Vicario
| Vicario State Estado de Vicario |
|
|---|---|
| State of Anahuaco | |
 |
|
| Nation |  Anahuaco |
| Capital | Agustín |
| Population | |
| • Total | ~16 million |
Vicario is the the easternmost state of Anahuaco. From the mountainous western boundary of the state, formed by the Sierra del Sur mountain range, through the state's tropical interior and to the flat, coastal plains alongside the Golfo de Anahuaco, the state is famed for its natural beauty.
The tropical climate supports a varied rainforest ecosystem in the state's interior, while also making large parts of the state suitable for human settlement. As a result, Vicario is one of the most populous states in the empire.
History
Prior to the establishment of the empire of Anahuaco, the territory was sparsely populated and dominated by the rainforest environment. With high humidity and dense vegetation across the inland areas, the few settlements that grew in the region at that time tended to be coastal. Little is known about those who lived in these settlements, but archaeological evidence suggests that their society was largely based on fishing, with the highest concentration of settlements along the coasts of Golfo de Anahuaco.
During the Gran Migración, settlers began to arrive en masse, primarily along the southern coast, with Puerto Domínguez being the oldest settler city still in existence. These new inhabitants brought better tools and technology with them, and a significant amount of deforestation occurred along the coast, creating the wide agricultural belt that follows the coastline today.
The capital city of the province, Agustín, was founded on a religious site in the heart of the rainforest. The site, which stands adjacent to a large lagoon, was home to an ancient religious structure, but gained notoriety after a local guano collector claimed to have seen a holy apparition hovering above the structure. What followed was an intense period of land clearance and reclamation, with both the rainforest and much of the lagoon suffering as a result.
Government
In common with all the states of Anahuaco, Vicario directly elects a state legislature using a proportional voting system, with universal suffrage for citizens over the age of 16.
The head of the state government is a governor appointed by the Emperor. The current Governor of Vicario is Luis Cuéllar Aranda.
Vicario is one of two states in the empire that has a regional political party in the federal parliament, in the form of the Partido Regionalista de Vicario (Regional Party of Vicario State). The other regional party can be found in Estado de Anahuaco.
Geography
Vicario is the only part of the empire with an international land border, with an extensive border with Calbion forming nearly the entire eastern boundary of the state. While border crossings do exist, the border area is lightly populated and far from major economic centres. For that reason, the amount of cross-border traffic remains minimal.
Meanwhile, Vicario borders Estado de Anahuaco to the west, with much of this border defined by the Sierra del Sur mountain range. The state capital, Agustín, stands at the southern tip of the range. The state is one of only two in the empire which borders two oceans, with the Great Eastern Ocean to the south and and Taylor Bay to the north.
The climate of Vicario is largely tropical, with rainforest dominating much of the landscape. While agriculture has developed around Agustín and along parts of the southern coast, much of the natural beauty of the area remains intact.
