Cervera

Cervera, formally the Cerveran Directorate, is a located on the continent of Avalonia and sharing land borders with Zahava to the south and Albaterra to the south and west, as well as a significant maritime border on the Ingonian Sea with Theyka.

Situated at a cultural crossroads astride the Iapetus Ocean and Ingonian Sea, Cervera was settled in prehistory by indigenous peoples derived from the Theykan ethnic group as well as a diverse group of cultures descended from the south-central Avalonian indigenous populations of SiWallqanqa and Albaterra. First contact with the Artemian World occurred in the late 16th and early 17th century, after which the region came under the dominion of Agrana y Griego before gaining independence in 1818. Following a series of unstable republics and a brief monarchy, Directivists under the leadership of Raul Garcia Alvarez seized power in 1931 and transformed the country into an authoritarian single-party state based on their ideals. Present-day Cervera is considered a and, though unaligned with any major regional blocs, is increasingly active in world and economic affairs in the 21st century.

Geography and Climate
An equatorial nation, Cervera's climate is tropical in nature with heavy influence from warm water currents in the Iapetus and Ingonian, with consistent rains year-round and little seasonal variation in temperatures, which average 28-30 Celsius for highs and 22-25 Celsius for lows. Rainfall is consistent throughout the year, ranging from a low monthly average of 278mm in October to a high average of 403mm in July. Geographically, Cervera is situated in a large basin which comprises the Macaré River and its watershed, bounded by plateau regions on its north coast and mountainous areas in the southeast and roughly straddling the southern border. These areas tend to be somewhat wetter and more humid than the interior, though the overall difference throughout the year is negligible.

Politics
Cervera is a single-party state governed by the National Directivist Front, which functions as a and  having total control of all political and civic life in the nation. Legislative power is vested in the Supreme Popular Council, a 390 member body which meets to consider bills and measures to become law; in practice, as the party adheres to the concept of, the legislature acts as little more than a rubber-stamp. Additionally to the legislative body, the Presidium of the National Directive, composed of Supreme Popular Council Members, former Directors-General, and other leading party figures, meets every ten years to consider changes to party policy as well as appoint the next Director-General; special sessions of the Presidium may also be called in the event of national emergency or the death in office of the Director-General.

Executive authority is formally vested in the Supreme Council of State, comprised of the Director-General and Directors of the various government Directorates, equivalent to cabinet-level offices in other countries; the Director-General is also, ex officio, the head of the National Directivist Front. From 1968 to 1991, an office of President of the Supreme Council of State existed independently of the Director-General's office; the two were formally merged in the Sixth Presidium of the National Directive and the office is now considered to be de facto abolished, with the Director-General assuming the position of head of party as well as head of state.

Law
Cerveran law is outlined in the 1934 Constitution, which establishes Directivism as "the sole legitimate political expression and guiding force of the people" and serves as the supreme law of the land. The constitution theoretically guarantees rights to public assembly, religious expression, speech and the independent press, as well as civil rights regarding freedom from self-incrimination and the right to legal assistance. However, these rights are explicitly curtailed by the provision that their assertion may not run contrary to the maintenance of the Directivist system, leading foreign analysts to describe them as essentially moot.

Cerveran judiciary is divided into Civil and Criminal branches, the former being conducted in tribunal format with judges as finders of fact and presidings overseen by a single judge or magistrate. Criminal law, by contrast, operates on the Directivist principle of "Scientific Justice", wherein each separate facet of the case (e.g. evidence of plaintiff and defendant, witness statements, police reports) is reviewed by a panel of jurists in closed session acting as finders of fact. Summations are then presented en banc to a final panel of jurists to render a verdict, followed by yet another judicial panel to issue sentence, taking into consideration all foregoing information in terms of mitigation and aggravation. While Directivists charge that this system is designed and intended to eliminate bias in criminal proceedings, critics of the regime have argued that it has the effect of denying the accused proper representation in court and the ability to properly defend oneself; critics also allege that the byzantine nature of the judicial process leads to indefinite and arbitrary detention of accused persons without due process.

Cerveran law enforcement is organized in the Policia Nacional, which serves as the primary law enforcement body in the Directorate. While a unitary force under the guidance of the Directorate of Justice, it is administratively organized into provincial and city jurisdictions. While not a military branch in and of itself, it acts as a and can be mobilized to assist the military in times of crisis or for disaster relief. Additionally, the Directorate of Justice employs a, the PIDR, which is charged with investigating and disrupting crime of a political or dissident nature.