[IC] Sartoria

Sartoria

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Official Name	Principality of Sartoria Principato di Sartoria (Sartorian)
Flag
Location
Capital Largest City	Messelia Chiavere
Official Languages	Sartorian, Travescan, Virellian
Demonym	Sartorian
Government	Constitutional Elective Monarchy
Prince First Councillor Senate Speaker	Patrizio Marco Valerio Arianna Ventresca
Legislature	Senate
Area	4 515 131 km^2
Population Density	118 119 482 (2015) 26.3/km^2
GDP	X
Currency	Vallo (V/.)
Internet TLD	.sr

[/float] The Principality of Sartoria (Principato di Sartoria) is a nation located on the eastern coast of Theodosia. It is bordered on the west by Parsania, on the north by Seloana and Selene, on the east by the Selenid Gulf and the Theophilos Ocean and on the south by Istrad. It is one of the most populous countries in the world, with an estimated 118 million inhabitants, but its large surface area of over 4 million km^2 makes it also a considerably sparsely populated country.

Sartoria is a parliamentary constitutional elective monarchy. Its head of state is Patrizio, who was crowned in 1987 and has been ruling as Prince since. Its head of government is Marco Valerio, named First Councillor by Prince Patrizio on 16 March 2016 after he won the leadership election in the Senate. Valerio is an independent, but largely sympathises with the Social Progress Party and was elected in part due to their enthusiastic backing, both during the Senate campaign and the subsequent leadership election. His policies since his naming have focused on expanding civil liberties, improving access to education in isolated areas and balancing economic growth in the western, southern and seaside provinces with growing environmental concerns.

Since at least the 14th century, the area that would become Sartoria was comprised of numerous principalities and kingdoms that coexisted and even traded with one another, though the relationship between each would depend on their particular geographical area. In the Virellian Island, relations between the existing monarchies were hostile until an attempted colonisation from the mainland caused them to merge and form larger and stronger kingdoms. In the north, the smaller republics jointly exploited their strategic location and trade skills to make themselves too important to invade. In the east, the lack of existential threats allowed the rise of larger kingdoms, which in turn led to the consolidation of important agricultural and industrial sectors. In the west, economic development was slower, partly due to the availability of resources and partly due to the complicated relations between the existing monarchies. In the south, the mountainous terrain gave rise to large isolated kingdoms that valued self-reliance above all else, which is why they were the last states to join Sartoria, holding out until the early 20th century.

While formally unitary, Sartoria is highly devolved and grants high degrees of autonomy to many of its 62 provinces, particularly those in the west and south. Relations between the provinces are for the most part collaborative, though there is lingering resentment in some western provinces for the overwhelming western influence, particularly Messelian and Chieran, since unification.

Sartoria has been a parliamentary democracy since the 1864 Foundation Treaty. Since then it has enjoyed high levels of economic development and moderate inequality, partly due to the important economic assistance given by the Malaran League following the Continental War. Its large area and diverse regions make it an important centre for history, culture and the arts. It remains a close ally of Selene, whose influence can be seen most prominently in the northern and eastern provinces and in the progressive social policies adopted by successive governments. Sartoria is an observer of the Malaran Community and an outspoken supporter of democracy, free trade and state sovereignty.