Argata

Argata, officially the Union of Argata is a nation in Northern Avalonia. Argata has a population of n and a total land area of 272,125 square kilometers (105,068 square miles). Argata is dominated by two climate zones, and. The climate in Argata is characterized by significant variation between the seasons, with hot summers and cold winters. As a result of the warmer climate, Argata's population is denser in the south of the country.

Argata is a, with a monarch as the head of state and the prime minister as head of government. The federal legislature of Argata is, split between an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Deputies. Argata is subdivided into provinces with significant powers delegated to them by the national government. The capital and largest city of the country is Asprad.

Argata is a, characterized by above-average financial freedoms. The Argan economy is highly advanced and diverse, dominated by a strong. Some of Argata's largest industries include x, y, and z. Argata is considered a and scores high on rankings of human development and personal freedom.

Early History
Argata has been consistenly inhabited by indigenous peoples for millenia, with the first recorded evidence of human activity being dated to 15,000 BCE. Prior to Artemian discovery of Argata, the area was the home of numerous native tribes and nations.

Colonial History
In the 17th century, Argata was discovered and explored by several Artemian nations, most notably the Samot-Seratofian Empire. At this time, Argata had been fighting a brutal war against Badzevalan conquest, and because of this, Argata allied with Samot-Seratof to defend their nation against conquest. With this assistance, Argata managed to successfully defend itself, and Samot-Seratof soon moved into the region and occupied it as a colony. Argata, as a result of this, was also brought under the Samot-Seratofian sphere of influence, through a voluntary agreement with Samot-Seratof. Knowing that the nation would be in danger of colonization if this deal was refused, the Argan government elected to enter into a "mutual union" with Samot-Seratof, although in practice, the nation was essentially another colony.

Argata remained a de facto colony of the Samot-Seratofian Empire for several centuries. Its location as an important gateway into the Brigantic Gulf made it a valuable asset to the Empire, and to let it slip away from their control would constitute a crucial loss in the region. However, as colonial control in Avalonia began to wane in the 19th century, it became much more difficult to assert control in the region. In 1872, Argata would gain nominal independence along with Badzevalari, with a high level of autonomy being granted to both nations, even though Argata technically had the status of a dominion. Argata's first prime minister, x, took office in January of 1873, and many consider this date the start of Argata as a nation.

Independence
Argata began as a constitutional monarchy, with the prime minister as the head of government and the Samot-Seratofian emperor being the official head of state. Upon the collapse of the Samot-Seratofian Empire in 1925, Argata moved to abolish the monarchy and established a semi-presidential system, replacing the monarch's position with that of a president.

Geography
Argata is located in Northern Avalonia, on the Brigantic Sea. It shares its only land border in the west with Badzevalari. Argata is 272,125 square kilometers (105,068 square miles) in size, comparatively small when looking at other nations in the region. Two main climate zones encompass the country: humid continental and humid subtropical. The climate in Argata is characterized by hot summers and cool to cold winters. Argata does not have much variation in altitude. Being located on a divergent fault line, there are no mountain ranges in the country, and the highest point in the country is just n meters above sea level.

The humid subtropical portion of Argata is located in the south of the country, and is home to flatter terrain than the rest of the country, hence why farming is more concentrated in the south. South Argata does sometimes receive snowfall during the winter, however it is usually less than three inches. North Argata is characterized by a humid continental climate, which makes it more prone to cold weather and snowfall in winter. This region also experiences great variation in annual temperatures, with the temperature during the summer often reaching above 25 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile, in the winter, temperatures are known to drop below freezing, and snowfall is an annual occurence.

Government
According to the Argan Constitution, Argata is a semi-presidential republic, operating under a system of, with power divided between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The highest executive authority in the nation is the president, who is considered the the head of state. The president has more powers than in other parliamentary republics, and is often considered the face of the country. Legislative power is vested in the bicameral parliament, split between the Senate and the House of Deputies. Parliament is headed by a prime minister, who manages the legislative affairs of the country. Members of the Senate are representatives of their home province, elected every two years. Members of the House of Deputies represent a given electoral district, and are also elected in two-year cycles. Members of both houses are limited to five terms in office.

Argata is a federal nation, divided into x provices. The provinces of Argata each have their own government, which operates similarly to the federal government. Executive power at the provincelevel is vested in a premier, and the provincial legislatures operate almost identically to their federal counterpart. Elections occur on a province-by-province basis, so there is no set date on which all provincial elections take place.

Economy
Argata is an advanced nation with a highly diversified economy. The Argan economy was estimated to be worth n in 2020, making it the nth largest economy in Avalonia, behind x, y, and z. Historically, Argata's economy relied heavily on manufacturing, which in turn originated from Argata's position as one of the largest shipbuilders on the continent. As the Industrial Revolution progressed, The Argan tradition of shipbuilding morphed into the production of dozens of other manufactured goods, eventually peaking as one of the largest exporters in the world in the early 1900s. As the century progressed, however, the Argan economy was soon eclipsed by other world powers.

Currently, the Argan economy is dominated by the service sector, comprising 73.5% of Argata's annual GDP, followed by the industrial sector at 25.7% and the agricultural sector at 0.8%.