Torvelia

Torvelia, officially the Republic of Torvelia (Torvellin: Repúblic Torvelha) is a country in , situated on the . Its borders are mostly defined by the and the . Bordered by and to the south, as well as to the east. 
 
The country has population of approximately 8 million people, making it the in Europe. With area of 99,659 km2, it's the second biggest country on the peninsula, just after Spain. 
 
Torvelia is a divided into 8 administrative divisions - regions, further divided into departments. The largest city of the country and its capital is , followed by . 
 
Member of the , , , , and multiple other organisations. 
 
==Etymology== 
According to a Torvellin folk legend, the name of the country derives from words tor velha, meaning "old tower”. The mythical tower, located somewhere on the banks of the , is said to magically appear on the horizon as Torvellin people were attacked by troops in the 8th century. It is said to be full of supplies that strengthened the Christian forces and helped push back the invading armies. The tower, however, mysteriously disappeared as soon as peace was brought back to Torvelia. 
 
Despite the amazing story about the old tower, historians agree that the name dates way back to the 5th century, when the Iberian peninsula was conquered by the . The most prominent tribe were the and the land they inhabited received the name Tarbellia. In the 9th century Northern Iberia was subjugated by the , starting a huge migration period of settlers. The Tarbelli eventually assimilated into Occitan culture. Over the following centuries, the name of the country evolved into Torvelia. 
 
 
==Geography== 
Torvelia is located on Iberian Peninsula between latitudes 41° and 44° N and longitudes 3° and 9° W (excluding the Açores). The Torvellin landscape is known for both its mountainous nature in central part of the country and long ocean shores of in the north and west. 
 
===Climate=== 
Most common climate in the country is the , characteristic for regions of Ries Altes i Font-de-Minho, Ries Baixes and Cantabria. With dry, warm summers and key influence of the ocean, it is similar to the dominant in the region. 
 
==Politics== 
 
===Government=== 
Torvelia has been a since the declaration of the republic in 1816. The legislative branch is made up of the Congress of Deputies - the lower house - and the Senate - the upper house. Both Prime Minister and the cabinet are appointed by the President. 
 
Torvelia operates a . 
 
===Administrative divisions=== 
 
Province 	Capital	Population	Area (km2)	Density (/km2)
Ries Altes i Font-de-Minho	 	 	 	
Ries Baixes 	 	 	 	
Alto Douro 	 	 	 	
Capitál 	 	 	 	
Siŀl i Lheó 	 	 	 	
Pisorga 	 	 	 	
Cantabria 	 	 	 	
Açores 	 	 	 	
 
 
===LGBTQ+ rights=== 
Torvelia, while still influenced by Roman Catholicism, has progressively become accepting of LGBTQ+ community. Their rights have been one of the best in Iberia for decades and are now among the best in the world. The country has wide-ranging anti-discrimination laws and is one of the few countries in the world to contain a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation in its constitution. On October 6th, 2003, Torvelia became the third nation in the world to recognize same-sex marriage. Same-sex couples have been permitted to adopt since May 23rd, 2010. 
 
Viedu and Valhadolí have visible LGBT scenes, with several gay bars, nightclubs and other venues, as well as their annual pride parades. 
 
==Demographics== 
===Metropolitan cities and urban areas=== 
 
 
===Ethnic groups=== 
Apart from the Torvellins, the country is inhabited by several ethnic minorities. Their rights are described in the Torvellin constitution.
The biggest ethnic minority - the Galicians, account for 12% of the total population. They inhabit Western Torvelia, with major population centers in Ries Baixes. In the most recent survey, nearly 30% of the citizens of the region identified as Galician.
Another significant group is the Asturleonese, who can be found mainly within the regions of Alto Douro and Siŀl i Lheó.
 
===Religion=== 
To this day, the Torvellin society is considered to be highly religious. Over 70% of the citizens describe themselves as Catholic, even though only about half of them practice their religion every week. 
The two biggest religious minorities are the Jews and the Muslims, although combined they only account for about 3% of the population. Nearly 25% of the citizens are either atheists or refuse to speak about their beliefs.
 
 
Category:Mazovian Mapping 
Category:Mazovian's Secondaries 
Category:Nations 
Category:Nations in Europe 
Category:Secondary Nations 
Category:Secondary Nations in Europe