Costa de Ouro

Costa de Ouro
Flag of Costa de Ouro Flag
Motto: 'As pessoas têm o poder'
File:Costa de Ouro map.png
Capital	Antillia
Largest	São Alberto
Official languages	Costense
Recognised national languages	Alcantaran
Common languages	Costense
Demonym(s)	Costeño
Government	Constitutional monarchy
• King	Pedro I
• Prime Minister	placeholder
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Chamber of Deputies
Establishment
• Settlement	1013
• Independence from Albandea	placeholder
Area
• Total	6,517 km2 (2,516 sq mi)
Population
• 2014 census	7,089,163
• Density	879.9/km2 (2,278.9/sq mi)
Currency	Costeño real (CDR)
Time zone	AST (UTC)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy AD
Driving side	right
Calling code	+242
Internet TLD	.cdo

Costa de Ouro (pronounced koʊstə deɪ oʊroʊ, Costense: ˌkɒstə dʒiː ˈoːruː) is an autonomous community of Alcantara, located in southwest Teudallum in the region of Astyria. Located in the south of the country, Costa de Ouro comprises approximately 39% of the land area of Alcantara and 31% of its population.

The mainland portion of Costa de Ouro surrounds Saint Anthony's Bay, a gulf of the Cassonnaise? Sea, and is separated from Alcantara by the Serra das Cobras, which rise to over 1,800 m (5,900 ft). Over a third of the autonomous community's land area is made up of islands which lie approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of mainland Costa de Ouro. There are four main islands: from west to east, Antillia, Pascoa, Santa Maria and :).

The nation was discovered by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in 1500. Over the next several hundred years, the islands were further colonized by the Portuguese. The islands gained their independence in 1975 and a short period of democracy, within a constitutional monarchy and the House of Braganza-Silveira, and the first king João I, ensued. In 1981, however, Márcio Marcelo Gouveia overthrew the government and monarchy and established a right-wing authoritarian regime. Gouveia reigned until 2011 when he died of natural causes. The House of Braganza-Silveira monarch-in-exile, Fernando, returned to Costa de Ouro but died shortly thereafter, passing on the monarchy to his son, Pedro, who is the current king of Costa de Ouro.

Etymology

The name Costa de Ouro comes from the Portuguese for Gold Coast, referring to the golden beaches of the islands when Vasco da Gama discovered the islands on his voyage to India in 1497. The name of the main island, Antillia, comes from a mythical island reputed to be in the mid-Atlantic; Costa de Ouro might have influenced that myth. The islands of São Nicolau, São Antonio, São Jose, Santa Maria, and São Mathieu are all named after saints; the island of Cibola is named after the mythical city of Cibola, as its beaches were so golden that it reminded the Portuguese of that legend; Pascoa is Easter in Portuguese, named after its day of discovery; and Natal is Christmas in Portuguese, again named after its day of discovery.

History

Main article: History of Costa de Ouro

Settlement

Gouveia Regime

Márcio Marcelo Gouveia

Geography

The Serra das Cobras divide Costa de Ouro from Alcantara

Pasture on Antillia, the territory's most westerly island

Costa de Ouro lies at about 27 degrees south of the Equator and occupies the southern region of Alcantara in a belt of land roughly 70 km (43 mi) broad at its widest. Its mainland occupies 4,207 km² (1,624 sq mi), excluding the Costeño islands. This is 29% of the land area of the Alcantaran mainland, and 25% of the total land area of the state. Inclusive of the islands, it covers a total land area of 6,517 km² (2,516 sq mi). More than a third of Costa de Ouro's land area, some 2,310 km² (890 sq mi), consists of islands, located between 20 km (12 mi) and 80 km (50 mi) from continental Teudallum and lying 90 km (56 mi) south of mainland Costa de Ouro.

The most westerly of these islands is Antillia, which is predominantly plains grassland which rises towards low mountains in the centre and east of the island. The autonomous community's administrative seat is the city of Antillia, one of the oldest settlements in the country, on the island's northern shore. Antillia island encompasses an area of 740 km² (290 sq mi). At 1,297 km² (501 sq mi), the largest island in the archipelagic chain is Pascoa, which lies to the east of Antillia island. Pascoa is a mountainous and heavily forested island, and its timber was historically favoured by Alcantaran and Cassonnaise shipwrights. The island suffered severe depopulation in the wake of the 1783 Antillia earthquake, which crippled the principality's economy and led to a collapse of Pascoan industries. The third largest island in Costa de Ouro is Santa Maria, at 184 km² (71 sq mi). The Montãnhas Negras are the defining feature of this island, occupying most of its land area. The town of Conceição is nestled between an arm of the Montãnhas Negras and Santa Maria Bay. Island number four is flat and 89 km² (34 sq mi).

The Costeño landscape is dominated by four mountain ridges which run roughly perpendicular to the coast. The highest of these, the Serra das Cobras, climbs to 1,823 metres (5,981 ft) and separates Costa de Ouro from Alcantara. Between these ranges are rugged hills and upland, with deep, river-carved valleys in the interior and large areas of mixed forestry. The X and the Y Hills form the arms of Saint Anthony's Bay.

Politics and Government

Executive Branch

Main articles: King Pedro and House of Braganza-Silveira

Foreign relations

Costa de Ouro practices a policy of neutrality in the current cold war between the Astyrian Treaty Organization (ATO) and the East Astyrian Treaty Alliance (EATA), with good relations with both sides. Currently, Costa de Ouro has embassies in Nikolia, Aquitayne, Blackhelm Confederacy, and Agrincourt, with a high priority of the new government re-establishing diplomatic ties with the rest of Astyria after Gouveia's isolationist regime. Costa de Ouro is a constituent part of the Avissian Union, an union linking Costa de Ouro and Alcantara. Because of this union, bilateral relationships with Alcantara are very good, and the two have pledged to defend and support each other. Costa de Ouro has also signed a Treaty of Friendship with Nikolia after the marriage of King Pedro and Princess Helena of Nikolia. This treaty binds the two parties to mutual defense; other provisions include visa-free travel and exchange of science and technology. The only multilateral organization Costa de Ouro is a member of is the D5 Developing States' Council, in an attempt to distance itself from dangerous Astyrian politics.

Military

Because of its small size, Costa de Ouro does not devote many resources to its military. The military consists of an Army and a Navy. The navy can be best described as a coast guard, with only a few corvettes and patrol boats of similar size that are more adept at dealing with smugglers and smaller threats than an engagement with other naval forces. The army, by the same token, can be described more as a national guard, although the Royal Guard and several other special forces are prioritized, as the government's policy towards the military is quality over quantity. Their is an air battalion within the Army, which operates three interceptor jets. Because of the conflict brewing in Astyria, Costa de Ouro has increased its defense budget from 0.7% of GDP to 1.1% of GDP. It intends to spread its arms buying across many companies to force competition on quality and price, and plans to buy one new interceptor and one corvette. However, both Nikolia and Kelonna operate bases on Costa de Ouro as a result of its strategic location in Western Astyria, and Nikolia, due to the Treaty of Friendship signed between the two nations, is partially responsible for Costa de Ouro's defense.

Demographics

Urban Areas

The old town of Antillia, the capital of Costa de Ouro

Economy

Natural resources

tuna, mackerel, moraine, lobster, spiny lobsters and many different species of crab and mussels

Transport and Infrastructure

Costa de Ouro's transportation network is based on the fact that Costa de Ouro is an archipelago of several small islands. As such, most of the transportation within Costa de Ouro takes place by boat or small plane. A frequent system of ferries connects the main islands. In the main cities and on the main islands, a system of railways connects several of the major cities. In the air, Sonhos International Airport, on the island of Antillia, is the main international airport serving Costa de Ouro. Other major airports include King Pedro International Airport in Nova Lisboa and Albergaria Airport in Albergaria, both on Santa Maria.

Culture

Sport

Popular sports in Costa de Ouro include handball, association football, volleyball, and tennis. Costa de Ouro has an active football league, currently in its third season. Fortaleza FC is the current champion, defeating Antillia FC in the final. In UICA competitions, Costa de Ouro as a whole is ranked 86th and the highest ranking club, Antillia FC, is ranked 603rd. Costa de Ouro has participated in two World Cup tournaments with a win-draw-loss record of 5-5-18, ranked 149th. In tennis, Costeño athletes have won a total of one tournament, the 2014 Cenian Open, won by Aline Luiza Romao. Romao has also reached semifinals on several other occasions and two finals. She is currently ranked third in the world. Costa de Ouro sent its first Olympic delegation to the Games of the IX Olympiad in a unified delegation with Alcantara as the Avissian Union. As of Day 17, the Avissian Union has won 40 medals, 13 of them gold, and sits third on the medal table.