Ventora

Ventora, officially the Kingdom and Commonwealth of Ventora (: Reino y Mancomunidad de Ventora), is a  in southwestern Alutra. Located along the north coast of the Abayadi Sea, !Esharat lies to the west, with Watan bordering Ventora to the southeast. Ventora covers 1,405,430 km2 and the  is Plenas. Ascara is the country's economic center and largest city. Over 80.6 million people live in Ventora.

Properly a kingdom, Ventora's has been an elected regent since the deaths of the entire royal family in a train derailment on September 13, 1961. The current Regent is Isidro Venceslás Duarte Arias Duque de Estévez. The Governor General is with Pepito Juan Oquendo Campo Conde de Araujo currently holding the office.

Etymology
The name derives from the old Ventoran ventosa (windy) and ora (coast) from the country's location on the xxx Sea and the winds attributed to it. Use of the term ventosora to refer to the coastal areas has been recorded as early as the mid-500s. It became more popular along the coasts and gained some recognition as a reference to people within the Coastal Confederation beginning in the 800s. The name was formalized as Ventōra in 959 with the establishment of the Kingdom of Ventora (Reino de Ventōra). As the Ventoran language developed further, the "ō" became a simple "o". Scholars are uncertain when Ventōra became Ventora, but consenus places the change some time in the mid-1500s.

History
Ventorans have been seafaring peoples since the times of the first boats. As settlements grew, trade grew and exploration gave rise to more trade and influences from beyond the region. Increased contact beyond the local area also gave rise to the need for self-defense. Early coastal settlements soon developed hill forts to meet this need. The hill fort settlements were a key step to facilitating the growth of city-states.

Rise of city-states
Around 1,000 BC, Nauigio rose to regional prominence, becoming a city-state. It held sway over surrounding villages which provided it with food and workers while the city-state provided benefit in the form of trade and defense.

Nauigio's success gave rise to other city-states along the southwestern Alutran coast. By around 500 BC, there were a half dozen. Each were trade centers and each extended their influence inland. As trade grew, the economic center of Nauigio shifted to an adjacent village, Plenas, which then overshadowed the original city-state's prestige, supplanting it in 225 BC.

First Haksar tributaries
By 100 BC, Ascara had grown substantially in stature and became the biggest trade rival to Plenas. In the last half century BC, Haksar sway grew in the region. Plenas was the first city-state to become a tributary to Haksarad, giving it a trade advantage. The other city-states soon followed suit.

Distance across the sea kept Haksarad from having a strong dominance in southwestern Alutra, however. To offset this, the empire introduced the concept of nobility to the area, naming the rulers of the city-states as dukes. As a result, the city-states were clearly no longer independent even if they remained largely autonomous. As the tributary system began collapsing in 249, the duchies became independent again after Zabarko's death in 252.

Confederation period
In an effort to expand its influence, Reinaldo de Montaña Asís, the Duke of Ascara, solicited the formation of a loose confederation of surrounding duchies for economic and defensive purposes. The Confederation of Montaña was formalized May 22, 263. This spurred the coastal duchies to form their own Coastal Confederation on June 20, 274. Neither confederation had a central authority beyond their Councils of Dukes, which represented each constituent duchy. Despite this structure, the Dukes of Ascara and Plenas held sway over their respective bodies.

During this period, the northern regions of modern-day Ventora were not unified in any significant way. The area began to develop some identity as northeastern Alutran migrations spread through the Kanakan region of the Alutran Steppe. Nonetheless, the zone remained largely nomadic until the 1500s.

Second Haksar tributaries
With Ashniqir's restoration of the Haksarad empire in 511, trading ties with the confederations grew again, particularly during the latter half of the sixth century. Beginning around 600, the confederations became semi-autonomous tributaries. This status did not bind the member duchies except as it affected their roles within their confederations.

Although the Haksar perspective of these tributaries was imperialistic, the southwest Alutran dukes saw them more as a military and trade alliance. The fact the confederations were the tributes relieved the dukes of direct fealty. To further enhance their independence and economic strength, the confederations formed a customs union in 783.

Kingdom
Observing Haksar and Velorenkyan conquests in !Esharat, Montaña sought to expand its territory in 955 by seizing Eshar land to its west. Although militarily successful, the confederation found itself stretched. The Kanakan region in the northeast had become less passive. Differences of opinion on priorities among its dukes led to the Montaña Confederation becoming less unstable, with limited ability to maintain control across its vast lands. As a result, Teodosio Araya, Duke of Ascara and Montaña, petitioned the Coastal Coalition for assistance with the northern lands.

Recognizing an opportunity to increase Haksar influence in southwestern Alutra, Emperor xxx offered the pair of confederations the opportunity to become a united kingdom under tribute. Clemente Duque de Plenas used the situation to shift the balance of power from the wealthier Montañans to the more rural eastern Coastal Confederation. This suited the Haksars and the Montañans agreed in order to retain what prestige they still had a grasp of.

On August 17, 959, the member dukes of the confederations signed the Concords of Plenas creating the Kingdom of Ventora. Clemente I of the House of Carres was the first king. The Concords dissolved the confederations but gave semi-autonomous standing to the duchies. The Kingdom’s charter established it as a tributary of Haksarad. The name Ventora clearly signified coastal prominence in the Kingdom as did name Plenas as capital.

Expansionist period
Because of the nomadic nature of peoples in northeastern Ventora, the Kingdom’s control over the region was somewhat nebulous, but the combined might of all the duchies secured hegemony over eastern Esharat for several hundred years. Using agricultural knowledge gained from the Haksars, the Kingdom introduced cultivation to arable areas of the Kanakan region in the steppe in the 1100s. As farming became more accepted, the nomadic nature of the zone diminished, all but disappearing by the 1500s.

Having good trade relations with the Watanese, Ventora sought to compel its smaller neighbor into a tributary relationship, which was established in 1038. King César saw this as a means to both expand Ventoran prestige and help pay for efforts at pacifying the northern regions. Various areas of Watan were awarded to specific duchies of Ventora as provinces with arrangements for trade, defense, and administration.

Although the Watanese remained semi-autonomous, a Ventoran custos appointed by his duke was placed in charge of each respective province. The arrangement continued for nearly 300 years. It was largely an amicable situation although the Ventorans had a tendency to treat the Watanese paternalistically. When disputes arose, they were often settled by a saber duel, a Watanese tradition the Venetorans viewed as honorable. Just such a duel resulted in the end of the tributary relationship in April 1328 when Ventora’s Provincial General, Pascual Elizondo Quixada Penemar, Count of Otero, lost his duel with the Watanese prince. King Seve II of Ventora considered using the army to compel Watan to remain a tributary state, but the relationship had long been at least tacitly voluntary. As a result, there was little support at home for armed intervention and the King’s Council advised him to accept the result of the duel, which Seve reluctantly agreed to.

Independence
With waning Haksar imperial authority in the early 1700s, Ventora secured its release from tributary status on May 12, 1740. Since the Kingdom had been virtually independent despite its tributary status, the Release from the Charter was a technicality but legally important document which gives the signing date great significance in Ventora.

Despite long-standing historical ties with Haksarad, Ventora took a position of neutrality in the Coffee Wars. The Kingdom did not want to damage growing trade with the northeastern Alutran countries, including Ordrey, Gladomyr, Edury, Salia, and Ecoralia. Ventora saw neutrality as the best way to renew trade with belligerents on both sides once the war was resolved. Its neutrality severely curtailed Ventoran trade during the Coffee Wars, however, since a majority of its trade partners were engaged in the wars.

The reductions in trade for Ventora during the Coffee Wars impacted the country’s ability to react to local revolutionary activities in its Eshar lands. The Kingdom also did not have a political will to hold onto Eshar territory since it was more interested in ensuring the Kanakan region was more fully included in the realm. As a result, Ventora withdrew from !Esharat after the Peace of xxx in 1749.

War of the Three Capitals
King Florián III and the entire royal family were killed September 13, 1961, when their train derailed in the Lorqui rail incident while en route back to the capital from the Summer Palace. With a lack of clear succession, the Council of State appointed Tácito Duque de Castellano as regent in the interim. After months of bitter discussions, Castellano declared the Council dissolved on March 10,1962, and used military forces to secure the capital city of Plenas. This led to the formation of monarchist, republican, and northern alliances, each with varying degrees of support. With no formal means of discussion, the rivalries degraded into open warfare, now known as the War of the Three Capitals, as three prominent dukes vied for the throne.

After two years of varying degrees of battles, the popularity of the war was waning with average citizens. The nobility also felt the economic impact of the war. Realizing continuing the fight could result in a complete loss of power, the dukes agreed to resume discussions on succession, meeting in the relatively neutral location of the Summer Palace at Terelle.

Commonwealth
On October 18, 1964, the dukes signed The Treaty of Terelle. This resulted in the formation of the current commonwealth under a regent as an overlay to the retained structure of the kingdom. The dukes agreed to the duchies having a confederal arrangement with the national commonwealth due to the lack of a monarch.

Geography
At 0 km2, Ventora is a medium-sized country in Altrua along the northern coast of Abayadi Sea. The Gulf of Eshar lies to the west and Bastrop Bay is near the southeast corner of the country.

Topography
The Alutran Steppe forms in the Kanakan region of northern Ventora and stretches east across central eastern Altura. The area is sparsely populated and a fair number who live there still tend to lead semi-nomadic lifestyles.

In the southeast, the Plomosa Mountains rise and extend eastward along the Abayadi coast. Central and western Ventora consists of plains. The coastline tends to be rocky, but there are some good beaches. The black sand beaches of the Alpunte al Oeste region are a popular tourist destination.

Climate
Four main climate zones fall largely along geographic lines.
 * The (BWk) affects most of the northern quarter of Ventora. The area experiences hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters.
 * A band of (BSh) lies south of the Kanakan steppe region.
 * The central plains predominantly experience sn (Cfb). The area sees generally cool temperatures with relatively few extremes.
 * Along the ooast, Ventora experiences a (Cwa). The effects of this extend upward as Cfa regions in the east and west adjacent to the central plains.

Politics
Technically a kingdom, Ventora is a commonwealth with an elected regent in the stead of the monarch and a bicameral. The country is multi- with a complex three-tier franchise for voting and universal suffrage at age 18. Due to the lack of a monarch, the dukes and duchesses no longer have personal fealty to the head of state. As a result, the duchies are semi-autonomous and have a confederal relationship with the state.

Government
The legislative branch consists of the Grand Council of State (Gran Consejo de Estado), as the upper house, and the People's Assembly (Asamblea Popular), as the lower house. Each of the 26 reigning dukes and duchesses hold a life seat in the Grand Council. Members of the nobility elect another 26 nobles to 4 year terms, bringing the number of fellows to 52. All citizens may vote under the three-tier franchise system to empanel a Conclave of Electors by district who elect delegates to 2 year terms in the 780 seat People's Assembly. Candidates must be at least 20 years of age and have completed national service.

Serving a 5 year term, the Regent (Regente) is. The Grand Council elects the Regent who must be a titled noble at least 20 years of age. Although not required to have completed national service, in practice no candidate has stood who has not completed that obligation. The Regent appoints, with consent of the Grand Council, a Governor General (Gobernador/a General) as. The Governor General serves at the pleasure of the Regent and may resign at will but may only be dismissed by the Regent with simple majority concurrence of the People's Assembly.

The College of Commissioners (Colegio de Comisionados) is the advisory council and for the government of Ventora. Its members are the Commissioners who are the heads of the various primary departments of state. The constitution provides for the cabinet but does not define the departments themselves, leaving that to the discretion of the Governor General. He or she appoints the Commissioners with simple majority approval of the Grand Council and the assent of the Regent who issues their Royal Commissions.

Administrative divisions
Ventora consists of 26 semi-autonomous (ducados) in a  relationship with each other and the national state. A duke or duchess rules their respective duchy, normally under an hereditary system. Governance is typically invested in a head of government, most commonly a, and executive departments. Each duchy has its own legislature and judiciary.

Duchies have a varying number of (condado) with a count or countess as titular head. The authorities and independence of the counties varies by duchy. The next level of governance consists of (municipios), which may be further subdivided into boroughs ().

Law and judiciary
The legal system in Ventora is a system compiled into statute books called codes (códigos). There are separate codes for criminal, civil, and commercial laws, as well as laws of governance. Although the state has prominence in commercial and some criminal and governance law, most civil and criminal law is within the purview of the duchies. The country's document, the Fundamental Law of Ventora, provides for the structure of the state and its governance.

The judiciary is organized into sets of courts for each type of law plus an armed forces court system. The national court systems consist of three tiers: Courts of Inquiry, Courts of Justice, and High Courts. Duchies have their own court systems but typically mirror the national structure. A single State Supreme Court (Corte Suprema del Estado) is superior to the lower national tiers and serves as a court of last resort for appeals from the highest ducal court.

Military


Falling under the authority of the Defense Commission (Comisión de Defensa), the country's armed forces consist of three combat branches: Army (Ejército), Navy (Armada), and Air Force (Fuerza Aerea), each under the command of their respective Captain-General. The Logistics Corps (Cuerpo Logístico) provides support to the entire armed forces. Although members of the armed forces proclaim their fealty to the Regent in the stead of the King, the Defense Commissioner is the peacetime commander-in-chief and gives direction through the Captains-General. In wartime, the Governor General assumes the role of commander-in-chief.

The Gendarmerie (Gendarmería) provides military police services to the armed forces. It also has responsibility for border security, maritime surveillance, protection of government facilities and senior officials, and provides a national-level rapid response force for internal security purposes such as crowd control and interdiction of organized crime and terrorism. The Interior Commission has charge of the Gendarmerie during peacetime but it may be subordinated to the Defense Commission during wartime.

Foreign relations
Although the Regent has influence in matters of foreign policy, it is largely the purview of the Governor-General and Foreign Affairs Commissioner. Ventora's key objectives in its foreign policy focus on trade. The country takes an expansive view in its foreign relations policies as demonstrated by tendencies to recognize any legitimate governmental authority and efforts to encourage and support local determination free from external interference.

Economy
The national currency is the standard (estándar), which uses the symbol Ɇ. The State Bank of Ventora (Banco Estatal de Ventora, BEV), the country's, issues notes in 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 denominations, although the latter two are not used often. It also mints 1 and 5 standard coins, with the 5 Ɇ coin not being popular due to its weight. The standard divides into 100 cents (centavos) with 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cent coins in circulation. The State Bank manages monetary policy and sets the value of the currency based on a currency band influenced by the exchange rate of leading currencies.

Overview
Ventora has an economic system with extremely high degrees of private ownership and minimal regulation and governmental intervention. While the government does establish certain minimum safety standards, such as for aircraft safety, most other aspects of the economy are not regulated. Resource and product distribution, as well as pricing, follow the natural correlations of supply and demand. To ensure consumer choice and protections, the law typically restricts single-owner market control to not more than half in most cases. A notable exception is utilities and transport infrastructure due to avoid inefficient duplicative efforts. Nonetheless, private concerns often operate such public services by concession from the government.

Agriculture
The central plains are Ventora's breadbasket. The country is the largest source of olives, which grow in the northern scrublands. Grains are the largest crop, including, , and. Grapes are a popular crop in the southeastern foothills of the xxx mountains and region has many vineyards and wineries. Wine is a significant export. There are also many orchards for oranges, grapefruit, apples, apricots, pears, peaches, and plums. Vegetables include tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and nuts, particularly peanuts, walnuts, and pecans.

Livestock raised in Ventora includes cattle, pigs, chickens, and lambs. In the higher elevations, sheep and goats are the main livestock, followed by cattle. Generally no longer raised as beasts of burden, horses have become the prerogative largely of the wealthy. Fishing has been a major food source since before recorded history and commercial fishing remains an important economic activity in Ventora.

Manufacturing
Numerous companies in Ventora manufacture goods and equipment, such as machinery, to support and serve other industries. Consumer goods, including home appliances, televisions and radios, and furniture, represent a significant portion of manufacturing output. Subassemblies and parts are becoming a growing segment within the manufacturing sector. Although most automobiles are imported, there is some domestic production. Sociedad Tramullas de Automóviles Rallye SA (STAR) produces an inexpensive series of cars which are popular for their low cost and ease of maintenance.

Tourism
Foreign and domestic people enjoy holidays in the coastal areas. The black sand beaches along the southwestern shores are particularly popular. There is also a growing, albeit niche, scientific tourism engaged in visiting the northern scrublands and the Kanakan region of the Alutran Steppe.

Transport
Ventora has a well-developed railway network, especially in the south. A high-speed passenger line connects the major cities in the coastal region. Passenger rail radiates from hubs along the high-speed line to serve other large municipalities. Densely populated municipalities have transit systems incorporating regional commuter rail, trams, and subway lines. Most cities have some level of transit bus service.

With xxx km (xxx mi) of roadway, Ventora's Autovia dual-carriageway highways connect all major cities as well as many cities and towns in between. A number of autovisa are operated as tollways by private concerns under franchise.

Energy
Electrical generation is almost evenly split between nuclear, renewables, and fossil fuels. Nuclear generating stations, accounting for 33.8% of electricity production, consist of about half fast-breeder reactors, a third pressurized water reactors, and the remainder gas-cooled reactors. Renewables provide for 36.7% of electricity production, with the largest sources being wind, hydro, and solar. Biofuels, soild waste, and geothermal facilities are other renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, and petroleum, produce the remaining 29.4% of electricity in Ventora. The country is an electricity exporter, producing more than it consumes, amounting to about 58 TWh of surplus in 2018.

Natural gas, which Ventora must import due to having few domestic sources, is the primary fuel for residential heating and cooking. A number of cities use district heating systems supplied largely by waste-to-energy facilities. Some steam from nuclear-powered generating stations is also used for industrial heating or steam-propelled systems in a handful of manufacturing facilities located near the power plants. Although Ventora has some oil fields, particularly in the midlands, the country is a net importer of petroleum and certain petroleum products.

Demographics
The 2020 census tallied Ventora's population at 0. This gives the country a population density of 2 km2 overall. However, densities are higher in the southwestern and southern coastal regions, then begin to thin in the midlands, and are lowest in the north.

Ethnic groups
The largest in Ventora are the Quattali, numbering over 17 million. They are found predominantly along the southern coasts and into the midlands. Sedelits, at nearly 16 million, are the next largest group, generally inhabiting the midlands. At almost 11.5 million, Montañeros/as originate in the west central region. Kanakans are the other indigenous ethnic group consisting of about 9.3 million who live primarily in the north. About 6.7 million ethnic Tilarg live largely in southeastern areas. Close to 3.5 million people with Watanese origins live mostly in the eastern highlands. Kashar and Binu, at just over 3 million each, can be found largely along coastal areas. Ethnic !Eshar comprise nearly 2.5 million people who live largely in west-central Ventora. Florentines can be found predominantly in northwestern areas and number just over 2 million. A little more than a million people of Salian origin live most typically in coastal areas. The remaining 4.5 million people belong to a number of ethnic groups, including Ordrish, Myrish, Gundiaghs, and Ecoralanders.

Languages
is the official and primary in the country. While 98% of the population speak Ventoran, only 86% claim it as their first language. Regional native languages include in the lower west,  across the midsection, Kanakan in the north-northeast, and  in the southeast. About 7% of the population, mostly Haksar expatriots, claim Manauk as their mother tongue. Watanese is another common language in the southeast as is !Eshar in the west center.

Education
Everyone in Ventora must attend school from age 5 through 16. Public schools do not charge tuition but most licensed private schools do, the amount varying from school to school. School is in session year-round, with week-long breaks every quarter, as well as week-long breaks at each solstice and equinox.

Parents may send children to preparatory schools before age 5. State-supported schools accept children ages 3 to 5 and many parents take advantage of the programs designed to socialize children and prepare them for the learning environment. Private preparatory schools accept children younger than age 3 and some have programming that is considered highly academic for such young children. Such preparatory schools are popular among the wealthy for the perceived advantage it gives their children.

The compulsory education structure and minimum standard curriculum is the same for both state-funded and private schools. Private schools may teach above the curriculum requirements. The Selectividad (lit. selection) examination at the end of secondary school determines a student's placement in one of four tertiary school tracks: general, academic, technical, or vocational. As a result of the compulsory education scheme, Ventora enjoys a literacy rate above 99%. Upon receiving their tertiary certificate (certificado), students who scored well enough on the comprehensive examination may attend baccalaureate (bacalatura) for levels 12 and 13, typically at ages 16 to 18. The curriculum at this level is designed for students planning to attend university and focuses on academic and technical subjects. It often includes a second foreign language. The final examination score plays a significant role, along with course scores, in determining university placement. Students with vocational aptitude may attend a vocacionarium for levels 12 and 13, with coursework focused on the particular skills necessary for a trade. For some trades, the vocacionarium serves as the apprenticeship; for others it is a pre-apprenticeship, saving the student time in achieving qualification in the trade.

Most students admitted to university complete four years of study and receive their licentura. Students with above average academic achievement and desire may be admitted to advanced university studies. After two more years, successful students receive the diplomatura. Additional university education beyond the diplomatura results in the awarding of the titulura after the student completes and successfully defends a disertation on a particular topic relevant to their field of study. Universities charge tuition to cover their costs.

Health
Ventorans enjoy universal healthcare paid for by a combination of employer subsidies, compulsory worker subscriptions, and a tiered service co-pay scheme designed to encourage personal care and responsibility for individual health conditions. An emphasis on public health, through sanitation and robust, proactive efforts at controlling and eliminating infectious diseases and disease vectors, helps contain costs of the system. Healthcare encourages preventive care, with periodic wellness examinations and vaccinations having no out-of-pocket charges. Co-pays for addressing chronic, preventable conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and coronary heart disease, are still low and vary depending on insurance or the healthcare trust plan.

Local polyclinics serve as initial points of access to to care, with general practice physicians and specialists housed together at the clinic. Centralized medical records ensure quality of care since healthcare providers can easily review a person's previous care and medical history. The polyclinics include pharmacies, in-house laboratories, and diagnostic testing appropriate to outpatient services. More serious cases receive care in hospitals, either on an outpatient or inpatient basis.

Religion
While H'Ejrad, with 33.4 million members, is the largest practiced in Ventora, Sortisism is the predominant indigenous faith, claiming over 27 million followers. Sortisism is a religion centered on the interpretation and meaning of. Other significant religions with large numbers of adherents in the country include Stroomism and Ayekism. also enjoys some popularity, particularly among immigrants from northeastern Alutra. Over 10 million people in Ventora either don't believe in a or do not follow any religious practices or standardized belief systems.

Culture
Scholars have invested countless hours in researching Ventoran culture.

Society
Following the demise of the royal family in 1961, Ventoran society consists of the nobility (aristocracy) and the polity (citizenry at large). Nobles can be either titled (dukes, counts, and lords) or untitled nobility, termed hidalgo. Nobility passes through heredity by means of absolute primogeniture. In general, titled nobility hold lands and govern the areas under their jurisdiction. Although they may own land, and frequently do in modern times, the hidalgo are not considered "landed". The captains of industry tend to be hidalgo, as do many mid- and high-level government officials.

Architecture
Throughout history, in Ventora has been a product of both local ideas and foreign influence. Some styles are uniquely Ventoran while others are more universal. was popular in the 19th century while modern designs tend to follow fundadismo or glass-and-steel concepts. The former often appears with government buildings while the latter is more typical of commercial structures.

Cuisine
Fish and seafood are popular foods in coastal areas with meats more of a main stay in the center and north of the country. Grains, pastas, and vegetables frequently make up part of meals. Garlic is found in a wide variety of dishes and use of onions, chilis, and other spices is also customary. As a leading producer, olive oil is a common element in Ventoran cuisine.

So-called chain restaurants are a rarity in Ventora. Instead, street vendors are the popular source for quick-food meals and can be found throughout the country, even in rather remote, rural areas. A widespread food choice is the, a fried, or sometimes baked, turnover which usually has a fish or meat and spices and sauce filling. Sometimes empanadillas include potatoes or, less frequently, vegetables.

Public holidays and festivals
Ventorans enjoy a number of local and regional festivals in addition to several official holidays. Two popular festivals include the Harvest Festival (Fiesta de la Cosecha), the largest of which takes place in Vedra, Sabaray for five days in mid-September, including the labor day holiday. Many cities and towns, especially in the rural areas, have their own harvest festivals. Another popular festival is the Summer Festival (Festival de Verano), usually in conjunction with the summer solstice holiday.

Although the duchies each have some of their own public holidays, there are eight holidays celebrated throughout the country. In addition, some localities, including cities and counties, may recognize a regional holiday or two. Many businesses do not operate on public holidays and the majority give their employees the day off with pay as though worked while persons who must work on a holiday generally receive premium pay. Most holidays are observed on the nearest Friday to result in a long weekend, with the excpetions being New Year's Day and the summer and winter solstices.