Aspenia

Aspenia

(Flag) (Coat of Arms)
State Motto	Plus ultra
• Ingliz	Further beyond
State Anthem	Deus sonríe en Aspenia Ingliz: Deus smiles on Aspenia
• Ingliz	{{{nation_anthem_ingliz}}}
Official language	Aspenish
Founding Date	1236
Government  • Type  • President	Republic Enrique de la Cristobal
Capital	Lusiora
Administrative Divisions	Provinces, 10
Largest City	Lusiora
Area  • Total  • % water	1,652,932 km² (638,200 sq mi) .8%
Population  • Total  • Growth Rate  • Density	57,040,000 2.1% 34.5/km² (89.4/sq mi)
GDP  • Total  • GDP/capita  • Growth Rate	𐐝94.3 billion 𐐝1,654 -0.6%
Currency	Garra (𐐝)
Time Zones	WLT (Western Lusitierran Time) (AMT -10)
Trigraph	ASP
Calling Code	+61

Aspenia

Contents 1 Overview 2 Economy & Culture 3 Government 4 Demographics

Overview

Economy & Culture

Aspenian and Bonteran industry has for a century and more had a cooperative relationship; Bontera with abundant iron ore and Aspenia with plenty of coal. Before that, during Aspenia's imperial period, she sought to claim all the resources of Lusitierra for herself, or else traded ruthlessly for what she needed. Today, with coal not the mainstay of industrial power it once was, Aspenish oil is a more important export. AceitarasLucitas and Aspen'Aceitara, the two large Aspenish quasi-governmental petrol combines supply all of Aspenia's oil needs, those of a good number of her former colonies, and much of the needs of central Lusitierran nations. The Ferns and Tors are self-sufficient in petrol. Bontera imports some Aspenish oil, even though its overseas territory produces far more than Aspenia's oilfields -- much of their Caponovan petrol going to export markets.

A half-dozen truly ancient family firms do continue to mine and export coal. The "oscuro nobleza" (dark nobility) refers not to their complexion (most Aspenians are moreno, or dark-skinned), but to the grime of deep-rock coal miners. In contrast to the nobility of other lands (and other noble houses even in Aspenia) the oscuro nobleza willingly gets their hands dirty with the family business. The mining districts between Quentar and Órgiva lend that province a more industrial economy than the rest of the west of the country. Power plants there feed electricity north to Vasmontio, and since the national grid's completion of trans-Sierra links, even to the Capital district on the east coast. The twin rail lines from Quentar cross-mountain to Almedíjara have been upgraded over the last two decades and increasingly carry coal needed along the east, coal which formerly travelled far to the south before crossing the continental divide. To the great embarrasment of Aspenians, no local manufacturer of railway locomotion remains. All such transport these days is imported from Odessa and Torentine.

A major driver in the decline of Aspenia as she lost her colonies is that the resources of southwest Lusitierra just don't favor major industrialization. Modern Aurora runs on aluminum, on steel, on copper and other strategic minerals. Aspenia instead has a wealth in ranches, orchards, fisheries and forests. True, Aspenia is a net exporter of energy, with pipelines and powerlines running northeastwards, and tankers running to at least three continents. But what Aurorans see from Aspenia is in their markets - Benelúan tangerines, the wines of Polopos and Ampuero, the justly-famed "paradise" beef from the coast near Paradas, Gilenan wool. Constantina used to be the world's largest banana port, only relinquishing that title as some formerly unstable tropical nations have built their own markets in the late 21st century (particularly Kantonia, which was already a fruit juggernaut as an Aspenish colony, and took away thousands of acres of banana plantation when she declared independence). The hundred and fifty kilometer radius around the capital city Lusiora has the highest population density of Aspenia, but it also has a dense array of orchards. The generally reliable climate of the Abecean coast fosters production of peaches and apples, almonds and cherries, and other tree-fruits. Chocolate has not been a major Aspenian product, but increasingly cacao plantations are spreading around Uña, as the swamplands there are drained for cultivation.

Intangible products are the basis for much foreign trade and internal business. Aspenian culture is very much back-looking, with pride in their history a part of the national character. In that vein, citizens will tell you their most important exports are literature, art, music, and architecture. Certainly, the long tradition of university excellence brings students from dozens of nations to learn medicine, horticulture, chemistry, or silviculture.

The Aspenish Garra went through a period of insane inflation in the early 2000's, as the rulers tried to maintain imperial extravagance on a shrinking budget. The economy has since stabilized, with more pragmatic administrations learning to live within limited means. The cities of Aspenia share a certain genteel shabbiness that speaks of the nation's contraction. The streets are by no means empty - most municipalities have a healthy amount of local commerce. Aspenians have successfully shifted from insisting the servants keep up a good facade, to each themselves maintaining some part of their surroundings. A common stereotype of Aspenian village life is old women diligently sweeping dusty dirt streets.

Government

Aspenia has a three-branch national government. The model is presidential, with the executive branch head as both head of state and head of government. El Presidente is elected by direct popular vote for a term of ten years. There is no limitation on repeat terms; indeed the present President is midway through his second. The legislative branch is a national parliament, whose members are elected by proportional direct vote for a party of choice, but it does not follow the full-parliamentary model where the legislature has authority over the executive branch.

The legislature is unicameral, and is titled the Consejo de Consejeros (lit: Council of Advisors). The point of juncture between the legislature and executive offices is that the chairman of the legislature is the popularly elected executive-office Deputy-President, known as el Diputado. He does not vote in the legislature's proceedings, except to break a tie. He does however wield considerable power - through him the President proposes bills, and his hold over the Consejo procedurally is ironclad.

The nation is unitary; the Provinces are remnants of feudal semi-sovereign principalities but have no legislatures of their own. They do have some power - their Governors may be appointed by the national President, but the term is usually for life. While el Presidente appoints a successor once a serving governor dies or is unable to continue service, the serving governor typically nominates his successor. Appointment occurs while the departing governor is still in office (if alive) and can exercise his influence - only one in five such nominations have been turned down in favor of another man. The President does hold power of impeachment over his governors - the process is unwieldy but has been used in recent history.

A fully separate judicial sysetm is the third, balancing branch of governance. Head Judge of the Court of National Ajudicators is el Excelentísimo Altomagistrado; he leads a panel of five Magistrates who both rule on the legality of laws and try cases of national importance. Four levels of lower courts try cases of criminal and civil law, with a clear path of escalation for appeals. The judicial system in Aspenia is fairly clear of the low-grade corruption seen in the rest of the government.

National Officials
Enrique Escovedo Vencise de la Cristobal	el Presidente
Javier Manuel Girona Bosanova	el Diputado (deputy-President & head of parliament)
Ramon Altada Segura	el Jefe de la Oposición (Parliament's Opposition Leader)
Rico Valdez Trejo Valdez	el Concejal Militar (Military Councillor)
Luis Mendez de la Montego y Montellano	el Concejal de los Asuntos Exteriores (Foreign Minister)
Jiminiez Otero Girona Zamorano	el Concejal de las Finanzas (Finance Minister)
Felipe Garcia Toberes	el Consejal de los Asuntos Internos (Internal Affairs Minister)
Ricardo Ramon Guiterrez Alcendo de la Botín	el Jefe de Asuntos Económicos (Trade Minister)
Dr. Alejandro Giancona Gonsalez Figudeira	Altomagistrado (Chief Justice)

Provincial Officials
Joaquin Mataeo Alverado	Gobernador, Gran Meseta Prov.
Bartolome Garcia Charragoza	Gov, Navarre Prov.
Luis Vontiago Barreda de San Jimente	Gov, Montblanc Prov.
Alejandro Izquierdo de la Nojales y Sanchon	Gov, Costa Azul Prov.
Alonso Jiminiez Martin San Feliz	Gov-General, Districto Federal
Guillermo Ronaldo Qiredos do los Riveros	Gov, Tierra del Dios Prov.
Iago Felipe Tavares de la Sobradillo	Gov, Riquezas Prov.
Vicente Belmarcca Salozar	Gov, Arboles Prov.
Estevan Justamente Ortega Fuentes	Gov, Cabo del Dragon Prov.
Mataeo Gallagos Fonesca de la Correjo	Gov, Pista del Fantasma Prov.

Local Officials
Falco Gornandez Espinoza Alazar	Alcalde (mayor), Santander, Gran Meseta Prov.
Ramon Dominguez Gama Mendez	Alcalde, Lusiora, Districto Federal
Vantiago Jorge Camporro Suarez	Alcalde, Gilena, Gran Meseta Prov.

Demographics

• Aspenia Census; 2110 (PDF)