[Factbook] The Kingdom of Giovanniland

[Giovanniland]

The Kingdom of Giovanniland

Overview - History - Geography - Government - Economy - Infrastructure - Demographics - Culture - List of Rulers - Giovannese Language - Division Maps - Population Maps

[Giovanniland]

Overview

Names: 
Common: The Kingdom of Giovanniland
Giovannese: Regno de Giovanniterra

Motto:
Common: All hail Giovanniland, the glory of Esferos!
Giovannese: Tuttes saudan Giovanniterra, la gloria de Esferos!

Location in Aura (dark green):

Capital and largest city: Giovannia

Official languages: 
Giovannese
Lavandulan
Common (foreign affairs and trade)

Religion:
78.31% Violetism
20.56% Atheism
1.13% others

Demonym: Giovannilandian (Giovannese: Giovanniterrano/a)

Government:
King: Giovanni I
Prime Minister: Elyse Anairyde Silva (Partido Laboristo)

Legislature: Parlamento Federal

Total area: 395,107 km² (152,552 sq mi)

Population: 29,305,150
Density: 74.2/km² (192.1/sq mi)

GDP (PPP): $1,406,647,221,920
GDP per capita: $48,000
Currency: Golden Orbs (GO$)

National Animal: Lavender macaw
National Religion: Violetism

Time Zone: IAT+0
Drives on the: right
Calling code: +2 64 (Aura), +3 64 (Andolia)
Internet TLD: .gl

Giovanniland (Giovannese: Giovanniterra), officially the Kingdom of Giovanniland (Giovannilandese: Regno de Giovanniterra), is a kingdom located in southern Aura and northern Andolia, and the only transcontinental country of Esferos. The country occupies the central part of Lavender Island, located in the Darkesian Sea, and a territory in northern Andolia, together adding up to 395,107 square kilometers that are divided into various regions. The national capital and most populous city is Giovannia. A majority of the country's population of 29,305,150 is part of the Giovannilandese ethnic group and speaks the language of same name, although there are significant native ethnic minorities and immigrants from Aura and Andolia.

[history being updated]

Giovanniland's Auran Territory borders Blue Bubble to the west, Min-Su to the east, and the Darkesian Sea on the southwest and north. Meanwhile, its Andolian Territory borders Varanius to the west, Tupmonia to the south, Fhaengshia to the east, and the Darkesian Sea to the north. The nation is considered to be developed, with a national GDP of $1,406,647,221,920 led by Finances, Tourism and Technology, and a GDP per capita of $48,000 which is ranked highly among other nations in Esferos. Together with a national armed force composed of 550,937 personnel, these statistics turn Giovanniland into a major power. The country is a strong trade connection between the continents of Aura and Andolia and has trade treaties with several other nations. Furthermore, it is a former ceremonial member of the Commonwealth of Saint Mark and current member of the Auran League.

Giovanniland is named after Emperor Giovanni, the first ruler of the Giovannian Empire that ruled from 716 until his death in 780. The way to refer to any citizen of Giovanniland is as a Giovannilandian, which should not be confused with the Giovannese ethnic group that composes the majority of Giovanniland's population. In ancient times, there was no specific name to what is now Giovanniland, but rather names for each independent kingdom and for the entire Lavender Island.

[Giovanniland]

History

[history being updated]

[Giovanniland]

Geography

Giovanniland occupies the central part of Lavender Island, an island located in the Darkesian Sea between Aura and Andolia, and a territory in northern Andolia, together totalling an area of 395,107 km². The Auran Territory shares a land border with Blue Bubble to the west and Min-Su to the east; while the Andolian Territory borders Varanius to the west, Tupmonia to the south and Fhaengshia to the east. It also borders the Darkesian Sea in three different sections of coast, two in Aura and one in Andolia, all of which contain important cities and ports. The nation also occupies several historically important islands off its coasts, such as Arvonian Island off the Auran coast where the traders from Saint Mark first arrived 1,400 years ago, and the Fernando Islands off the Andolian coast where Fernando II's expedition into the now Andolian part of Giovanniland first arrived. The country lies between latitudes 12° and 26°S, and longitudes 9°W and 9°E, and uses the International Atomic Time (IAT+0) as the timezone of the entire country.

The administrative divisions of Giovanniland are regions in the first level; prefecture or prefecture-level cities in the second level; districts, counties or county-level cities in the third level, and towns in the fourth level. Besides the capital Giovannia, all other prefecture-level cities are located on the coast, for example the important ports of Porto Violeta, Uryde and Andoliaville. County-level cities serve as the administrative centers of prefectures, often being their largest cities, while other counties group together various smaller towns.

Giovanniland's border with Blue Bubble is defined by two rivers, the Arvonian in the south and the Neuryand in the north. The Arvonian River starts flowing south near the city of Alkemaro and debouches into the Darkesian Sea in the coastal town of Manariaus; while the Neuryand River also flows near Alkemaro, but to the northern coast instead. The border with Min-Su has large straight sections unlike its western counterpart—it starts near the town of Armelyana, cuts through the middle of the Garavand rainforest, follows the Lavandula River from Oryantal until Violetina, and finally ends with another vertical line. As for the Andolian border, its western part is defined by the Tumbergia River that debouches into the city of same name at the Varanian border, and then a large straight section until the southwest. The Gustavo River then defines part of the southern border until meeting the Tupmonian border, after which two straight sections define the border with that country until the tripoint with Fhaengshia. The eastern part of the Giovandolian Mountain Range delimits a small southern part of the Fhaengshia-Giovanniland border, whereas the rest follows along the Nia River that debouches into the Trhein Bay.

     

Left: The Arvonian River flowing in a rural area near the Giovannilandian border. Right: The Great Violet Range.

Giovannilandian topography is diverse and includes several topographical regions. Plains occur in the southwestern and northern parts of the Auran Territory, as well as in the northern part of the Andolian Territory. Highlands are ubiquitous in the Giovannia Magna region and in the Vale Violeta of the Andolian Territory, while the Abrantian and Garavand regions feature unique shrublands and river basins respectively. Last but not least, the Great Violet and Giovandolian mountain ranges feature the highest altitudes of the Giovannilandian nation, while the far away Vale da Konquista has sparsely populated deserts. These divisions have historically delimited the borders of different nations, but technology has helped to unify and coordinate them in modern times. Higher population density is present in the southwestern and northern Auran coasts, as well as in the northern Andolian coast. There is also a high population density in the highlands around the capital Giovannia and the prefectures that surround it, while low population densities are present in the shrublands, mountainous regions, forests, and deserts.

The Auran climate is mainly represented by the three tropical classifications. The equatorial or tropical rainforest climate is present on the Garavand rainforest, the tropical monsoon climate appears in the northern regions, and the tropical savanna climate is registered in most other places. Meanwhile, the Andolian climate is more diverse, featuring subtropical areas in the central part, temperate climate in the Giovandolian Range, and arid desert climate in the far south. Therefore, the year is divided in rainy and dry seasons in most parts of the country, commonly featuring high temperatures up to 40°C due to the country being close to the Equator. The country is far from any tectonic plate boundaries, which makes earthquakes very rare. However, the northern parts of the country are prone to hurricanes and floods, especially in the rainy season due to the monsoon climate.

Giovanniland has a relatively very rich diversity. Some examples are jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, sloths, armadillos, macaws, flamingoes, and anacondas, many of which are only found in the Garavand rainforest. Deep into the rainforest's rivers can be also found some rare species of fish, such as the piranha and the pink dolphin. Meanwhile, the coasts near Giovanniland are home to various types of maritime life, such as large whales and sharks. Finally, the country is home to a large amount of plant species, such as rainforest trees in the southeast, coastal vegetation in the north and southwest, pines and araucarias in the mountainous regions, and small shrubs in the savanna-like Abrantian region. In order to protect this biodiversity, Giovannilandian state policy has included an extensive environmental protection program for the last 130 years. There are several designated national parks, in which sustainable tourism is allowed but no farming or mining can take place. Finally, laws regulate industries to ensure the smallest possible carbon footprint, deforestation and water pollution levels.

A depiction of the mythical Giovannilandian national animal the lavender macaw.

[Giovanniland]

Government

Giovanniland is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, with the King as ceremonial head of state and the Prime Minister as the head of government. King Giovanni I is the reigning monarch, ruling since 1403 ever since his father King Karlos II died. Elyse Anairyde Silva is the current Prime Minister since the 1423 general election. The nation has a tripartite division of the government into executive, legislative and judiciary branches, all of which are independent from each other. Members of the legislative branch are elected through voluntary voting, but executive judicial officials are not.

Branches

The executive branch of Giovanniland is formed by the Prime Minister at national level, Praetors at prefectural level, and Counts at county level. All of them can form their own cabinets composed of ministers that aid in the government, usually averaging 10 to 20 ministers. The judiciary branch is based on civil law, and its legal system is codified by the Constitution of Giovanniland, a set of laws that all other legislation and court decisions must follow. Region, prefecture and county-level divisions have their own courts in order to decide local legal cases, but those important to the nation as a whole are brought to the Korte Suprema. Furthermore, there are special courts to judge on matters such as elections and military affairs. Judges and other judicial officials are appointed after passing exams organized by the government.

The national legislative branch is represented by the Parlamento. Proposals, amendments or repeals can be crafted by the Parlamento and need a simple majority to pass, except for any edit to the Constitution that needs a supermajority of two thirds. After that, the Prime Minister can sign the proposal into law or veto it, although a veto can be overruled by two thirds. The Parlamento is composed by 500 members elected representing a prefecture or prefecture-level city according to its population, ranging from 26 Giovannia representants to a single representant for the Sud-Garavand, Taresmino, Oframelo, Anavadora and Konifera prefectures.

The Parties of Giovanniland on the Parlamento. The governing coalition has a majority 325 seats (PK: 72, PL: 133, PSV: 120) while the opposition retains the remaining 175 (PLD: 43, PR: 111, PV: 17, PP: 4).

A history of all Parlamento elections can be found in this link.

General elections happen when the Parlamento is dissolved, happening at most five years after the previous one, or earlier if the Prime Minister resigns, dies in office, or is subject to a successful vote of no confidence. The members of Parlamento immediately decide on a new Prime Minister after being elected, this individual is typically the leader of the political party or coalition of parties that holds the largest number of seats. Similar systems happen for the prefectures and counties, with legislatures called Kamara Praefektural and Kamara Munikipal respectively. They may enact laws of their own regarding matters not covered by higher levels, with the same approval process as the national level, as long as they do not contradict national law. 

Giovannilandian politics feature six national-level political parties. The party with the most members in both houses is the Partido Sozial-Verdo, a left-wing party with strong environmental and social policies, which is also the current Prime Minister's party. This party forms a government coalition with the left-wing Partido Laboristo and far-left Partido Komunisto. Four parties form the opposition, namely the centrist Partido Liberal-Demokrato, center-right Partido Republikano, right-wing Partido Violetisto, and far-right Partido Patrioto. Other smaller and regional parties exist, but traditionally don't have much influence in the alliances within the Parlamento that have a say in governing the country. 

Diplomacy

Giovannilandian international relations are characterized by non-interventionism, international cooperation and peaceful settlement of conflicts. The nation's diplomacy is headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, currently Edgar Framberse, who is also a former Prime Minister. However, the Kongreso National may also advise the Minister on various matters and must also approve any kind of international treaty or change to foreign policy. The nation is friendly to most countries, except for authoritarian or dictatorial regimes. Giovanniland is a member of the Auran League, and thus maintains good economic relations with most Auran countries. Trade with other continents of Esferos is also common, especially Andolia due to the nation's Andolian Territory.

Despite being a peaceful nation, Giovanniland also maintains a sizable military with a total of 550,937 personnel. Compulsory service is not required, therefore a large amount of money is spent on military technology to increase the nation's strength, with $33,759,533,326 total (2.4% of GDP) and GO$1,152 per capita. The current iteration of the Giovannilandian Army, Navy and Air Force were created in 1247 after passage of the Lexe de Sekuratia National. Since then, the military has not been involved in any conflict, instead participating of peacekeeping efforts and humanitarian missions abroad. However, the nation has sometimes supported certain factions in foreign civil wars, and occasionally sent funds, weapons and intelligence officers. The Giovannilandian Army has 187,615 enlisted personnel, while the Navy has 116,963 and the Air Force has 85,041. There are additionally 138,506 reserves, to be conscripted in the case of a foreign invasion or similar emergency.

[Giovanniland]

Economy

Giovanniland operates under a system of state-supervised capitalism, meaning that private enterprise is allowed but taxed, and large swaths of the economy are state-owned. The nation has a small but prosperous economy, with an estimated GDP PPP of $1,406,647,221,920, the 5th largest in Esferos, 2nd largest in Aura and largest in Andolia. Meanwhile, the GDP per capita value of $48,000 ranks 7th highest in Esferos, 3rd in Aura and also 1st in Andolia. The Giovannilandian economy is stable, highly advanced, and led by the Artwork Trading, Finance, Tourism and Technology sectors, backed by the strong national currency called Golden Orbs (GO$), whose conversion rate is 1 international dollar for each 0.9 Golden Orbs. The labor force (all population between 18 and 65 years old) is estimated to be 18,734,785 according to the latest national census, and the unemployment index is only 2% due to extensive welfare and social policies.

For much of its history, Giovanniland's economy relied solely on tropical agricultural goods. Farmers initially aimed to produce food for their own people, but they started to export their crops after the arrival of Saint Markian traders in exchange for manufactured goods coming from the Auran mainland as well. During the Giovannian Empire era, gold was found on the eastern part of the island while other minerals such as silver, copper and iron were extracted from the former land of the Confederacy of Abrant to be used for royal and religious buildings. However, the importance of agriculture and mining for external trade declined after the Industrial Revolution. Agriculture is currently estimated to contribute around 1% of GDP, generating a variety of tropical crops such as bananas, coconuts, papayas, cassava, cocoa, coffee, rice, sweet potato, and tea. Mining, the other major component of the Giovannilandian primary sector, accounts for 0.5% of the national GDP and is common in the Vale da Konquista and the two Abrantian regions, with an increasing search for rare-earth elements due to their uses in advanced technology. However, mines face heavy environmental regulations due to the policies of the ruling Green Social Party.

The secondary sector is represented by factories and industries, which contributes around 26.5% of the national GDP. Some examples of Giovannilandian factories are automobiles, computers and other electronics, food processing, and retail. These industry types are often concentrated in specific regions of the country, for example the food processing industry in the two Abrantian regions, the southern part of the Northern region, and the Terra Lastrila and Vale Violeta regions. The two mountainous regions are known for their retail sector, especially due to the low temperatures colder than the national average, while automobiles are mostly produced in the prefectures surrounding the capital Giovannia. Finally, the technological sector is present throughout the country, especially in the coastal regions as well as in the capital. Kandaluvro and Fernandopolis, in the prefectures of Aguamara and Virandolia respectively, are often known as the head cities of this sector. They count with the nearby ports of Anneville and Andoliaville, allowing for state-sponsored Giovannilandian high-tech and nanotechnology products to not only be exported and generate high revenue, but also be transported to the other regions of Giovanniland.

     

Left: Modern agriculture in the Abrantian region. Right: A high-tech factory in Kandaluvro.

The tertiary sector is the driving workforce behind the national economy, accounting for approximately 72% of the GDP coming from developed trade and service sectors. A notable component of the trade sector is artwork trading, because Giovanniland owns the most valuable artwork collection in the region and some of the most popular artwork auction houses of the world. The finance sector is also very important for the Giovannilandian economy and contributes to an estimated 10% of the entire GDP. Citizens from all over Esferos use Giovannilandian banks to hold money in a very secure system, although there is a tax of 0.1% from all money deposits to the government so that it can maintain the sector, and a policy of seizing assets from criminals so that they do not use the Giovannilandian banks to hide illegal money. Some important cities for this sector are Arlavonte and Manariaus, capitals to the prefectures of Ervedestia and Borbania respectively. Furthermore, gambling also has a small but significant presence in the tertiary sector of Giovanniland, even though citizens are educated by an early age to acknowledge the risks of participating in those games. The southern coastal cities of Porto Violeta, Abrentopolis and Narveklano are the leading places for the gambling sector, hosting more casinos than the rest of the country combined.

The other major source of income in the Giovannilandian tertiary sector is tourism, contributing to an estimated 5% of the GDP. Eco-tourism is prominent in Giovanniland, especially in the Garavand rainforest and in the southern Andolian Territory, where citizens and foreign visitors alike can visit the natural beauty of Giovanniland without damaging the environment. Other famous places are the Tomás Waterfalls in the Arvonian River near the city of Ventameno, and the Violet Peak of the Giovandolian Range, which is the highest point of the country. Frequently visited historical attractions include the many history museums across the country, the Arvonian Obelisk in Markopolis that celebrates the arrival of Saint Markian traders into the island, and the Great Tomb of Lavro I, the first emperor of Lavandula. Finally, festivals such as Violet Carnival also attract many tourists, as do the world-renowned restaurants in the coastal regions that mix flavors from the Auran and Andolian cultures.

     

Left: A bank with high reputation in the city of Arlavonte. Right: The outside of the Lavandulan History Museum of Quoriv.

[Giovanniland]

Infrastructure

Due to the Giovannilandian policies of social democracy and welfare state, 48.2% of the national GDP goes to government spending, adding up to a total of $678,003,960,965, or $23,136 per capita. Most of this money goes to infrastructure, including science, technology, transport, energy, health and education. Technological and scientific research is carried in the various universities in the country, with special units on the eight prefecture-level cities, the country's most advanced technological hubs. Furthermore, Giovannilandian high schools feature a special project called "idea incubator", in which dedicated students can start working on scientifical projects from an early age, and then contribute their ideas to the nation with the help of government subsidies once they are older. Nearly all of the Giovannilandian population has access to the internet, a fact supported by the high amount of internet and telephone towers across the country. Broadband is only inaccessible on a few isolated places, such as deep into the Garavandian rainforest or into the desolate mountains, and elsewhere Giovannilandians have a generally good connection.

In the topic of transport, Giovanniland has a strong and well connected network of railroads, highways, waterways, harbors, airports, and more. The highway system is divided into national roads, which receive an abbreviation with the two-letter code GL followed by a number; and provincial roads, whose abbreviations are similar but feature the two-letter code of the prefecture instead. In the year of 1315 a very important project in the history of Giovannilandian highways was completed, with north-south highways in both the Auran and Andolian territories. Twenty years later, all of the prefecture and county-level cities were linked to either main highway to allow better integration of people into the modern world, and all cities with more than 5,000 inhabitants were integrated by 1360. The construction of railways soon followed suit, in order to better transport goods in and out of the country, and today they have a similar integration rate that of the highway system. However, some places are still inaccessible by these conventional transport methods, like in the Garavand rainforest due to environmental regulations.

Furthermore, Giovanniland also has a network of harbors and airports for both internal and external transport. The busiest port of Giovanniland is Porto Violeta, intended for trade with any continent, however there are also continent-specific ports such as Uryde in the north for trading with Auran countries, and Andoliaville in the south for trading with Andolian countries, and smaller ports that have a more internal use rather than for external trade. The country has one international airport for each prefecture-level city, national airports on all county-level cities, and smaller provincial airports in other cities. By number of passengers per year, the five busiest Giovannilandian airports are the Emperor Giovanni the Great International Airport in Giovannia (24 million passengers per year), the Violet International Airport in Uryde (15m), the Emperor Fernando International Airport in Andoliaville (9m), the Neuryn Caetano International Airport in Porto Violeta (5m), and the Giovandolian International Airport in Gioville (3m).

     

Left: A highway near the city of Sonserina. Right: The Lavandula Airport of Quoriv.

Energy in Giovanniland majorly generated by renewable sources, such as hydroelectricity (55%), solar power (21%) and wind power (10%), and managed by the government's Ministry of Energy, who owns state companies that provide energy for all inhabitants for a small cost. The two Abrantian regions is the main site for the wind and solar energy generation due to the favorable tropical savanna climate that features a lot of solar irradiation and strong winds, while hydroelectricity is generated out of various rivers throughout the country. However, the ruling coalition has created a goal of phasing out hydroelectricity as the main contributor by 1450 due to its environmental disadvantages—such as loss of arable land, population displacement, and disruption of ecosystems—to which possible replacements are offshore wind farms near the Giovannilandian coasts.

Meanwhile, universal healthcare is provided to every resident of Giovanniland, and the government has a near monopoly on health services. Ever since 1380, the health infrastructure includes at least five Basic Health Units and one major hospital with advanced technology per county. The biggest hospitals are located in the county-level cities, with an even higher concentration on the prefecture level-cities and the most populous prefectures. Nowadays, the national healthcare has also adopted nationwide electronic health records that both patients and doctors can access, and also a government app for mobile phones, so that patients can quickly schedule appointments. University hospitals are common, as it is fundamental that medical students have practice in order to graduate and become full workers for the healthcare system. Due to this advanced system, Giovanniland has a low infant mortality rate and high life expectancy.

Finally, education is also very important for Giovannilandian social policy. Just like the healthcare system, schools and universities are mostly state-owned, and national law mandates that county-level educational infrastructure must include at least five schools that provide classes from preschool to highschool levels, as well as one college and one university, for each county. The law also states that the full education until the end of high school is compulsory. According to the latest national census, around 1,446,283 children aged 1-5 are enrolled in kindergarten, 2,202,294 children aged 6-13 are in primary school, and another 1,676,373 teenagers aged 14-18 are in secondary school. Furthermore, over a million students are enrolled in various universities throughout the nation.

The students of most Giovannilandian schools have the freedom to choose their own school subjects in order to line up with what they wish to do in the future. Furthermore, they also have the option to do cultural exchanges abroad once they are 15 years old. High school and college are very competitive in the country, as students give their best to achieve better job opportunities, a claim supported by recent surveys showing that Giovannilandian students have grades above the international average on most subjects. Therefore, the country has an overall high reputation for student happiness and school procedures in Esferos, and also a high amount of bachelor's, master's and doctor's degrees.

     

Left: Wind farms in the prefecture of Abranterra. Right: The outside of a modern high school and college in Porto Violeta.

[Giovanniland]

Demographics

The total population of Giovanniland was 29,305,150 in the latest census of 1422, with a density of 74.2/km² and a ratio of men to women of 0.97:1. Over 4.5 million of those live in the eight prefecture-level cities, while another 21 million live in other cities across the country, concentrated in the coastal prefectures and the region of Giovannia Magna. The literacy rate is 99.55% among the youth (6-18), 98.91% among adults (18-60), and 97.1% among the elderly (60+), being slightly lower in the remote prefectures but still high overall compared to other nations of Esferos.

The first ever census, made 322 years ago in 1100, registered 13 million inhabitants in modern Giovanniland (excluding northern Varanius), down from 16 million at the Giovannilandian Empire's peak due to wars and famines during its decline. This rose to 15 million in the census of 1200 and 19 million in 1300, with an increased pace due to the start of industrialization. In the early 14th century there was a significant growth due to the decline of the mortality and a high birth rate, and also an estimated arrival of 500,000 immigrants from various continents. In just six decades, from 1300 to 1360, there was an increase of 7.5 million, adding up to a total of 26.5 million in the end of this period of rapid growth. Ever since 1360, with the decline of the birth rate, the population growth has slowed again, but there has been a fair increase of nearly 3.5 million in the last 60 years partly due to immigration. It is expected that the Giovannilandian population will continue to grow, albeit in reduced rates, possibly achieving 30 million in a few years according to census predictions.

     

Population and density maps of all Giovannilandian counties, county-level cities, and prefecture-level cities.

The main languages spoken are Giovannese, which has heavy influences from Saint Markian due to being part of the same language family, and Lavandulan. Common is teached as a second language in most schools and is used in foreign affairs and trade, while third languages often differ according to the location within the country. It may be Glendulan—the national language of the neighbouring nation of Blue Bubble and main language of the Glendon-Lavandulan diaspora in Giovanniland—or one of the indigenous languages.

[Giovanniland]

Culture

The culture of Giovanniland is very rich and diverse, with influences from the ancient Lavandulan city-states, Saint Markian traders that founded Arvonia, indigenous cultures of Aura and Andolia, neighbor nations such as Blue Bubble, and most recently immigrants from various continents. Regional cultures can be quite different from each other, especially due to the north-south divide by the Great Violet Range that once was the border between the Arvonian and Lavandulan cultures, and due to the two different Auran and Andolian territories that together form the nation.

The national cuisine features pasta as its main staple food, even though dishes with seafood and tropical vegetables are also well liked by residents. Each region has its own cuisine, and contributes certain aspects to the nation. Dishes with marine food are most common in the tropical north coast, in which paella is a regional dish featuring seafood and the rice coming from the farms in the southern part of the region. Pasta comes from the Terra Lastrila and the two Abrant regions, which make up most of the wheat production in the country, and then this staple food gets various sauces from different parts of the country. In the mountainous regions of the country, soups of various flavors are prepared so that its residents can face the coldest winter of all Giovanniland. Meanwhile, the southern Auran and northern Andolian coasts features a very diverse amount of dishes, often featuring tropical fruits such as bananas and papayas, as well as vegetables like cassava and sweet potato. Finally, the recent increase of immigration has also contributed to form an even more diverse Giovannilandian cuisine. The national drink is violet tea, made from the leaves of the national flower, but coffee is also liked by many residents, especially in Giovannia Magna and the mountainous regions.

     

Left: Pasta with seafood, very common in Giovanniland. Right: Violet tea, one of the most common drinks nationally.

Meanwhile, music in Giovanniland has a very long history. Possible instruments have been found in Lavandulan archaeological sites dating back to 3000 BF. whose music featured instruments like xylophones, claves, gongs, and bamboo flutes. Arvonian culture brought even more diversity to the island, such as the first Giovannilandian pianos, violins and lyres. Trade between the different Lavender Island states from the 5th century onwards made it possible for these instruments to be used beyond their original cultures, but it was only during the Giovannilandian Empire that composers gained greater national importance and were financed by the government. During that era, the Emperors supported creating a national musical style incorporating the various regional influences, which was named classical music. Emperor Fernando II's reign from 849 to 885 was the zenith of this style, during which known composers such as Anna Giova-Lavanda and Gillermo de Violetina created world-renowned operas and other musical pieces. Nowadays, musicians have developed styles that combines classical music from the Empire of Giovanniland's days with modern tunes, such as electronic music.

The musical styles from the Abrantian lands in the south have also gained prominence after the fall of the Empire, and they are well known due to their use in the yearly Violet Carnival, which has influence from Violetism as well as popular culture. Besides this important cultural celebration whose dates are mobile but usually fall in late February or early March, other national holidays include the New Year (January 1st), when beautiful displays of fireworks can be seen throughout the country; Empire Day (January 16th), the day in which the Giovannilandian Empire was founded in 716 by the Giovanni the Great; Giovandolian Day (April 23rd), when in the year of 792 Fernando I's explorer fleet first landed in what is now the modern Andolian Territory; Revolution Day (June 15th), the day of the peaceful creation of the Kingdom of Giovanniland in 1095; Arvonian Day (August 29th), when in 22 AF the first settlers with Saint Markian ancestry came to Lavender Island and founded the Kingdom of Arvonia; Constitution Day (October 30th), the completion date of the Kingdom of Giovanniland's first constitution in 1098; and the Lavender Festival (December 25th until the New Year), celebrating the beautiful Lavender Island and the plant that gave its name.

Cinema was only introduced in the nation in the late 13th century, after the Giovannilandian Industrial Revolution had already been consolidated. The earliest films were all produced by the state-owned Ministry of Media in around 1290, and most of them were themed on cultural practices of Giovanniland. The industry was soon open to the heavily taxed private enterprise, which created films about a variety of topics, such as everyday life, travel, nature, and love. The tax on films was later reduced after 1360, and this contributed to reduce the price of film tickets, therefore increasing the amount of people interested on seeing them. Nowadays, science fiction and documentary films are among the favorites of Giovannilandians. The nation counts with the yearly Porto Violeta International Film Festival, the biggest in the entire country, bringing thousands of people to vote on the best film and many film produces aspiring to win the coveted prize.

     

Left: Carnival celebrations in Uryde. Right: The Porto Violeta International Film Festival.

In regards to literature, the earliest records of written Lavandulan language date to 3750 BF, although in ancient times it was often limited to the higher classes—serving not only as a communication tool for city-states, but also as a way to describe historical peoples and events such as wars. This style of literature continued into the Lavandulan Empire era, the Medieval Age, and even well after the rise of the Giovannilandian Empire. In fact, one of the most iconic works of literature is the Epic of Giovanniland, written by Katia de Abreu-Floryn in the year of 876, which summarized the whole national history of several millennia in a single book. However, poetic literature also rose in prominence during that time, and some well known poets who lived during the Empire are still celebrated to the present day, for example Arabella Kadrines-Linhares, Miriam Oferyka and Anastasio Andolino. Meanwhile, Roberto Ratyan-Silva is the most well known author of the Kingdom era due to writing many accurate descriptions of the national environment, and also using the same theme for poetry works.

In the field of visual arts, paintings have been created by Lavender Island peoples for millennia. Some of the earliest paintings were by 19th century BF Lavandulan painter Anairyde Giavenor, most of them about nature and Lavandulan conquests. After the Arvonians' arrival in the island, they produced many well preserved artworks, with various themes such as expeditions, wars with native peoples, and the Arvonian landscape. The Giovannilandian Renaissance occurred during the era of the Giovannilandian Empire, during which visual artists were financed by the government just like other forms of culture. Some well known artists from this period were Teodora Ivanova, Erasmo Ambrosio Nakamura, and Fabiano Merent-Yurral, which focused on describing life within the Empire, picturing the royal family and buildings, and painting about the Giovannilandian colonial expansion and life in the colonies. In modern times, technology has aided in creating more detailed artworks, and the industry remains generating a lot of revenue, especially due to the prominent artwork trade.

Finally, Giovannilandian culture also has a lot of influence from sports. Football is the most popular sport in the nation, while other common field sports in Giovanniland are rugby and volleyball, the latter often being often played in the sandy beaches of the various coasts. The nation hosted the II Summer Esferiad of Quoriv and Kharventhin together with Blue Bubble, topping the medal table with 26 gold, 21 silver and 22 bronze for a total of 69 medals. Another important sport for the nation is chess, which is available in many schools as an option for those who are not very skilled in physical sports. The city of Sonserina is often considered to be the national chess capital since it hosts the yearly Giovannilandian Chess Championship. Notable chess grandmasters born in Giovanniland are Adalberto Allamand, Jurandir Deliaro, and the current national champion Gillermo Uryd-Amorim.

     

Left: Arvonian Arena in Giovannia, the home stadium of the Giovannilandian National Football Team. Right: Photo of participants of the last Giovannilandian Chess Championship in Sonserina.

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