Albaterra

The Republic of Albaterra, (Portuguese: República da Albaterra): Is a landlocked nation located on the continent of Avalonia. Formerly a colony of Jungastia, Albaterra has been independent since 1982. Though the country is officially considered a Republic, Leonardo H. Sapateiro has been the leader of the country since before independence. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are not guaranteed and human rights are regularly violated. Religion plays a big role in Albaterra and The Catholic Church has large influence and sway over the population in the country. Because of this, The Catholic Church have a very large impact on what becomes law and what doesn't.

Discovery
Albaterra was first discovered when settlers from moved southward away from the northern coast. Following the river that goes through the land they were able to keep contact and trade with the rest of the colony. Jungastia expansion in the area was done slowly and with relative calm to begin with. Expansion was done naturally as the population increased and more colonists arrived from the home country. With it's thick rain forest and rugged landscape the exploration southwards was done at a very slow speed. Because of the slow expansion the King of Jungastia issued a royal decree to increase the expansion southward and find land that was good enough to suffice for a permanent settlement. The King tasked General Antonio Baptista to handle the exploration and expansion southward.

Colonization
Colonization picked up speed after Antonio Baptista was appointed to lead the exploration into these new lands. Being tough and ruthless, he was the perfect man for the job. The details of his exploration into the unknown are very popular in modern Albaterra and are regularly praised for being "proof of the enduring spirit of the albaterrian people" and the hardship that the colonists faced when first settling the country. Not wanting to go through the rain forest, Antonio decided to move inland by boat. Packing all the supplies on small boats they set off on their mission and sailed inland. The first few stops proved mediocre at best but at the end of the river was a great lake. They stopped their boats and set up a camp for the time being to explore the surrounding area further. The landscape was beautiful and completely untouched by civilization.

After months of exploration and mapping out the surrounding area the military camp had evolved into a small town with colonists and even women and children moving to the new settlement. Antonio named the new city Cidade Baptista which is the Capital of modern day Albaterra. The local native population were initially very welcoming to the colonists but that was going to change over time.