Aragon (1983: Doomsday)

The Kingdom of Aragon (Castillian: Reino de Aragón, Catalan: Regne d'Aragó, Aragonese: Reino d'Aragón, Occitan: Reialme d'Aragon), or alternatively, Bishopric of Aragon,  (Castillian: Obispado de Aragón, Catalan: Bispat d'Aragó, Aragonese: Bispado d'Aragón, Occitan: Evesquat d'Aragon) is a pseudo-theocratic limited monarchy located in southern Catalonia.

Name
Although the nation is not located in Aragon, it does have a ruler that claims to be the King of Aragon, given the fact that revivalist beliefs are common in the nation and that the nation de facto claims most of the former Kingdom of Aragon. Bishopric and Kingdom can be used alternatively without any major problems.

Doomsday
Barcelona was destroyed in the nuclear war on September of 1983, and, soon enough, the refugees swamped and destroyed Tarragona. To the south, Valencia was also hit, with most of the Valencian Community being destroyed in the ensuing chaos.

Post-Doomsday
Soon after Doomsday was over, the Bishop of Tortosa established the Junta d'Tortosa and ordained a rationing of food supplies in the city, as well as quickly joining up several loyal men and arming them into a Tortosa Militia. Similar measures were taken by the Jesuits from the Roquetes Observatory and the Gandesa city hall. Soon enough, this allowed the three small cities to establish varying degrees of power across the south of Catalonia, with Gandesa and Roquetes being able to establish small surpluses of their agricultural produces (wine, olives and almonds for the former and rice, olives and cereals for the latter), while Tortosa, although less productive in agriculture, was able to maintain itself without massive famines.

Tortosa, Gandesa and Roquetes soon banded together in the Generalitat de l'Ebro, establishing a provisional government (led by the Bishop of Tortosa) by 1985, and, in 1987, established more permanent, independentist measures after the feeling that not a Spanish state nor a Catalonian one would arrive to reunite the lands. The Army of the Ebro was established, as was the establishment of a more tightly-together banding of the three cities. By 1989, the Bishop of Tortosa was crowned King and Bishop of Aragon and the Generalitat was at last replaced by a permanent Kingdom of Aragon, heavily revivalist and under very conservative influences.

Occitan and Aragonese were reinstated as official tongues in 1990 (following both the revivalism found after Doomsday in hopes of re-instating the Crown of Aragon and the large influx of Aragonese and Aranese refugees into the small nation), and the nation began expanding. The three cities were entirely connected with one another by 1992, and the nation had reached the coast of the Mediterranean by the end of the year. A small Navy of Aragon was formed early in the next month.

However, soon Aragon faced two threats from its newly-found coast; pirates raiding the small Navy, and, starting in early 1994 the Republic of Sicily. However, the organised Army of the Ebro, although facing heavy losses, was able to defeat the Sicilian raiders consistently, after which the troops and raiding operations were redirected north (where the republican Generalitat de Catalunya was destroyed).

The small nation then started sending its navy to discover the survivor states of Spain; at last, despite huge attacks by pirates and raiders, the Aragonese found the Free City of Castellón and, from it, Pais del Oro. A land-based expedition in hopes of finding another Aragonese state met nothing, but did find rumours of two strong states to the north; the Iberian Confederacy and the survival of Andorra. However, the Republican nature of the two nations, as well as the high degree of nationalism common in the Kingdom caused it to have no wishes of having any contact with any of the nations in fear that they would try to re-annex it and begin reuniting Spain.

The opening of a harbor for trade with the outside world in L'Ampolla in 2013 with the help of Castellón and, surprisingly, Spain, have opened the minds of the population and trade is beginning to grow.

Today Aragon is a strong albeit small monarchy that controls a large amount of territory in the south of Catalonia, and influences most of the remaining southernmost Tarragona provinces. Attempts of expansion are being planned by the Aragonese monarchy, albeit they are not planning to expand northward and reclaim Tarragona (yet) but instead take parts of Aragon proper.

Geography
The Kingdom occupies much of the southern parts of Tarragona province, Catalonia. Almost all of this area is located around the mouth of the Ebro river.

Aragonese nationalists claim all of the former states of Catalonia, Aragon, the Valencian Community, the Balears and Rousillon as part of their territory. This claim, although somewhat supported by the King of Aragon, is obviously far from reality and unlikely ever to become true.

Languages
Aragon has four official languages, which are divided in two "priorities", according to their use on everyday life by Aragonese citizens. The two "primary" official languages, Catalan and, to a lesser extent, Spanish (officially Castilian), are the most used in government and are used daily by the majority of the populace. The use of Castilian/Spanish, however, is becoming less and less common, therefore most officials use Catalan for their declarations.

National signs such as those on roads or most buildings are also required to be in Occitan and Aragonese, the other two official "secondary" languages of Aragon.

Religion
Religion, unlike in other states, has taken a more prominent role in Aragon, though there is not much diversity in the religion. The religions of Aragon are:


 * Roman Catholicism was and is the prominent religion of Aragon, and currently is the religion with the absolute majority in the nation.
 * Judaism, especially of the Sephardic rite, is one of the only other religions in the region. With more than half of the Jewish population being refugees from Valencia and Tarragona, adherents of this religion are generally seen as thieves and beggars.
 * The so called Rromaniada or The Gypsy Way of Life is a more of a lifestyle than a religion, but adherents of this 'religion' consider it so. It is the religion of the Gypsy people of Aragon, and it dictates a nomadic lifestyle and a just, but secluded life. The racism toward gypsies has largely disappeared, as they have set up trade caravans, this hate now mostly going toward the Jews.
 * Atheism has actually decreased since Doomsday, because of the king's speeches that stated following: 'This tragic war was brought by God himself as punishment toward our increasingly atheist world!' This has moved a lot of atheists to become Catholic. People who remained atheists are now seen by the more radical Catholics as sinners who should be exiled to the radiated regions outside of the border.

Religious polls have shown following:


 * Roman Catholicism - 87%
 * Rromaniada - 5%
 * Judaism - 3%
 * Atheism - 5%

Lifestyle
The lifestyle in Aragon is a mix of the 'live fast die young' attitude with strong religious beliefs.

Religion is a very important part of the state, with most of the Catholics attending mass every Sunday, and Jews every Saturday. In the more rural regions, people who don't attend mass are usually excluded from taverns and many people would not speak to them. Exception to this are expectant mothers, parents of sick children and babies up to nine months and sick people, who are socially allowed to miss the mass sometimes.

The typical Aragonese work day begins at 7:00 AM, followed by the traditional three-hour long Resta (Catalan for rest, equivalent to a Siesta) from noon until 3:00 PM. Work usually ends at 7:00 PM, followed by the Sopar familiar (family dinner), which consists mostly of a vegetable soup and a fish paella. The people of Aragon have to work six days a week, and they can choose which day they take free. Most choose Sunday, because the majority is Catholic, though the Jewish community have free on Saturday. The Rromaniada adherents don't have a fixed day of the week where to rest, but the majority usually chooses Wednesday. Atheists have their free day on Sunday.

Racism is, sadly, a part of the life of the people of Aragon. Anti-Semitism is still a big problem in the region, mainly the stereotype being that they are thieves and beggars, much like Gypsies pre-Doomsday, though many people try to help them to get a better life, meaning that the stereotype might disappear in the near future. The radical Catholics in the country also discriminate the atheist minority, blaming them for Doomsday because they didn't believe (and still don't believe) in the Holy Trinity.

Life expectancy is from the early-fifties toward the early-sixties, though some exceptions have been noted. Most deaths are caused by malaria, which made a comeback in the years after Doomsday, other death causes are malnourishment, because most people in Aragon are eating one meal (usually dinner) and a snack (at noon) per day, and other diseases, which would have been curable before Doomsday. Three of five children die before the age of five. To say the least, the health situation is grim.

Government
The Kingdom of Aragon has a king (also Bishop of Tortosa and Aragon), who controls both the secular and religious needs of the state. Many rights are controlled by the King, due to him being the sole part of the executive law and his having a final say in the judicial one. However, he does have a leverage in the legislative branch, in which an unicameral Congress has the only say in laws.

Education
In Aragon, education is mandatory from the age of six or under (children who get later then that school year six are obliged to go from the beginning, even though they're not six) until they finish the eighth grade.

From there on, children can choose to either take a trained apprenticeship in fishing, carpeting, metalworking, industrial working or farming, or to continue the education until the tenth grade.

In tenth grade the scholars need to take the Batxillerat Petit (small baccalaureate in Catalan). They can write the exam from a choice of four subjects, which can be following:


 * Castilian and Catalan language and literature
 * Mathematics
 * Occitan and Aragonese language
 * Science (with specialisation choice between biology, chemistry and physics)
 * Theology and ethics
 * Geography
 * World History

Those who managed to get a good mark on their Batxillerat Petit can continue to study two of his/her Batxillerat Petit subjects till the twelfth grade, where they give their Batxillerat Gran (big baccalaureate in Catalan), while the others who didn't fare the Batxillerat Petit so well can go to The College of Roquetes, a college opened by the Jesuit monks at Roquetes observatory with the help of the government, where they can attend the college for four years.

Those who have mastered the Batxillerat Gran can pursue Tortosa University, where they can study there for five years. The university was established by refugee university teachers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, which was located outside of the city, thus some teachers living there managed to survive and to get to Tortosa.

Economy
The nation's economy is mostly agriculturally-based, with the most common product being rice, followed by olives, vegetables like tomatoes and potatoes, and almonds. Viticulture is also an important part of the economic machine. On the coast, fishing is very important to the meat production in the region. The chemical and textile industry remain a strong part. Exports, especially of fertiliser and clothing, are small, but growing steadily since the inauguration of the new international harbor in L'Ampolla. General destinations of this exports are Spain and Castellon, but smaller ones are also destined for Corsica, Monaco, Tuscany and, to a even lesser extent, Genoa and Andorra.

International Relations
Aragon was a pretty isolated nation until Spain relinquished its claims on Catalonia and Aragon. Spain and Castellon are on relatively good terms with the Catalan survivor. Andorra is seen as a Catalan survivor, but relations are frosty because of Aragon's claims on the Andorran nation. Iberia is seen as an enemy by the people of Aragon for its republican status and control of former Aragon. Because of Sicily's status as an enemy, threat and pariah in the state, relations with Tuscany, Genoa, Corsica and Monaco are generally positive. Despite all this, Aragon is a very isolated nation, and this is probably not going to change in the near future.