Sakaro

Sakaro, officially the Republic of Sakaro (Sakaian: Malo Awai i Sakaro), is a sovereign country in East Artopa comprising the entirety of the Taenic Island chain, the Odo Islands and numerous smaller islands. It is situated in the West Dunic Ocean and is neighbored to the west by Ke-Atsung and to the north by Harkon. Sakaro is an island country spanning across an archipelago which covers 319,338 square kilometers (123,297 sq mi); the three main islands are Paialua, Kahkini and Molokinau. Toitara is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Ohana, Kapaoka, Hanakani, Nosaia and Waimako.

Etymology
The origin for the name of Sakaro is not universally agreed upon by modern etymologists, however a common explanation that is generally accepted in the mainstream is that it descends from Saka Roa, a figure from ancient Seke oral tradition who is said to have established the first settlement on the island of Kahkini, though it remains unknown if he existed in reality. Another, less widely accepted explanation is that it stems from the term Sarao, which was the name given to the Seke by the first Maraoan settlers during their arrival in the Late Seke Period.

Government and Politics
Sakaro is a federal parliamentary republic and has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system under its constitution since its federation in 1750. It is one of the world's oldest federal states, in which power is divided between the central (federal) and state and territorial governments. The Sakaian system of government maintains various elements derived from the political system of West Artopan democracies such as the Kingdom of Carrisia and the Kingdom of Sylvia, as well as newer, primarily Baltecan concepts such as federalism, a written constitution and strong bicameralism with an elected upper house.

The federal government is separated into three branches:


 * Legislature: the bicameral Parliament, comprising the Senate and House of Representatives.
 * Executive: the National Council, which is responsible for maintaining the legitimacy of the Prime Minister and his cabinet.
 * Judiciary: the Supreme Court of Sakaro and other federal courts whose judges are appointed by the Prime Minister and his cabinet.

In the Senate (the upper house), there are 48 senators: six from each of the states. In the House of Representatives (the lower house) there are 520 representatives elected from eight-member electoral divisions, typically known as "districts" or "seats", allocated among the states on the basis of population. Simultaneous elections for the two chambers of Parliament are ordinarily held every four years, with both senators and representatives being given six year term limits before being legally required to take a two year break from the occupation, normally leading to what is known as a "successor campaign" when a Member of Parliament begins their electoral bid for their second consecutive election season, in which they will largely run their campaign based off of their choice to replace them halfway through the term (this is typically influenced by the party leadership).

Sakaro's electoral system uses preferential voting for all lower house elections, while the upper house utilizes proportional representation. As a parliamentary system, the party with a majority percentage of the votes in the House of Representatives forms a new government with the consent of the National Council and its leader becomes Prime Minister. In the event that no party has majority support, the National Council will appoint the Prime Minister and if called upon will dismiss one that has been subject to a vote of no confidence from a joint-session of Parliament.

There are three major political groups that most often form government both federally and in the states: the Liberal Party of Sakaro, the Sakaian Social Democratic Party and the Heartland Party. In Sakaian political culture, the LPS is considered centre-left, the SSDP left-wing and the Heartland Party centre-right to right-wing. The Heartland Party is the nation's newest major political force and the result of a merger between the Conservative Party of Sakaro and the United Sakaro Party after the right wing was largely displaced following the outbreak of the Great War in the late 1930s, the subsequent collapse of militarist, nationalist sentiment in Sakaro and the renewed rise of pro-labor movements and the SSDP. Independent members and minor parties have gained representation in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The most recent federal election was held on July 20th 1954 and resulted in the Liberal Party of Sakaro, led by Aolani Ao'Nara, being elected to government.