Lourenne

Lourenne, formally the Federation of Canrille, Lourenne  (Canrillaise: Fédération de Canrille, Lourenne), is a sovereign state in western Dovani. Lourenne stretches from the continent west coast to the regions of Louives and Luçande and is bordered by Sekowo to the east and Statrica to the south. Lourenne's largest city is Valois, its Capital is Eroncourt.

Politics
Lourenne operates as a unitary parliamentary republic, as outlined in the country's Constitution.

Executive
The executive branch of the government of Lourenne is composed of the President, the Prime Minister and the cabinet. Within this structure, executive power is primarily exercised by ministers, with the head of state having a largely ceremonial role.

Legislature
The Lourennaise legislature, known as the Chamber of Deputies is unicameral and consists of 100 elected members, who are known as Members. The Chamber vested with powers to enact legislation, dismiss the cabinet and appoint a new government.

Elections
By law, elections for the Chamber of Deputies are held concurrently and must be held at least once every three years. Elections in Lourenne are decentralised representational elections. Representatives are elected by the department they run in, with each department Delivering 2 Representatives. (For more information, see Political Geography)

Political parties
Lourenne is a multi-party system in which political parties of diverse ideologies are permitted to exist and compete in elections.

Military
Lourenne's armed forces includes the army, navy, air force, gendarmerie and national guard.

Geography
Lourenne consists of three distinct geographic areas. The northern departments of Carolleux and Louives sit on a lush lowland covered with floodplains and dense swamps. Though a relatively warm and humid environment, the native Lourennians have adapted well to these conditions, and due to the high land fertility and the humid climate, these departments are the most populous in the country. Carolleux and Louives are both densly populated in the coastal area's. The long history and romantic, colonial architecture of the coastal cities make them very popular with tourists from all over the world. In addition to these large coastal cities, that serve as outlets for a majority of the nation's agricultural and industrial output, the numerous rivers are dotted with small "villages rivières" (river villages) that sustain relatively large populations through an intricate network of riverine trade, as well as small lanes.

To the south of these lowlands, Lourenne's rivers flow northward from the expansive chain of mountains known as the Plage de Barrière (Barrier Range). The departments of Luçande and Jôivant are dominated by its densely forested, subtropical foothills and end in the great peaks that divide Lourenne from the unclaimed tropical forests and plains to the south. Though generally more hospitable than the northern departments, Luçande and Jôivant are a bit more rural and less inhabited. However, modern, flourishing towns sprawl across the jagged hills and valleys along with older and more traditional ones which are sustained by subsistence farming and basic support from the nation's logging and mining industries.

The western peninsula of Outannais consists of lush temperate hills and broad valleys. Traditionally the home of the wealthier Rildanorian colonists, the majority of Outannais's citizens live in the small, wealthy cities on its western and northern coasts. Historically, these cities have served as the nation's centers for international trade, receiving the processed and refined goods of the eastern departments prior to shipping them out onto the international sea lanes. In recent years, Outannais has seen a steadily growing influx of ethnic Mixtecs from the crowded cities of the eastern departments. Beyond these urban areas, Outannais consists of large farms and plantations traditionally owned by the nation's powerful merchant class. Focused primarily on corn, tobacco, sugar, cotton and coffee, the Outannais peninsula is a vital source of revenue and also provides for the majority of food consumed in the nation's cities.

As a result of the influx of ethnic Mixtec and Orinco Lourennian nationals to Outannais, the region lost its reputation for hosting the more powerful Rildanorians who instead, relocated to Louives. The region has now become further isolated from Rildanorian influence and, consequently, many native villages can be seen throughout the region.

The climate in Lourenne is warm and humid with all areas of the country subject to seasonal rainfall. The northern lowlands are prone to flooding once in a while, and Outannais tends to experience small hurricanes in the late Summer. The country as a whole does not have a particularly high amount of seismic activity, though the more remote areas of the Barrier Range contain a few active volcanoes.

Administrative divisions
The Lourennaise Republic is divided into five major administrative divisions called Arrondissements. Arrondissements possess a limited degree of autonomy, a status that can be unilaterally altered by the central government without requiring amendments to the constitution.

Lourenne currently has 200 departments. Every election, these departments deliver 1 representative according to their local election results. Every state has 40 departments, and they are classified by population, so most departments have a population close to the average.

Economics
According to international aid organizations, Lourenne is classified as a developing country, though historically, the nation's economy has been relatively stable. This is primarily due to a rich tradition of trade. Lourenne's chief exports are agricultural products, such as coffee, corn, sugar, and tobacco, but also more developped products, such as computers and navigation systems. The nation also has a promising but exhausted logging and mining industry. Many of the manufactured goods consumed by the population are produced internally, but these products constitute only a minute fraction of the nation's exports. Locally, the majority of Lourenne's communities rely on subsistence agriculture and the secondary sector.

The Lourennais Economy has been quickly expanding and modernizing since the turn of the century. New companies have been quickly been rising in the country as a result of the country's approach in the international market and various economic treaties.Companies in Lourenne range from beverage companies, weapons manufacturing, and technology.

Culture
Despite retaining a largely indigenous population, Lourenne's culture is highly westernized, a consequence of centuries of emulating the culture of Rildanor. However, since the days of the Second Republic, the two nations have become increasingly divergent with many Lourennian nativists attempting to reintroduce elements of the nation's pre-colonial cultures. Still, French remains a strong primary language, and those who do not take Rildanorian-style names remain in the minority. Historically, the Theognosian Church has been the dominant religion in Lourenne, but since the beginning of the anti-colonial movement, its influence has waned. The majority of Lourenne's culture remains fundamentally secular. The majority of Lourennians (69%), however, continue to identify themselves with the Church by name only, while not necessarily practising.

Beyond the mainstream culture, a few distinct cultural groups thrive in the country's interior. The Cajuns, rustic descendants of poor Rildanorian colonists, have a colorful culture that, surprisingly, remained on good terms with their Mixtec Mayan neighbors throughout the anti-colonial period. The often small yet sizable Sazeur and Misque ethnicities, having long isolated themselves from the rest of the country, maintain what they consider to be the nation's only 'authentically indigenous' culture, as they speak their own language and scorn all but the most practical Western garb.

Lourenne is best known for its history of colorful political figures, but a few Lourennians have had a major cultural impact. The political writings of Alois Arron, a poet and contra-Marxist socialist, have had a major influence on reform movements across the developing world. Numerous Cajun and Mayan jazz musicians, including Nico Laurent and Alfans Serrou, are considered visionaries within the genre, particularly for their integration of indigenous musical motifs. Other examples are Levi Danteaux, a political activist who quickly gained support after publishing his book: Les Gens de Demain (The People of Tomorrow), which promotes pacifism and center-left ideologies. More recently, nativist artist Mali Dezacare has garnered worldwide acclaim for her traditional Mayan murals and sculptures, depicting social maladministrations of modern-day society.

Demographics
Though an increasing number of natives, particularly in urban areas, have taken to ethnically self-identifying as 'Lourennian', the country is actually descended from a variety of different peoples. Approximately 60% of the population is Mixtec Mayan, the dominant ethnic group in the central and eastern departments. The Mixtec, however, also came to intermarry frequently with the Rildanorian colonists, and as a result, many have distinct Franco-Germanic features, including a lighter complexion than their pure Mixtec Mayan countrymen. Not coincidentally, throughout the colonial era and during the First and Third Republics, French Mixtecs held a disproportionate amount of power in Lourenne's government compared to the other indigenous peoples.

25% of the population belong to Lourennians of French Rildanorian ancestry, though they can be further divided into two groups. About 4% (out of the 25) consists of 'proper' Rildanorians who maintain strong ties to their cultural homeland. These Rildanorians are typically wealthy and concentrated in Louives. The other 21% are also far descended from Rildonarians, but they are more commonly known as 'Cajuns'. The Cajuns descend from poor traders and fur trappers that settled deep in the swamps of the eastern departments. A rugged people who downplay their Rildanorian ancestry, the Cajuns have traditionally lived in rural communities. Historically, they have coexisted peacefully with the indigenous Mixtecs. The remaining 15% of the population consists of the smaller, less Westernized people who live in the furthest southern Arrondissements of Carolleux and Outannais. The most well known are the more aggressive and often rebellious Xinca and Miskito peoples, though numerous lesser known cultures remain hidden in the southern mountains and jungles, still largely unaccounted for by the Lourennian state.

International relations
Historically, it was common for Lourennaise governments to adopt isolationist policies and to shy away from any stable diplomatic relations with any nation. In the mid-3800s, economic and diplomatic sanctions were imposed on Lourenne by as many as thirteen countries in response to the legalization of slavery and the imposition of formal racial segregation in Lourenne by the New Reaction government, which further isolated Lourenne diplomatically and very nearly triggered war in the region.

However, Lourenne had historically enjoyed warm relations with Rildanor due to a shared Canrillaişe culture and a shared royal house during Lourenne's monarchical periods. In 3251, bilateral ties were formally established when the Lourennaise government, led by the Lourenne Conservative Party, ratified the long standing Lourenne-Rilandor Fellowship Treaty, centuries after Rildanor had done so. Diplomatic ties between Lourenne and Rildanor temporarily broke down when the monarchy was overthrown in Lourenne, but were reestablished following the signing of a non-aggression pact.

Southern Territories

 * Main Article: Orléans and Vasser

Throughout the latter half of the third millenium, Lourenne maintained a colonial presence in central Dovani. In the summer of 2464, Lourenne established a small colonial presence on the west coast south of Haboves, dubbing the settlement simply the "West Coast." Approximately 300,000 Lourennian citizens moved to the West Coast, a fertile region that owes the recent population influx to the aforementioned "Colonization of the South" law, which granted free acreage to Lourennian citizens.Lourennian troops have patrolled a larger region to the east of the West Coast since 2464. Over 15,000 troops are stationed across what is now called Orléans, formerly the "West Coast," which originally spanned from the northern border of Talmoria to the south of Lourenne, and from the west to a point in the mountains halfway along Lourenne's southern border. The large penninsula to the southwest and the eastern region between Sekowo and Talmoria were also claimed by Lourenne's government, but were not occupied until September of 2475, when President Stefan Tepeu deployed the Presidential Guard to solidify the Lourennian claim. That area is now called Vasser. Reasons cited for the land's colonization include a fear that other Dovanian nations will colonize the area first, as well as a desire to improve Lourenne's economy with an expanded base of production. The majority of Orléans settlers are farmers, although Eastern Zotz Manufacturing, an international, Lourenne-based corporation, has established several new factories there. Vasser remains less developed since the dense jungles and inhospitable mountains make farmwork and other industry difficult. Both Orléans and Vasser, named after the royal family, are the property of the Monarchy as outlined in the Colonial Administration Act, 2790.

Under the Colonial Administration Act, 2790, the territories were administered, at the request of the Monarch, by the government of Lourenne. In 2845, the Monarch was deposed in the disgraceful coup d'état by the republicans, the administration of the Southern Territories technically reverted back to the Imperial House. As the House of Orléans-Vasser (Lourenne) was not able to physically take over the administration of the Southern Territories, the deposed Emperor François Ier charged loyal and pro-monarchy Colonial and Provincial officials in the Southern Territories and the newly-formed Armée de la Vendée to administer and defend Orléans and Vasser until the House of Orléans-Vasser returns to the Throne of Lourenne.

In the year 2920 the former colonies of Lourenne were sold to the Federation of Zardugal in the Pact of Comity Between the Government of Lourenne and Zardic Federation In the year 2968 the government of Lourenne attempted to re-assert their control over their former colonies by establishing a treaty which received no international recognition and at the time Zardic Troops were in the Federated State of Trosk holding defensive positions in an effort to ensure the war in Sekowo did not spill over into Zardic Federated States. The parties responsible for the hollow claim later left Lourenne further signaling the intents of the former monarch as an ornamental gesture to the citizens of Lourenne.

In August 3069, HM Queen Isabelle II of the Empire of Lourenne, decided to re-assert her claim to Orleans and Vasser, having the Chancelier of the Empire name a Directory over the territories and ordering the military's loyalty in the territories return to Lourenne since the Federation of Zardugal's claim was hereby dissolved, since the territories are personal domains of her throne, not the state which gave them to Zardugal in the first instance. The Federation of Zardugal refused to acknowledge the claims and to the present the lands sold to the Zardic Federation remain under the sovereign control of the Zardic Federation.