Geography
Relative Location - Portugal and Galicia, Iberian Peninsula, Europe
Absolute Location - 38°42′N 9°11′W
Total Area - 121,664 sq. km.
Comparitive Area - Nicaragua
Coastline Length - 2,988km.
Weather - Maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Higher Point: Pico Mountain - 2.351 meters above sea level
Lower Point: Atlantic Ocean - sea level (0)
Natural Resources - Fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower
Economy
GDP - 403.02 billion Reyes
GDP per capita - 20,151.25 Reyes
Unemployment Rate - 8.3%
Income Tax Rate - 24%
Government Budget - 124.88 bilion Reyes
Main Industry - Basket Weaving
Imports - 497.16 billion Reyes
Exports - 510.37 billion Reyes
Trade Surplus - 1,32 billion Reyes
Currency - Rey
Exchange Rate - 2.0048 Reyes to 1 U.S. dollar
History
The United Kingdom of Portugalicia was founded in 1065, when Garcia I received from his father's dead the Lands of Galicia and Portugal and made them independent from Kingdom of León and Castela under the name of Kingdom of Galicia and Portugal. Seven years after, in 1072, his brothers Alfonso VI of León and Sancho II of Castela united against him and forced García to flee and partitioned his kingdom between them. Sancho then annexed the remainder of what had been García's kingdom along with the rest of Alfonso's Kingdom of León but was assassinated in 1072. The reunited kingdom of their father passed to Alfonso VI of León again, and García then returned from his exile. It is unclear if he hoped to reestablish himself in his kingdom or had been misled by promises of safety from Alfonso, but García was immediately imprisoned in a monastery where he remained until his death sometime around 1090. Meantime, the King of Galicia and Portugal had some loyal nobles, such as Rodrigo Ovéquiz and Diogo Paéz that, in 1073 and 1085 headed two unsuccessful uprisings against Alfonso rule. In 1096, Alfonso VI split the Portucallego territory in two counties: the Portucalense County, that offered to Henrique de Burgonha, married to Tareixa, his daughter. The County of Galicia was given to his other daughter Urraca and her husband Raimundo de Burgonha, Henrique's brother.
In 1112 Alfonso VI dies, being his successor Henrique and Tareixa's son, Afonso Henriques. Because he was still a minor, his mother took care of the affairs of the kingdom. But soon Afonso Henriques wanted the independence and, in 1128, his troops marched against Tareixa's army, being victorious in this battle known as Battle of San Mamede, forcing Tareixa to abdicate the reign of León to Alfonso VII, son of Urraca and Raimundo. Finally, in 1143, Alfonso VII recognized Portugal as an independent country. Simultaneously, the galician nobility was discontent with Tareixa and Alfonso VII's dominion (mainly because the kings favored Leoness and Castelan nobility much more than them) and started a great uprising against León throne. This culminated in the independence of Galicia in 1144 and, in 1145, the Galician nobility swore loyalty to D. Afonso Henriques, now King of Portugal, forming, this way, the United Kingdom of Portucalicia.
Until 1250, the Portugallegos fought the moors that were occupying the Iberian Peninsula, extending, this way, the kingdom to Algarve. In this year, the borders of Portucalicia became defined and have been notably stable in history.
During the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Portucalicia was the most influent power in the world, being responsible for the discovery of much of the globe through the navigation.
In 1826 D. Pedro IV becomes the king of Portucalicia but as he was also King of Brazil (an ex-colony of Portucalicia, made independent exactly by D. Pedro VI), so one month after, he was compelled by the Brazilian Constitution to abdicated to his minor daughter D. Maria II. His brother, D. Miguel I, was made regent and married D. Maria II. Nevertheless, in 1828, the Courts acclaimed D. Miguel King of Portucalicia, claiming that he was the rightful heir and making illegal all acts committed by D. Pedro VI in what concerned to Portucalia after the Brazilian declaration of independence. The basis for this decision were the "Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom", that determined that D. Pedro and his descendance had forfeited to the right to the Crown when, firstly, that prince had become king of a foreign state (Brazil) and, second, raised arms against Portugal. Simultaneously, D. Pedro was revising the Portuguese Constitution, trying to create a new document established four branches of the Government. The Legislature was divided into two chambers. The upper chamber, the Chamber of Peers, was composed of life and hereditary peers and clergy appointed by the king. The lower chamber, the Chamber of Deputies, was composed of 111 deputies elected to four-year terms by the indirect vote of local assemblies, which in turn were elected by a limited suffrage of male tax-paying property owners. Judicial power was exercised by the courts; executive power by the ministers of the Government; and moderative power by the King, who held an absolute veto over all legislation. The Courts and D. Miguel I didn't agree with this proposal so it was denied. In 1831, D. Peter IV abdicated the Brazilian Crown in favor of his son Pedro II of Brazil and travelled to Azores, a Portucallega Island, and started Portucalicia Civil War, also known as Liberal Wars. In 1834, D. Miguel I won the war, exiling D. Pedro.
In 1867, same year as Great Britain approved the Reform Act, D. Miguel II, son of D. Miguel I, excited with the English way of thinking, approved a Constitution similar to the one his uncle, D. Pedro IV tried to. This Constitution intended to create a Parliament divided in two chambers - the Higher House or Chamber of Peers and the Lower House or Chamber of Commons.
While the members of Chamber of Commons were elected to four-year terms by the indirect vote of local assemblies, which in turn were elected by a limited suffrage of male tax-paying property owners and had legislative powers, the Chamber of Peers' sits were inherited or appointed. This Chamber had the function of approving/disapproving laws created by the Chamber of Commons and creating their own laws (presented to the King, who had advice of the Chamber of Commons if required). The King kept the power of appointing the Minister of the Reign (that elected the other Ministers) and members of the Chamber of Peers, had the right of veto of any bill approved by the Upper House (including the ones presented by the Lower House) and the ability to dissolve the Parliament.
In 1905, thanks to the rise of the Republican Party and the empowerment of republican and revolutionary secret societies such as the Freemasonry and the Carbonari, social unrest was at high. In response, D. Miguel II appointed João Franco as Minister of the Reign, accepting his proposals of suspension of the Chamber of Commons and reappointment of most of Chamber of Peers' members. With this, João Franco installed a dictatorship, placing in the Upper House more conservative nobleme, mostly from Galicia and Alentejo. With this, several laws that turned Carbonari, Freemasonry and Republicanism illegal were approved. In 1906, several conspirators were arrested after an unsuccessful attempt of killing João Franco and forcing D. Miguel II to recognize the Republic. Among the plotters were Francisco Correia de Herédia, 1st Viscount of Ribeira Brava and Artur Luz de Almeida, leader of Carbonari of Lisbon.
In 1908, the social unrest forced D. Miguel II to cut his retreat short and return to Lisbon: the Royal Family caught the train from Vila Viçosa on the morning of February 1. The royal carriage arrived in Barreiro at the end of the afternoon, whereby the Royal Family sailed on the D. Luís to the Terreiro do Paço in the center of Lisbon. On disembarking at the Estação Fluvial Sul e Sueste, around 5:00 in the afternoon, they were met by various members of the government, including Prime Minister João Franco. Even in a climate of tension, the monarch opted to travel by open-carriage, wearing his ceremonial uniform as Generalíssimo of the Army, in order to present an air of normality. By protocol, the carriage was accompanied by armed-officers and a mounted-cavalryman (Francisco Figueira Freire). At the time, there were few people in the Terreiro do Paço as the carriage rounded the eastern part of the square when the first shot rang out. As reported later, a bearded assassin had walked into the middle of the road after the carriage had passed, removed a Winchester carbine rifle hidden in his cloak, knelt on one knee and fired at the King from 8 meters distance. The shot hit the King D. Miguel II's neck, killing him immediately, while other gunmen in the square began to fire on the carriage from various points in the square as onlookers ran in panic. The driver, Bento Caparica, was hit in one hand. The original assassin, later identified as Manuel Buíça, a teacher expelled from the Army, continued to fire: his second shot clipped the shoulder of the monarch, who slumped to the right, his back lying to the left-side of the carriage. Taking advantage of this situation, a second assassin, Alfredo Costa (a clerk and editor), jumped onto the carriage rail and, standing at the height of the passengers, fired on the slumped body of the King. The Queen D. Maria Teresa, then standing, attempted to strike back with the only available weapon, a bouquet of flowers, yelling: ”Infamous! Infamous!” .The assassins then turned their attentions on the Prince Royal, Duarte Nuno, who was just 1 year old at the time and was being protected by José Correia de Sá, 6th Marquis of Lavradio. He stood to remove and fire his hidden revolver, but was quickly hit in the chest. The bullet, from a small-caliber revolver, did not exit his sternum nor was it fatal, and the Marquis, without hesitation fired four rapid-shots at his attacker, who fell from the carriage-rail. But, as José Correia stood to repel his attacker, the Prince was visible to the attacker with the carbine rifle and was hit by a large-caliber shot that exited the top of his skull. The original assassin, Buíça, then attempted to fire another round, although it is unclear whether he was aiming for the Queen, Marquis of Lavradio or other officials of the government. Regardless, he was stopped by the intervention of Henrique da Silva Valente, a soldier of the 12th Infantry, who had appeared in the square during the commotion. During his brief confrontation with Buíça, Silva Valente was shot in the leg, but was able to distract the assassin. The cavalry-officer, Francisco Figueira, remounted his horse and fired on Costa who, wounded by the Marquis, was arrested by officers. Moving on to Buíça, he wounded the assassin in the leg, who attempted to escape but was quickly immobilized. Both of the traitors were executed on scene because they tried to attack the officers.
With the King and the Royal Prince dead, D. Maria Teresa was acclaimed Queen of Portugal. Although D. Maria Teresa restored the Chamber of Commons and returned some (but not all) sits at the Chamber of Peers, the Queen didn't authorized the resignation of Minister of the Reign João Franco, giving him the trust and strength to continue. Franco opened an investigation and discovered that Buíça and Costa had connections with the Carbonari and the Republican Party. In the morning of the 15th of March 1908, the army captured every dirigent or influent member of Republican Party, Freemasonry and Carbonari, holding them in custody. One month after, they were all judged and fond guilty for High Treason and Conspiracy. In a popular and smart act, the Queen amnestied and sent them to exile in Brazil.
The current Head of State is the Queen D. Isabel, married with D. Luís II, descender of D. Teresa sister of D. Miguel I and the only sibling who supported his acclamation as King of Portugal. D. Isabel is the eldest daughther of D. Miguel II and D. Maria Teresa. The Queen was not in Portucalicia in 1908 and her security was strengthened by that time.
Military
Branches-Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Police
People & Demographics
Total Population - 20 million
Age Structure
0-14:17%
15-60:78%
61+:5%
Nationality - Portugallegos
Ethninticity/Race-
Cacasian-94,5%
Mulatto-2%
Other-3,5%
Religion-
Santeria-74%
Roman Catholic-23%
Other Christian-3%
Languages-Official: Galaico-Portuguese, Mirandese
Government & Politics
Type of Government-Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State - D. Isabel Dei Gratiae Portugalliae, Galliciae & Algarbiorum Regina Fidelissima
Head of Government - Minister of the Reign D. Ordoño de Orléans e Bragança, VII Duke of Lugo
Parliamentary Seats: Chamber of Commons - 650
Parliamentary Seats: Chamber of Peers - 790
