User:Roden/Sandbox

Albret ( Occitan pronunciation: ), officially Province of Albret ( Província d'Albret) is a province of Roden. Albret is located in north-eastern Roden bordering Cosenza to the north, the provinces of Vasades and Sidobre to the west; and Olmes, Brageiragues and Tricastin to the south. Albret is the second largest province with an area of 24,305 square kilometres (9,384.2 sq mi). The province's capital and largest city is Nerac, that with over 1.5 million inhabitants is the country's largest city and financial heart.

The province is home to over 13% of the entire Rodenian population or 5.03 million people, making Albret the country's most populous province and the seventh most densely-populated with 207 inhabitants per square kilometre. Albret's economy is Roden's largest, producing over 13% of the national, albeit regional economic imbalances have resulted in an unequal distribution of wealth between the district of Nerac, encompassing most of the city's and the rest of the province. As a result, Albret's is slightly under the national average.

History
Albret has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with the earliest archaeological evidence of human settlements dating back to the (around 45,000 BCE). There is also evidence of more developed human civilisations already in the, with the construction of megalithic structures in xx as well as in xx.

By the 7th century BCE and following the westwards wave of migration, what would become Albret was settled by the ', the ' and the . The Celtic tribes would share the territory with the native, . Whereas the Cocosates inhabited the mountainous northern areas of Albret, the Celtic tribes tribes would build important fortified settlements in the xx River valley, close to modern-day Nerac but their settlement was more concentrated on the hilly western half of the province, partly due to the presence of xx in the eastern seaboard.

After the xx campaigns (116-79 BCE) that resulted in the conquest of most of eastern Roden by the Latin Republic, the Albretian tribes formed a alliance to prevent Latin incursions in their territories, roughly delimited by the xx River to the south. For over 25 years, a complicated peace would continue until as a result of the internecine conflicts between the Celtic alliance, the  would call upon the Latin consuls and  to mediate. Instead, however, the opportunity was seized to take over the territory and subdue the local tribes. The fertile valleys and the coastal areas would be subject to colonisation through land grants to former legionnaires, leading to the rapid of the territory.

Geography
Albret is the second largest province in Roden, with a total area of 24,305 square kilometres (9,384.2 sqaure miles) and is also the seventh most densely populated provinces with 206.9 people per square kilometre (535.9 per square mile). The state contains Roden's largest city and the state's capital, Nerac, home to over 1.5 million people, as well as four large urban settlements with populations over 100,000 - Agulhon, Arri, Tonencs and Saissac - all located in Nerac's.

Government and politics
Albret's political framework is based on the Autonomy Statute of 1991 and it largely resembles that of other Rodenian ordinary provinces. Albret operates as a with a, the General Assembly (Assemblada generala), elected every 5 years by  from every district. is exercised by the Provincial Board (Conselh Provincial), a five member with a rotatory presidency lasting a year. The current Directors are Albert Valat (PST), Guilhèm Sarrieu (PST), Carla Beneset (UDL), Marina Casalet (PST) and Arnaud Rove (UDL). Guilhèm Sarrieu is the current President of the Board (President del Conselh).

Albret is considered a left-leaning province, although to a much lesser degree than other Occitan-speaking provinces. Albret is the Liberal Democratic Union's main stronghold, thanks to the support it receives from Nerac's wealthy suburbs, where the party surpasses the PP as the main non-socialist force. The MCC is also particularly strong in the region, obtaining 9% of the vote and 9 deputies in the last provincial elections. The strength of both the MCC and the UDL explains the weakness of the People's Party in the province, compared to its quasi-hegemonic dominance at the national level. The People's Party's strongholds are located in the rural west of the province, whereas those of the Workers' Socialist Party are found in the working-class areas of Nerac as well as in the coastal districts of Cabardés and Lauragués.

The current government is formed by a coalition of liberals and socialists.