Galvia

Galvia (: Galvija), officially the Kingdom of Galvia, is a country located in eastern Alutra. It is bordered by Renesia to the north, Ecoralia and Aquizireiki to the east, and Izlegal to the southeast. The territory of the Kingdom of Galvia expands over a total land area of 787,343 square kilometres (303,995 sq mi), with a mostly. The capital and largest city is Antonija; other major cities and urban areas include Zvanas, Sienal, Aizsargāt, and Vilciena.

Considered to be the first Galvic state, the Varic Empire was founded in the 5th century under Valerijs II following the Conquest of Lempia. After its collapse, it was succeeded by the Varic Republics and the Union of Krona at the start and end of the 13th century respectively. The Union of Krona was eventually overthrown by the Legion of Galvia, commanded by Antonija Ivuškāns, during the mid-14th century, and replaced by the United Kingdoms of Galvia in 1399, of which Antonija was crowned Queen. This was followed by the Sacred Expansion in the mid-15th century, and eventual Royal Campaigns between 1467 and 1517 - a 50-year period of internal conflict followed by nearly a century of tension and unrest, leading to the War of Antonija in 1693, before coming to an end after the Battle of Straume in 1709. Not long after the Battle of Straume, all Galvic lands were evenly distributed between the Kingdom of Vakars and the Kingdom of Lietus, to be later unified under a single monarch in 1731; this time period and its events are collectively referred to as the Unification of Galvia.

In the second half of the 18th century, the Galvic lands became more industrialized, entering their first in 1770. At the start of the 20th century, the Kingdom of Galvia remained neutral during the entirety of World War I despite its location amidst one of the conflict's largest fronts. During the 1940s, under a more interventionist government, Galvia joined the Alutran theatre in World War II, supporting both the Principality of Renesia against the Eastern Front, and the newly formed, and unrecognized, Tretuish State, or Tretland, in southern Ecoralia, both of which ended unsuccessful. Galvian intervention continued in support of the Tretuish people in Ecoralia until 1953, when it came to a halt with the Tretland Nuclear Crisis, and the launch of Operation Mauve in Ecoralia. Withdrawal from Tretland led to to internal conflicts, particularly between the Tretuish population of Galvia, in support of the intervention, and the Galvic population, in opposition. Conflict came to an end in 1956 during the Autumn Riots, when all and rebel Tretuish groups were dissolved by the government.

Today, the Kingdom of Galvia is a   and  with an advanced, high-income. However, and despite of this, the country has been criticized for its rates,  situation, and increasing, all ranking higher than the regional average.

Etymology
The name "Galvia" is an standardization of the country's native name Galvija or Galvijas, which in turn derives from the name Galvai. The name Galvai derives from the word galva (meaning 'head') and the  declension -ai, and first came into use during the 13th century with the formation of the Legion of Galvia (Galvai Milzums) under the command of Antonija Ivuškāns. The name was chosen to promote the belief that the Legion were the true rulers of the Galvic people, and it is believed that the name Galvai was then chosen to signify the Legion as the "Head that should wear the Crown" (Galva Nēsā Vainagu).

The name was then changed to Galvijas with the formation of the United Kingdoms of Galvia (Galvijas Apvienotā Karaliste). The name Galvijas comes from the word galva, the suffix -ija (used to indicate a location), and the declension -s. The name was given a geographic connotation after the Legion's success in conquering all land that once belonged to the Union of Krona, and has been used to refer to the territory that today encompasses present-day Galvia ever since 1399. The name was then repurposed one last time in 1731, with the formation of the current Kingdom of Galvia and the adoption of its shortened name "Galvia" (Galvija), losing the nominative declension.

History

 * Main article: History of Galvia

The Union of Krona
At the end of the 13th century, in 1295, King Janus II of Skaja, began negotiations with other Varic Republics in the vicinity to unify the territories back into a single Varic union. As evidenced by letters from the other republics, this proposal was initially met with resistance, as leaders opposed to hand over sovereignty to a foreign state and monarch. Despite of the initial opposition, talks continued, and in February of 1296, based on documents dating back to this time period, King Janus II proposed the idea of a unified Varic state that wouldn't take away autonomy or sovereignty from the states that formed it, and promised the redistribution of all conquered land from opposing republics. In March of that same year the Pact of Kaudze, named after the capital city of Skaja, was signed by the consenting leaders, including King Janus II. Not long after the signing of the Pact, the republics, now united under the Union of Krona, declared war on the neighboring territories, after which six new republics joined the Union and signed the Pact in an act of surrender. Invasion of the opposing lands began on July of 1296 with the Battle of Austruas, in present-day eastern Galvia. By September the Union of Krona had obtained complete control of the northern half of the territory, while the southern republics, majorly inhabited by population, formed the Southern Wall (Dienviena), a military coalition meant to keep the Union from invading the south. However, Dienviena, didn't last long, as Union forces managed to push through the southern Republic of Vīnogas, the largest in the Dienviena, and overthrow it. The Union of Krona encompassed all Varic territories by December of 1296, after which King Janus II renounced to his title as Monarch of Skaja and self-declared King of of the Union of Krona.

Government

 * Main article: Government of Galvia

The Kingdom of Galvia is a  and  comprising ten kingdoms and an autonomous territory. The federal is the Monarch of Galvia, who holds the title of either King or Queen, meanwhile, the federal  is the Grand Secretariat of Galvia, a 4-year term elective position. The Constitution of Galvia, or Sesaprātsme, is and separates the government into three mutually responsible branches: the, the , and the.

Executive

 * Main articles: Monarch of Galvia, Grand Secretariat of Galvia

The title of Monarch of Galvia is hereditary under a system of, meaning it'll always be passed down to the sovereign's eldest child, regardless of gender. In the event the doesn't meet the minimum ruling age required, the next person in line within the Galvian Royal Family over the age of 21 will be declared, and serve as the substitute Monarch in the Heir's place until this one comes of age. The current Monarch, Queen Margrieta III, crowned on 21 March 2007, is the tenth person to hold the title of Monarch of Galvia, the fifth Queen from the current royal line, and the youngest Monarch to have ascended the Galvian throne since King Leonārs I in 1731. Aside from being the federal head of state, the Monarch is also the Head of the Galvian Church, and holds that may be exercised without the Legislature's consent.

The federal head of government of Galvia is the Grand Secretariat, a 4-year term elective position that is part of both the Executive and the Legislature. The Grand Secretariat isn't directly elected, and is instead the leader of the to gain the majority vote during  for the parliament of Galvia, the Galvic Covenant. Upon election, the Grand Secretariat is in charge of forming the Government of Galvia, comprising 21, electing a to oversee the Legislature, and choosing three member of each political party to join the Middle House of the Legislature, the Svarias.



The Cabinet of Ministers, also referred to as the Government of Galvia, is a governmental body part of the Executive that is formed by the Ministers of Galvia and the Grand Secretariat. The main function of the Cabinet is to act as an advisory body to both the head of government and state through monthly reports that will be delivered to both. All ministers are drawn from the of the Legislature directly by the head of government. The ministers' is dependent on the Grand Secretariat as they are the ones to form the Cabinet, however, unlike the head of government, the ministers can be appointed for the position an indefinite amount of times, and may outstay the Grand Secretariat that originally appointed them. Once appointed, the only people with constitutional power to dissolve Cabinet are the members of the Legislature and the head of state.



All ten kingdoms of Galvia have a regional head of state, head of government and government. The heads of state are the Nobles of Galvia, referred to as either Lord or Lady, whose lineage dates back to the surviving Noble Houses of the kingdoms of Vakars and Lietus, and whose former territory comprises what is present day Galvia. Much like the Monarch, their title is passed down hereditarily. Nobles can dissolve the regional government, and hold reserve powers that mirror that of the Monarch. The Crown Capital Territory is the only administrative division without Nobles as it is under direct sovereignty of the Royal Family, and by extent the Monarch.

The regional heads of government are the Secretariats, all of whom have a 4-year term, and similarly to the Grand Secretariat, are elected through the regional Legislature during general elections. Secretariats are tasked with the formation of the regional government, the Councils, governmental bodies akin to the federal Cabinet but with fewer members, all of which are drawn from the regional Legislature. The members of the Council are the Delegates, who are in charge of the regional executive departments known as Delegations. All Delegates share a 4-year term with their regional Secretariat, by whom they are appointed but not bound to. Unlike Ministers who answer to both the federal head of state and head of government, the Delegates only report to the Secretariat, as the Nobles of Galvia hold a much more ceremonial position than their federal counterpart.

Legislature

 * Main article: Legislature of Galvia



The Legislature of Galvia functions under a, and is formed, on the federal level, by : the Lordship or Menors, the Svarias, and the Kopienas, all of which form the Galvic Covenant, simply known as the Covenant, or Galīgums, and meet at the Parliament of Galvia, in the capital city of Antonija. The Galvian Legislature is formed by, a collective term used to refer to all members of the Legislature regardless of chamber.

The Lordship (Menors) is the of the Legislature, and is formed by 22 members, known as Valdnieks, of which there are two for each administrative division. Of the 22 total, 20 of the Valdnieks are directly appointed by the Nobles of each kingdom, while the remaining 2, representatives of the Crown Capital Territory, are appointed by the Monarch. All members of the Lordship are members of the regional Noble Houses of Galvia or the Royal Family, and represent the monarchy in the Legislature. During legislative sessions, if a bill is presented to the Lower House, said bill must obtain an approving vote by from the Upper House before being presented to the Svarias.

The Kopienas is the of the Legislature, and is formed by 530 elected members known as Novēlēt, each of whom represents a. At the start of every secretarial term, ever four years, Novēlēt from the previous term are summoned by the Grand Secretariat to form the government by joining the Cabinet, to become of the Legislature, or to join the Middle House of the Covenant (Svarias). As the only elected chamber, the Grand Secretariat of Galvia is always elected through the Lower House of the Covenant as they are the leader of the political party to gain the majority vote after general elections.

The Svarias is the Middle House of the Legislature, and is formed by the Zvīņas, of which there are three for each political party in the Lower House after general elections. Despite not having a fixed number of members, the Svarias can never have fewer than 30 people; and in the event this number isn't met, the remaining seats will be filled by independent Novēlēt or members of the Noble Houses. The Middle House acts as the chamber in the Covenant, and its main purpose is passing or vetoing proposed bills before being passed to the head of government. The Svarias is the only chamber with the power to dissolve government, and remove other members of parliament from their position based on a. Unlike the Lower and Upper House, members of the Svarias must be renewed every four years after every general election, with no exception, as no member of parliament can hold a seat in the Middle House twice.

Unlike the Covenant, regional Legislatures are all. They are formed by elected every four years. Regional Legislatures are known as Reunions, and they follow the same system as the federal Legislature.

Judiciary

 * Main article: Judiciary of Galvia

The judicial branch of the federal government is formed the Supreme Court of Galvia (Taismāja). The Supreme Court is run by nine Magistrates, four of which are appointed by the Monarch, four by Grand Secretariat, and one is elected by all citizens over the age of 35. Magistrates hold life tenure, and they can't be removed from their position unless caught in flagrante amidst committing a crime. The Supreme Court is in charge of interpreting the Constitution of Galvia, as well as the National Archive of Galvia which contains all passed laws, and dictating sentences accordingly.

The Judiciary of Galvia functions in hierarchical fashion, and it's divided into two categories (Courts and Tribunals), which in turn are divided into four geographic levels (National, Regional, Provincial, and Municipal). All Tribunals at any level are divided into two types (Inquiry and Adjure), while all Courts can only be of Adjure. Tribunals of Inquiry have three Judges each, and hear cases in the first instance to determine whether or not they warrant a to be present. Depending on the gravity of the case in inquiry, it should be presented to either a National, Regional, Provincial, or Municipal Tribunal. If a case is considered doubtful, it will be moved to a Tribunal or a Court of Adjure, depending on its severity. Tribunals and Courts of Adjure hear disputed cases once they've been ruled out by the Tribunals of Inquiry, and are formed by a single Judge and a 15 people jury.

The Supreme Court is the only one in the country to fall under the category of "Court of Last Resort", as it will only hear cases that have been rejected by Tribunals and Courts of Adjure. The Supreme Court will only act as a court of Inquiry on matters of political or government crimes, specific cases of national urgency (e.g. or ), and demands against the Galvian government.