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Kingdom of Extremadura
Reinu d'Estremaura (Estremeñu)
Reino de Extremadura (Spanish)

Timeline: 1983: Doomsday

OTL equivalent: Parts of Extremadura and Castile-Leon, Spain
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Location of Extremadura
Extremeñu territories in red, claims and sphere of influence in pink
Motto
Plus Ultra (Latin)
("Further Beyond")
Anthem "Inu d'Estremaura"
Capital Cáceres
Largest city Cáceres
Other cities Navalmoral de la Mata, Plasencia, Alba de Tormes
Language
  official
 
Estremeñu and Spanish (official)
  others Jálama Fala (regionally official)
Portuguese
Religion
  main
 
Catholicism
  others Irreligion, Islam
Demonym Extremaduran, Extremeñu
Government Hereditary Constitutional Monarchy
  Legislature Corte
King Cayetano Martí I
  Royal house: Alba
President of the Corte Bermejo Hernández
Area ~61,000 (claimed) km²
Population 650,000 
Currency Extremeñu peseta
Time Zone Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +00:00)

The Kingdom of Extremadura or Extremeñu Kingdom (Extremeñu: Réinu d'Estremaura or Réinu Estremeñu, Spanish: Reino de Extremadura or Reino Extremeño) is a nation located in the western part of former Spain after Doomsday. While the Kingdom is heavily pro-local and has emphasized the recovery of the Extremeñu language in opposition to the Spanish one, it is ruled by a member (or at least a claimant to membership) of the Castilio-English House of Alba.

Name[]

Extremadura's name comes from the fact that, much like western Portugal, at the time of the Reconquista it was the only part of the Christian-Moorish border that was beyond the Duero River ("Extrema Duris").

The naming of Extremadura remains a mildly controversial issue, due to the different associations each name has gained after Doomsday. While Estremadura (and in full name, Kingdom of Estremadura), with an s, has become the main spelling amongst most people, including the moderates, extremist parties have taken to different spellings; those who advocate the re-instating of a provincial government under the Republic of Spain call the nation Extremadura (Kingdom of Extremadura) with an x. Extremadura is also used in most of the world outside of the nation itself. The nationalists that hope to remain entirely apart from pan-Spanish governments tend to call it Estremaura (Kingdom of Estremaura) after the provincial Estremeñu term, or use the term Estremeñu Kingdom.

History[]

Doomsday[]

Extremadura was not hit with any nuclear devices in the time of Doomsday. However, due to the "beheading" of the Spanish government after the death of most the royal house and Parliament, Extremadura soon was left isolated from the rest of Spain.

1983 - 1992: Junta d'Extremadura[]

After not getting more contact with the other Spanish provinces, including sister province Badajoz, and major blackouts in most of Cáceres Province, former Governor of Extremadura, Bermejo Hernández, managed to handle the city better than the Provincial Council, and made an alliance with Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra, the President of the Regional Government of Extremadura. Just after two days, refugees arrived in Cáceres telling about a nuclear war that ravaged Spain. The president of the provincial council, shocked from the news, had a heart attack, and died in his own house, alone. Hernández, shocked as well, held a speech in which he said that the nation of Spain fell into a disaster, and now they must handle the province on their own. After the discovery of the president's death, Hernández was elected the new president. His first act was to transform the province into the Junta d'Extremadura, with him as the Governor-General.

Two expeditions were set up: Group 1 was sent northward to reclaim the northern parts of former Cáceres Province, while Group 2, was to reclaim the south. While the northern expedition was a success, with most of the northern parts and even some parts of neighboring Castile and Leon joining the Junta. The expedition toward the south, however, was a complete failure. Various gangs occupied the southern parts of Extremadura, and the second group was completely decimated.

While the state suffered from large famines and such problems (leading to a large drop of both regions' populations), it was able to stay together throughout the chaotic 80s. However, soon enough the Junta started to become obsolete as conditions stabilised. After a referendum in the areas resulting on a pro-monarchy victory and the looking for a suitable pretender (all in vain), eventually a man claiming to be young Cayetano Martínez de Irujo of the Duke of Alba's family (and living in the mansion on Alba de Tormes) showed up. With nobody better to choose, his family tree was validated and he was crowned King of Extremadura.

While some opposition showed up, especially among those more pro-Estremeñu and anti-Spanish people in the nation, Cayetano Martí was a rather popular choice in an Extremadura that saw itself in need of a leader and with no better option. He was crowned in 1992. His coronation saw the writing of an Extremeñu constitution, placing several pre-Doomsday provincial customs (including the anthem and the former Leader of the Junta) as chief in the new, independent state. The constitution was put into order in January 1, 1993, and the Kingdom of Extremadura was born.

1992 - today: The Kingdom and Contact[]

The Estremeñu population continued to establish some changes in relation to the Spanish province, but retained the general shape of the government of the Spanish state. Several changes in the political position of the state also occurred; the generally left-leaning populace eventually aligned itself toward the centre of the spectrum and in favour of Estremeñu nationalism. Throughout the years, more pro-Estremeñu and anti-Spanish unification points of view have risen. 

In 1995, first contact was established with the Junta of Leon, when a scout team entered Alba de Tormes in a day when King Cayetano was in the town. They demanded to speak to their leader, to which the king answered them. The patrol was escorted to Caceres, where they were greeted. The party informed the Extremaduran government of the situation of the country and informed them about other survivor states in Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria. Trade picked up, but only slowly, as the King and his parliament distrusted the dictatorship in Leon.

In 1997, during an expedition in Eastern Portugal, the Extremaduran expeditionary party met a party, which wore Portuguese signs. Thinking Portugal survived in the West, they greeted the party. The Portuguese informed their government via radio and were sent to Caceres, to talk about the situation. The Portuguese were not happy about the control Extremadura had in Eastern Portugal, but the King made a deal, so the Portuguese territories will only be administered, and will be transferred to Portugal once the nation reaches the region. Portugal informed Extremadura about the rest of the world, and Portugal was a full supporter of Extremadura. The same year, another scouting party encountered the state of Bragança, which was a small principality in the remote North of former Portugal, but now speaking Mirandese as a language. The Extremaduran party saw the city of Bragança and was happy about the finding of other nations in the world. In 1998, a meeting meant for the Northwestern region of Iberia took place in Santiago de Compostela, to which they discussed the future of the region. 

In 2000, the Spanish Republic took contact with the nation, and relations were established. However, relations are relatively frosty. In 2003, the nation hosted a meeting regarding the hostility between Leon and Galicia, thus gaining the status of a mediator in the western Iberian Peninsula.

Further establishment of a functioning Estremeñu state continued. In 1996, the volunteer militia that had maintained the Estremeñu state previously changed into the Estremeñu National Army, and started to standardise; soon enough the army was able to establish a strong sphere of influence around the main nation, although it was not able to expand much into southern Extremadura, which was filled with bands of warlords, statelets and entirely dead zones across most of the nation.

Not many events happened in the quiet history of the country, and given its neutrality, it has been dubbed 'the Switzerland of Iberia".

Geography[]

The kingdom consists of most of Cáceres Province in Extremadura, and small territories of Castile and León, Castile-La Manche and Portugal, as well as an exclave in Castile and León, the city of Alba de Tormes.

In terms of topography, the region is mostly plains, with the northern and southern fringes of the nation being mountainous.

Extremadura is divided into two comarcas, one Distrito Capital (capital district) and one Ciudad Autónoma (autonomous city). These are:

  • Comarca Oeste - Capital in Plasencia, consists of the western and central part of the controlled parts of Cáceres Province
  • Comarca Este - Capital in Navalmoral de la Mata, consists of the eastern part of the controlled parts of Cáceres Province
  • Distrito Capital de Cáceres - Capital in Cáceres, consists of Cáceres and surroundings
  • Ciudad Autónoma de Alba de Tormes - Capital in Alba de Tormes, consists of Alba de Tormes and surrounding areas.

Extremadurans claim all of Extremadura and some groups as well claim the southern parts of the Ávila and Salamanca provinces of Castile and León. The first one is largely supported by the government. The government is planning extension southward toward Badajoz, and reach the border with Huelva province in the near future.

Culture[]

Languages[]

The official languages of Extremadura are Spanish and Estremeñu. Spanish, despite several years of Estremeñu nationalism, remains as the majority language, although Estremeñu has regained a large number of speakers since Estremeñu independence. Estremeñu is considered, much like Spanish, a Romance language, and is considered by most linguists to be the transitional language between Astur-Leonese and Spanish.

In the west is the Jálama Valley, in which the local Fala language is spoken. In the valley, Fala is regionally official, and the Jálama Valley Linguistic Organisation (Organización Lingüista del Valle de Jálama) has started to regulate the writing of the language.

Astur-Leonese, Portuguese and other minority languages are spoken in small parts of Extremadura, as well as in a large part of its sphere of influence, where Portuguese and Astur-Leonese are far more common.

Polls in the nation show following:

  • Spanish - 51.5%
  • Estremeñu - 40.5%
  • Fala - 5%
  • Astur-Leonese - 2%
  • Portuguese - 1%

The University of Extremadura (Universidad d'Extremadura) made a estimate of the mother language of the sphere of influence:

  • Astur-Leonese - 40%
  • Spanish - 40%
  • Estremeñu - 10%
  • Portuguese - 10%

Religion[]

Opinion about religion in Extremadura is divided into two groups:

  • Roman Catholicism: Catholicism greatly suffered during the aftermath of Doomsday, but 50% of the population is still Catholic and attends regularly mass.
  • Atheism: Atheists have been accepted in Extremadura from the beginning on, and marriages between a Catholic and an atheist are common.

The Kingdom of Extremadura has officially no state religion and thus has not made efforts to make a religious poll, but the latest estimates are:

  • Roman Catholicism - 51%
  • Atheism - 49%

Lifestyle[]

Life in Extremadura is fairly easier than in most parts of former Spain and the world.

About one-half of the population, roughly all Catholics attend regularly mass and are moderate-to-strong believers, but discrimination against atheists is widely unknown.

In Extremadura, a work day begins at 7:00 AM, but people usually wake up at six to eat a slice of bread with either nothing or butter. At about noon, there is a two-hour long siesta. Work ends at about 6:00 PM and most people then have dinner, which mostly consists of a vegetable soup and potato puffers, sometimes with pork and beef. In Extremadura, people work six days a week, with a day off on Sunday.

One of the specialties of Extremadura is the high smoking ratio, with about 80% of adults being smokers. This caused huge problems with health, but also generated a new culture.

Extremadura's holidays are:

  • 1st January - New Year's Day
  • Changes from year to year - Easter Holiday (consisting of Black Friday, Easter's Eve, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday)
  • 1st May - Labour Day
  • 10th May - St. Isidore's Day
  • 4th week of July and 1st week of August - Summer Holiday
  • 26th September - Doomsday Memorial Day
  • 24th to 26th December - Christmas Holiday (consisting of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day)
  • 31st December - New Year's Eve

Racism is widely unknown in Extremadura, though fights between the Rehionalistas and Españulihtas are relatively common, though only happening on a small scale.

There is the national football team, called the Seleción de fubu estremeña, and one football league called Liga Estremeña de fubu, it is split in two divisions, Division A and Division B. Relegation from the Division A can only be achieved by being the last in the division and promotion from the Division B can only be achieved by winning the Division B. Each division consists of eight teams. The teams are following (in order of the results of the 2014/15 season:

Division A: 

  • CF Cácereño
  • A.D Ciudad de Plasencia
  • UC Plasencia
  • Navalmoral FS
  • CD Coria
  • Arroyo CF
  • CF Monte
  • CF Chinato

Division B: 

  • AD Casar de Cáceres
  • Moralo CF
  • CF Jaraiz
  • Ciconia Negra Placensia
  • Moraleja Cahersa
  • CF Trujillo
  • CD Miajadas
  • CF Tayauela

There is also a basketball league, which consists of six teams:

Liga Baloncesto: 

  • Trujillo Diablos
  • Placensia Ambroz
  • Cáceres Ciudad
  • Placensia Nardeiros
  • Miajadas Toros
  • Coria El Rey

​Life expectancy is between the late-fifties and late-sixties or early-seventies, although few reach the age of 70. Biggest death cause is old age, disease or cancer, due to high smoking rates, with the poorer dying of malnourishment, because they can't afford to eat well. One of five children dies before the age of five. The health situation may not be the best, but it is still one of the better in the world.

Services[]

Electricity is currently only available to about 40% of the population in Extremadura itself, while the sphere of influence has no electricity at all. The main electricity producer is the Alcántara Dam in western Extremadura, which was build in 1969. Plans to reopen the shut-down Alamaraz Nuclear Power Plant by using new cores (while the old ones not being that used as the plant was opened only 25 days before Doomsday, could be used until new shipment would be confirmed).

Water supplies come mainly from the rivers in the nation. About 80% of the population has running water, and the rest is supplied by wells built either before or after DD. The government recommends the population to boil the water before drinking it.

Gas is only distributed to a limited level, with only 30% of the population having gas supplies. The rest heats their houses with stoves. Wood gas is the gas used for the people who can afford to have gas, while the people with stoves use wood.

Law and Order[]

Capital Punishment[]

In 1993, the first set of laws was brought to Extremadura, which re-implemented the capital punishment for murder, paedophilia, rape, treason and armed theft, and increased the life sentence to 99 years. Since then the law changed several times, the current situation is following:

  • Murder is punished with either life in prison with hard labour (mostly consisting of road building and demolitions) or execution by long drop hanging, depending on the age of the victim and brutality of the murder.
  • Paedophilia is punished with castration and five-years of reeducation with hard labour.
  • Rape is punished with either life in prison with castration and hard labour or execution by long drop hanging, depending on the age of the victim.
  • Treason is automatically punished with execution by long drop hanging.
  • Armed Theft is punished with 10-20 years in prison with hard labour.

Corporal Punishment[]

The same 1990 laws also punish mugging, theft, burglary, public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour. The current situation is:

  • Theft, burglary and mugging are all punished with one year in prison with hard labour.
  • Public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour are all punished with community service, which means recycling at a garbage dump, helping old people or working on state-owned farmland.

Other Laws[]

Marriage is only allowed from the age of 16 and is only possible between heterosexual couples.

Drinking alcohol is only allowed from the age of 16 though some alcoholic products, such as moonshine, may even have restriction up to the age of 25, due to common intoxication of the younger people.

Driving a cart is only allowed from the age of 14 with supervision and from 16 alone, while sailing a river catamaran boat is only allowed from the age of 16 with supervision and from 18 alone.

Courts and Prisons[]

The Court of Extremadura is currently located in Cáceres, where a prison is also located. Since then, there are courts in Coria, Trujillo, Navalmoral de la Mata and Placensia. A second prison has been build near Placensia in 2004.

Military[]

Army[]

Barracones

Plasencia military barracks, 1985. Extremaduran soldiers had been instructed since Doomsday on Cáceres and Plasencia, and their equipment and training is done with old weapons of the spanish army, like Star B pìstols, or CETME subfusils

The Extremaduran army (officially l'Armada Nacional d'Extremadura or Estremeñu National Army) is consisting of roughly 1000 full time soldiers. Every able-bodied man in the nation has a six-month training (which is mostly spent in the influence zone bringing law to the usually lawless region), and any women who want to take part of the Army are welcomed with open arms. Everyone in the army, except for the high-ranking personnel, need to retire at the age of 40. The army has a foot infantry and a cannon regiment.

The infantry is equipped with a home-made uniform, pistols, surplus materials of the Spanish Army, imported rifles from Portugal and old police weapons. The cannons and mortars of the army are produced in Placensia, the headquarters of the army. The army is small but relatively strong, considering their level of technology, but have a dependence of ammunition and armament from Portugal. Recently, the government asked the Portuguese state if it could give the Extremaduran army plans for the production of weapons and ammunition. There are some few vehicles from the Brigada de Infantería Mecanizada «Extremadura» XI, as the TOA M113, and materials from that mechanized infantry brigade from their base on Badajoz.

There is a sort of 'reserves' for the army, the 'Home Guard', a militia designed for civilian rebellion and guerrilla fighting in case of an invasion.

The Centro Táctico CT2/Guadalupe-Villuercas, a former Spanish Army located on Pico Villuercas, Cáceres province, has been used by the Army to explore La Mancha and Badajoz thanks to their helicopter landing strip, and the microwave signal transmitter used to radiate messages with other surviving units on the old spanish mainland territory, when the staff consists of members from the "Regimiento de Transmisiones Estratégicas nº22 " (RETES-22) of the pre-Doomsday garrison that lives on the area.

Funding[]

The military is funded through a combination of plots of land worked by members of the military and their families, and rents from other plots of land. This includes some fishing vessels on the rivers that help pay for and train naval forces.

Training Ground[]

The the three military bases of Extremadura are in Placensia, Trujillo and Alba de Tormes.

Government[]

Much like the pre-Doomsday Kingdom of Spain, Extremadura is a parliamentary monarchy, with the King (currently Cayetano Martí de Alba) presiding as the head of state, a President of Government presiding a cabinet called the Council of Ministers, an unicameral legislative branch with 201 seats, the Council of Estremadura, and a judicial Supreme Court, which takes justice in the name of the King.

Political Parties[]

Extremadura's political party spectrum is divided in the opinion of Spanish nationalism; in almost all elections of Estremeñu history, the parties against Spanish reunification (the Rehionalihtas or Regionalistas) are allied, despite their location in the left-right or other political spectra against those supporting Spanish reunification (the Españulihtas or Españolistas). Currently, there are seven political parties in the Council of Estremadura, which are:

Rehionalihtas - officially Partius Unios por Estremaura[]

  • Estremaura Unia (EU, United Estremadura), a centre-right party, with ideals of liberalism, with 57 seats.
  • Partiu Estremeñu Populal (PEP, People's Estremeñu Party), a centre-left party, the successor to the autonomist branches of the pre-Doomsday PSOE. The PEP supports social democracy and union rights, much like the PSOE, but is deeply committed to the preservation of the Estremeñu monarchy under the House of Alba. The PEP is the second-largest party in Partius Unios, with 31 seats in the Council.
  • Partiu d'Rey (PR, King's Party), a right-wing party with mostly conservative and classical liberal ideas, with 4 seats.

Españulihtas - officially Unión Española[]

  • Izquierda Unida (IU, meaning Left Union); Izquierda Unida is a far-left party, with ideals of democratic socialism, republicanism and federalism. They support union with the Republica Unida de Castilla y León and eventually with the Republic of Spain. The IU has 13 seats in the Council.
  • Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE, Socialist Worker's Party of Spain); despite its name, the PSOE is centre-left, with support for social democracy, union's rights, federalism and ambiguous toward the monarchist issue. PSOE is the heir to the Extremaduran branch of Spain's oldest party, founded on 1879. Currently it is the largest opposition party, with 53 seats in the Council.
  • Partido Español (PE - Spanish Party); Centre-right party, representing the democratic pro-Spanish right. The PE supports free worker's rights, liberalisation of the economy, somewhat conservative values (including the occupation of Southern Extremadura and opposed to homosexual unions), and the monarchy. However, it supports an eventual unification with the Spanish Republic in order to campaign for the establishment of a pan-Spanish monarchy. The Partido Español is the second main party in the Unión Española, with 35 seats in the Council.
  • Unión Falangista (UF - Falangist Union); far-right party, heir to the Francoist organisations that existed in Extremadura. The UF supports the restoration of the "God-given policies of the Spanish State", very conservative ideas socially and a free-market economy. The UF has achieved eight seats in the Council in recent elections, mostly because of the PE and PSOE supporting the UF's party listings in Estremauran-voting constituencies.

Education[]

In Extremadura, 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 Bachillerato baccalaureate in. The students write it obligatory in basic mathematics, basic Spanish and Estremeñu, plus either in basic Astur-Leonese or Portuguese. They also have to choose four subjects, from which they can choose:

  • Advanced Spanish and Estremeñu language and literature
  • Advanced mathematics
  • Advanced Astur-Leonese and Portuguese language (from which they can choose which, or both)
  • Science (with specialisation choice between biology, chemistry and physics)
  • Theology and ethics
  • Geography
  • World History

Those who have mastered the Bachillerato can pursue the University of Extremadura, based in Cáceres, but hosting a campus in Placensia, where they can study there for five years.

Depending on which subject they will study in university, they will be sent to either the Cáceres Campus or the Placensia campus.

In Cáceres, there are hosted following faculties:

  • Faculty of Science (mathematics, chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, biology and environmental sciences)
  • Faculty of Industrial Engineering (Industrial engineering, material engineering, biomedical engineering, renewable energies, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering)
  • Faculty of Pedagogy
  • Faculty of Medicine
  • Faculty of Laws
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
  • Faculty of Sport Science
  • Faculty of Occupational Therapy

In Placensia, there are hosted following faculties:

  • Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Management
  • Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering
  • Faculty of Telecommunication Engineering
  • Faculty of Information Technology
  • Faculty of Geomatics
  • Faculty of Topography

Some of the faculties have been established after DD by teachers from the campuses in Merida and Badajoz.

Economy[]

The nation's economy is mostly agriculturally-based, with the most common product being rice, followed by olives, barley, oat, wheat, vegetables like and potatoes, and almonds, as well as tobacco. Viticulture is also an important part of the economic machine.

Pork and poultry, still existing and relatively common, are one of the meat types available in the nation.

Small industries remain a strong part of the economy, though  they are not producing nearly as good as pre-Doomsday. The main products are steel from scrap metal and cigars.

Exports, especially of cigars and clothing, are small, but growing steadily. General destinations of this exports are Castile and Leon, Galicia, Bragança, Asturias and Spain, but smaller ones are also destined for Portugal. The cigars, now known as Extremaduran Cigars, are becoming a trend in Portugal, Spain and Castile and Leon and they're likely to become a huge hit in Europe.

Communication and Trade[]

Newspapers are mostly spread through caravans. The nation has one newspaper, the 'El Tiempo' (The Time), which is issued in Cáceres. It is issued every Saturday and Wednesday and reaches most of the country on Monday/Friday.

The mail service is delivered either by caravans or by riding messengers.

Internal trade is mostly is done through caravans. External trade on land is made toward Castile and Leon, Spain, Bragança, Galicia, Asturias and Portugal's military districts. Travel inside the country is made by either hiking, biking or traveling with the caravans.

International Relations[]

Extremadura was and still is a pretty isolated nation. Spain is on cordial terms with the Estremenu survivor, and although it acknowledges the status quo, due to their incapacity to get there, relative isolation and friendly relations, it wishes for the nation to rejoin Spain. 

Leon is seen as a partner, though the dictatorship is keeping the relations pretty low.

Portugal is seen as a friend, though tensions were high at the beginning because of formerly Portuguese territories in the nation.

Relations with Galicia and Asturia are good, but just tentative due to distance.

In general, the nation has been seen as a peace-loving, neutral country, thus many nations like them. They have also seen as a mediator in peace terms, making them the popular ground for meetings between Galicia and Leon.

The nation hosts three consulates, one of Spain, one of Leon and one of Portugal, which also represents Asturias and Galicia. The nation has four consulates in foreign territory, one in Murcia, Spain, one in Leon, Castile and Leon, one in Bragança, Bragança and one in Novo Porto, Portugal.

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