}. This exposed stone has long provided locals with a readily accessible building material but has limited the island's arable land, one of the main factors motivating Montecara's long reliance on trade and emphasis on fishing. Despite its small size, Montecara features dramatic changes in elevation. Its highest point is the peak of ''ia Coronèla'' at 1,231 meters above sea level, and parts of the island have cliffs of 30 meters or more that drop off into the sea. Sitting below the peak is the mountain's {{wp|Caldera|caldera}}, a lake with a surface area of approximately 13 square kilometers and a shorline of approximately 30 kilometers. It has a volume of about 0.26 cubic kilometers, an average depth of about 22 meters, and a maximum depth of just under 50 meters. Geological hazards include {{wp|sinkholes}} and {{wp|earthquakes}}.
 
Despite its small size, Montecara features dramatic changes in elevation. Its highest point is the peak of [[Il Coronèl]] at 1,231 meters above sea level, and parts of the island have cliffs of 30 meters or more that drop off into the sea.  
 
===Geology===
[[File:Levada Madeira.jpg|thumbnail|A ''levàda'' on the slopes of [[Monte Cara]]]]
The islands and surrounding region have a {{wp|karst}} topography of rugged cliffs and cavernous rock formations. This exposed stone has long provided locals with a readily accessible building material but has limited the island's arable land, one of the main factors motivating Montecara's long reliance on trade and emphasis on fishing. Geological hazards include {{wp|sinkholes}} and {{wp|earthquakes}}.


===Climate===
===Climate===
Montecara is situated 28 degrees north of the equator at the point where two continents and two seas touch. This geography creates wind and sea currents that moderate the often hot climate at this latitude. Montecara has a subtropical {{wp|semi-arid climate}} ({{wp|Köppen climate classification|Köppen}} BSh), with quite warm and dry summers and mild and relatively wet winter. 
Montecara is situated 39 degrees north of the equator at the point where two continents and two seas touch. This geography creates wind and sea currents that moderate the often hot climate at this latitude. Montecara has a {{wp|Mediterranean climate|mediterranean climate}} ({{wp|Köppen climate classification|Köppen}}: ''{{wp|Hot-summer Mediterranean climate|Csa}}''), with mild winters and hot summers. Higher elevations are considerably cooler and wetter than the coast.  
 
Because it experiences long periods with little or no rainfall, Montecara's people have developed inventive ways of supplying themselves with water for drinking and irrigation. The principal method is the ''levàda'', a stone channel that carries water from the hills down to farms and settlements. Water condenses more readily at higher elevations and infiltrates the porous {{wp|karst}} bedrock, where it pools and can then be channeled away. The ''levadà'' run both on the surface and in underground galleries, both of which also furnish popular hiking trails alongside their routes. Historically, neighborhoods that enjoyed ''levàda'' water were greatly preferred to those which had to rely on well water, which tended to taste salty and stale; water-carrier was once a common job in these areas. There is also a local history of using {{wp|greywater}} that goes back to the time of the Solarians. One technique that has been in continuous use since that time is to organize houses and apartment buildings around a central courtyard garden that is irrigated with wastewater from sinks and washing, which provides better air quality, cools the building, and naturally treats the water.  
 
<!--spacing, please do not remove-->
<!--spacing, please do not remove-->
{{Weather box
{{Weather box
|location = Montecara (1980–2010), Extremes (1920–2016)
|location = [[Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport]] (1997–2022, extremes 1920–2022)
|metric first = yes
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C= 28.4
|collapsed = 1
|Feb record high C= 31.2
|Jan record high C = 21.5
|Mar record high C= 35.4
|Feb record high C = 21.6
|Apr record high C= 35.2
|Mar record high C = 27.2
|May record high C= 36.4
|Apr record high C = 27.7
|Jun record high C= 37.1
|May record high C = 30.7
|Jul record high C= 42.6
|Jun record high C = 34.4
|Aug record high C= 40.4
|Jul record high C = 39.6
|Sep record high C= 39.3
|Aug record high C = 37.8
|Oct record high C= 38.1
|Sep record high C = 34.5
|Nov record high C= 34.0
|Oct record high C = 31.3
|Dec record high C= 28.2
|Nov record high C = 25.4
|Jan avg record high C = 22.6
|Dec record high C = 21.6
|Feb avg record high C = 24.3
|year record high C = 39.6
|Mar avg record high C = 24.9
|Jan avg record high C = 17.6
|Apr avg record high C = 25.0
|Feb avg record high C = 18.0
|May avg record high C = 26.3
|Mar avg record high C = 20.6
|Jun avg record high C = 28.5
|Apr avg record high C = 22.5
|Jul avg record high C = 31.1
|May avg record high C = 26.5
|Aug avg record high C = 31.4
|Jun avg record high C = 31.2
|Jul avg record high C = 33.0
|Aug avg record high C = 33.2
|Sep avg record high C = 29.7
|Sep avg record high C = 29.7
|Oct avg record high C = 28.0
|Oct avg record high C = 26.4
|Nov avg record high C = 26.0
|Nov avg record high C = 22.4
|Dec avg record high C = 24.1
|Dec avg record high C = 19.0
|year avg record high C = 31.4
|year avg record high C = 34.0
|Jan high C = 21.0
|Jan high C = 14.1
|Feb high C = 21.2
|Feb high C = 14.2
|Mar high C = 22.1
|Mar high C = 15.9
|Apr high C = 22.7
|Apr high C = 18.0
|May high C = 24.1
|May high C = 21.6
|Jun high C = 26.2
|Jun high C = 25.8
|Jul high C = 28.7
|Jul high C = 28.9
|Aug high C = 29.0
|Aug high C = 29.2
|Sep high C = 28.1
|Sep high C = 26.2
|Oct high C = 26.3
|Oct high C = 22.7
|Nov high C = 24.1
|Nov high C = 18.1
|Dec high C = 22.1
|Dec high C = 15.2
|year high C = 24.6
|year high C = 20.8
|Jan mean C = 18.2
|Jan mean C = 10.8
|Feb mean C = 18.3
|Feb mean C = 10.8
|Mar mean C = 19.0
|Mar mean C = 12.3
|Apr mean C = 19.7
|Apr mean C = 14.3
|May mean C = 21.0
|May mean C = 17.8
|Jun mean C = 22.9
|Jun mean C = 21.8
|Jul mean C = 25.0
|Jul mean C = 24.9
|Aug mean C = 25.5
|Aug mean C = 25.4
|Sep mean C = 24.9
|Sep mean C = 22.6
|Oct mean C = 23.4
|Oct mean C = 19.4
|Nov mean C = 21.3
|Nov mean C = 14.9
|Dec mean C = 19.4
|Dec mean C = 12.1
|year mean C = 21.5
|year mean C = 17.2
|Jan low C = 15.4
|Jan low C = 7.5
|Feb low C = 15.3
|Feb low C = 7.4
|Mar low C = 15.9
|Mar low C = 8.6
|Apr low C = 16.5
|Apr low C = 10.6
|May low C = 17.8
|May low C = 13.9
|Jun low C = 19.5
|Jun low C = 17.8
|Jul low C = 21.2
|Jul low C = 20.8
|Aug low C = 21.9
|Aug low C = 21.5
|Sep low C = 21.7
|Sep low C = 18.9
|Oct low C = 20.3
|Oct low C = 16.1
|Nov low C = 18.4
|Nov low C = 11.6
|Dec low C = 16.6
|Dec low C = 9.0
|year low C = 18.4
|year low C = 13.6
|Jan avg record low C = 14.2
|Jan avg record low C = 3.6
|Feb avg record low C = 14.0
|Feb avg record low C = 3.2
|Mar avg record low C = 14.8
|Mar avg record low C = 4.6
|Apr avg record low C = 15.2
|Apr avg record low C = 6.6
|May avg record low C = 16.4
|May avg record low C = 10.4
|Jun avg record low C = 18.2
|Jun avg record low C = 13.7
|Jul avg record low C = 19.8
|Jul avg record low C = 17.4
|Aug avg record low C = 20.6
|Aug avg record low C = 17.9
|Sep avg record low C = 20.3
|Sep avg record low C = 15.0
|Oct avg record low C = 18.9
|Oct avg record low C = 11.1
|Nov avg record low C = 16.3
|Nov avg record low C = 6.8
|Dec avg record low C = 15.3
|Dec avg record low C = 4.5
|year avg record low C= 14.0
|year avg record low C = 2.2
|Jan record low C= 9.4
|Jan record low C = -2.4
|Feb record low C= 8.1
|Feb record low C = -1.1
|Mar record low C= 9.5
|Mar record low C = -0.1
|Apr record low C= 9.7
|Apr record low C = 1.6
|May record low C= 12.0
|May record low C = 6.4
|Jun record low C= 13.4
|Jun record low C = 10.2
|Jul record low C= 16.5
|Jul record low C = 13.6
|Aug record low C= 17.0
|Aug record low C = 13.6
|Sep record low C= 16.8
|Sep record low C = 9.4
|Oct record low C= 14.6
|Oct record low C = 5.2
|Nov record low C= 10.1
|Nov record low C = 2.0
|Dec record low C= 10.0
|Dec record low C = -1.0
|Jan rain mm = 31.5
|year record low C = -2.4
|Feb rain mm = 35.4
|Jan precipitation mm = 52
|Mar rain mm = 37.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 54
|Apr rain mm = 11.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 38
|May rain mm = 3.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 45
|Jun rain mm = 0.9
|May precipitation mm = 37
|Jul rain mm = 0.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 14
|Aug rain mm = 2.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 3
|Sep rain mm = 6.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 20
|Oct rain mm = 18.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 61
|Nov rain mm = 34.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 78
|Dec rain mm = 43.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 88
|time day=
|Dec precipitation mm = 61
|daily= Y
|year precipitation mm = 546
|Jan humidity= 64
| precipitation colour  = green
|Feb humidity= 63
|Jan precipitation days = 7
|Mar humidity= 62
|Feb precipitation days = 7
|Apr humidity= 61
|Mar precipitation days = 6
|May humidity= 61
|Apr precipitation days = 6
|Jun humidity= 61
|May precipitation days = 4
|Jul humidity= 58
|Jun precipitation days = 2
|Aug humidity= 61
|Jul precipitation days = 1
|Sep humidity= 65
|Aug precipitation days = 2
|Oct humidity= 65
|Sep precipitation days = 5
|Nov humidity= 64
|Oct precipitation days = 7
|Dec humidity= 67
|Nov precipitation days = 8
|year humidity= 63
|Dec precipitation days = 9
|Jan rain days = 4.2
|year precipitation days = 64
|Feb rain days = 3.8
|unit precipitation days = 1&nbsp;mm
|Mar rain days = 3.8
|Jan sun = 144
|Apr rain days = 2.4
|Feb sun = 146
|May rain days = 0.9
|Mar sun = 202
|Jun rain days = 0.2
|Apr sun = 222
|Jul rain days = 0.0
|May sun = 270
|Aug rain days = 0.3
|Jun sun = 311
|Sep rain days = 0.9
|Jul sun = 347
|Oct rain days = 3.1
|Aug sun = 312
|Nov rain days = 4.7
|Sep sun = 225
|Dec rain days = 5.4
|Oct sun = 183
|unit rain days = 1.0 mm
|Nov sun = 142
|Jan sun = 178
|Dec sun = 130
|Feb sun = 186
|year sun = 2632
|Mar sun = 221
|source 1 = [[College of State (Montecara)|Secretariat of Planning and the Environment]]
|Apr sun = 237
|date=January 2023}}
|May sun = 282
|Jun sun = 306
|Jul sun = 337
|Aug sun = 319
|Sep sun = 253
|Oct sun = 222
|Nov sun = 178
|Dec sun = 168
|year sun = 2913
|Jan percentsun = 52
|Feb percentsun = 60
|Mar percentsun = 59
|Apr percentsun = 61
|May percentsun = 65
|Jun percentsun = 73
|Jul percentsun = 78
|Aug percentsun = 79
|Sep percentsun = 70
|Oct percentsun = 65
|Nov percentsun = 54
|Dec percentsun = 54
|source =[[Colegio|Secretariat of the Environment, Transport, and Urban Development]]
}}


=== Wildlife ===
{|style="width:100%;text-align:center;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
[[File:Domestic goat kid in capeweed edit.jpg|300px|thumbnail|A pygmy goat in a field of ''arcotèca'' flowers]]
|-
Montecara is home to a diverse array of native plants and animals, including a wide variety of marine life, migratory birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
!Colspan=14|Sea and solar data
|-
!Month
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
!style="border-left-width:medium"|Year
|-
!Average sea temperature °C (°F)
|style="background:#D8D8FF;color:#000000;"|14.6<br />(58)
|style="background:#D0D0FF;color:#000000;"|13.8<br />(57)
|style="background:#D3D3FF;color:#000000;"|14.1<br />(57)
|style="background:#EEEEFF;color:#000000;"|15.7<br />(60)
|style="background:#FFD95D;color:#000000;"|18.7<br />(66)
|style="background:#FF9300;color:#000000;"|22.2<br />(72)
|style="background:#FF6400;color:#000000;"|24.4<br />(76)
|style="background:#FF4E00;color:#000000;"|25.8<br />(78)
|style="background:#FF6200;color:#000000;"|25.1<br />(77)
|style="background:#FF8F00;color:#000000;"|22.9<br />(73)
|style="background:#FFCA19;color:#000000;"|20.4<br />(69)
|style="background:#F4F4FF;color:#000000;"|17.1<br />(63)
|style="background:#FFCD28;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|19.4<br />(67)
|-
!Mean daily daylight hours
|style="background:#F0F011;color:#000000;"|10.0
|style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0
|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0
|style="background:#FFFF44;color:#000000;"|13.0
|style="background:#FFFF55;color:#000000;"|14.0
|style="background:#FFFF66;color:#000000;"|15.0
|style="background:#FFFF66;color:#000000;"|15.0
|style="background:#FFFF55;color:#000000;"|14.0
|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0
|style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0
|style="background:#F0F011;color:#000000;"|10.0
|style="background:#E9E900;color:#000000;"|9.0
|style="background:#FFFF35;color:#000000;"|12.2
|-
!Average {{wp|Ultraviolet index|ultraviolet index}}
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|2
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|3
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|5
|style="background:#f85900;color:#000000;"|6
|style="background:#d8001d;color:#000000;"|8
|style="background:#d8001d;color:#000000;"|9
|style="background:#d8001d;color:#000000;"|9
|style="background:#d8001d;color:#000000;"|8
|style="background:#f85900;color:#000000;"|6
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|4
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|2
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|2
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|5.3
|-
!Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;"|Source: [[College of State (Montecara)|Secretariat of Planning and the Environment]]
|}


The native plant biome is dominated by hardy shrubs and grasses, collectively referred to as ''{{wp|maquis shrubland|màçia}}'', which tolerate hot and dry seasons well. An occasional {{wp|fire ecology|fire season}} (''inxendària'') in mid-summer is an essential part of the regenerative process for this biome, which has created tension as human habitation can and often does come under the threat of wildfire. Though naturally occurring fires were suppressed from the advent of modern firefighting around the turn of the twentieth century through the early 2000s, current environmental policy allows fires to burn undisturbed until they threaten property or lives.  
=== Plant and animal life ===
[[File:Black stork (Ciconia nigra).jpg|thumb|right|Black stork in flight over Montecara, 2016]]
Montecara is home to a diverse array of native plants and animals typical of the southeastern coast of Euclea, including a wide variety of marine life, migratory birds, reptiles, and amphibians. All old-growth forests have long been cut down, so the native plant biome is dominated by small trees and hardy shrubs and grasses, collectively referred to as ''{{wp|maquis shrubland|màçia}}'', which tolerate hot and dry seasons well. {{wp|Carob}}, {{wp|Laurus nobilis|laurel}}, and {{wp|Pinus halepensis|holy pine}} thrive. Olives, figs, and citrus are ideally suited to the climate and are both cultivated and grow wild. Marine vegetation grows vigorously in marshy areas and near surface water, notably {{wp|Pancratium maritimum|sea daffodil}}, {{wp|Crambe maritima|sea kale}}, {{wp|Limonium|sea lavender}}, and {{wp|Golden samphire|golden samphire}}. {{wp|Atriplex hortensis|Orache}}, an edible plant similar to spinach, grows on cliffs and among rocky {{wp|Scree|scree}}.


The city-state is on a major {{wp|flyway}} for migratory birds, and native species include waterfowl such as {{wp|cormorants}}, {{wp|herons}}, {{wp|pelicans}}, {{wp|ducks}}, and {{wp|gannets}}.
The country is on a major {{wp|flyway}} for migratory birds, with some 170 species observed. {{wp|Stork|Storks}}, {{wp|Harrier (bird)|harriers}} and {{wp|Falcon|falcons}} are some of the most visible. Frequently sighted {{wp|Seabird|seabirds}} include {{wp|cormorants}}, {{wp|herons}}, {{wp|pelicans}}, {{wp|ducks}}, and {{wp|gannets}}. The state has banned {{wp|Birdlime|birdlime}} since 1982 and has repeatedly shortened the bird-hunting season, but illegal hunting and trapping remains a problem.


A population of pygmy goats lives wild in the countryside. These animals, which typically weigh around 35 kg when fully grown, were introduced as livestock in the eighteenth century and have since established a sizable feral population that has become a tourist attraction.
Many reptile species are well-suited to the climate. The island is home to the {{wp|Common chameleon|common chameleon}}, {{wp|Mediterranean house gecko|house gecko}}, {{wp|Tarentola mauritanica|wall gecko}}, at least three species of {{wp|Skink|skink}}, and six species of {{wp|Lacertidae|lizard}}. Snakes include the {{wp|Smooth snake|smooth snake}}, {{wp|Horseshoe whip snake|whip snake}}, {{wp|Malpolon monspessulanus|malpolon snake}}, and {{wp|Ladder snake|ladder snake}}, none of which is dangerous to humans. {{wp|Emydidae|Pond turtles}} are common, and the vulnerable {{wp|Greek tortoise|Piraean tortoise}} and endangered {{wp|Hermann's tortoise|Lascalles tortoise}} have small local populations.


==Politics==
Amphibian species include a variety of {{wp|Frog|frogs}}, {{wp|Toad|toads}}, {{wp|Newt|newts}}, and {{wp|Salamander|salamanders}}. The {{wp|Discoglossus pictus|painted frog}}, {{wp|Iberian parsley frog|parsley frog}}, and {{wp|Balearic green toad|Aurean green toad}} are common.  
Montecara is a {{wp|liberal democracy|liberal democratic}} {{wp|republic}} with a well-respected (albeit uncodified) constitution. Politics in Montecara are strongly influenced by its direct-democratic system, wherein every citizen can participate in the writing and approval of laws. All citizens are members of either the [[Popular Assembly]] or [[Senate (Montecara)|Senate]] and are accordingly entitled to vote on the laws that govern them. A committee system is in place for drafting and revising legislation, which draws on citizen input through various means, including sortition.  


=== Citizenship ===
Almost all mammal species are introduced, the only exceptions being the native {{wp|Sicilian shrew|lemon shrew}} and a number of {{wp|Bat|bats}}. Introduced small mammal species include {{wp|Rabbit|rabbits}}, {{wp|Hedgehog|hedgehogs}}, {{wp|Marten|martens}}, and {{wp|Ferret|ferrets}}.
{{main|Montecaran nationality law}}
{{Quote box
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|title = Oath of Citizenship
|quote = I swear ''(or solemnly promise)'' that, as a citizen of Montecara, I will for the rest of my life give her my sole allegiance, uphold her constitution as a republic, obey her laws, bear arms in her defense, serve her in civil office when called upon, and honor my fellow citizens. I renounce all other states and royal or noble houses to which I have previously been subject, and I take this oath ''(or solemn promise)'' truthfully and freely.
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Citizenship is the basis of the Montecaran government, as citizens make up the legislature and govern largely by {{wp|direct democracy}}. Montecara is a {{wp|jus sanguinis}} state, in which birthright citizenship is only available to people with at least one Montecaran citizen parent at the time of birth. The only other way to acquire Montecaran citizenship is to have it granted by law, which is quite rare, with only 10 to 50 Montecaran citizens created through naturalization each year on average. The last step in the naturalization process is to take the Oath of Citizenship ''(see right)'', which commits the new citizen to giving sole and full allegiance to Montecara as his or her new homeland.  


The Montecaran government does not recognize {{wp|multiple citizenship}}; Montecaran citizens who acquire the citizenship of another country or who become members of a noble or royal house are considered to have renounced their citizenship. Similarly, naturalized citizens are considered to be solely citizens of Montecara. Montecarans can also lose their citizenship if they serve another country in a civil office or military capacity or formally renounce their citizenship before a Montecaran consul.
==Politics==
[[File:03 Palazzo Pubblico Torre del Mangia Siena.jpg|thumb|325px|right|[[Palaço Pùblico]], seat of the College of State]]
Montecara is a {{wp|liberal democracy|liberal democratic}} {{wp|republic}} with a written constitution. Politics in Montecara are based on a direct-democratic system, wherein every adult citizen is a member of either the [[Popular Assembly (Montecara)|Popular Assembly]] or [[Senate (Montecara)|Senate]] and is accordingly entitled to participate in the legislative process. Unlike in most states, politics is built on a model that strongly favors {{wp|consensus decision-making}}. The legislative and executive are both designed to diffuse power and operate on the basis of cooperation rather than competition, and as a by-product, the personalities of individual politicians are heavily de-emphasized in favor of the best interests of the group. The result is a system that has a strong base of popular consent, albeit one which is also criticized for its slow pace and technocratic inclinations.  


=== Constitution ===
=== Constitution ===
{{main|Constitution of Montecara}}
{{main|Constitution of Montecara}}
Montecara has an uncodified {{wp|constitution}}, though some elements are written and considered more authoritative than ordinary laws. These include the [[Scarlet Bull]] of 1117, which established the "eternal" status of Montecara as a republic, the [[Declaration of the Rights of the Citizen]] of 1870, which provides for a range of political and civil rights for citizens, and the [[Charter of Basic Rights]] of 1990, which provides certain rights to non-citizens and modernizes other rights.
Montecara's current {{wp|constitution}} was drafted after the end of the Gaullican occupation and ratified in 1936. It was strongly influenced by a desire to restore the old republican traditions that had been quashed by foreign occupation. Consequently, it was one of the most progressive constitutions in the world when it was ratified and is still considered a model for its strongly democratic structure and extensive civil and political rights.


=== Communes ===
=== Citizenship ===
{{Main|Communes of Montecara}}
{{also|Montecaran nationality law}}
[[File:Napoli.jpg|thumb|500px|Panorama of Montecara]]
Montecara is a {{wp|jus sanguinis}} state, in which birthright citizenship is only available to people with at least one Montecaran citizen parent at the time of birth. The only other way to acquire Montecaran citizenship is to have it granted by law, which generally requires at least 10 years' legal residency.
Montecara is traditionally divided into the city (''çìta'') and countryside (''canpo''). The dividing line between the two is known as the ''pomero'' in a tradition that goes back to the [[Solarian Republic]]. While the so-called countryside was once almost entirely rural and sparsely inhabited, growth outside the bounds of the old city in the 19th and 20th centuries resulted in urbanization in many parts of the old ''canpo'', and the vast majority of Montecara's population now lives there.
 
There are two types of local government unit in Montecara: ''sieteri'' and ''vilà''. Collectively, these are known as communes (''comùni''). The two types are identical in function, the difference being that the ''çìta'' is divided into six ''sieteri'', while ''vilà'' are found in the ''canpo''.
 
Communes are the fundamental unit of government in Montecara's bottom-up, direct-democratic political system. They are governed collectively, with every citizen allowed an equal say. Communes operate on consensus (though, importantly, not unanimity) in their decision-making.
 
Communal meetings are typically held monthly, usually on the first Saturday afternoon, in a space large enough for everyone to take part in the discussion. This is usually a festive occasion, with participants contributing food and drink to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone. Citizens bring up any pressing issues, such as quality-of-life matters (street cleaning, noise, garbage collection, and so on) or ideas for making improvements to their neighborhood. Communes also have a say in decisions regarding the development, redevelopment, and demolition of buildings and in other matters materially affecting the community.
 
Aside from their main purpose of handling local concerns democratically, communes also use their collective voice to make contact with elected leaders and officials in the national government when necessary. Communes also serve as statistical areas and units for the distribution of public utilities such as water and electricity. Perhaps most importantly of all, communes are mutually supportive communities that citizens can turn to for help in situations as minor as needing care for a cat while on vacation to those as serious as a death in the family.


===Legislature===
The Montecaran government does not recognize {{wp|multiple citizenship}}; Montecaran citizens who acquire the citizenship of another country or who become members of a noble or royal house are considered to have renounced their citizenship. Similarly, naturalized citizens are considered to be solely citizens of Montecara. Montecarans can also lose their citizenship if they serve another country in a civil office or military capacity or formally renounce their citizenship.
{{main|Popular Assembly|Senate (Montecara)}}
[[File:PalazzoGovernoTrieste.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Palaço Pùblico]], seat of government]]
Montecara's political system is designed to distribute power as broadly as possible in order to maintain a powerful citizenry. Accordingly, it is governed principally as a direct democracy and directorial republic, with elements of {{wp|sortition}} added to prevent corruption. Citizens of legal age who are not Senators are all members of the [[Popular Assembly]], the lower house of the legislature. This body, along with the Senate, must pass all laws, ratify all treaties, and appoint all officials by majority vote. Voting was once done at mass meetings held in the fields outside the city, but since 1988 has been done exclusively by {{wp|postal ballot}} during the last full workweeks of March, May, July, September, and November in order to minimize disruption to daily life.


Each year a Committee of Selection is randomly chosen from among members of the Popular Assembly and tasked with nominating public officials through a complex system of {{wp|supermajority}} voting and sortition. The most important body appointed is the [[Colegio]], the seven-member cabinet that functions as the collective head of government. Campaigning for public office is banned; Montecaran tradition holds that ambition in politics is a bad thing and sees holding public office as a civic duty that one must perform when called upon.  
=== Legislature ===
{{main|Popular Assembly (Montecara)|Senate (Montecara)}}
{{Quote box|''Il Senàt el Pòpolo de Montecara decrètan—''<br>(The Senate and the People of Montecara decree)|author=—{{wp|Enacting formula}} for Montecaran laws}}
Montecara's political system is designed to distribute power as broadly as possible in order to maintain a powerful citizenry. Accordingly, it is governed as a direct democracy and directorial republic, with elements of {{wp|sortition}} added to prevent corruption. Citizens of legal age who are not Senators are all members of the [[Popular Assembly (Montecara)|Popular Assembly]], the lower house of the legislature, which must approve all laws and treaties before they come into effect. Voting was once done at mass meetings held in public squares, but since 1988 has been done exclusively by {{wp|postal ballot}} for one week each in March and September.


The [[Senate (Montecara)|Senate]] (''Senàt'') is the upper house of the legislature, and is intended to provide experienced oversight to government functions. It is the {{wp|court of last resort}} for administrative law and is empowered to conduct investigations.  
The [[Senate (Montecara)|Senate]] (''Senàt'') is the upper house of the legislature, comprising 125 senators elected from 25 five-member constituencies by {{wp|single transferable vote}}.


Montecaran law applies the doctrine of {{wp|parliamentary supremacy}}. Legislation may not be challenged in courts of law.  
The seven-member [[College of State (Montecara)|College of State]] functions as the collective {{wp|head of government}} and {{wp|Cabinet (government)|cabinet}} and is responsible for proposing legislation and setting policy.


{{Pull quote|The Senate and the People of Montecara agree and order thus: |author={{wp|Enacting formula}} for Montecaran laws |float=right}}
=== Judiciary ===
 
Laws are made according to the following process:
# '''Introduction:''' A legislative proposal can be introduced by either the Colegio, in which case it is called an Executive Proposal (''proxèt executìva''), by a private member of the Popular Assembly, in which it is called a Popular Proposal (''proxèt populàr''), or by a member of the Senate, in which it is a Senatorial Proposal (''proxèt senatoriàl''). Popular Proposals must be supported by the signatures of at least 1,000 members of the Popular Assembly to be considered.
# '''Deliberation:''' The proposal is put up for debate by the Popular Assembly and Senate.
# '''Senate approval:''' Proposals must be approved by the Senate to advance. The Senate may pass, pass with amendments, or reject proposals.
# '''Popular Assembly approval:''' The final version of every proposal must be passed by the Popular Assembly to become law.
 
===Judiciary===
{{main|Judiciary of Montecara}}
{{main|Judiciary of Montecara}}
[[File:Montecara-courts.png|thumb|500px|Court system of Montecara]]
[[File:MC-courts.svg|thumb|left|500px|Court system of Montecara]]
Montecara is a {{wp|civil law}} jurisdiction, basing its judiciary on {{wp|Roman law|Solarian law}}. Trials are conducted using the {{wp|inquisitorial system}}. Judges are appointed by law, and courts are organized into a three-tiered hierarchy with separate streams for civil, criminal, and administrative cases. In some cases, {{wp|lay judges}} contribute to resolving the case. Criminal cases are prosecuted by a ''procùrador'', a state official. The [[Procurator General (Montecara)|Procurator General]] (''Procùrador-xenèr'') is the state's senior prosecutor and is called on to represent the interests of the state itself in matters of national or international importance.
Montecara is a {{wp|civil law}} jurisdiction, basing its judiciary on {{wp|Roman law|Solarian law}}. Trials are conducted using the {{wp|inquisitorial system}}. Judges are appointed by law, and courts are organized into a three-tiered hierarchy with separate streams for civil, criminal, and administrative cases. Criminal cases are prosecuted by a procurator ''(procuradòr)'', a state official. The Procurator-General (''Procuradòr-xenèr'') is the state's senior prosecutor and is called on to represent the interests of the state itself in matters of national or international importance. Because Montecara's judiciary is governed by civil law, judges are not empowered to make or invalidate laws; nonetheless, the doctrine of {{wp|jurisprudence constante}} is influential, and courts will often cite similar cases where the same judgement was reached when making their decisions.


Because Montecara's judiciary is governed by civil law, judges are not empowered to make law; nonetheless, the doctrine of {{wp|jurisprudence constante}} is influential, and courts will often cite similar cases where the same judgement was reached when making their decisions. The doctrine of {{wp|parliamentary sovereignty}} means that judges are not entitled to invalidate laws.
Criminal offenses are categorized into three tiers: the ''contravènxon'' (minor offense), ''delito'' (intermediate offense), and ''crìma'' (grave offense). ''Crimà'' are the only cases tried by a jury, with a single judge or magistrate trying all other offenses. There is no {{wp|insanity defense}}; defendants judged guilty but insane are committed to specialized psychiatric care within the penal system. Administrative offenses, including petty traffic violations, are punishable only with fines or other remedies such as removal in the case of immigration violations, not a custodial sentence.


Criminal offenses are categorized into three tiers: the ''contravènxon'', a minor offense which carries a maximum penalty of a Ł5,000 fine and no detention; the ''delito'', which may be punished with a maximum fine of Ł25,000 and detention for up to twelve months; and the ''crìma'', which is subject to unlimited fines and imprisonment.  
Montecara has a moderate-to-low incarceration rate by world standards of 75 per 100,000 people as of 2018. This works out to a prison population of approximately 1,300 inmates on average for 2018. These inmates are held in one of three principal locations: the main, mixed-security prison at [[Molàro prison|Molàro]], the special unit for medical and psychiatric prisoners at the [[Ospedàl Marìn]], or the military prison at [[Castèl Gerò]]. By far the largest and most populous of these is Molàro, which holds approximately 1,000 prisoners. There are six to nine murders in an average year; the homicide rate as of 2017 is .51 per 100,000 people.


Administrative offenses, including petty traffic violations, are punishable only with fines or other remedies such as removal in the case of immigration violations, not a custodial sentence.
=== Administrative divisions ===
 
[[File:MC-admin-divisions.svg|thumb|The three ''tèrçi'': [[Pomèra]], [[Tortuca]], and [[Orèad]]<br />([[Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport]] is located in Orèad)]]
In criminal matters, the unanimous agreement of the professional and lay judges is required for conviction. There is no {{wp|insanity defense}}; defendants judged guilty but insane are committed to specialized psychiatric care within the penal system.
As a city-state, Montecara has a single government responsible for all matters that are in larger countries handled at national, regional, and local levels. The main territorial divisions are the three ''tèrçi'', roughly equivalent to {{wp|Borough|boroughs}}, which have no government but are used for administrative and statistical purposes. The old city is divided into six traditional ''sieteri'' (neighborhoods).
 
=== Gonfalonièr ===
The [[Gonfalonièr]] is one of Montecara's longest-standing public offices, with a history dating back to at least the 13th century. He was originally responsible for the maintenance and protection of those who could not provide for themselves: orphans, widows, the elderly, and the infirm. The office has evolved into that of an {{wp|ombudsman}} for Montecarans. The Gonfalonièr can bring legal action against the state or its organs if a citizen's rights have been violated, and can order administrative remedies directly. He or she also works closely with the [[Court of Audit (Montecara)|Court of Audit]] to combat corruption and maladministration.


=== Public safety ===
=== Public safety ===
Law and order are maintained by the [[Dragòni|Corpo dei Dragòni]], a branch of the [[Military of Montecara]], and by the civilian police force, the [[Vigìlia]].
Law and order are maintained by the [[Corps of Dragoons (Montecara)|Dragoons]], an armed police service organized as a component of the [[Public Force (Montecara)|Public Force]]. In addition to ordinary police duties, the Dragoons are responsible for guarding Montecara's coasts and ports of entry, policing the military, protecting Montecaran diplomatic missions, staffing the [[Molàro prison|prison]], and serving as an anti-terrorism force. Its elite unit, responsible for protecting public officials and important public buildings, is the [[Corps of Dragoons (Montecara)#Brigade of Cuirassiers|Brigade of Cuirassiers]]. There is a persistent problem with {{wp|organized crime}} in Montecara which a dedicated section of the Dragoons is dedicated to combating.  
 
The [[Vigìlia]] is responsible for day-to-day policing, and its members patrol unarmed. The Dragòni, by contrast, is an armed military force and is responsible for supporting the Vigìlia as necessary, policing the military, guarding Montecara's borders and ports of entry, protecting Montecaran diplomatic missions, staffing the city-state's prisons, patrolling the coasts, and serving as an anti-terrorism force. Its elite unit, responsible for protecting public officials and important public buildings, is the [[Brigàda di Coraçièri]]. There is a persistent problem with {{wp|organized crime}} in Montecara which a dedicated section of the Dragòni is dedicated to combating.
 
Ambulance, firefighting, and search and rescue services are provided by the [[Spartòli]].
 
Emergency and other public services are available at the following telephone numbers at all times:
*'''110''': Directory assistance
*'''112''': Emergency
*'''113''': Police non-emergency
*'''114''': Medical non-emergency
*'''115''': Mental health helpline
*'''116''': Municipal services
*'''117''': Roadside assistance and travel information
*'''118''': Services for the hearing impaired
 
=== Penal system ===
{{also|Capital punishment in Montecara}}
Montecara has a moderate-to-low incarceration rate by world standards of 75 per 100,000 people as of 2018. This works out to a prison population of approximately 1,300 inmates on average for 2018. These inmates are held in one of three principal locations: the main, mixed-security prison at [[Molàro prison|Molàro]], the special unit for medical and psychiatric prisoners at the [[Ospedàl Marìn]], or the military prison at [[Castèl Gerò]]. By far the largest and most populous of these is Molàro, which holds approximately 1,000 prisoners.  


There are six to nine murders in an average year; the homicide rate as of 2017 is .51 per 100,000 people.
Ambulance, firefighting, and search and rescue services are provided by the [[Spartòli]]. Its members are expected to work not only as a professional lifesaving force but as an embedded {{wp|civil defense}} corps, preparing their neighborhoods for disasters and taking the lead in the event of a crisis. Montecara's defense policy is based on the idea that the whole population must be able to provide for its immediate needs in an emergency, so the Spartòli maintain an auxiliary of trained civilians who are responsible for aiding in a first response; they are in turn expected to lead and assist their neighbors and coworkers so that the entire population can stay resilient. Every household in Montecara is issued an instructional booklet detailing civil defense procedures at regular intervals, and the state maintains a multi-channel alert system that includes public sirens and loudspeakers, radio and television broadcast interruption capabilities, and mass text messaging.


===Military===
=== Military ===
{{main|Military of Montecara}}
{{main|Public Force (Montecara)}}
{{also|Conscription in Montecara}}
[[File:Matelot.jpg|200px|thumbnail|A Montecaran sailor aboard AMR ''Xile'']]
[[File:Valletta Saluting battery Malta 2014 7.jpg|400px|thumbnail|Soldiers of the Guàrdia fire a salute to a visiting dignitary]]
Montecara's military is known as the [[Public Force (Montecara)|Public Force]]. It consists of the [[Montecaran Army]], [[Montecaran Navy]], [[Montecaran Air Force]], and the [[Corps of Dragoons (Montecara)|Corps of Dragoons]]. The [[Constitution of Montecara|Montecaran constitution]] requires the military to be organized as a {{wp|militia}}, so the vast majority of servicemembers are conscripts serving an initial term of 12 or 18 months, usually beginning at graduation from secondary school at age 18. All able-bodied citizens and permanent residents, male and female, are eligible. Once a conscript's term of service is complete, he or she is considered a qualified soldier and remains on the reserve list until reaching the age of 40 (for other ranks) or 45 (for officers).
Montecara's military consists of three services: The [[Montecaran Navy]] (''Armàda Montecarà''), [[Guàrdia di Stado]] (land forces), and [[Dragòni]] (gendarmerie).


There is conscription for both men and women for a 24-month period beginning at the end of secondary education, with most serving from ages 17 to 19 or 19 to 21. Once off active duty, service members remain on the reserve list until reaching the age of 40, or 45 for officers.
=== Foreign relations ===
 
===Foreign relations===
{{main|Foreign relations of Montecara}}
{{main|Foreign relations of Montecara}}
[[File:Alcide De Gasperi 2.jpg|200px|thumb|left|[[Giove Andriola]], second CN Secretary-General]]
[[File:Alcide De Gasperi 2.jpg|200px|thumb|left|[[Giove Andriola]], interim CN Secretary-General]]
Montecara's foreign relations strategy is based on four fundamental pillars: defense, diplomacy, economics, and culture. These four sources of power, used in concert, enable Montecara to exert an influence on international affairs that it disproportionate to its small size.
Montecara enjoys good relations with its immediate neighbors in Euclea, particularly the nations of the [[Euclean Community]]. While it is not an EC member state, it is in the [[Zilverzee Area]] and cooperates in defense and judicial matters. Relations with its other immediate neighbor, [[Tsabara]], have often been strained because of persistent illegal migration and have further deteriorated as a consequence of the ongoing [[Tsabaran Civil War]].  
 
It is a founding member of the [[Community of Nations]] and its subsidiary committees and organs. A Montecaran, [[Giove Andriola]], was the second [[Secretary-General of the Community of Nations]] from 1945 to 1949.
 
Montecara enjoys good relations with its immediate neighbors in Euclea, particularly [[Florena]] and the rest of the [[Esquarian Community]]. While it is not an EC member state, it is in the EC customs area and cooperates in defense and judicial matters. Relations with its other immediate neighbor, [[Tsabara]], have often been strained because of persistent illegal migration and have further deteriorated as a consequence of the ongoing [[Tsabaran Civil War]].  


Foreign and signals intelligence services are provided by the [[Executive Directorate for Strategic Operations|Executive Directorate for Strategic Operations (DEOS)]]. The investigation section of the [[Dragòni]] handles domestic intelligence.
The country became a member of the [[Community of Nations]] shortly after its independence in 1936. A Montecaran, [[Giove Andriola]], served briefly as the interim [[Secretary-General of the Community of Nations]] after the death of [[Seán Fitzgerald]] in 1961.


==Economy==
==Economy==
{{Infobox economy
{{Template:Montecara economy}}
| country    = Montecara
Montecara has a highly developed and specialized {{wp|market economy}} with a large state sector. It consistently ranks at or near the top of international surveys on the ease of doing business, low taxation, and per-capita foreign investment. The largest segment of the economy is the service sector, particularly banking and finance, tourism, and professional services. There is a small but high-value-added manufacturing sector which mostly produces niche products such as medical devices and precision instruments. The primary sector is quite limited given Montecara's small land area and is focused on fishing and high-value agriculture like winemaking.
| image      = File:Bolsa-madrid-010711-3.jpg
| image_size = 150px
| caption    = The [[Borse Mercànte de Montecara|Borse Mercànte]] on a trading day
| currency  = [[Montecaran libra]] (MCL)
| fixed exchange =
| year      = 1 April – 31 March
| organs    =
| gdp        =
| gdp rank  =
| growth    =
| per capita =
| per capita rank =
| sectors    =
| components =
| inflation  =  1.8% (2016)
| bankrate  = 0.5% (2018)
| poverty    = 0.0% (2018)<ref>Based on international standard of population living on less than NSD 2/day. Montecara does not have a national poverty line. </ref>
| gini      = 30.7 (2016)
| hdi        = .880 (2016)
| labor      = 1.36 million (79% participation rate, 2017)
| occupations =
| unemployment = 0.7% (April 2018)
| average gross salary =
| gross median =
| average net salary =
| net median =
| industries = finance, tourism, shipping
| edbr      =
| exports    = $146 billion (Q4 2017)
| export-goods = luxury items, precision tools, medical instruments, pharmaceuticals
| export-partners =
| imports    = $160 billion (Q4 2017)
| import-goods = foodstuffs, fuel, vehicles, consumer goods
| import-partners =
| FDI        =
| current account =
| gross external debt = $834.768 billion (Q4 2017)
| NIIP      = $344.275 billion (Q4 2017)
| debt      =
| deficit    =
| revenue    =
| expenses  =
| aid        =
| credit    = AAA <br>Outlook: Stable ([[Auberge]], 2017)
| reserves  =
| spelling  = US
| usebelowbox = no
| presentUS$asdefault = no
}}
Montecara has a highly specialized, developed, and advanced {{wp|social market economy}}. It consistently ranks at or near the top of international surveys on the ease of doing business, low taxation, and per-capita foreign investment. Because its economy is so integrated into the global financial market and reliant on international trade, it is known as a bellwether for the financial health of the world at large.


Montecara's labor force is very heavily unionized. {{wp|Closed shop|Closed shops}} are legal and indeed the norm, and over 90% of workers are members of a union. Labor and business interests are closely aligned with the government of Montecara and have an official voice through the [[Tripartite Commission]], which consists of representatives of leading trade unions, employers, and the government. The Commission has many devolved regulatory powers, including the ability to set minimum wages, vacation time, worker safety policy, and pensions by sector. It also has the power to issue formal opinions on other areas of economic policy, including proposed trade deals.  
Because its economy is so integrated into the global financial market and reliant on international trade, it is a bellwether for the financial health of the world at large. The {{wp|trade-to-GDP ratio}} is over 250%, making Montecara the most trade-dependent country in the world.


Annual foreign trade flows are 200% of GDP and capital flows approximately 250%, making Montecara the most trade-dependent country in the world. Montecara relies on imports to supply most basic necessities for its citizens. Because Montecara is a {{wp|free port}} and major {{wp|entrepôt}}, the state directly profits on trade by assessing landing and docking fees and selling fuel and other supplies to ships, while allowing goods to be temporarily offloaded into the [[Port of Montecara]] and re-exported without assessing tariffs.
Around one third of workers belong to a trade union. Education, media, and the public sector have particularly high union density.  


[[File:BancaMontecara.png|200px|thumbnail|The coat of arms of the [[Bànca de Montecara]]]]
The stock and bond exchange, the [[Borse Mercànte de Montecara]], is the oldest in the world and lists domestic joint-stock companies as well as local and foreign debt securities.


Finance, tourism, and shipping are the three biggest industries. There is a small but high-value-added manufacturing sector which produces mainly niche products. The primary sector is quite limited given Montecara's small land area, and is focused on high-value agriculture and fishing.
=== Public finance ===
{{also|Taxation in Montecara}}
[[File:BancaMontecara.png|200px|thumbnail|left|The coat of arms of [[Bànca de Montecara]]]]
[[Bànca de Montecara]] is the city-state's central bank and issues the [[Montecaran libra|libra]] (code: MCL; symbol: Ł), the national currency. The Bànca, aside from issuing currency, also performs certain financial regulation duties.


The [[Bànca de Montecara]] is the city-state's central bank and issues the [[Montecaran libra|libra]] (code: MCL; symbol: Ł), the national currency. The Bànca, aside from issuing currency, also issues {{wp|bonds}} and performs certain financial regulation duties.  
Controversially, Montecara is a well-known {{wp|tax haven}}. It assesses no taxes on personal income, inheritance, or capital gains; instead, the state collects excises and taxes on corporations, land, and added value and assesses various {{wp|transfer tax|transfer taxes}}.


[[Montepietà]] is the state's {{wp|sovereign wealth fund}}, responsible for a portfolio of investments in securities and real estate.  
The country operates a {{wp|sovereign wealth fund}}, [[Montepietà]], which invests mostly in securities and real estate with some involvement in {{wp|foreign exchange}} and {{wp|private equity}}. It traces its lineage to a {{wp|mount of piety}} founded in 1213, making it one of the world's longest-running commercial enterprises. Profits earned on Montepietà's investments are transferred to the Montecaran treasury and used to fund the public health service ([[Sànita Montecarà]]) and social insurance programs. This arrangement allows Montecara to have very low [[Taxation in Montecara|tax rates]] compared to other nations while providing comprehensive social services. During {{wp|fiscal year}} 2017, Montepietà had [[Montecaran libra|Ł]]2.5 trillion in assets and earned [[Montecaran libra|Ł]]109.6 billion in profit, a return of 4.32%.  


The stock exchange, the [[Borse Mercànte de Montecara]], is the oldest in the world and includes a large number of locally incorporated joint-stock companies as well as commodities and foreign currency exchange.
Montecara is a major issuer of sovereign bonds and one of the world's premier venues for bond trading and clearance. One of the world's most in-demand securities is the Montecaran state {{wp|bearer bond}}. These {{wp|zero-coupon bonds}} are auctioned monthly and issued in paper form with a face value of Ł10,000 for a term of 10 years. Buyers may remain anonymous; this means that the bonds must be physically held, in essence functioning like cash. They offer the advantage of secrecy and the ability to hold a large value in a compact, portable, and fully negotiable format, but are controversial because of their obvious advantages to those engaged in tax evasion and organized crime.


=== Taxation ===
{{main|Taxation in Montecara}}
Controversially, Montecara is a well-known {{wp|tax haven}}. It assesses no taxes on income, inheritances, dividends, or capital gains. The state is funded through a combination of excises, tariffs, and taxes on corporations, land value, added value, and a number of more minor transactions. It funds its social protection programs such as the public health system, pensions, and direct cash support through its {{wp|sovereign wealth fund}}, [[Montepietà]].


=== Finance ===
=== Banking ===
The financial sector is the largest and most important pillar of the Montecaran economy. Montecara has a centuries-long banking tradition, and its tax and banking secrecy laws make it an attractive location for financial institutions to incorporate. Major financial institutions include:  
[[File:Decraxi.png|200px|thumb|left|The logo of De Craxi s.a.i.]]
[[File:Decraxi.png|200px|thumb|The logo of De Craxi s.a.i.]]
The banking sector is the largest and most important pillar of the Montecaran economy. Montecara has a centuries-long banking tradition, and its tax and banking secrecy laws make it an attractive location for financial institutions to incorporate. Major financial institutions include:  
*[[Bànca Ultramarìn]], {{wp|merchant banking|merchant}}, {{wp|commercial banking|commercial}}, and {{wp|private banking}}
*[[Bànca Ultramarìn]], {{wp|merchant banking|merchant}}, {{wp|commercial banking|commercial}}, and {{wp|private banking}}
*[[Borse Mercànte de Montecara]], the stock, commodities, and foreign currency exchange
*[[Borse Mercànte de Montecara]], the stock, commodities, and foreign currency exchange
*[[Crèdit Montecarà]], {{wp|commercial banking|commercial}} and {{wp|private banking}}
*[[Crèdit Montecarà]], {{wp|commercial banking|commercial}} and {{wp|private banking}}
*[[De Craxi|De Craxi]] [[Soçìeta anònima incòrpora|s.a.i.]], a financial services company known for its {{wp|Credit rating|sovereign credit rating}} system
*[[DeCraxi|DeCraxi]] [[Soçìeta anònima incòrpora|s.a.i.]], a financial services company known for its {{wp|Credit rating|credit ratings}}
*[[Sicurasiò Xenèra|Sicurasiò Xenèra (SX)]], one of the world's largest insurance and {{wp|reinsurance}} markets
*[[Sicurasiò Xenèra|Sicurasiò Xenèra (SX)]], one of the world's largest insurance and {{wp|reinsurance}} markets
*[[Soçìeta per Finànxa Agrìcola|SpFA]], {{wp|investment banking|investment}} and {{wp|merchant banking}}
*[[Soçìeta per Finànxa Agrìcola|SpFA]], {{wp|investment banking|investment}} and {{wp|merchant banking}}
=== Gambling ===
Montecara is famous for its opulent casino, operated by the state as part of its gambling monopoly. The state also owns and operates a thoroughbred racecourse. Sports betting is legal only at state gambling venues.


=== Retail ===
=== Retail ===
Retail workers account for approximately 12% of the Montecaran workforce, and consumer spending in the retail sector amounts to approximately one-third of Montecara’s annual GDP. The retail sector includes businesses ranging from the highest-priced couturiers to the simple neighborhood ''[[sfumerìa]]'', a traditional convenience store, the licenses for which are preferentially distributed to widows and the disabled in a scheme that dates back to the mid-18th century.
Retail workers account for approximately 12% of the Montecaran workforce, and consumer spending in the retail sector amounts to approximately one-third of Montecara’s annual GDP. The retail sector includes businesses ranging from the highest-priced couturiers like [[Bergamin]] to the simple neighborhood ''[[sfumerìa]]'', a traditional convenience store, the licenses for which are preferentially distributed to widows and the disabled in a scheme that dates back to the mid-18th century.


=== Tourism ===
=== Tourism ===
[[File:Port of Split from the air 1.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|Cruise ships docked at Montecara]]
[[File:Hotel Excelsior (Lido di Venezia).jpg|325px|thumb|The Hotel Palaço Niçìn, built 1855]]
Montecara is consistently one of the top-ten destination cities in the world for international tourism by number of visitors per year. Its high density of cultural, artistic, and entertainment attractions has helped to make tourism a major component of the economy. Some of the most popular destinations for visitors include the famous [[Caxìn Gràn de Monte Cara|casino]], the city-state's plentiful and legal brothels, and the sights of the old city. Cruise ship docks, a [[Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport|major international airport]], and a rail link to mainland [[Euclea]] have helped the tourist sector to grow exponentially since the early 20th century.
Montecara is consistently one of the top-ten destination cities in the world for international tourism by number of visitors per year. Its high density of cultural, artistic, and entertainment attractions has helped to make tourism a major component of the economy. Some of the most popular destinations for visitors include the famous [[Caxìn Gràn de Monte Cara|casino]], the city-state's plentiful and legal brothels, and the sights of the old city. Cruise ship docks, a [[Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport|major international airport]], and a rail link to mainland [[Euclea]] have helped the tourist sector to grow exponentially since the middle of the twentieth century.


== Infrastructure ==
== Infrastructure ==
[[File:Palermo panorama monte pellegrino.JPG|thumb|700px|center|Port facilities in the [[Bay of Montecara]]]]
=== Telecommunications ===
=== Communications ===
Montecara has a modern telecommunications network, with broadband internet service available at all residential and commercial addresses since 2012. Landline telephone, cable, and internet services are provided by [[Infotel de Montecara]], a majority state-owned corporation. Montecara's country code for international telephone calls is {{mono|+106}}, and the format for local numbers is {{mono|+106&nbsp;0000&nbsp;0000}}. The {{wp|international call prefix}} is {{mono|00}}. There are no area codes; individual numbers are randomly assigned, though it has been possible at various times to request a specific number if it is available. Postal services are provided by the state-owned [[Poste de Montecara]].
Montecara has a modern telecommunications network, with all residents able to access broadband internet service as of 2012. Landline telephone, cable, and internet services are provided by [[Infotel de Montecara]], a majority state-owned corporation. Montecara's country code for international telephone calls is {{mono|+70}}, and the format for local numbers is {{mono|+70-0000-0000}}. The {{wp|international call prefix}} is {{mono|00}}. There are no area codes; individual numbers are randomly assigned, though it has been possible at various times to request a specific number if it is available.
 
Postal services are provided by the state-owned [[Poste de Montecara]].


=== Energy ===
=== Energy ===
{{main|Energy in Montecara}}
{{main|Energy in Montecara}}
Montecara has no fossil fuel sources and has historically imported natural gas from mainland Conitia for electricity generation, along with direct electricity imports. Annual electricity consumption is approximately 14.35 billion {{wp|Kilowatt hour|kilowatt hours}} in total, at 8,194 kW·h per person per year, as of 2017. The electricity industry and imports are regulated by the [[Colegio|Secretariat of the Environment, Transport, and Urban Development]], and electric generation, distribution, and sales are handled by the cooperative [[Comega]].  
Montecara has no fossil fuel sources and imports natural gas from [[Coius]], particularly from [[Tsabara]], for power generation and utility use. Most electricity is imported from the EC. Annual electricity consumption is approximately 8.397 billion {{wp|Kilowatt hour|kilowatt hours}} in total, at 4,794 kW·h per person per year, as of 2017. The electricity industry and imports are regulated by the [[College of State (Montecara)|Secretariat of Planning and the Environment]], and electric generation, distribution, and sales are handled by the state-owned company Comega.  


Because of its lack of fossil fuel resources, transitioning to renewable energy is a major focus, as is energy conservation. The government has the stated goal of making the city-state 100% free of fossil fuels by 2025. {{wp|Leaded gasoline}} has been banned since 1963. The coastal shelf to the south of the main island has strong winds and currents which are now being utilized as energy sources. Montecara's first wind turbines were built there in the 2013, and there are currently plans to further develop sea-based wind power. A waste-to-energy plant which uses combustible non-recyclable waste to generate approximately 400 GW·h of electricity per year was completed in 1997. Montecara is a {{wp|nuclear-free zone}}, though it allows allied nuclear-powered naval ships to make calls in its port. Comega has allowed {{wp|net metering}} since 2006, which has encouraged the development of privately built and operated wind and solar systems.
Because of its lack of fossil fuel resources, transitioning to renewable energy is a major focus, as is energy conservation. The government set the goal in 2005 of making the city-state 100% free of fossil fuels by 2025, though it is not on track to meet this target. The coastal shelf to the north of the island has strong winds and currents which are now being utilized as energy sources. Montecara's first wind turbines were built there in 2013, and there are currently plans to further develop sea-based wind power. A waste-to-energy plant which uses combustible non-recyclable waste to generate approximately 400 GW·h of electricity per year was completed in 1999. Montecara is a {{wp|nuclear-free zone}}, though it allows allied nuclear-powered naval ships to make calls in its port. Comega has allowed {{wp|net metering}} since 2006, which has encouraged the development of privately built and operated wind and solar systems.


=== Transport ===
=== Transport ===
{{main|Transport in Montecara}}
[[File:MontecaraBorder.png|thumbnail|Sign at Montecaran {{wp|port of entry|ports of entry}}]]
[[File:MontecaraBorder.png|thumbnail|Sign at Montecaran {{wp|port of entry|ports of entry}}]]
[[File:Puente Don Luis I, Oporto, Portugal, 2012-05-09, DD 13.JPG|300px|thumbnail|Pont Vespàxi over the [[Bay of Montecara]]]]
Montecara has a comprehensive, modern transportation network with connections to mainland Euclea. Public transit is provided by the state-owned company [[Viafèra de Montecara]] (VM), which operates [[Viaurea|commuter rail]], light metro, tram, ferry, and bus networks and previously operated a bicycle share system. International rail services use the [[Aurean Tunnel]]. The hub of the passenger rail system is [[Montecara Pòrta Conìxia railway station]].  
Transport in Montecara is eased by the city-state's small size. Public transit is provided by [[VM]], which operates tram, ferry, and bus networks and a bicycle share system. [[Trenalia]], jointly state-owned with [[Desena]], operates {{wp|regional rail}} routes within Montecara and to nearby destinations in [[Conitia]], as well as {{wp|inter-city rail}} routes that connect with points beyond. The hub of the passenger rail system is [[Montecara Pòrta Conìxia railway station]].  


The Montecaran government strongly discourages private car ownership due to the dense nature of the city-state and a desire to avoid pollution. The number of {{wp|license plates}} issued is capped and new plates are only issued through an {{wp|auction}} system. Vehicles are banned in the old city with the exception of bicycles and certain electric vehicles due to the extreme narrowness of many streets and the often fragile pavements. This has preserved Montecara from destruction in the name of road expansion and keeps air quality high. The urban core of Montecara thus remains a very walkable and compact environment.  
The Montecaran government discourages private car ownership due to the dense nature of the city-state and a desire to avoid pollution and the deaths and injuries caused by traffic. The number of {{wp|license plates}} issued is capped and new plates are only issued through an {{wp|auction}} system. Vehicles are banned in the oldest parts of the city due to the extreme narrowness of many streets and the often fragile pavements. This has preserved Montecara from destruction in the name of road expansion and keeps air quality high. The urban core of Montecara thus remains a very walkable and compact environment.
[[File:Puente Don Luis I, Oporto, Portugal, 2012-05-09, DD 13.JPG|300px|thumbnail|left|Pont Vespàxi over the [[Bay of Montecara]]]]
Because of its commitment to {{wp|Vision zero|eliminating road deaths}}, Montecara has some of the most arduous driver licensing requirements in the world. Licensees, who must be between the ages of 18 and 79 inclusive, must pass a medical exam (including vision test), take a classroom-based driving theory course, complete an in-car course with a certified instructor, and then pass written and practical tests. First-time applicants, if successful, are granted a probationary license valid for two years which will be revoked if the driver accrues more than two violations of the traffic code. The medical and written exams must be passed again every other year for the license to be renewed.
[[File:MC-plate.png|thumbnail|A Montecaran {{wp|vehicle registration plate}}]]
All vehicles registered in Montecara must pass annual safety and emissions tests, and may not be more than ten years old. There is a high excise tax on petroleum fuel. Traffic drives on the right according to {{wp|priority to the right}}, and only left-hand-drive cars are legal to operate in Montecara. There were 42 traffic-related fatalities in Montecara in 2017, a rate of 2.4 for every 100,000 inhabitants.  


Montecara has some of the most arduous driver licensing requirements in the world. Licensees must be between the ages of 18 and 79 inclusive, and must pass a medical exam (including vision test), take a classroom-based driving theory course, complete an in-car course with a certified instructor, and then pass written and practical tests. First-time applicants, if successful, are granted a probationary license valid for two years which will be revoked if the driver accrues more than two violations of the traffic code. The medical and written exams must be passed again every other year for the license to be renewed.  
There is one airport, [[Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport|Montecara–Enrico Dulio International]], which serves as the hub for flag carrier [[Aeracara]]. The airport and seaport are operated by the government-owned [[Porti de Montecara]].


[[File:MC-plate.png|thumbnail|A Montecaran {{wp|vehicle registration plate}}]]
=== Water ===
[[File:Levada Madeira.jpg|thumbnail|A ''levàda'' on the slopes of [[Monte Cara]]]]
Montecara depends on four sources of water: {{wp|Desalination|desalination}}, imports via pipeline from Paretia, the {{wp|caldera}} of its extinct volcano, and {{wp|Reclaimed water|reclaimed water}}.


All vehicles registered in Montecara must pass annual safety and emissions tests, and may not be more than ten years old. There is a high excise tax on petroleum fuel. Traffic drives on the right according to {{wp|priority to the right}}, and only left-hand-drive cars are legal to operate in Montecara. There were 42 traffic-related fatalities in Montecara in 2017, a rate of 2.4 for every 100,000 inhabitants.  
Because they have always been so acutely dependent on limited water resources, Montecara's people have developed inventive ways of making use of what they do have and conserving whenever possible. The traditional method for transporting water to farms and homes is the ''levàda'', a stone channel cut into a hillside. Water condenses more readily at higher elevations and infiltrates the porous bedrock, where it pools and can then be channeled away. The ''levadà'' run both on the surface and in underground galleries, both of which also furnish popular hiking trails alongside their routes. Historically, neighborhoods that enjoyed ''levàda'' water were greatly preferred to those which had to rely on well water, which tended to taste salty and stale; water-carrier was once a common job in these areas.  


Montecara's transport network relies heavily on bridges, both to connect the city-state with the rest of Conitia and to provide connections across internal waters. The [[Pont Vespàxi]] carries road and rail across the [[Bay of Montecara]], while the twin road and rail bridges of the [[Pont Calcària]] connect Montecara with the rest of [[Conitia]].
There is also a local history of using {{wp|greywater}} that goes back to the time of the Solarians. One technique that has been in continuous use since that time is to build houses and apartments around a central courtyard garden irrigated with wastewater from sinks and washing, which provides better air quality, cools the building, and naturally treats the water. New toilet installations since 1995 have been required to use {{wp|seawater}} to ease the strain on the drinking water supply.
 
There is one airport, [[Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport|Montecara–Enrico Dulio International]], which serves as the hub for flag carrier [[Aeracara]]. The airport and seaport are operated by the government-owned [[Porti de Montecara]].


==Demographics==
==Demographics==
Montecara's total fertility rate is 1.4. Its natural growth rate is -1.25% per annum. Its net migration is approximately 11,000 immigrants per year. On average, women have their first child at age 27.  
{{stack|{{Template:MC-ethnic}}}}
 
{{stack|{{Template:MC-religion}}}}
If current trends continue, Montecara's population will peak at approximately 2.19 million in 2058. From that point, it will gradually decline until reaching an equilibrium of approximately 1.32 million around 2270.  
Montecara's total fertility rate is 1.4, giving it a natural growth rate of -1.25% per year. On average, women have their first child at age 27. Net migration results in a gain of approximately 11,000 immigrants per year. If current trends continue, Montecara's population will peak at approximately 2.19 million in 2058. From that point, it will gradually decline until reaching an equilibrium of approximately 1.32 million around 2270.  


=== Ethnicity ===
=== Ethnicity ===
{{Pie chart
Montecaran society is divided between ethnic Montecarans, who comprise approximately three-fifths of the population, and foreigners, who are usually non-citizens and come temporarily to work. Montecarans are a Solarian people related to many other ethnicities in [[Euclea]]. They trace their lineage back to the population that lived in Montecara at the time of the [[Solarian Republic]] and speak [[Montecaran language|Montecaran]], a {{wp|Romance language}}, as their common tongue. [[Solarian Catholic Church|Solarian Catholicism]] is their dominant religion.
|caption=Ethnic composition of Montecara (2017)
|other = yes
|label1 = [[Montecaran people|Montecarans]]     |value1 = 63.9 |color1 = #ff2a2a
|label2 = [[Floren people|Florens]]                         |value2 = 8.4
|color2 = darkmagenta
|label3 = [[Etrurian people|Etrurians]]
|value3 = 5.3 |color3 = forestgreen
|label4 = {{wp|Arabs|Badawiyans}}       |value4 = 4.8
|color4 = darkslategray
|label5 = [[Atudites]]        |value5 = 1.7 |color5 = royalblue
}}
{{Pie chart
|caption=Religious adherence in Montecara (2017)
|other = yes
|label1= [[Solarian Catholic Church|Solarian Catholicism]]
|value1= 79
|color1=purple
|label2=Irreligion or none
|value2=9
|color2=Silver
|label3=[[Irfan]]
|value3=5
|color3=seagreen
|label4=Other [[Sotirianity]]
|value4=4
|color4=Gold
|label5=[[Atudism]]
|value5=2
|color5=Royalblue
}}
Montecaran society is split between ethnic Montecarans, who comprise approximately three-fifths of the population, and foreigners, who are usually non-citizens and come temporarily to work.  


Montecarans are a Solarian people related to many other ethnicities in [[Euclea]]. They trace their lineage back to the population that lived in Montecara at the time of the [[Solarian Republic]] and speak [[Montecaran language|Montecaran]], a {{wp|Romance language}}, as their common tongue. [[Solarian Catholic Church|Solarian Catholicism]] is their dominant religion.
Immigration and its attendant effects on culture and identity is an issue of paramount importance in Montecaran society and politics. The Montecaran state has on many occasions publicly acknowledged the need for immigrant labor, especially in low-skilled jobs, but at the same time has gone to considerable lengths to protect Montecaran identity.  


===Language===
===Language===
All citizens and most non-citizen residents speak [[Montecaran language|Montecaran]]. Montecaran is the sole official language, and its use is regulated by the [[University of Montecara]].
[[Montecaran language|Montecaran]] is the sole official language. It is spoken at home by almost all citizens but only about 10% of non-citizen permanent residents. {{wp|French language|Gaullican}} is a compulsory subject in school and is nearly universally understood by Montecarans as a second language.


===Religion===
===Religion===
[[Solarian Catholic Church|Solarian Catholicism]] is followed by the vast majority of Montecarans and many immigrants from neighboring [[Euclea|Euclean]] countries. There are minority populations following [[Irfan]], [[Atudism]], and non-Catholic [[Sotirianity]]. {{wp|Irreligion}} has grown significantly since the early to mid-20th century, with at least one in ten residents of Montecara now professing no religious faith.
[[File:Duomo di Siena-9635.jpg|thumb|right|Cathedral of Saint Stephen, designed 1215, completed 1348]]
[[File:Archdio-MC.png|150px|thumb|left|The coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Montecara]]
[[File:Pompeo Batoni - Ritratto di Papa Pio VI (National Gallery of Ireland).jpg|250px|thumb|right|Pope Urbanus XI (né Attaviàn de Barbanario), Archbishop of Montecara 1770-1787 and Pope 1787-1799]]
Montecara is a {{wp|secular state}} with no {{wp|official religion}}. There is a constitutional right to practice or not practice religion freely. [[Solarian Catholic Church|Solarian Catholicism]] is followed by the vast majority of Montecarans and many immigrants from neighboring [[Euclea|Euclean]] countries. There is a sizeable minority of [[Atudism|Atudites]]. {{wp|Irreligion}} has grown significantly since the early to mid-20th century, with nearly one in five residents of Montecara now professing no religious faith.


The status of Irfan and Atudism is highly controversial in Montecaran society. The [[Popular Assembly]] has overwhelmingly voted to ban {{wp|circumcision}} and other forms of genital cutting, covering one's face in public, loudspeakers on religious buildings, the ritual slaughter of animals and the importation of ritually produced meat, and non-state religious courts or arbitration panels, and all of these measures have passed into law with the approval of the [[Senate (Montecara)|Senate]]. All forms of {{wp|polygamy}} and {{wp|polygyny}} are strictly illegal, as is {{wp|cousin marriage}}.
The Archdiocese of Montecara, the local organization of the Solarian Catholic Church, serves a local population of approximately 1.3 million Catholics, who make up about three-quarters of all residents. It was established in the early third century by the bishop Cuniculus at a time when Sotirian Catholicism was largely an underground movement and was raised to the status of an archdiocese the following century. Five Montecarans have served as {{wp|Pope}}, most recently Urbanus XI from 1787 to 1799.
 
The status of Atudism has been a point of contention for centuries. Montecarans have voted overwhelmingly to ban infant {{wp|circumcision}} and other forms of genital cutting, the ritual slaughter of animals and the importation of ritually produced meat, and non-state religious courts or arbitration panels. All forms of {{wp|polygamy}} and {{wp|polygyny}} are strictly illegal, as is {{wp|cousin marriage}}. Adherents of Atudism often hold much more socially conservative beliefs than do other Montecarans, especially in regard to {{wp|LGBT rights}}, {{wp|feminism}}, and the use of alcohol and drugs, which has brought them into conflict with the majority population at times. Furthermore, the perceived self-segregation of these communities and their high birthrate has led to a public debate on whether, or how, to assimilate them into mainstream Montecaran society.


== Education ==
== Education ==
Education in Montecara is divided into five stages: preschool, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary, and tertiary. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. There are public and private schools at the upper secondary level and below.  
Education in Montecara is divided into five stages: preschool, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary, and tertiary. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. There are public and private schools at the upper secondary level and below. Higher education is only provided through the state. There is one university, the [[University of Montecara]], founded in 1291.


A student's prior academic record and teacher recommendations determine whether he or she may advance from the lower secondary level to the ''liçeo'', the university preparatory form of upper secondary school. The alternatives to ''liçeo'' are ''scuol generàl'' (general-education school), which places a greater emphasis on life and workplace skills and does not have a specifically preparatory curriculum, or ''scuol tecnicàl'', which provides a vocational education in addition to a foundational academic curriculum.  
[[Gaullica|Gaullican language]] is a mandatory subject for Montecaran students at least through the secondary level. Students who have proven their proficiency in Gaullican and are native or fluent in Montecaran may study an additional foreign language. Common options include {{wp|English language|Estmerish}}, {{wp|Italian language|Vespasian}}, and {{wp|German language|Weranian}}.


Aspiring university students may take the ''[[Matùra]]'' at the end of their secondary education. Performance on this test determines whether a student may even apply to the [[University of Montecara]], and is also used by foreign universities and colleges to determine admissions qualifications. The ''Matùra'' covers Montecaran language and literature; mathematics, including algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and logic; science, including physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental science; civics and government; and history, including Montecaran, Solarian, and world history. A qualifying score consists of at least a 3 out of 5 on a majority of the test's five sections.  
The standard grading system, used for students from primary school through the graduate level, is on a scale from 1 (low) to 5 (high). Cases of academic dishonesty may be dealt with by assigning the special grade of 0.  


The standard grading system, used for students from primary school through the graduate level, is on a scale from 1 (low) to 5 (high). Cases of academic dishonesty may be dealt with by assigning the special grade of 0.  
A student's prior academic record and teacher recommendations determine whether he or she may advance from the lower secondary level to the ''liçeo'', the university preparatory form of upper secondary school. The alternatives to ''liçeo'' are ''scuol xenèr'' (general-education school), which places a greater emphasis on life and workplace skills and does not have a specifically preparatory curriculum, or ''scuol tenicà'', which provides a vocational education in addition to a foundational academic curriculum.  
 
Aspiring university students may take the ''[[Matùra]]'' at the end of their secondary education. Performance on this test determines whether a student may even apply to the University of Montecara, and is also used by foreign universities and colleges to determine admissions qualifications. The ''Matùra'' covers Montecaran language and literature, Gaullican language, sciences and mathematics, civics and government, arts and humanities, and history. A qualifying score consists of at least a 3 out of 5 on a majority of the test's sections.  


[[File:MC-laureate.jpg|300px|thumb|A graduate wearing the laurel wreath on receiving her ''làurea'']]
''Stages highlighted in yellow below are compulsory.''  
''Stages highlighted in yellow below are compulsory.''  
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
Line 653: Line 559:
| rowspan="2"|'''Upper secondary education'''||''Liçeo'' (University preparatory school)||5 years (age: 14 to 19)
| rowspan="2"|'''Upper secondary education'''||''Liçeo'' (University preparatory school)||5 years (age: 14 to 19)
|-style="background:#fefcad"
|-style="background:#fefcad"
| ''Scuol generàl'' (General education) or<br>''Scuol tecnicàl'' (Technical or vocational education) ||3 or 5 years (age: 14 to 17 or 14 to 19)
| |''Scuol xenèr'' (General education) or<br>''Scuol tenicà'' (Technical or vocational education) ||3 or 5 years (age: 14 to 17 or 14 to 19)
|-
|-
| rowspan="4"|'''Tertiary education'''||''Làurea'' (Bachelor's degree)||3 years
| rowspan="4"|'''Tertiary education'''||''Làurea'' (Bachelor's degree)||3 years
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|}
|}


Higher education is only provided through the state. There is one university in the city-state, the [[University of Montecara]], founded in 1291. The university is organized into 21 colleges, which are themselves divided into 38 faculties.  
==Healthcare==
[[File:Rabies-poster.png|250px|thumb|"Rabies doesn't exist here. Let's keep it that way. There are severe penalties for smuggling animals into Montecara." Montecaran public health poster (1996)]]
Montecara has a {{wp|Universal healthcare|universal}}, {{wp|single-payer healthcare}} system. Healthcare is provided by the state free of charge to all legal inhabitants and visitors. The state health program, [[Sànita Montecara]], owns public hospitals and clinics, buys drugs wholesale, pays medical staff salaries, and covers all other expenses associated with patient care. The health system was previously the responsibility of the [[Solarian Catholic Church]] but has been in state hands since it was nationalized in 1935.


'''Colleges of the University of Montecara:'''
Montecara enjoys the highest life expectancy of any country at 84.7 years overall, 86.4 years for women and 82.4 years for men. Healthcare spending amounted to 9.5% of GDP in 2017. There are 5.6 hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants, just over 10,000 beds in total. Montecara has one of the highest ratios of physicians per inhabitants in the world, at 4.42 per 1,000. As with all university education in Montecara, medical education is free of charge, and there is significant competition to work in the domestic healthcare sector. This promotes both a high number of trained clinicians and a high standard of expertise.
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
* Anthropology
* Architecture
* Classics
* Economics
* Education
* Engineering
* Fine Arts
{{col-break}}
* Government
* History
* Law
* Literature
* Mathematics
* Natural Sciences
* Medicine
{{col-break}}
* Modern Languages
* Pharmacology
* Philosophy
* Psychology
* Religion
* Sociology
* Veterinary Medicine
{{col-end}}


Matriculating students apply to one or more specific colleges within the University and take only courses within their given college when enrolled. Students may, at the discretion of the instructor, {{wp|academic audit|audit}} courses from outside their college, but no credit is given.  
Prescription drugs are free of charge. Over the counter drugs must be paid for out-of-pocket. Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs may only be sold at licensed pharmacies (''apotecà''), which except in the case of those at public hospitals are privately owned. Elective treatments such as cosmetic plastic surgery are conducted only by private physicians and must be paid for out-of-pocket.  


Officers in the [[Military of Montecara|Montecaran military]] can receive additional military education at the ''[[Academìa militàr de Tornèa]]'', and officer candidates are often co-enrolled at ''Tornèa'' and the University of Montecara.
As an independent republic, Montecara long had institutions to care for the sick and needy. The oldest still in operation is the [[Ospedàl da Pìeta]], founded in 1508 as a charitable {{wp|hostel}} for the sickly poor. The [[Ospedàl Marìn]] (''Naval Hospital''), founded in 1680 to meet the needs of ill sailors, is one of the world's leading research institutions for tropical diseases and nutrition. The [[University of Montecara#Hospital|University of Montecara Hospital]], which is owned by the [[University of Montecara]] but jointly operated by the University and Sanità Montecara, is the main {{wp|teaching hospital}}.
 
==Health==
[[File:Rabies-poster.png|250px|thumb|"Rabies doesn't exist here. Let's keep it that way. There are severe penalties for smuggling animals into Montecara."]]
Healthcare is provided by the state free of charge to all legal inhabitants in and visitors to Montecara. The state health program, [[Sànita Montecara]], owns public hospitals and clinics, buys drugs wholesale, pays medical staff salaries, and covers all other expenses associated with patient care. Montecara enjoys the highest life expectancy of any country at 83.5 years overall, 85.4 years for women and 81.4 years for men. Healthcare spending amounted to 9.5% of GDP in 2017. There are 8.28 hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants, 14,503 beds in total.
 
Montecara has the highest ratio of physicians per inhabitants in the world, at 7.21 per 1,000. As with all university education in Montecara, medical education is free of charge, and there is significant competition to work in the domestic healthcare sector. This promotes both a high number of trained clinicians and a high standard of expertise.  


Prescription drugs are free of charge. Over the counter drugs must be paid for out-of-pocket. Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs may only be sold at licensed pharmacies (''apotecà''), which except in the case of those at public hospitals are privately owned. Elective treatments such as cosmetic plastic surgery are conducted only by private physicians and must be paid for out-of-pocket.  
Montecaran public health authorities have waged several successful disease elimination campaigns dating back to the 1930s. {{wp|Rabies}}, {{wp|malaria}}, {{wp|cholera}}, {{wp|yellow fever}}, {{wp|polio}}, {{wp|measles}}, {{wp|mumps}}, {{wp|rubella}}, and {{wp|diphtheria}} have all been eliminated locally, and only seven cases of imported {{wp|tuberculosis}} have been reported since 2000.


As an independent republic, Montecara long had institutions to care for the sick and needy. The oldest still in operation is the [[Ospedàl da Pìeta]], founded in 1508 as a charitable {{wp|hostel}} for the sickly poor. The [[Ospedàl Marìn]] (''Naval Hospital''), founded in 1680 to meet the needs of ill sailors, is one of the world's leading research institutions for tropical diseases and nutrition. The [[University of Montecara#Hospital|University of Montecara Hospital]], which is owned by the [[University of Montecara]] but jointly operated by the University and Sanità Montecara, is the main {{wp|teaching hospital}}.
Despite its generally strong health metrics, Montecara still ranks high in terms of smoking prevalence and per-capita alcohol consumption. More than four in ten Montecaran adults report smoking at least occasionally, and pure alcohol consumption stands at about 12 liters per person per year. Smoking in restaurants was only banned in [[Popular Assembly (Montecara)#2021 September|2021]] and is still allowed in bars, and the country is one of the last in eastern Euclea to have nearly unregulated, 24-hour access to tobacco through {{wp|Cigarette machine|cigarette vending machines}}. Montecaran voters have historically been loath to limit smoking, in part because the neighborhood ''[[sfumerìa]]'' is a cherished institution that by definition sells tobacco products. These shops are beloved icons of Montecaran life and an important source of support for the often disabled or otherwise disadvantaged operators, who are preferentially licensed as a form of social welfare.


==Culture==
==Culture==
[[File:Liberti Italia 1861.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[Dòna Cara]], personification of Montecara]]
[[File:Liberti Italia 1861.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Aurelia (personification)|Aurelia]], personification of Montecara]]
Montecara has a [[Solarian Republic|Solarian]] culture that highly values aesthetics, a rich social life, and liberality, among other ideals. It is {{wp|National personification|personified}} by [[Dòna Cara]], depicted as a woman wearing a {{wp|mural crown}} representing the city's walls. It is her face that the country's namesake mountain is supposed to resemble. Other national symbols include the {{wp|cormorant}}, the national animal, and the ''xinòta'' tree, which bears the sour citrus that is a common flavoring for drinks and sweets. The pygmy goat, though unofficial, is widely thought of as symbolic of Montecara as well.  
Montecara has a [[Solarian Republic|Solarian]] culture that highly values aesthetics, a rich social life, and liberality, among other ideals. It is {{wp|National personification|personified}} by [[Aurelia (personification)|Aurelia]], depicted as a woman wearing a {{wp|mural crown}} representing the city's walls. It is her face that the country's namesake mountain is supposed to resemble. Other national symbols include the ''xinòta'' tree, which bears the sour citrus that is a common flavoring for drinks and sweets, and the {{wp|Feral goat|goat}}, which thrives on Montecara's craggy hillsides.


=== Art ===
=== Art ===
[[File:Giovanni Battista Tiepolo 080.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Tixàn Vecèlo]], ''Neptune Offering the Wealth of the Sea to Montecara'']]
[[File:Giovanni Battista Tiepolo 080.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Tixàn Vecèlo]], ''Neptune Offering the Wealth of the Sea to Montecara'']]
Montecara has a strong fine-art tradition, particularly exemplified by the paintings produced during its [[Montecaran Golden Age|Golden Age]]. Montecaran art was known in this period for its use of vivid color and majestic subject matter, including classical themes and rich interiors. [[Tixàn Vecèlo]] is perhaps Montecara's most famous painter, and his masterpiece, ''Neptune Offering the Wealth of the Sea to Montecara'', hangs in the [[Palaço Pùblico]] and is depicted on the [[Montecaran libra|50-libra banknote]].
Montecara has a strong fine-art tradition, particularly exemplified by the paintings produced during the Montecaran Golden Age of the 14th and 15th centuries. Montecaran art was known in this period for its use of vivid color and majestic subject matter, including classical themes and rich interiors. [[Tixàn Vecèlo]] is perhaps Montecara's most famous painter, and his masterpiece, ''Neptune Offering the Wealth of the Sea to Montecara'', hangs in the [[Palaço Pùblico]].


The [[Palaço dei Doxi]], the former palace of the [[Doxe of Montecara]], is now a museum with a collection ranging from ancient times to the present day. The [[Galerìa Sufrèxi]], one of the world's most visited museums, houses one of the world's finest collections of Solarian, Medieval, Renaissance, and Neoclassical art. Begun as the private collection of a wealthy merchant, it is now publicly owned.
The [[Palaço dei Doxi]], the former palace of the [[Doxe of Montecara]], is now a museum with a collection ranging from ancient times to the present day. The [[Galerìa Sufrèxi]], one of the world's most visited museums, houses one of the world's finest collections of Solarian, Medieval, Renaissance, and Neoclassical art. Begun as the private collection of a wealthy merchant, it is now publicly owned.


=== Architecture ===
=== Architecture ===
[[File:Villa Pisani.jpg|thumbnail|right|[[Arnòld di Buçhe]], ''Principia architecturae'']]
[[File:Villa Pisani.jpg|thumbnail|left|[[Arnòld di Buçhe]], ''Principia architecturae'']]
The Montecaran architectural tradition stretches back to the Solarian Republic, which brought its expertise in engineering to the city. Traces of Solarian architecture, including extensive brickwork, arches, vaults, stucco exteriors, mosaic floors, and wall frescoes can still be seen in contemporary buildings.  
The Montecaran architectural tradition stretches back to the Solarian Republic, which brought its expertise in engineering to the city. Legacies of Solarian architecture, including extensive brickwork, arches, vaults, stucco exteriors, mosaic floors, and wall frescoes can still be seen in contemporary buildings.  


Montecaran architecture developed its own style beginning in the late 12th and early 13th centuries under the influence of the master [[Arnòld di Buçhe]], whose treatise ''Principia architecturae'' (''Principles of Architecture'') is still recognized as a world masterpiece in itself. The main body of his work consisted of villas for Montecara's senatorial and patrician class, most of which are still standing.
Montecaran architecture developed its own style beginning in the late 12th and early 13th centuries under the influence of the master [[Arnòld di Buçhe]], whose treatise ''Principia architecturae'' (''Principles of Architecture'') is still recognized as a world masterpiece in itself. The main body of his work consisted of villas for Montecara's senatorial and patrician class, most of which are still standing.


Architecture has generally been well-preserved. It is illegal to demolish or substantially alter historic structures, and building designs must be approved by the state architectural review board before construction. Except for in industrial areas, Montecara has a remarkably coherent architectural vocabulary that remains true to its traditions.
The state enforces strict historic preservation laws. It is illegal to demolish or substantially alter historic structures, and building designs must be approved by the state architectural review board before construction or renovation. The historic center is particularly well-preserved and was inscribed on the [[Community of Nations]] list of World Heritage Sites at the first session in 1995.<ref name="World Heritage Sites">{{cite web |title=World Heritage |url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OkQ3fB-fRv9ouS8-wcdwYhnhtwT_dBC90FM0hV_ME8A/edit#gid=849723227 |url-status=live |publisher=[[Community of Nations|CONESCO World Heritage]] |access-date=3 November 2023}}</ref>
 
=== Broadcast and print media ===
{{main|Media of Montecara}}
Montecara's state-owned television and radio broadcaster is [[Teleràdio Montecarà]]. It operates three television and two radio channels and is supported by a [[Taxation in Montecara|license fee]] applied to cable television, Internet service, and cellular data bills.
 
Of Montecara's four domestic newspapers, the most circulated is ''[[Media of Montecara#Newspapers|Il Finansiér]]'', which publishes financial news. Its international Gaullican-language edition is distributed worldwide.
 
=== Cinema ===
[[File:Montecara Film Festival logo.svg|thumb|Logo of the Montecara Film Festival]]
Montecara has a strong filmmaking tradition going back to at least the 1930s, with the classic ''[[Il Paradiso]]'' still a household name and widely considered the greatest Montecaran film of all time.
 
The [[Montecara Film Festival]] is the event for which the country is best known, so much so that references to "Montecara" in global media often refer to the festival rather than the country. Held since 1937, the festival is the world's premier event for serious, artistic films. It draws the world's most famous celebrities to the country for a week every October. The festival has greatly contributed to Montecara's reputation as a playground for the glamorous elite and a beacon of style.


=== Cuisine ===
=== Cuisine ===
{{main|Montecaran cuisine}}
{{main|Montecaran cuisine}}
Montecara must import nearly all of its basic foodstuffs because of its lack of arable land. It does, however, harvest a great deal of seafood, which is reflected in traditional dishes. The limited farmland is devoted to high-value crops suitable to the climate, mainly grapes (mainly for wine production), citrus, coffee, saffron (''zafràn''), and flowers.  
Montecara must import nearly all of its basic foodstuffs because of its lack of arable land. It does, however, harvest a great deal of seafood, which is reflected in traditional dishes. The limited farmland is devoted to high-value crops suitable to the climate, mainly grapes (for wine production), olives, and citrus.  


[[File:Grappoli di uva vespaiola in appassimento tradizionale.jpg|thumbnail|Spaiòl grapes drying indoors]]
Montecara's access to the sea has led to a great variety of specialties making use of local fish and shellfish. Cuttlefish braised in ink, fried sardines, and ''bixàto'', or roast eel, are all typical dishes. Fowl is also a traditional favorite, especially duck and other water birds, and duck eggs are still more popular than their chicken-borne counterparts. Songbirds were also eaten in large numbers up to the 1980s, when their capture was banned by environmental legislation. Montecara is on a major {{wp|flyway}}, so stakes covered in {{wp|birdlime}} (''vignòla'') were used to catch birds for culinary use. Though illegal, it is reportedly still possible to find some chefs who will prepare songbirds in the traditional manner. Meat from land animals is a small part of the diet and consists mainly of goat and lamb, though cheese (mainly goat-based) is ubiquitous. The principal cooking fat is olive oil, with duck fat also playing an important role.


Montecara's access to the sea and long culinary tradition has led to a great variety of specialties making use of local ingredients. Cuttlefish braised in ink, fried sardines, and ''bixàto'', or roast eel, are all typical dishes. Fowl is also a traditional favorite, especially duck and other water birds, and duck eggs are still more popular than their chicken-borne counterparts. Songbirds were also eaten in large numbers up to the 1980s, when their capture was banned by environmental legislation. Montecara is on a major {{wp|flyway}}, so stakes covered in {{wp|birdlime}} (''vignòla'') were used to catch birds for culinary use. Though illegal, it is reportedly still possible to find some chefs who will prepare songbirds in the traditional manner. Meat from land animals is a small part of the diet and consists mainly of goat and pork, though cheese (mainly goat-based) is ubiquitous. The principal cooking fat is duck fat, with olive and sunflower oils assuming lesser roles.
[[File:Blood orange - 24567306603.jpg|thumb|left|''Xinòta'' cut in half]]


Historically, rice (''rixo'') was the supreme staple food for Montecarans. There was always some domestic production, but Montecarans have relied on the sea trade for the bulk of their rice import for centuries. This is reflected in traditional dishes such as ''rixoto'', a soupy preparation of rice simmered in broth, and ''rixi e bixi'', rice and peas cooked together. In modern times, corn (''biàva'') is even more popular than rice, and is used to make bread, ''polènta'', and many other dishes.  
Historically, rice (''rixo'') was the supreme staple food for Montecarans. There was always some domestic production, but Montecarans have relied on the sea trade for the bulk of their rice import for centuries. This is reflected in traditional dishes such as ''rixoto'', a soupy preparation of rice simmered in broth, and ''rixi e bixi'', rice and peas cooked together.


Montecarans generally have a light breakfast on the way to work or school at cafés or stalls located throughout the city. This often consists of a pastry, sandwich, or fruit accompanied by coffee or juice. There is a traditional mid-morning break for coffee around 11:00, and shops and offices often close briefly to allow for this. Lunch, usually the largest meal of the day, is eaten around 14:00 to 15:00, and workers generally take a full hour to do so, often eating at home. Dinner is eaten at about 21:00.  
Montecarans generally have a light breakfast on the way to work or school at cafés or stalls located throughout the city. This often consists of a pastry, sandwich, or fruit accompanied by coffee or juice. There is a traditional mid-morning break for coffee around 11:00, and shops and offices often close briefly to allow for this. Lunch, usually the largest meal of the day, is eaten around 14:00 to 15:00, and workers generally take a full hour to do so, often eating at home. Dinner is eaten at about 21:00.  
[[File:Bergamot_orange_cross_section.jpg|thumb|left|''Xinòta'' cut in half]]


Montecara produces wine in a range of styles and varietals, but by far the most popular type, and the one most closely associated with Montecara's culinary identity, is ''xàca'', a {{wp|fortified wine}} made from white grapes. Three varietals enjoy protected status as heirloom crops in Montecaran law, all white grapes: Garganèga, Verdùxo, and Spaiòl. Garganèga is used to make still wine noted for its lemon and almond notes, Verdùxo is favored for the sparkling white Caràxa, and Spaiòl is used to make both a golden {{wp|dessert wine}} with notes of honeysuckle and apricot and a light, acidic still wine. All three are used to make ''xàca'', which can range in color and sugar content from nearly clear and dry to almost black and very sweet. Under Montecaran law, only wine that is produced from 100% domestic grapes can be sold as "Montecaran wine" (''vin Montecarà''). Montecara has high per-capita alcohol consumption rates, and in addition to wine, beer and spirits are popular.
Montecara produces wine in a range of styles and varietals, but by far the most popular type, and the one most closely associated with Montecara's culinary identity, is ''xàca'', a {{wp|fortified wine}} made from white grapes. Three varietals enjoy protected status as heirloom crops in Montecaran law, all white grapes: Garganèga, Verdùxo, and Spaiòl. Garganèga is used to make still wine noted for its lemon and almond notes, Verdùxo is favored for the sparkling white Caràxa, and Spaiòl is used to make both a golden {{wp|dessert wine}} with notes of honeysuckle and apricot and a light, acidic still wine. All three are used to make ''xàca'', which can range in color and sugar content from nearly clear and dry to almost black and very sweet. Under Montecaran law, only wine that is produced from 100% domestic grapes can be sold as "Montecaran wine" (''vin Montecarà''). Montecara has high per-capita alcohol consumption rates, and in addition to wine, beer and spirits are popular.
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Special foods are eaten around {{wp|Easter}}. These include ''galani'', a rum-flavored fried pastry served with lemon zest, and ''pandòr'', a sweet egg bread. Easter lunch traditionally includes a feast of seven different types of fish, the exact components of which vary but which generally include clams, scallops, salt cod, anchovy, and sea snails.
Special foods are eaten around {{wp|Easter}}. These include ''galani'', a rum-flavored fried pastry served with lemon zest, and ''pandòr'', a sweet egg bread. Easter lunch traditionally includes a feast of seven different types of fish, the exact components of which vary but which generally include clams, scallops, salt cod, anchovy, and sea snails.


===Media===
[[File:Palermo-Teatro-Massimo-bjs2007-02.jpg|thumb|300px|left|The [[Teàtro Cavalarìça]]]]
{{main|Media of Montecara}}
[[File:IlFinan.png|200px|thumb]]
Montecara's state-owned television and radio broadcaster is [[Telèradio Montecara]]. It operates three television and two radio channels and is supported by a [[Taxation in Montecara|license fee]] applied to cable television, Internet service, and cellular data bills.
 
Of Montecara's four domestic newspapers, the most circulated is ''[[Media of Montecara#Newspapers|Il Finansiér]]'', which publishes financial news. Its international Gaullican-language edition is distributed worldwide.


=== Music ===
=== Music ===
[[File:Palermo-Teatro-Massimo-bjs2007-02.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Càxa da Òpera]]]]
Montecara has a strong operatic and orchestral musical tradition dating back to the first operas written in the early 17th century. Because the arts in republican Montecara were supported by public funds and not only wealthy patrons, it was until the late 18th century the only place in the world where opera could be seen by the general public, who were able to simply buy tickets.  


Montecara has a strong operatic and orchestral musical tradition dating back to the first operas written in the early 17th century. Indeed, because the arts in republican Montecara were supported by public funds rather than by wealthy patrons, it was until the late 18th century the only place in the world where opera could be seen by the general public, who were able to simply buy tickets.
The main venue for opera performance is the [[Teàtro Cavalarìça]], a 19th-century house that premiered the works of Montecara's most famous composer, [[Giacopò Verxì]]. It still hosts regular operatic performances throughout the year. A classical conservatory, the [[Academìa da Mùsica]], fosters young musicians.
 
The main venue for opera performance is the [[Càxa da Òpera]], a 19th-century house that premiered the works of Montecara's most famous composer, [[Giacopò Verxì]]. It still hosts regular operatic performances throughout the year.  
 
The city-state's classical music conservatory is the [[Academìa da Mùsica]], which fosters young musicians and maintains its own orchestra, the [[Academìa da Mùsica#Sinfònia da Academìa|Sinfònia da Academìa]]. The youngest of Montecara's orchestras is the [[Telèradio Montecara|Orxèstra di Radio Montecara]], best known for its live performances on [[Telèradio Montecara|Radio Montecara]]. It performs at the [[Telèradio Montecara#Sàla de Mùsica|Sàla de Mùsica di Radio Montecara]].


===Sport===
===Sport===
[[File:MCCrest.png|200px|thumb|The crest of the Montecaran men's national football team]]
[[File:MCCrest.png|200px|thumb|The crest of the Montecaran men's national football team]]
{{wp|Association football}} is by far the most popular participant and spectator sport in Montecara. The [[Montecara national football team]] is the city-state's national men's team and [[SDB Montecara]] is the top professional football club. Both play home games at the [[Arena de Montecara]], a modern stadium with a seating capacity of 35,000.  
{{wp|Association football}} is by far the most popular participant and spectator sport in Montecara. The [[Montecara national football team|men's national team]], nicknamed the "King-Killers" (''I Matarrè''), represents Montecara in international competition. The top professional club, [[SB Montecara]], plays in the Gaullican [[Super Ligue]].


Before the advent of football in the early twentieth century, Montecarans enjoyed traditional sports and games, some of which still survive, albeit with reduced popularity. ''[[Montecaran bilòta|Xugo da bilòta]]'', commonly known in other countries as Montecaran bilota, is a handball game played against a wall by teams or individuals and is still frequently played by children in Montecara's narrow streets and as a betting game at the ''frontò'' associated with the state casino. ''Bòxio'' is a bowling game traditionally played on wet beach sand at low tide.  
Before the advent of football in the early twentieth century, Montecarans enjoyed traditional sports and games, some of which still survive. ''[[Montecaran bilòta|Xugo da bilòta]]'', commonly known in other countries as Montecaran bilota, is a handball game played against a wall by teams or individuals and is still frequently played by children in Montecara's narrow streets and as a betting game at the ''frontò'' associated with the state casino. ''Bòxio'' is a bowling game traditionally played on wet beach sand at low tide.  


Montecara is also host to an indoor velodrome and swimming facility and the historic grass tennis courts at the [[Club Raquèt de la Croxa]].
Montecara is also host to an indoor velodrome and swimming facility and the historic {{wp|Clay court|clay}} tennis courts at the [[Club Raquèts da Cròxa]].


===Holidays===
===Holidays===
Every Sunday is a public holiday in Montecara in addition to the other declared holidays. Public holidays are mandatory in Montecara, with shops, businesses, and public institutions required to close. Workers in Montecara typically receive at least four weeks' paid vacation time per year in addition to public holidays.
Every Sunday is a public holiday, and with very limited exceptions, shops must be closed all day. Workers in Montecara typically receive at least four weeks' paid vacation time per year in addition to public holidays.  
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
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!Name
!Name
!Montecaran name
!Montecaran name
!Notes
|-
|-
| 1 January
| 1 January
| {{wp|New Year’s Day}}
| {{wp|New Year’s Day}}
| ''il Capodàn''
| ''il Capodàn''
| Also the {{wp|Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God}}.
|-
|-
| 6 January
| 6 January
| {{wp|Epiphany}}
| {{wp|Epiphany}}
| ''ia Epifània''
| ''ia Epifània''
|
|-
|-
| 21 January
| 12 February
| {{wp|Agnes of Rome|Feast of Saint Agnes}}
| [[Victory Day (Kylaris)|Victory Day]]{{efn|Commemorates the end of the [[Great War (Kylaris)|Great War]] in 1935 and the end of the Etrurian occupation on 10 February 1946.}}
| ''Fèsta da Sànt' Agnès''
|
|-
| 10 February
| Victory Day
| ''Fèsta da vitòria''
| ''Fèsta da vitòria''
| Commemorates victory ending the [[Great War (Kylaris)|Great War]].
|-
|-
| ''The Friday before Easter''
| ''The Friday before Easter''
| {{wp|Good Friday}}
| {{wp|Good Friday}}
| ''Sànta veneri''
| ''Sànta veneri''
|
|-
|-
| ''Movable Sunday between 22 March and 25 April''
| ''Movable Sunday between 22 March and 25 April''
| {{wp|Easter Sunday}}
| {{wp|Easter Sunday}}
| ''Pàscua''
| ''Pàscua''
|
|-
|-
| ''The day after Easter''
| ''The day after Easter''
| {{wp|Easter Monday}}
| {{wp|Easter Monday}}
| ''Pasquètta''
| ''Pascuèta''
|
|-
|-
| 18 April
| 16 April
| Regicide Day
| {{wp|National day|Independence Day}}{{efn|Commemorates independence from [[Functionalist Gaullica]] in 1935.}}
| ''[[Fèsta di rexeçìdo]]''
| ''Fèsta da independènça''
| {{wp|National day}}. Commemorates the assassination of dictator [[Piero de' Malatesta]] on this date in 515.
|-
| 28 April
| [[Liberation Day]]
| ''Fèsta da liberaxòn''
| Commemorates the end of the [[Gaullica|Gaullican]] occupation in 1935.
|-
|-
| 1 May
| 1 May
| {{wp|International Workers' Day}}
| {{wp|International Workers' Day}}
| ''Fèsta dei lavoratòri''
| ''Fèsta dei lavoratòri''
| Commemorates the achievements of workers and the labor movement.
|-
| ''Thursday 39 days after Easter''
| {{wp|Feast of the Ascension}}
| ''Fèsta da ascenxiò''
|-
| ''Monday 50 days after Easter''
| {{wp|Pentecost Monday}}
| ''Luni di Pentecòst''
|-
|-
| 15 August
| 15 August
| {{wp|Assumption of Mary}}
| {{wp|Assumption of Mary}}
| ''Fèsta da asunxòn de Marìa''
| ''Fèsta da asunxòn de Marìa''
|
|-
|-
| 1 November
| 1 November
| {{wp|All Saints' Day}}
| {{wp|All Saints' Day}}
| ''Ognisànti''
| ''Onnisànti''
|
|-
|-
| 8 December
| 8 December
| {{wp|Feast of the Immaculate Conception}}
| {{wp|Feast of the Immaculate Conception}}
| ''Fèsta da conxeptimènt inmacolàda''
| ''Fèsta da conxeptimènt inmacolàt''
|
|-
|-
| 25 December
| 25 December
| {{wp|Christmas}}
| {{wp|Christmas|Nativity}}
| ''Nadàl''
| ''Nadàl''
|
|-
|-
| 26 December
| 26 December
| {{wp|Feast of Saint Stephen}}
| {{wp|Feast of Saint Stephen}}
| ''Fèsta di San Stefàn''
| ''Fèsta di San Stefàn''
|
|-
|-
|}
|}
{{notelist}}


{{Template:Montecara topics}}
== References ==
 
<references />
{{Montecara topics|state=expanded}}
{{Template:Countries in Kylaris}}
[[Category:Montecara]]
[[Category:Montecara]]
[[Category:Countries]]
[[Category:Countries (Kylaris)]]
[[Category:Liberal democracies]]
[[Category:Cities (Kylaris)]]
[[Category:Republics]]
[[Category:Unitary states]]
[[Category:Kylaris]]
[[Category:Cities]]

Latest revision as of 06:43, 3 February 2024

Montecaran Republic

Repùblica Montecarà
Motto: Virtus nostrum tutamen
"Virtue is our safeguard" (Solarian)
Anthem: Inno dei Populi
"Hymn of the People"
MC-topographic.png
Capital
and largest city
Montecara
WMA button2b.png 39°40′N 83°15′W
Official languagesMontecaran
Demonym(s)Montecaran
GovernmentDirectorial republic
Direct democracy
College of State
LegislatureSenate and Popular Assembly
Establishment
• City founded
542 BCE
• Republic established
426 CE
• Independence from Functionalist Gaullica
16 April 1935
• Current constitution
9 July 1936
• Liberation from Etrurian occupation
10 February 1946
Area
• Total
1,145.43 km2 (442.25 sq mi)
• Water (%)
14.28
• Land area
981.82 km2 (379.08 sq mi)
Population
• 2023a estimate
1,801,328
• Density
1,834/km2 (4,750.0/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2023a estimate
• Total
$153,136 million
• Per capita
$85,013
GDP (nominal)2023a estimate
• Total
$158,955 million
• Per capita
$88,243
Gini (2023a)Negative increase 50.1
high
HDI (2023a)Increase 0.956
very high
CurrencyMontecaran libra (MCL)
Time zoneUTC+00:00
Date formatyyyy-mm-dd (official)
dd-mm-yyyy (common use)
Driving sideright
Calling code+106
Internet TLD.mc
  1. As of 1 January 2023

Montecara (Montecaran: /ˌmon.teˈkä.ɾä/), officially the Montecaran Republic (Montecaran: Repùblica Montecarà), is a city-state of approximately 1.8 million people located in Eastern Euclea. It consists of a main island and scattered islets strategically located in the middle of the Aurean Straits between Euclea and Coius where the Solarian Sea meets the Gulf of Assonaire, the narrowest point of the world's busiest sea lane. It shares maritime borders with the Paretian kingdom of Luzela and the Tsabaran province of Natanya. Montecara is noted for its unique government and rich history and culture, and for being one of the smallest and wealthiest nations in the world.

Montecara is governed under a directorial system system based on nonpartisan, direct democracy, setting it apart from almost all modern states. Every citizen aged 20 and older is a member of the legislature, either in the Popular Assembly (Senblèa Popolà), the lower house, or the Senate (Senàt), the upper house. The College of State, a seven-member body elected by the Senate from among its members, is the collective head of government and makes executive decisions by consensus.

The Montecaran economy is highly developed and specialized and one of the most open in the world. The state is a major financial center and offshore banking hub and maintains an open ship registry, with the result that nearly one in five of the world's merchant ships is Montecaran-flagged. The state controls a large number of corporations under the umbrella of Montepietà, the sovereign wealth fund, which feeds dividends back to the public treasury. The state assess no income, capital gains, estate, or dividends taxes, which makes it an attractive location for wealthy individuals and multinational firms but has also led critics to label it a tax haven. Montecara is a free port and levies almost no tariffs. The currency is the Montecaran libra.

While not a member of the Euclean Community, Montecara participates in several Euclean institutions. It is in the Zilverzee Area and Euclean Common Defense Treaty Organization (ECDTO). Montecara is home to the Aurean Forum and the secretariat of the Concordance eucléenne.

Because of its considerable age and natural limits to growth as an island state with rugged terrain, Montecara boasts a dense and walkable urban environment surrounded by well-preserved areas of natural beauty. These factors have contributed to making Montecara one of the world's premier tourist destinations, with an estimated 7.1 million visitor arrivals in 2017.

Etymology

The mountain, namesake of the city-state

Little is known about what early human settlers in Montecara called the island. The first written record that provides a definitive name is a tablet discovered near Bayadha in northern Tsabara dated to approximately 1000 BCE which refers to 𐤇𐤉𐤌 (ḥym), possibly a compound formed from roots meaning "sea" and "enclosure." Ancient Piraeans referred to the island as Πύλαι (Púlai), likely from a root meaning "gateway." The current name comes from the Solarian roots for "mountain" and "face," evidently from the striking rock formation that dominates Montecara's skyline.

History

Prehistory

A land bridge connecting Euclea and Coius formed approximately 5.5 million years ago, becoming a much broader connection between the two continents during the last ice age before reverting to a narrow isthmus amid rising sea levels by 17,000 BCE. Because of its strategic location, the Montecaran land bridge became the primary migration route for early humans leaving Coius for Euclea.

By the end of the ice age in approximately 9000 BCE, Montecara had assumed its present island form. With the dissolution of the land bridge, the island became a semi-permanent place of refuge for tribes which sustained themselves by fishing in its protected bay along trips up and down the Euclean and Coian coasts in a form of marine nomadism.

Classical period

The old city, including Solarian ruins

Piraean sailors reached Montecara in the early sixth century BCE and recognized its usefulness as a natural harbor and place of abundant fish. A permanent colony soon followed, with the exact year of Montecara's foundation as a city traditionally given as 542 BCE.

Montecara was conquered by forces of the Solarian Republic in 259 BCE. The city would remain part of the Solarian world for nearly seven centuries, with Solarian civilization leaving a profound mark on Montecaran government, language, art, and culture that endures to this day.

The Solarians wasted little time in recognizing Montecara's economic value. The expansive natural harbor offered protection for seafarers and made it easy to harvest abundant stocks of shellfish. Perhaps even more importantly, the Salt Lagoon was a readily accessible source of sea salt thanks to its vast, shallow expanse and Montecara's warm climate, which allowed for easy and inexpensive solar evaporation. Early trade was organized around fishing, salting the catch, and then exporting it to other parts of the Republic. Archaeological records indicate that the salted fish trade was being exploited on an industrial scale by the middle of the first century BCE.

The city remained part of the Solarian world through the fall of the Republic and birth of the Empire in 15 CE. Central authority began to crumble in the early fourth century CE, and after a series of civil wars exhausted the state's resources, the last Imperial troops withdrew from Montecara in 426.

Middle ages

Capràxi, Presentation of the Doxe on the day of his election, 1296

By the early fifth century, Montecara had been left largely to fend for itself. The population dwindled as Solarian civilization receded, drying up trade and leaving infrastructure to crumble. Montecara was once again a minor fishing settlement and trading post that fought off occasional seaborne raids, only surviving thanks to its sheltered location and Solarian-built defenses. It existed amid a patchwork of other city-states, feudal holdings, and petty kingdoms that had been left behind as civilization faded.

It differed from them, however, in its advantageous geography and stable governance. Because the city's leading families recognized their need to band together in a world of hostile pirates and barbarians but were also determined not to let any one family grow too powerful, they maintained the city-state's Solarian civic republicanism. Emulating the government of the old Republic, they formed a Senate of prominent family chiefs who chose a leader from among themselves. This official was called the Doxe (from Solarian dux, "leader"), and he served for life as primus inter pares. This in turn strengthened the state's identity and gave its rulers a sense that they had a stake in the common good, and that they could not simply rule for their own profit and power.

From the sixth through the tenth centuries, Montecara grew considerably in might as its fleet grew from fishing boats to powerful galleys. As the fleet reached far-flung ports, mariners set up colonies and trading posts around the Solarian Sea that reached deep into the hinterland. Citizen-soldiers were augmented by large numbers of mercenaries recruited from abroad. This colonial thalassocracy became known as the Stado Ultramarìn (Ultramarine State). The city-state's newfound naval power enabled it to negotiate treaties with other states that granted it trade concessions in exchange for naval protection. Montecara's stores of salt and preserved fish made it an important trade destination, and the salt tax (gabèla) became a major source of state income. Merchant fleets were supported by an increasingly elaborate financial system that included some of the first precursors to joint-stock corporations by the early 1300s.

This period also laid the foundation of Montecara's formidable banking sector as the process of financing trade became formalized. Lending money at interest was considered unholy, so Montecaran merchants skirted around the practice in various ways, for instance by lending in one currency or precious metal and requiring payment in another, higher-valued alternative. As these arrangements became common, the taboo against moneylending faded, and the forerunners of modern banks were founded in the twelfth century. Montecarans also laid the groundwork for the modern system of government bonds, in large part thanks to the fact that, as a republic, creditors did not need to fear that a truculent king or prince might refuse to pay back the loans that had been issued to him personally. Montecaran credit was the responsibility of the state as a whole, which greatly increased lenders' confidence that they would be paid back and thus allowed Montecara to borrow at far lower rates than would have been offered to monarchs. This cheap credit was reinvested in infrastructure, naval power, and early industry, providing Montecara with a key advantage against other polities of the era.

The elite used their wealth to fund great achievements in art and architecture, including the Basìlica di San Stefàn (completed circa 1290). Wealthy merchant families patronized authors, playwrights, composers, acting troupes, and musicians, even outbidding each other to secure the most fashionable artists for their households. Fashion, too, became a focus of elite life, with the most expensive outfits fetching sums large enough to buy an apartment.

This period of growth and prosperity also had a dark side. The Montecaran economy became reliant on an exploitative trade system based on plantation-grown coffee, spices, cocoa, sugar, and tobacco, and most notoriously, the Coian slaves who produced these lucrative crops. Montecara became a hub of the slave trade by the mid-16th century. Captives from Coius and western Euclea were brought in fetters to Montecara to be sold, often being reexported to continental Euclea. The most common use for slaves sold in Montecaran markets was as agricultural labor; women, considered more useful for domestic purposes, fetched a premium, and eunuchs were some of the most valuable slaves of all. This meant that a lively trade in these castrati arose, and slave-trading houses often employed a professional castratòr to neuter prepubescent boys. The long tradition of castrati in Montecaran music is one of the curious legacies of this period. The Montecaran slave trade was finally abolished only in 1820, though slavery was banned on Montecaran soil in 1758 due to fear of slave rebellions.

Early modern period

Maestro de Barxi, Harbor scene with Montecaran and foreign sailors, c. 1750
Doxe Aldobrànd Campaneli, 1610

Montecara's navy, which boasted over 3,000 vessels at its height, was made increasingly obsolete during the seventeenth century by the widespread adoption of large sail-powered vessels in place of sail-and-oar ships. Montecaran commanders, who had always favored large crews of oarsmen to power their warships, were hampered by intransigence and soon found their military edge dulling. The republic gradually lost many of its overseas territories to hostile neighbors throughout the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

Occupation by the Etrurian First Republic

Forces of the Etrurian First Republic led by General Giorlamo lodare-Dio Schiave invaded and occupied Montecara on 31 July 1792, resulting in the loss of Montecaran sovereignty for the first time in over 1300 years.

Gaullican rule

Control of Montecara passed to the Gaullicans after the end of the Etrurian revolutionary wars, and Montecara came under the dominion of the Gaullican Empire on 12 August 1810. It would remain Gaullican territory for the next 125 years. Gaullican geopolitical theorists, most notably Hugues Subercaseaux, emphasized Montecara's strategic importance as the keystone of the Euclo-Coian Transition Zone, a theory developed after Gaullica annexed Montecara and large portions of modern Tsabara to justify Gaullican imperialism in the region.

Throughout the 19th century, the Gaullicans ruled Montecara with a light touch. Although Gaullican became the language of government and higher education, there was no organized effort to Gaullify Montecaran society. Montecaran language and culture remained lively among the common people, and Montecaran-language newspapers and books remained freely published. Because graduates of the University of Montecara were all by necessity fluent in Gaullican, they were often recruited as administrators by the imperial government, which had the effect of creating a relatively wealthy pro-Gaullican faction in Montecaran society. Montecara was legally part of metropolitan Gaullica and was represented in the imperial Senate, with adult male suffrage

The Gaullicans built important infrastructure, modernizing the Port of Montecara and building the island's first railroads, modern sewer system, and electric and gas lines. Montecarans were often recruited into the Gaullican Navy and merchant marine, where their expertise at seafaring was valued. Social progress accompanied the industrial revolution, and Gaullica banned child labor in 1867 and created Montecara's first system of public schools in the 1880s. Universal male suffrage was established in 1889.

Montecara was, along with the rest of the empire, brought under the rule of the functionalist Parti Populaire on 7 October 1920. Socially, Gaullican functionalism was a backlash against the modernizing trends of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The government imposed strict Catholic social and religious mores; it closed brothels and attempted to "rehabilitate" sex workers by confining them in workhouses and convents, which forced the sex trade underground and made it far more dangerous for those who still plied it. The regime was stridently opposed to homosexuality and shuttered meeting places, especially bars and clubs, that were seen to have an LGBT clientele. Inter-community relations between Solarian Montecarans and Atudites, many of whom had roots in Montecara that were centuries-deep, deteriorated as the government promoted an ethno-racial hierarchy and attempted to forcibly assimilate minorities by encouraging the intermarriage of ethnic Solarian men and minority women. The regime lasted fifteen years until the defeat of the Gaullican Empire in the Great War.

Independence and interwar period

The reassembled Senate proclaimed independence on 16 April 1935, making Montecara independent for the first time in 142 years.

Solarian War

A Montecaran boy in the ruins of his home, February 1946

The Etrurian Revolutionary Republic, formed in 1938 under the rule of Supreme Leader Ettore Caviglia, had an ambition of rebuilding the ancient Solarian Empire. The assimilation of Montecara was to be a key part of this plan, both for its strategic location and for its idealized status as a bastion of Solarian civilization.

Etrurian forces landed in Montecara early on the morning of 4 March 1944. The Etrurians soon organized a referendum, later proved to be fraudulent, that legitimized the occupation and formally made Montecara part of the Etrurian state. Montecara would remain under occupation for nearly two years. CN forces attacked and liberated Montecara over the course of 8–10 February 1946.

Geography

Exposed limestone cliffs along the eastern coast
The caldera
Islands of Montecara
Name Area
Montecara 980 km²
Lazarèt 1.07 km²
Oçì 7.598 hectares (0.076 km2)
Romìta 6,305 square metres (0.63 ha)
Incùda 4,321 square metres (0.43 ha)

Montecara consists of an archipelago in the Aurean Straits dominated by its largest island, officially called the Island of Montecara but referred to locally as ia Ixolòna ("the Big Island"). It measures approximately 54 kilometers across its extreme points. It is nearly cut in half by an immense natural harbor, the Bay of Montecara, which has sheltered vessels and provided food to local inhabitants for millennia. The bay is considered part of Montecara's integral territorial waters. The outer, ocean-facing coastline includes the Salt Lagoon, a natural area of shallow water enclosed by levees that is so named because it has been exploited as a ready source of sea salt since antiquity. The island's coastline measures just over 303 kilometers. Other islands adjacent to the main island include Lazarèt and Incùda, a barrier islands at the mouth of the Salt Lagoon, and Oçì, an islet in the Bay of Montecara that has hosted a small monastic community for over a thousand years. The smallest and most remote island belonging to Montecara is Romìta, a barren islet just over two kilometers off the northern coast.

The islands and surrounding region have a topography of rugged cliffs and cavernous rock formations formed mostly of limestone. This exposed stone has long provided locals with a readily accessible building material but has limited the island's arable land, one of the main factors motivating Montecara's long reliance on trade and emphasis on fishing. Despite its small size, Montecara features dramatic changes in elevation. Its highest point is the peak of ia Coronèla at 1,231 meters above sea level, and parts of the island have cliffs of 30 meters or more that drop off into the sea. Sitting below the peak is the mountain's caldera, a lake with a surface area of approximately 13 square kilometers and a shorline of approximately 30 kilometers. It has a volume of about 0.26 cubic kilometers, an average depth of about 22 meters, and a maximum depth of just under 50 meters. Geological hazards include sinkholes and earthquakes.

Climate

Montecara is situated 39 degrees north of the equator at the point where two continents and two seas touch. This geography creates wind and sea currents that moderate the often hot climate at this latitude. Montecara has a mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa), with mild winters and hot summers. Higher elevations are considerably cooler and wetter than the coast.

Climate data for Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport (1997–2022, extremes 1920–2022)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 21.5
(70.7)
21.6
(70.9)
27.2
(81.0)
27.7
(81.9)
30.7
(87.3)
34.4
(93.9)
39.6
(103.3)
37.8
(100.0)
34.5
(94.1)
31.3
(88.3)
25.4
(77.7)
21.6
(70.9)
39.6
(103.3)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 17.6
(63.7)
18.0
(64.4)
20.6
(69.1)
22.5
(72.5)
26.5
(79.7)
31.2
(88.2)
33.0
(91.4)
33.2
(91.8)
29.7
(85.5)
26.4
(79.5)
22.4
(72.3)
19.0
(66.2)
34.0
(93.2)
Average high °C (°F) 14.1
(57.4)
14.2
(57.6)
15.9
(60.6)
18.0
(64.4)
21.6
(70.9)
25.8
(78.4)
28.9
(84.0)
29.2
(84.6)
26.2
(79.2)
22.7
(72.9)
18.1
(64.6)
15.2
(59.4)
20.8
(69.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 10.8
(51.4)
10.8
(51.4)
12.3
(54.1)
14.3
(57.7)
17.8
(64.0)
21.8
(71.2)
24.9
(76.8)
25.4
(77.7)
22.6
(72.7)
19.4
(66.9)
14.9
(58.8)
12.1
(53.8)
17.2
(63.0)
Average low °C (°F) 7.5
(45.5)
7.4
(45.3)
8.6
(47.5)
10.6
(51.1)
13.9
(57.0)
17.8
(64.0)
20.8
(69.4)
21.5
(70.7)
18.9
(66.0)
16.1
(61.0)
11.6
(52.9)
9.0
(48.2)
13.6
(56.5)
Mean minimum °C (°F) 3.6
(38.5)
3.2
(37.8)
4.6
(40.3)
6.6
(43.9)
10.4
(50.7)
13.7
(56.7)
17.4
(63.3)
17.9
(64.2)
15.0
(59.0)
11.1
(52.0)
6.8
(44.2)
4.5
(40.1)
2.2
(36.0)
Record low °C (°F) −2.4
(27.7)
−1.1
(30.0)
−0.1
(31.8)
1.6
(34.9)
6.4
(43.5)
10.2
(50.4)
13.6
(56.5)
13.6
(56.5)
9.4
(48.9)
5.2
(41.4)
2.0
(35.6)
−1.0
(30.2)
−2.4
(27.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 52
(2.0)
54
(2.1)
38
(1.5)
45
(1.8)
37
(1.5)
14
(0.6)
3
(0.1)
20
(0.8)
61
(2.4)
78
(3.1)
88
(3.5)
61
(2.4)
546
(21.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 7 7 6 6 4 2 1 2 5 7 8 9 64
Mean monthly sunshine hours 144 146 202 222 270 311 347 312 225 183 142 130 2,632
Source: Secretariat of Planning and the Environment
Sea and solar data
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average sea temperature °C (°F) 14.6
(58)
13.8
(57)
14.1
(57)
15.7
(60)
18.7
(66)
22.2
(72)
24.4
(76)
25.8
(78)
25.1
(77)
22.9
(73)
20.4
(69)
17.1
(63)
19.4
(67)
Mean daily daylight hours 10.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 15.0 15.0 14.0 12.0 11.0 10.0 9.0 12.2
Average ultraviolet index 2 3 5 6 8 9 9 8 6 4 2 2 5.3
Source: Secretariat of Planning and the Environment

Plant and animal life

Black stork in flight over Montecara, 2016

Montecara is home to a diverse array of native plants and animals typical of the southeastern coast of Euclea, including a wide variety of marine life, migratory birds, reptiles, and amphibians. All old-growth forests have long been cut down, so the native plant biome is dominated by small trees and hardy shrubs and grasses, collectively referred to as màçia, which tolerate hot and dry seasons well. Carob, laurel, and holy pine thrive. Olives, figs, and citrus are ideally suited to the climate and are both cultivated and grow wild. Marine vegetation grows vigorously in marshy areas and near surface water, notably sea daffodil, sea kale, sea lavender, and golden samphire. Orache, an edible plant similar to spinach, grows on cliffs and among rocky scree.

The country is on a major flyway for migratory birds, with some 170 species observed. Storks, harriers and falcons are some of the most visible. Frequently sighted seabirds include cormorants, herons, pelicans, ducks, and gannets. The state has banned birdlime since 1982 and has repeatedly shortened the bird-hunting season, but illegal hunting and trapping remains a problem.

Many reptile species are well-suited to the climate. The island is home to the common chameleon, house gecko, wall gecko, at least three species of skink, and six species of lizard. Snakes include the smooth snake, whip snake, malpolon snake, and ladder snake, none of which is dangerous to humans. Pond turtles are common, and the vulnerable Piraean tortoise and endangered Lascalles tortoise have small local populations.

Amphibian species include a variety of frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. The painted frog, parsley frog, and Aurean green toad are common.

Almost all mammal species are introduced, the only exceptions being the native lemon shrew and a number of bats. Introduced small mammal species include rabbits, hedgehogs, martens, and ferrets.

Politics

Palaço Pùblico, seat of the College of State

Montecara is a liberal democratic republic with a written constitution. Politics in Montecara are based on a direct-democratic system, wherein every adult citizen is a member of either the Popular Assembly or Senate and is accordingly entitled to participate in the legislative process. Unlike in most states, politics is built on a model that strongly favors consensus decision-making. The legislative and executive are both designed to diffuse power and operate on the basis of cooperation rather than competition, and as a by-product, the personalities of individual politicians are heavily de-emphasized in favor of the best interests of the group. The result is a system that has a strong base of popular consent, albeit one which is also criticized for its slow pace and technocratic inclinations.

Constitution

Montecara's current constitution was drafted after the end of the Gaullican occupation and ratified in 1936. It was strongly influenced by a desire to restore the old republican traditions that had been quashed by foreign occupation. Consequently, it was one of the most progressive constitutions in the world when it was ratified and is still considered a model for its strongly democratic structure and extensive civil and political rights.

Citizenship

Montecara is a jus sanguinis state, in which birthright citizenship is only available to people with at least one Montecaran citizen parent at the time of birth. The only other way to acquire Montecaran citizenship is to have it granted by law, which generally requires at least 10 years' legal residency.

The Montecaran government does not recognize multiple citizenship; Montecaran citizens who acquire the citizenship of another country or who become members of a noble or royal house are considered to have renounced their citizenship. Similarly, naturalized citizens are considered to be solely citizens of Montecara. Montecarans can also lose their citizenship if they serve another country in a civil office or military capacity or formally renounce their citizenship.

Legislature

Il Senàt el Pòpolo de Montecara decrètan—
(The Senate and the People of Montecara decree)

Enacting formula for Montecaran laws

Montecara's political system is designed to distribute power as broadly as possible in order to maintain a powerful citizenry. Accordingly, it is governed as a direct democracy and directorial republic, with elements of sortition added to prevent corruption. Citizens of legal age who are not Senators are all members of the Popular Assembly, the lower house of the legislature, which must approve all laws and treaties before they come into effect. Voting was once done at mass meetings held in public squares, but since 1988 has been done exclusively by postal ballot for one week each in March and September.

The Senate (Senàt) is the upper house of the legislature, comprising 125 senators elected from 25 five-member constituencies by single transferable vote.

The seven-member College of State functions as the collective head of government and cabinet and is responsible for proposing legislation and setting policy.

Judiciary

Court system of Montecara

Montecara is a civil law jurisdiction, basing its judiciary on Solarian law. Trials are conducted using the inquisitorial system. Judges are appointed by law, and courts are organized into a three-tiered hierarchy with separate streams for civil, criminal, and administrative cases. Criminal cases are prosecuted by a procurator (procuradòr), a state official. The Procurator-General (Procuradòr-xenèr) is the state's senior prosecutor and is called on to represent the interests of the state itself in matters of national or international importance. Because Montecara's judiciary is governed by civil law, judges are not empowered to make or invalidate laws; nonetheless, the doctrine of jurisprudence constante is influential, and courts will often cite similar cases where the same judgement was reached when making their decisions.

Criminal offenses are categorized into three tiers: the contravènxon (minor offense), delito (intermediate offense), and crìma (grave offense). Crimà are the only cases tried by a jury, with a single judge or magistrate trying all other offenses. There is no insanity defense; defendants judged guilty but insane are committed to specialized psychiatric care within the penal system. Administrative offenses, including petty traffic violations, are punishable only with fines or other remedies such as removal in the case of immigration violations, not a custodial sentence.

Montecara has a moderate-to-low incarceration rate by world standards of 75 per 100,000 people as of 2018. This works out to a prison population of approximately 1,300 inmates on average for 2018. These inmates are held in one of three principal locations: the main, mixed-security prison at Molàro, the special unit for medical and psychiatric prisoners at the Ospedàl Marìn, or the military prison at Castèl Gerò. By far the largest and most populous of these is Molàro, which holds approximately 1,000 prisoners. There are six to nine murders in an average year; the homicide rate as of 2017 is .51 per 100,000 people.

Administrative divisions

The three tèrçi: Pomèra, Tortuca, and Orèad
(Montecara–Enrico Dulio International Airport is located in Orèad)

As a city-state, Montecara has a single government responsible for all matters that are in larger countries handled at national, regional, and local levels. The main territorial divisions are the three tèrçi, roughly equivalent to boroughs, which have no government but are used for administrative and statistical purposes. The old city is divided into six traditional sieteri (neighborhoods).

Public safety

Law and order are maintained by the Dragoons, an armed police service organized as a component of the Public Force. In addition to ordinary police duties, the Dragoons are responsible for guarding Montecara's coasts and ports of entry, policing the military, protecting Montecaran diplomatic missions, staffing the prison, and serving as an anti-terrorism force. Its elite unit, responsible for protecting public officials and important public buildings, is the Brigade of Cuirassiers. There is a persistent problem with organized crime in Montecara which a dedicated section of the Dragoons is dedicated to combating.

Ambulance, firefighting, and search and rescue services are provided by the Spartòli. Its members are expected to work not only as a professional lifesaving force but as an embedded civil defense corps, preparing their neighborhoods for disasters and taking the lead in the event of a crisis. Montecara's defense policy is based on the idea that the whole population must be able to provide for its immediate needs in an emergency, so the Spartòli maintain an auxiliary of trained civilians who are responsible for aiding in a first response; they are in turn expected to lead and assist their neighbors and coworkers so that the entire population can stay resilient. Every household in Montecara is issued an instructional booklet detailing civil defense procedures at regular intervals, and the state maintains a multi-channel alert system that includes public sirens and loudspeakers, radio and television broadcast interruption capabilities, and mass text messaging.

Military

A Montecaran sailor aboard AMR Xile

Montecara's military is known as the Public Force. It consists of the Montecaran Army, Montecaran Navy, Montecaran Air Force, and the Corps of Dragoons. The Montecaran constitution requires the military to be organized as a militia, so the vast majority of servicemembers are conscripts serving an initial term of 12 or 18 months, usually beginning at graduation from secondary school at age 18. All able-bodied citizens and permanent residents, male and female, are eligible. Once a conscript's term of service is complete, he or she is considered a qualified soldier and remains on the reserve list until reaching the age of 40 (for other ranks) or 45 (for officers).

Foreign relations

Giove Andriola, interim CN Secretary-General

Montecara enjoys good relations with its immediate neighbors in Euclea, particularly the nations of the Euclean Community. While it is not an EC member state, it is in the Zilverzee Area and cooperates in defense and judicial matters. Relations with its other immediate neighbor, Tsabara, have often been strained because of persistent illegal migration and have further deteriorated as a consequence of the ongoing Tsabaran Civil War.

The country became a member of the Community of Nations shortly after its independence in 1936. A Montecaran, Giove Andriola, served briefly as the interim Secretary-General of the Community of Nations after the death of Seán Fitzgerald in 1961.

Economy

Economy of Montecara
Bolsa-madrid-010711-3.jpg
The Borse Mercànte on a trading day
CurrencyMontecaran libra (MCL, Ł)
1 April – 31 March
Trade organizations
ITO
Statistics
GDP
  • Increase $158,955 million (nominal, 2023 est.)
  • Increase $153,136 million (PPP, 2023 est.)
GDP rank
  • 50th (nominal, 2023)
  • 54th (PPP, 2023)
GDP growth
  • Increase 0.72% (2018)
  • Increase 1.75% (2019)
GDP per capita
  • Increase $88,243 (nominal, 2023 est.)
  • Increase $85,013 (PPP, 2023 est.)
GDP per capita rank
  • 2nd (nominal, 2023)
  • 1st (PPP, 2023)
Positive decrease 1.6% (Q4 2021)
Neutral increase 0.75% (Q4 2021)
Population below poverty line
Negative increase 0.8% (2019)
Negative increase 50.1 high (2023)
Increase 0.956 very high (2023)
Labor force
Increase 1.12 million
(77% participation rate, 2020)
UnemploymentPositive decrease 1.9% (Q4 2021)
Main industries
tourism, finance, ICT, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, transport
External
ExportsIncrease $223,747 million (2019)
Export goods
pharmaceuticals, medical devices, fish and shellfish, alcohol, printed media
Main export partners
ImportsIncrease $217,697 million (2019)
Import goods
mineral fuels and oils, electronics, machinery, ships, aircraft, vehicles, consumer goods, foodstuffs
Main import partners
Negative increase $834.768 billion (2020)
Public finances
Negative increase $136.355 billion
(87% of GDP, 2020)
RevenuesIncrease $58.199 billion
($32,557 pc, 2020)
Economic aid
  • Donor: ODA $64.1 million (2017)
  • 0.04% of GDP
  • $36.60 per capita

Montecara has a highly developed and specialized market economy with a large state sector. It consistently ranks at or near the top of international surveys on the ease of doing business, low taxation, and per-capita foreign investment. The largest segment of the economy is the service sector, particularly banking and finance, tourism, and professional services. There is a small but high-value-added manufacturing sector which mostly produces niche products such as medical devices and precision instruments. The primary sector is quite limited given Montecara's small land area and is focused on fishing and high-value agriculture like winemaking.

Because its economy is so integrated into the global financial market and reliant on international trade, it is a bellwether for the financial health of the world at large. The trade-to-GDP ratio is over 250%, making Montecara the most trade-dependent country in the world.

Around one third of workers belong to a trade union. Education, media, and the public sector have particularly high union density.

The stock and bond exchange, the Borse Mercànte de Montecara, is the oldest in the world and lists domestic joint-stock companies as well as local and foreign debt securities.

Public finance

The coat of arms of Bànca de Montecara

Bànca de Montecara is the city-state's central bank and issues the libra (code: MCL; symbol: Ł), the national currency. The Bànca, aside from issuing currency, also performs certain financial regulation duties.

Controversially, Montecara is a well-known tax haven. It assesses no taxes on personal income, inheritance, or capital gains; instead, the state collects excises and taxes on corporations, land, and added value and assesses various transfer taxes.

The country operates a sovereign wealth fund, Montepietà, which invests mostly in securities and real estate with some involvement in foreign exchange and private equity. It traces its lineage to a mount of piety founded in 1213, making it one of the world's longest-running commercial enterprises. Profits earned on Montepietà's investments are transferred to the Montecaran treasury and used to fund the public health service (Sànita Montecarà) and social insurance programs. This arrangement allows Montecara to have very low tax rates compared to other nations while providing comprehensive social services. During fiscal year 2017, Montepietà had Ł2.5 trillion in assets and earned Ł109.6 billion in profit, a return of 4.32%.

Montecara is a major issuer of sovereign bonds and one of the world's premier venues for bond trading and clearance. One of the world's most in-demand securities is the Montecaran state bearer bond. These zero-coupon bonds are auctioned monthly and issued in paper form with a face value of Ł10,000 for a term of 10 years. Buyers may remain anonymous; this means that the bonds must be physically held, in essence functioning like cash. They offer the advantage of secrecy and the ability to hold a large value in a compact, portable, and fully negotiable format, but are controversial because of their obvious advantages to those engaged in tax evasion and organized crime.


Banking

The logo of De Craxi s.a.i.

The banking sector is the largest and most important pillar of the Montecaran economy. Montecara has a centuries-long banking tradition, and its tax and banking secrecy laws make it an attractive location for financial institutions to incorporate. Major financial institutions include:

Gambling

Montecara is famous for its opulent casino, operated by the state as part of its gambling monopoly. The state also owns and operates a thoroughbred racecourse. Sports betting is legal only at state gambling venues.

Retail

Retail workers account for approximately 12% of the Montecaran workforce, and consumer spending in the retail sector amounts to approximately one-third of Montecara’s annual GDP. The retail sector includes businesses ranging from the highest-priced couturiers like Bergamin to the simple neighborhood sfumerìa, a traditional convenience store, the licenses for which are preferentially distributed to widows and the disabled in a scheme that dates back to the mid-18th century.

Tourism

The Hotel Palaço Niçìn, built 1855

Montecara is consistently one of the top-ten destination cities in the world for international tourism by number of visitors per year. Its high density of cultural, artistic, and entertainment attractions has helped to make tourism a major component of the economy. Some of the most popular destinations for visitors include the famous casino, the city-state's plentiful and legal brothels, and the sights of the old city. Cruise ship docks, a major international airport, and a rail link to mainland Euclea have helped the tourist sector to grow exponentially since the middle of the twentieth century.

Infrastructure

Telecommunications

Montecara has a modern telecommunications network, with broadband internet service available at all residential and commercial addresses since 2012. Landline telephone, cable, and internet services are provided by Infotel de Montecara, a majority state-owned corporation. Montecara's country code for international telephone calls is +106, and the format for local numbers is +106 0000 0000. The international call prefix is 00. There are no area codes; individual numbers are randomly assigned, though it has been possible at various times to request a specific number if it is available. Postal services are provided by the state-owned Poste de Montecara.

Energy

Montecara has no fossil fuel sources and imports natural gas from Coius, particularly from Tsabara, for power generation and utility use. Most electricity is imported from the EC. Annual electricity consumption is approximately 8.397 billion kilowatt hours in total, at 4,794 kW·h per person per year, as of 2017. The electricity industry and imports are regulated by the Secretariat of Planning and the Environment, and electric generation, distribution, and sales are handled by the state-owned company Comega.

Because of its lack of fossil fuel resources, transitioning to renewable energy is a major focus, as is energy conservation. The government set the goal in 2005 of making the city-state 100% free of fossil fuels by 2025, though it is not on track to meet this target. The coastal shelf to the north of the island has strong winds and currents which are now being utilized as energy sources. Montecara's first wind turbines were built there in 2013, and there are currently plans to further develop sea-based wind power. A waste-to-energy plant which uses combustible non-recyclable waste to generate approximately 400 GW·h of electricity per year was completed in 1999. Montecara is a nuclear-free zone, though it allows allied nuclear-powered naval ships to make calls in its port. Comega has allowed net metering since 2006, which has encouraged the development of privately built and operated wind and solar systems.

Transport

Sign at Montecaran ports of entry

Montecara has a comprehensive, modern transportation network with connections to mainland Euclea. Public transit is provided by the state-owned company Viafèra de Montecara (VM), which operates commuter rail, light metro, tram, ferry, and bus networks and previously operated a bicycle share system. International rail services use the Aurean Tunnel. The hub of the passenger rail system is Montecara Pòrta Conìxia railway station.

The Montecaran government discourages private car ownership due to the dense nature of the city-state and a desire to avoid pollution and the deaths and injuries caused by traffic. The number of license plates issued is capped and new plates are only issued through an auction system. Vehicles are banned in the oldest parts of the city due to the extreme narrowness of many streets and the often fragile pavements. This has preserved Montecara from destruction in the name of road expansion and keeps air quality high. The urban core of Montecara thus remains a very walkable and compact environment.

Pont Vespàxi over the Bay of Montecara

Because of its commitment to eliminating road deaths, Montecara has some of the most arduous driver licensing requirements in the world. Licensees, who must be between the ages of 18 and 79 inclusive, must pass a medical exam (including vision test), take a classroom-based driving theory course, complete an in-car course with a certified instructor, and then pass written and practical tests. First-time applicants, if successful, are granted a probationary license valid for two years which will be revoked if the driver accrues more than two violations of the traffic code. The medical and written exams must be passed again every other year for the license to be renewed.

All vehicles registered in Montecara must pass annual safety and emissions tests, and may not be more than ten years old. There is a high excise tax on petroleum fuel. Traffic drives on the right according to priority to the right, and only left-hand-drive cars are legal to operate in Montecara. There were 42 traffic-related fatalities in Montecara in 2017, a rate of 2.4 for every 100,000 inhabitants.

There is one airport, Montecara–Enrico Dulio International, which serves as the hub for flag carrier Aeracara. The airport and seaport are operated by the government-owned Porti de Montecara.

Water

A levàda on the slopes of Monte Cara

Montecara depends on four sources of water: desalination, imports via pipeline from Paretia, the caldera of its extinct volcano, and reclaimed water.

Because they have always been so acutely dependent on limited water resources, Montecara's people have developed inventive ways of making use of what they do have and conserving whenever possible. The traditional method for transporting water to farms and homes is the levàda, a stone channel cut into a hillside. Water condenses more readily at higher elevations and infiltrates the porous bedrock, where it pools and can then be channeled away. The levadà run both on the surface and in underground galleries, both of which also furnish popular hiking trails alongside their routes. Historically, neighborhoods that enjoyed levàda water were greatly preferred to those which had to rely on well water, which tended to taste salty and stale; water-carrier was once a common job in these areas.

There is also a local history of using greywater that goes back to the time of the Solarians. One technique that has been in continuous use since that time is to build houses and apartments around a central courtyard garden irrigated with wastewater from sinks and washing, which provides better air quality, cools the building, and naturally treats the water. New toilet installations since 1995 have been required to use seawater to ease the strain on the drinking water supply.

Demographics

Ethnic composition of Montecara (2019)

  Montecarans (60.4%)
  Atudites (11.7%)
  Paretians (10.4%)
  Badawiyans (8.2%)
  Etrurians (2.8%)
  Gaullicans (1.5%)
  Other (5%)

Religious adherence in Montecara (2019)

  Irreligion or none (18.3%)
  Atudism (10.9%)
  Irfan (7.9%)
  Other (1.3%)

Montecara's total fertility rate is 1.4, giving it a natural growth rate of -1.25% per year. On average, women have their first child at age 27. Net migration results in a gain of approximately 11,000 immigrants per year. If current trends continue, Montecara's population will peak at approximately 2.19 million in 2058. From that point, it will gradually decline until reaching an equilibrium of approximately 1.32 million around 2270.

Ethnicity

Montecaran society is divided between ethnic Montecarans, who comprise approximately three-fifths of the population, and foreigners, who are usually non-citizens and come temporarily to work. Montecarans are a Solarian people related to many other ethnicities in Euclea. They trace their lineage back to the population that lived in Montecara at the time of the Solarian Republic and speak Montecaran, a Romance language, as their common tongue. Solarian Catholicism is their dominant religion.

Immigration and its attendant effects on culture and identity is an issue of paramount importance in Montecaran society and politics. The Montecaran state has on many occasions publicly acknowledged the need for immigrant labor, especially in low-skilled jobs, but at the same time has gone to considerable lengths to protect Montecaran identity.

Language

Montecaran is the sole official language. It is spoken at home by almost all citizens but only about 10% of non-citizen permanent residents. Gaullican is a compulsory subject in school and is nearly universally understood by Montecarans as a second language.

Religion

Cathedral of Saint Stephen, designed 1215, completed 1348
The coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Montecara
Pope Urbanus XI (né Attaviàn de Barbanario), Archbishop of Montecara 1770-1787 and Pope 1787-1799

Montecara is a secular state with no official religion. There is a constitutional right to practice or not practice religion freely. Solarian Catholicism is followed by the vast majority of Montecarans and many immigrants from neighboring Euclean countries. There is a sizeable minority of Atudites. Irreligion has grown significantly since the early to mid-20th century, with nearly one in five residents of Montecara now professing no religious faith.

The Archdiocese of Montecara, the local organization of the Solarian Catholic Church, serves a local population of approximately 1.3 million Catholics, who make up about three-quarters of all residents. It was established in the early third century by the bishop Cuniculus at a time when Sotirian Catholicism was largely an underground movement and was raised to the status of an archdiocese the following century. Five Montecarans have served as Pope, most recently Urbanus XI from 1787 to 1799.

The status of Atudism has been a point of contention for centuries. Montecarans have voted overwhelmingly to ban infant circumcision and other forms of genital cutting, the ritual slaughter of animals and the importation of ritually produced meat, and non-state religious courts or arbitration panels. All forms of polygamy and polygyny are strictly illegal, as is cousin marriage. Adherents of Atudism often hold much more socially conservative beliefs than do other Montecarans, especially in regard to LGBT rights, feminism, and the use of alcohol and drugs, which has brought them into conflict with the majority population at times. Furthermore, the perceived self-segregation of these communities and their high birthrate has led to a public debate on whether, or how, to assimilate them into mainstream Montecaran society.

Education

Education in Montecara is divided into five stages: preschool, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary, and tertiary. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. There are public and private schools at the upper secondary level and below. Higher education is only provided through the state. There is one university, the University of Montecara, founded in 1291.

Gaullican language is a mandatory subject for Montecaran students at least through the secondary level. Students who have proven their proficiency in Gaullican and are native or fluent in Montecaran may study an additional foreign language. Common options include Estmerish, Vespasian, and Weranian.

The standard grading system, used for students from primary school through the graduate level, is on a scale from 1 (low) to 5 (high). Cases of academic dishonesty may be dealt with by assigning the special grade of 0.

A student's prior academic record and teacher recommendations determine whether he or she may advance from the lower secondary level to the liçeo, the university preparatory form of upper secondary school. The alternatives to liçeo are scuol xenèr (general-education school), which places a greater emphasis on life and workplace skills and does not have a specifically preparatory curriculum, or scuol tenicà, which provides a vocational education in addition to a foundational academic curriculum.

Aspiring university students may take the Matùra at the end of their secondary education. Performance on this test determines whether a student may even apply to the University of Montecara, and is also used by foreign universities and colleges to determine admissions qualifications. The Matùra covers Montecaran language and literature, Gaullican language, sciences and mathematics, civics and government, arts and humanities, and history. A qualifying score consists of at least a 3 out of 5 on a majority of the test's sections.

A graduate wearing the laurel wreath on receiving her làurea

Stages highlighted in yellow below are compulsory.

Level Name Duration
Preschool Crèxe 3 years (age: 3 to 6)
Primary education Scuol primàr (Primary school) 5 years (age: 6 to 11)
Lower secondary education Scuol segònd (Lower-grade secondary school) 3 years (age: 11 to 14)
Upper secondary education Liçeo (University preparatory school) 5 years (age: 14 to 19)
Scuol xenèr (General education) or
Scuol tenicà (Technical or vocational education)
3 or 5 years (age: 14 to 17 or 14 to 19)
Tertiary education Làurea (Bachelor's degree) 3 years
Magistrà (Master's degree) 1 or 2 years
Dotoràt (Ph.D.) 3, 4, or 5 years
Dotoràt medicinàl (M.D.) 6 years

Healthcare

"Rabies doesn't exist here. Let's keep it that way. There are severe penalties for smuggling animals into Montecara." Montecaran public health poster (1996)

Montecara has a universal, single-payer healthcare system. Healthcare is provided by the state free of charge to all legal inhabitants and visitors. The state health program, Sànita Montecara, owns public hospitals and clinics, buys drugs wholesale, pays medical staff salaries, and covers all other expenses associated with patient care. The health system was previously the responsibility of the Solarian Catholic Church but has been in state hands since it was nationalized in 1935.

Montecara enjoys the highest life expectancy of any country at 84.7 years overall, 86.4 years for women and 82.4 years for men. Healthcare spending amounted to 9.5% of GDP in 2017. There are 5.6 hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants, just over 10,000 beds in total. Montecara has one of the highest ratios of physicians per inhabitants in the world, at 4.42 per 1,000. As with all university education in Montecara, medical education is free of charge, and there is significant competition to work in the domestic healthcare sector. This promotes both a high number of trained clinicians and a high standard of expertise.

Prescription drugs are free of charge. Over the counter drugs must be paid for out-of-pocket. Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs may only be sold at licensed pharmacies (apotecà), which except in the case of those at public hospitals are privately owned. Elective treatments such as cosmetic plastic surgery are conducted only by private physicians and must be paid for out-of-pocket.

As an independent republic, Montecara long had institutions to care for the sick and needy. The oldest still in operation is the Ospedàl da Pìeta, founded in 1508 as a charitable hostel for the sickly poor. The Ospedàl Marìn (Naval Hospital), founded in 1680 to meet the needs of ill sailors, is one of the world's leading research institutions for tropical diseases and nutrition. The University of Montecara Hospital, which is owned by the University of Montecara but jointly operated by the University and Sanità Montecara, is the main teaching hospital.

Montecaran public health authorities have waged several successful disease elimination campaigns dating back to the 1930s. Rabies, malaria, cholera, yellow fever, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and diphtheria have all been eliminated locally, and only seven cases of imported tuberculosis have been reported since 2000.

Despite its generally strong health metrics, Montecara still ranks high in terms of smoking prevalence and per-capita alcohol consumption. More than four in ten Montecaran adults report smoking at least occasionally, and pure alcohol consumption stands at about 12 liters per person per year. Smoking in restaurants was only banned in 2021 and is still allowed in bars, and the country is one of the last in eastern Euclea to have nearly unregulated, 24-hour access to tobacco through cigarette vending machines. Montecaran voters have historically been loath to limit smoking, in part because the neighborhood sfumerìa is a cherished institution that by definition sells tobacco products. These shops are beloved icons of Montecaran life and an important source of support for the often disabled or otherwise disadvantaged operators, who are preferentially licensed as a form of social welfare.

Culture

Aurelia, personification of Montecara

Montecara has a Solarian culture that highly values aesthetics, a rich social life, and liberality, among other ideals. It is personified by Aurelia, depicted as a woman wearing a mural crown representing the city's walls. It is her face that the country's namesake mountain is supposed to resemble. Other national symbols include the xinòta tree, which bears the sour citrus that is a common flavoring for drinks and sweets, and the goat, which thrives on Montecara's craggy hillsides.

Art

Tixàn Vecèlo, Neptune Offering the Wealth of the Sea to Montecara

Montecara has a strong fine-art tradition, particularly exemplified by the paintings produced during the Montecaran Golden Age of the 14th and 15th centuries. Montecaran art was known in this period for its use of vivid color and majestic subject matter, including classical themes and rich interiors. Tixàn Vecèlo is perhaps Montecara's most famous painter, and his masterpiece, Neptune Offering the Wealth of the Sea to Montecara, hangs in the Palaço Pùblico.

The Palaço dei Doxi, the former palace of the Doxe of Montecara, is now a museum with a collection ranging from ancient times to the present day. The Galerìa Sufrèxi, one of the world's most visited museums, houses one of the world's finest collections of Solarian, Medieval, Renaissance, and Neoclassical art. Begun as the private collection of a wealthy merchant, it is now publicly owned.

Architecture

Arnòld di Buçhe, Principia architecturae

The Montecaran architectural tradition stretches back to the Solarian Republic, which brought its expertise in engineering to the city. Legacies of Solarian architecture, including extensive brickwork, arches, vaults, stucco exteriors, mosaic floors, and wall frescoes can still be seen in contemporary buildings.

Montecaran architecture developed its own style beginning in the late 12th and early 13th centuries under the influence of the master Arnòld di Buçhe, whose treatise Principia architecturae (Principles of Architecture) is still recognized as a world masterpiece in itself. The main body of his work consisted of villas for Montecara's senatorial and patrician class, most of which are still standing.

The state enforces strict historic preservation laws. It is illegal to demolish or substantially alter historic structures, and building designs must be approved by the state architectural review board before construction or renovation. The historic center is particularly well-preserved and was inscribed on the Community of Nations list of World Heritage Sites at the first session in 1995.[1]

Broadcast and print media

Montecara's state-owned television and radio broadcaster is Teleràdio Montecarà. It operates three television and two radio channels and is supported by a license fee applied to cable television, Internet service, and cellular data bills.

Of Montecara's four domestic newspapers, the most circulated is Il Finansiér, which publishes financial news. Its international Gaullican-language edition is distributed worldwide.

Cinema

Logo of the Montecara Film Festival

Montecara has a strong filmmaking tradition going back to at least the 1930s, with the classic Il Paradiso still a household name and widely considered the greatest Montecaran film of all time.

The Montecara Film Festival is the event for which the country is best known, so much so that references to "Montecara" in global media often refer to the festival rather than the country. Held since 1937, the festival is the world's premier event for serious, artistic films. It draws the world's most famous celebrities to the country for a week every October. The festival has greatly contributed to Montecara's reputation as a playground for the glamorous elite and a beacon of style.

Cuisine

Montecara must import nearly all of its basic foodstuffs because of its lack of arable land. It does, however, harvest a great deal of seafood, which is reflected in traditional dishes. The limited farmland is devoted to high-value crops suitable to the climate, mainly grapes (for wine production), olives, and citrus.

Montecara's access to the sea has led to a great variety of specialties making use of local fish and shellfish. Cuttlefish braised in ink, fried sardines, and bixàto, or roast eel, are all typical dishes. Fowl is also a traditional favorite, especially duck and other water birds, and duck eggs are still more popular than their chicken-borne counterparts. Songbirds were also eaten in large numbers up to the 1980s, when their capture was banned by environmental legislation. Montecara is on a major flyway, so stakes covered in birdlime (vignòla) were used to catch birds for culinary use. Though illegal, it is reportedly still possible to find some chefs who will prepare songbirds in the traditional manner. Meat from land animals is a small part of the diet and consists mainly of goat and lamb, though cheese (mainly goat-based) is ubiquitous. The principal cooking fat is olive oil, with duck fat also playing an important role.

Xinòta cut in half

Historically, rice (rixo) was the supreme staple food for Montecarans. There was always some domestic production, but Montecarans have relied on the sea trade for the bulk of their rice import for centuries. This is reflected in traditional dishes such as rixoto, a soupy preparation of rice simmered in broth, and rixi e bixi, rice and peas cooked together.

Montecarans generally have a light breakfast on the way to work or school at cafés or stalls located throughout the city. This often consists of a pastry, sandwich, or fruit accompanied by coffee or juice. There is a traditional mid-morning break for coffee around 11:00, and shops and offices often close briefly to allow for this. Lunch, usually the largest meal of the day, is eaten around 14:00 to 15:00, and workers generally take a full hour to do so, often eating at home. Dinner is eaten at about 21:00.

Montecara produces wine in a range of styles and varietals, but by far the most popular type, and the one most closely associated with Montecara's culinary identity, is xàca, a fortified wine made from white grapes. Three varietals enjoy protected status as heirloom crops in Montecaran law, all white grapes: Garganèga, Verdùxo, and Spaiòl. Garganèga is used to make still wine noted for its lemon and almond notes, Verdùxo is favored for the sparkling white Caràxa, and Spaiòl is used to make both a golden dessert wine with notes of honeysuckle and apricot and a light, acidic still wine. All three are used to make xàca, which can range in color and sugar content from nearly clear and dry to almost black and very sweet. Under Montecaran law, only wine that is produced from 100% domestic grapes can be sold as "Montecaran wine" (vin Montecarà). Montecara has high per-capita alcohol consumption rates, and in addition to wine, beer and spirits are popular.

Montecara is known for its sweets, notably xinòta-flavored marmalade and hard candy and formàxo giàço, a frozen dessert and snack similar to ice cream that is flavored with soft cheese and usually served in a split-open sweet bun (brioxa).

Special foods are eaten around Easter. These include galani, a rum-flavored fried pastry served with lemon zest, and pandòr, a sweet egg bread. Easter lunch traditionally includes a feast of seven different types of fish, the exact components of which vary but which generally include clams, scallops, salt cod, anchovy, and sea snails.

Music

Montecara has a strong operatic and orchestral musical tradition dating back to the first operas written in the early 17th century. Because the arts in republican Montecara were supported by public funds and not only wealthy patrons, it was until the late 18th century the only place in the world where opera could be seen by the general public, who were able to simply buy tickets.

The main venue for opera performance is the Teàtro Cavalarìça, a 19th-century house that premiered the works of Montecara's most famous composer, Giacopò Verxì. It still hosts regular operatic performances throughout the year. A classical conservatory, the Academìa da Mùsica, fosters young musicians.

Sport

The crest of the Montecaran men's national football team

Association football is by far the most popular participant and spectator sport in Montecara. The men's national team, nicknamed the "King-Killers" (I Matarrè), represents Montecara in international competition. The top professional club, SB Montecara, plays in the Gaullican Super Ligue.

Before the advent of football in the early twentieth century, Montecarans enjoyed traditional sports and games, some of which still survive. Xugo da bilòta, commonly known in other countries as Montecaran bilota, is a handball game played against a wall by teams or individuals and is still frequently played by children in Montecara's narrow streets and as a betting game at the frontò associated with the state casino. Bòxio is a bowling game traditionally played on wet beach sand at low tide.

Montecara is also host to an indoor velodrome and swimming facility and the historic clay tennis courts at the Club Raquèts da Cròxa.

Holidays

Every Sunday is a public holiday, and with very limited exceptions, shops must be closed all day. Workers in Montecara typically receive at least four weeks' paid vacation time per year in addition to public holidays.

Date Name Montecaran name
1 January New Year’s Day il Capodàn
6 January Epiphany ia Epifània
12 February Victory Day[a] Fèsta da vitòria
The Friday before Easter Good Friday Sànta veneri
Movable Sunday between 22 March and 25 April Easter Sunday Pàscua
The day after Easter Easter Monday Pascuèta
16 April Independence Day[b] Fèsta da independènça
1 May International Workers' Day Fèsta dei lavoratòri
Thursday 39 days after Easter Feast of the Ascension Fèsta da ascenxiò
Monday 50 days after Easter Pentecost Monday Luni di Pentecòst
15 August Assumption of Mary Fèsta da asunxòn de Marìa
1 November All Saints' Day Onnisànti
8 December Feast of the Immaculate Conception Fèsta da conxeptimènt inmacolàt
25 December Nativity Nadàl
26 December Feast of Saint Stephen Fèsta di San Stefàn
  1. Commemorates the end of the Great War in 1935 and the end of the Etrurian occupation on 10 February 1946.
  2. Commemorates independence from Functionalist Gaullica in 1935.

References

  1. "World Heritage". CONESCO World Heritage. Retrieved 3 November 2023.