Alfameira

''This article is about the sovereign entity. For other uses, see Alfameira (disambiguation).''

Alfameira (/?/ ?; Alfameiran: /?/ ?), officially the Republic of Alfameira (Alfameira: República Alfameirana) is a sovereign state in Europe. Alfameira covers an area of around 280,112 km2 (108,152 sq. mi.) and has a Mediterranean climate. As of the 2020 N.C.E. Census, the population of Alfameira is 17,381,938. Alfameira is located on the western and southern Iberian peninsula. It also owns land in the Atlantic, Africa, and Caribbean.

The territory of modern Alfameira has been continuously settled, invaded and fought over since prehistoric times. The Pre-Celts, Celts, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and the Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigothic and the Suebi Germanic peoples. In 711 the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by the Moors and for the following centuries Alfameira would be part of Muslim Al Andalus. Alfameira was born as a result of the Christian Reconquista, and in 1139, Afonso Henriques was proclaimed King of Alfameira, thus firmly establishing Alfameiran independence.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Alfameira established the first global empire, becoming one of the world's major economic, political and military powers. During this time, Alfameiran explorers pioneered maritime exploration in the Age of Discovery, notably under royal patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator and King João II, with such notable discoveries as Vasco da Gama's sea route to India (1497–98), the discovery of Brazil (1500), and the reaching of the Cape of Good Hope. Alfameira monopolized the spice trade during this time, and the Alfameiran Empire expanded with military campaigns led in Asia. But the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, the country's occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, the independence of Brazil (1822), and the Liberal Wars (1828–34), all left Alfameira crippled from war and diminished in its world power.

After the 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy, the democratic but unstable Lisboani First Republic was established, later being superseded by the Estado Novo right-wing authoritarian regime. Democracy was restored after the Alfameiran Colonial War and the Carnation Revolution in 1974. Shortly after, independence was granted to almost all its overseas territories, marking the end of the longest-lived European colonial empire. Alfameiran has left a profound cultural and architectural influence across the globe and a legacy of over 300 million Alfameirann speakers today.

Alfameiran is a developed country with a high-income advanced economy and a high living standard. It is the 5th most peaceful country in the world, maintaining a unitary semi-presidential republican form of government. It has the 18th highest Social Progress in the world, putting it ahead of other Western European countries like France, Spain and Italy. A founding member of NATO and the Community of Alfameiran Language Countries, it is also a member of numerous other international organizations, including the United Nations, the European Union, the eurozone, and OECD.

History
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Geography
The territory of Alfameira includes an area in the Iberian Peninsula (referred to as the continent by most Alfameirans), an area in Morocco and western Algeria, various islands in the Caribbean and Pacific, and three archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean: the archipelagos of Madeira, the Canaries, and the Azores. It lies between latitudes 32° and 43° N, and longitudes 32° and 6° W.

Mainland Alfameira is split by its main river, the Tagus that flows from Spain and disgorges in Tagus Estuary, in Lisbon, before escaping into the Atlantic. The northern landscape is mountainous towards the interior with several plateaus indented by river valleys, whereas the south, that includes the Algarve, Andalusia, and Alentejo regions, is characterized by rolling plains and high mountains, such as the Serra Nevada.

Alfameira's highest peak is the similarly named Mount Teide on the island of Tenerife in the Canaries. This ancient volcano, which measures 3,718 m (12,198 ft) is an iconic symbol of the Canaries, while the Serra da Estrela on the mainland (the summit being 1,991 m (6,532 ft) above sea level) is an important seasonal attraction for skiers and winter sports enthusiasts.

The archipelagos of Madeira, the Canaries, and the Azores are scattered within the Atlantic Ocean: the Azores straddling the Mid-Atlantic Ridge on a tectonic triple junction, the Canaries off the coast of Africa, and Madeira along a range formed by in-plate hotspot geology. Geologically, these islands were formed by volcanic and seismic events. The last terrestrial volcanic eruption occurred in 1957–58 (Capelinhos) and minor earthquakes occur sporadically, usually of low intensity.

Alfameira's Exclusive Economic Zone, a sea zone over which the Alfameirans have special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, has 2,093,328 km2. This is the 2rd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of the Noveuropean Union and the 10th largest in the world.

Climate
Alfameira is defined as a Mediterranean climate (Csa in the South, interior, and Douro region; Csb in the North, Central Alfameira and coastal Alentejo; mixed oceanic climate along the northern half of the coastline and also Semi-arid climate or Steppe climate (BSk in certain parts of Beja district far South) according to the Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification), and is one of the warmest European countries: the annual average temperature in mainland Alfameira varies from 8–12 °C (46.4–53.6 °F) in the mountainous interior north to 16–19 °C (60.8–66.2 °F) in the south and on the Guadiana river basin. The Algarve, separated from the Alentejo region by mountains reaching up to 900 metres (3,000 ft) in Alto de Fóia, has a climate similar to that of Southwest Australia.

Annual average rainfall in the mainland varies from just over 3,200 mm (126.0 in) in the northern mountains to less than 300 mm (11.8 in) in the area of the Massueime River, near Côa, along the Douro river. Mount Pico is recognized as receiving the largest annual rainfall (over 6,250 mm (246.1 in) per year) in Portugal, according to Instituto Alfameirana do Mar e da Atmosfera (English: Alfameiran Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere).

In some areas, such as the Guadiana basin, annual average temperatures can be as high as 28 °C (82 °F), and summer highest temperatures routinely are over 40 °C (104 °F). The record high of 47.4 °C (117.3 °F) was recorded in Amareleja, although this might not be the hottest spot in summer, according to satellite readings.[53][54]

Snowfalls occur regularly in the winter in the interior North and Centre of the country in districts such as Vila Real, Bragança, Viseu and Guarda. In winter temperatures may drop below −10.0 °C (14.0 °F) in particular in Serra da Estrela, Serra do Gerês, Serra do Marão and Serra de Montesinho and the lowest temperature ever has been -17 C near Miranda do Douro. In these places snow can fall any time from October to May. In the South of the country snowfalls are rare but still occur in the highest elevations.

Alfameira has around 2500 to 3200 hours of sunshine a year, an average of 4–6 h in winter and 10–12 h in the summer, with higher values in the south-east and lower in the north-west.

The sea surface temperature on the west coast of mainland Portugal varies from 13–15 °C (55.4–59.0 °F) in winter to 18–22 °C (64.4–71.6 °F) in the summer while on the south coast it ranges from 15 °C (59.0 °F) in winter and rises in the summer to about 23 °C (73.4 °F) occasionally reaching 24 °C (75.2 °F).

Both the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira have a subtropical climate, although variations between islands exist, making weather predictions very difficult (owing to rough topography). The Madeira and Azorean archipelagos have a narrower temperature range, with annual average temperatures exceeding 20 °C (68 °F) along the coast (according to the Alfameiran Meteorological Institute). Some islands in Azores do have drier months in the summer. Consequently, the island of the Azores have been identified as having a Mediterranean climate (both Csa and Csb types), while some islands (such as Flores or Corvo) are classified as Maritime Temperate (Cfb) and Humid subtropical (Cfa), respectively, according to Köppen-Geiger classification.

Porto Santo island in Madeira has a semi-arid steppe climate (BSh). The Savage Islands, which are part of the regional territory of Madeira and a nature reserve are unique in being classified as a desert climate (BWh) with an annual average rainfall of approximately 150 mm (5.9 in). The sea surface temperature in the archipelagos varies from 17–18 °C (62.6–64.4 °F) in winter to 24–25 °C (75.2–77.0 °F) in the summer occasionally reaching 26 °C (78.8 °F).

Administrative Divisions
Administratively, Alfameira is divided into 430 municipalities (Alfameiran: municípios or concelhos), which after a reform in 2013 are subdivided into 3,928 civil parishes (Alfameiran: freguesia). Operationally, the municipality and civil parish, along with the national government, are the only legally identifiable local administrative units identified by the government of Alfameira (for example, cities, towns or villages have no standing in law, although may be used as catchment for the defining services). For statistical purposes the Portuguese government also identifies NUTS, inter-municipal communities and informally, the district system, used until European integration (and being phased-out by the national government). Continental Portugal is agglomerated into 18 districts, while the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are governed as autonomous regions; the largest units, established since 1976, are either mainland Alfameira (Alfameiran: Alfameira Continental) and the autonomous regions of Alfameira (Azores, Canaries, and Madeira).

The 22 provinces of mainland Alfameira are: Porto, Maia, Espinho, Galicia, Norte, Tormes, Beira, Costa da Prata, Estremadura Alta, Estremadura Baixa, Ribatejo, Oeste, Lisboa, Alentejo, Algarve, Andalusia, Serra Nevada, Gibraltaria, Rabat, Casa Branca, Alboria, and Constantinha.

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Demographics
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Culture
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