Ventora

Ventora, officially the Kingdom and Commonwealth of Ventora (: Reino y Mancomunidad de Ventora), is a  in southern central Alutra. Located along the north coast of the xx Sea, Esharat lies to the west, with xxx and xxx bordering Ventora to the north and east, respectively. The capital is Plenas.

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 Duque de Estérez. A Governor General is ; Pepito Conde de Araujo currently holds the office.

Etymology
The name derives from the old Ventoran ventosus (windy) and ora (coast), for the country's location on the xxx Sea and the winds attributed to it. Scholars are uncertain when the original ventosus was shortened to vent, but the consensus is it came about to shorten the region's name and for ease of pronunciation.

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.

Haksar tributary
In the last half century BC, Haksar sway grew resulting in the formations of the nobility and establishment of Ventora as a tributary region to Haksarad. Distance across the sea kept Haksar from having a strong dominance, especially with Esharati and Velorankyan incursions from the west and north.

Kingdom
With the waning of Haksarad after the 250s and 510s, Ventoran nobles established stronger positions, resulting in the rise of the kingdom in to fend off imperialism from outside. On June 20, 311, the dukes signed the Concords of Plenas, establishing the Kingdom of Ventora, with Clemente I of the House of Carres as the first king.

Renewed ties with Haksarad in the 510s strengthened the kingdom. While the Haksars viewed this as a renewal of the tributary relationship, the Ventorans saw it as a military and trade alliance. The ties lasted until the Coffee Wars in the 1700s.

War of the Three Capitals
King Florián III and the entire royal family were killed September 13, 1961, when their train derailed en route back to the capital from their 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, 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 1405430 km2, Ventora is a medium-sized country in Altrua along the northern coast of xxx Sea. The Bay of xxx lies to the west and Bastrop Bay is near the southeast corner of the country.

Topography
The Kanaka Steppe forms in 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 xxx 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 Kanaka 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 Diet of State (Dieta Estatal). The country is multi- with a complex 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 General Congress (Congreso General), 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 General Congress. Members of the nobility elect another 26 nobles to 5 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 the 720 seat People's Assembly. Candidates must be at least 20 years of age and have completed national service.

Serving a 3-1/3 year term, the Regent (Regente) is. The General Congress 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 General Congress, 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 Council of State (Consejo Estatal) is the advisory council and for the government of Vespratia. 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 General Congress 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 Armed Forces Commission, 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, in practice, the Armed Forces Commissioner is the commander-in-chief and gives direction through the Captains-General.

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 central bank, issues notes in 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 denominations and mints 1 and 5 standard coins. The standard divides into 100 cents (centavos) with 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cent coins in circulation. The State Bank sets the value of the currency based on a currency band influenced by the exchange rate of leading currencies and manages monetary policy.

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 Kanaka 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
About a quarter of Ventora's electricity production comes from nuclear-powered generating stations. Of those, nearly two-thirds use breeder reactors, with the remaining being pressurized water and gas-cooled reactor plants. Renewable, including hydro and pumped storage, wind, solar, and geothermal, sources for electrical generation comprise another quarter of the country's needs, with coal, natural gas, oil, and waste-to-energy used for most of the balance.

Natural gas is the primary fuel for residential heating and cooking. A number of cities use district heating systems supplied largely by waste-to-energy facilities.

Culture
Scholars have invested countless hours in researching Ventoran culture. They will reportedly be releasing some of their findings soon.

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.

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.