Valcouria
Empire of Valcouria | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: "With God, for Emperor and Fatherland." | |
Coat of Arms | |
| Capital and | Bainbridge |
| Official languages | English |
| Demonym(s) | Valcourian |
| Government | Constitutional Monarchy |
• Emperor | Constantine I |
• Grand Chancellor | James Montgomery |
• President of the Senate | James Montgomery |
• Grand Inquisitor | Edward Cardinal Townsend |
| Establishment | |
• Kingdom of Valcouria | 4 April 1081 |
• 1st Republic | 16 March 1791 |
• Restored Kingdom | 10 May 1805 |
• 2nd Republic | 23 February 1848 |
• Empire of Valcouria | 22 May 2012 |
| Area | |
• | 1,153,464.2 km2 (445,355.0 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 82,098,730 |
| GDP (PPP) | 2016 estimate |
• Total | $354.9 Trillion |
• Per capita | $39,402 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Per capita | $39,402 |
| Currency | Valcourian Dollar (VD$) |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Internet TLD | .vlc |
Valcouria, officially the Empire of Valcouria, is a country in western Atracia. The total area of Valcouria is 1,153,464 square kilometers (445,355 square miles), making it the fourth-largest nation in western Tyrannia. With a population of over 80 million, Valcouria is one of the most populous countries in the world. Valcouria is a federal state divided into nine administrative divisions.
The establishment of a Valcourian state can be traced back to the early 11th century, when Rupert, the primary chieftain of the numerous Valcourian tribes, converted to Christianity. The Kingdom of Valcouria was founded in 1081, and grew to become one of the largest and most populous countries of 15th and 16th century Atracia. The Valcourian Revolution in 1790 overthrew the monarchy and created a republic before the monarchy restored in 1805, only to be deposed for a second time in 1848.
Valcouria became a liberal democratic republic and flourished throughout the 20th century, but was undone by rampant political corruption that ultimately inspired its downfall. In 2012, the Valcourian President, Constantine Murdoch, staged a coup d’état and abolished the republic in favor of a monarchy, with himself as the country’s new Emperor. Despite the change in government, Valcouria has managed to preserve much of its cultural wealth; there are 14 heritage sites, 54 monuments, and many object of cultural heritage in Valcouria.
Since the beginning of the new Imperial Government that firmly established a market-based economy, Valcouria has achieved a “very high” ranking on the Human Development Index, as well as greatly improving its economic freedom. Valcouria is a semi-democratic country that has an advanced high-income economy, a high quality of life, and a very high standard of living. Moreover, the country is visited by nearly 16 million tourists every year (2015), which makes it one of the most visited countries in the world. Vacourius is the sixth-largest economy in the world and among the fastest rising economic states in the world. It was one of the few nations to have escaped a decline in GDP in recent years, and also was able to create the “most varied GDP growth in history.” Furthermore, according to the World Peace Index, Valcouria is one of the safest countries in the world to live in.