Novalia

Novalia or officially known as the Republic of Novalia (: Republika Novalija) (also known as the Novlia CS) is one of three Constituent States of Etruria located along the north-eastern coast of the federation. It covers XX square kilometers (XX sq mi) and has a population of 16.6 million. Its capital is Vilanija and its largest city is Dubovica. It is the second largest constitutent state in both area and population.

The Novalians arrived in the area of present-day Novlia during the early part of the 7th century AD. They organised the state into two duchies by the 9th century. Petar I became the first king by 925, elevating Novalia to the status of a kingdom. The Kingdom of Novalia retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of Kings Petar VII and Krešimir IV. Novalia entered a personal union with Carinthia in 1102. Between 1110 and 1150, Novalia lost much of its coastline to the Serene Duchy of Torrazza and would not gain these territories back until 1840 when the Kingdom was annexed by Vespasia and Torrazi territories were incorporated into the Novalian governate. Novalia would remain a territory of the Kingdom of Vespasia from 1840 until 1921 when it became a constituent state, equal to Vespasia in standing and status.

Novalia shares an identical political system as the other constituent states, throughout much of its history following federalisation, Novalia has been dominated by the Workers and Farmers Union, a centre-left agrarian party, which has governed Novalia at the state level since 1965. Culturally and politically, Novalia is one of the strongest advocates for the federation. Since the 1980s, Novalia has been the second fastest state within Etruria, rapidly developing stronger standards of living.

The service sector dominates Novalia's economy, followed by the industrial sector and agriculture. Tourism is a significant source of revenue during the summer, with Novalia ranked the XXth most popular tourist destination in Anterra and the third most popular destination within Etruria itself. The federal state controls a part of the economy, with substantial federal and state government expenditure going into inward investments. Since 2000, the Novalian government constantly invests in infrastructure, especially transport routes and facilities along the Pan-Etrurian and Pan-Artemian corridors.

Geography
Novalia is located in north-eastern Etruria and generally southern Artemia, sharing state borders Vespasia to the west, Torrazza to the south, Ragazia and Carinthia to the north and the Bay of Minerva to the east. Novalia also includes the island of Ciovo, located south of central Novalia in the Bay of Minerva.

The territory covers XXXXX square kilometres (XXXXX square miles). It is the XXth largest state in Etruria. Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Lesser Aventines with the highest point of the Jelsa peak at 1,831 metres (6,007 feet) near the border with Carinthia. Insular Novalia consists of over a thousand islands and islets varying in size, six of which are permanently inhabited. The largest islands are Ciovo and Gospić, with Ciovo having an area of XXX. The hilly western and northern parts of Novalia and the flat plains of southern Šibenik-Olavija in the south (which is part of the Cesarean Basin) are traversed by major rivers such as the Sadava and Trevimene. The central and southern regions near the Minervian coastline and islands consist of low mountains and forested highlands. Natural resources found in the country in quantities significant enough for production include, , , low-grade , , , , , , clays, salt and hydropower. Forested areas make up 44% of Novalia's surface area, making it the most forested region of Etruria, Novalia also has the highest number of nature preserves in Etruria, with six national parks.

Climate
Novalia has a moderately warm and rainy continental climate, yet the south has a mediterreanian climate. Mean monthly temperature ranges between −3 °C (27 °F) (in January) and 18 °C (64 °F) (in July). The coldest parts of the country are Donja Batina and Otrovenec in the north-west where snowy forested climate is found at elevations above 1,200 metres (3,900 feet). The warmest areas of Novalia are at the Minervian coast and especially in its immediate hinterland characterised by the Mediterranean climate, as the temperature highs are moderated by the sea.

Precipitation varies from 1000-1500 mm. per year inland and 600-800 mm. per year on the Minervian coast.

Flora and fauna
Novalia is identical in the rest of Etruria for its rich biodiversity, the porous boundaries between the states of Vespasia, Carinthia and Novalia had led to many cross-border migrations of animals, leading to the states sharing similar species, however this more pronounced for Novalia and Vespasia. The Novalia's unique geology harbours approximately 7,000 caves and pits, some of which are habitat of the only known aquatic cave vertebrate—the. Forests are also significantly present in the country, as they cover 44% of the Novalian land surface. Other habitat types include wetlands, grasslands, bogs, fens, scrub habitats, coastal and marine habitats. In terms of phytogeography, Novalian is a part of the part of Illyrian a the Minervian province of the BigSeaName Region. The Federal Institute for Environmental Protection sets Novalia between three ecoregions—Cesarean mixed forests, Aventine Mountains mixed forests and Illyrian deciduous forests.

Government and politics
Novalia is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Etrurian states. Universal suffrage is granted to residents. There are two branches of government. The legislature, the Senate of Vespasia, consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the President of the Senate and Vice President, that are elected by the members. Senate meetings are presided over by the President or the Vice President in the former's absence.

The judiciary is composed of the Supreme Tribunal of Novalia and a system of lower courts. Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Prefect of State. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Senate is appointed as the Prefect of State by the President of the Senate, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prefect. The Council of Ministers reports to the Senate. The current Prefect of Novalia is Alka Ćurić of the Workers and Farmers Union.

The Senate is unicameral with 150 members (24 of whom come from the subordinate autonomous regions of Ragazia and Istria). Terms of office run for 5 years (in parallel to the federal government), unless the Senate is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. Secondary authorities known as the Comuni, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs. The state contributes 145 seats to the Senate of the Federation and 84 (same amount as the other two constituent states) seats to the State Council of the Federation.

The dominant political parties in Novalia are the Workers and Farmers Union, a left-wing agrarian Novalia specific party, the Etrurian Way and the Citizens Alliance. The Workers and Farmers Union has governed Novalia continuously since 1975 and despite being a regional focused party, is one of the strongest defenders of the union and a prominent voice in confronting nationalism within the three states and six autonomous regions. Many state and national newspapers printed the story of the "Zrće Agreement" - a widely reported pact of cooperation between the WFU and the Etrurian Way in both Novalia and the national level.

Subordinate entities
Novalia has two autonomous federal regions subordinate to its government; Ragazia and Istria. As such, it is tasked with distributing investment and funds to the autonomous governments for certain services. Its laws are also superior to the autonomous regions should they clash in areas that are shared responsibilities.

Economy
Novalia has a high-income economy, its GNP is estimated to be $XXXXX or $11,405 per capita for year 2017, while purchasing power parity GDP stands at $XXX billion, or $13,551 per capita.

Real GDP growth in 2016 was 5.2 per cent, the second highest in Etruria after Vespasia. Novalia operates the lowest unemployment rate in Etruria, which as of 2016 stood at 5.5%, well below the highest, in Aeolia which stands at 11.6% as of 2016.

In 2010, economic output was dominated by the service sector which accounted for 66% of GDP, followed by the industrial sector with 27.2% and agriculture accounting for 6.8% of GDP. According to 2014 data, 2.7% of the workforce were employed in agriculture, 32.8% by industry and 64.5% in services. The industrial sector is dominated by shipbuilding, food processing, pharmaceuticals, mining, information technology, biochemical and timber industry. Novalia has received vast amounts of federal investment since the 1980s, with specific focus being on mining, shipbuilding and the tourism industries. Since 1988 Novalia has received over $150 billion of federal investments. Infrastructure has been a key target for investment, with dramatic expansions of roads and railways, between 2000 and 2010 over $6 billion was invested into expanding Novalia's ports, with Žrnovnica becoming Novalia's principle trade port. In 2015, the Fraternity Highway was opened, connecting Tiperyn with southern Etruria, the Fraternity Highway connects Žrnovnica to Tiperyn and has since become a major hub for the export of Tiperyni goods.

Tourism
Tourism dominates the Novalian service sector and accounts for up to 20% of state GNP. Annual tourist industry income for 2014 was estimated at $8.6 billion. Its positive effects are felt throughout the economy of Novalia and Etruria at large, in terms of increased business volume observed in retail business, processing industry orders and summer seasonal employment. The industry is considered an export business, because it significantly reduces the state's external trade imbalance in comparison with Vespasia. Since dramatic increases in federal investment tourism has grown rapidly, recording a fourfold rise in tourist numbers, with more than 11 million tourists each year. The most numerous are tourists from Tiperyn, Austrasia, Skandera, Arthurista and Brigantica as well as Etruria and Novalia itself. Length of a tourist stay in Novalia averages 5.9 days.

The bulk of the tourist industry is concentrated along the Minervian Sea coast. By the 1890s, it became one of the most significant Artemian health resorts, very popular among Vespasian nobles and merchants. Later a number of resorts sprang up along the coast and islands, offering services ranging from mass tourism to catering and various niche markets, the most significant being nautical tourism, as there are numerous marinas with more than 16 thousand berths, cultural tourism relying on appeal of medieval coastal cities and numerous cultural events taking place during the summer. Inland areas offer mountain resorts, agrotourism and spas. Dubovia is also a significant tourist destination, rivalling major coastal cities and resorts and cities in Vespasia. Extensive efforts have been made by both the state and federal governments to maintain Novalia's unpolluted marine areas and beaches and regularly ranks the top destination within Etruria for beach holidays, it also has the top six beaches in Etruria.

Manufacturing and mining
In 2010, 27.2% of Novalia's GDP came from industry, including mining, manufacturing, shipbuilding and pharmaceuticals. In 2016, this increased to 31%

Religion
Since the official religion of the Federation is Catholicism, this too is reflected in the Novalian Constituent Constitution. Freedom of religion is a right defined by the Constitution which also defines all religious communities as equal in front of the law, however like the Etruria at large, this is rarely reflected in action and Novalia has on of the most prolific cases of religious discrimination in Etruria.

According to the 2014 census, 91.36% of Novalians identify as Christian; of these, Catholics make up the largest group, accounting for 89.28% of the population, after which follows Eastern Orthodoxy (4.44%) and other Christianity (6.28%). Second largest religion is Judaism (1.47%). 4.57% of the population describes themselves as non-religious. The majority of Novalians consider religion to be important in their daily lives.

The non-religious, other Christian and Eastern Orthodox regularly report discrimination on religious grounds, in 2015 the Novalian state government ruled that a person must be a "member within a religious community" in order to be employed by state agencies and the state government, this effectively barred non-religious persons from gaining employment in the state-level civil service. The Etrurian Atheist Alliance, took the state government to the supreme court, but lost the ruling. In 2016, the policy was replicated in Carvagna, Torrazza and Istria, in January 2017 the federal government under Francesco Carcaterra replicated the law federally.