Cerdanya

Cerdanya, officially the Autonomous Region of Cerdanya (Región Autónoma de Cerdaña; Comunitat autònoma de Cerdanya) is an autonomous republic within the Baliscan Confederation and is named after the region of the same name in Arriola. Made up of some of the richest Baliscan regions and containing several major industrial complexes, Cerdanya's regions are often collectively dubbed the "locomotive of Balisca", the macroregion is responsible for 34.4% of the Baliscan GDP. Cerdanya's regions have the highest rankings in Human Development Index (HDI) and GDP per capita, some of the lowest infant mortality rates, the highest life expectancies, and the lowest rates of illiteracy among the autonomous regions of Balisca, being by far, the safest area in the country. The homicide rate is 1.8 per 100 thousand as of 2018, almost 1/3 of the national rate. Cerdanya's regions are collectively richer than Chile, Peru, Paraguay and Bolivia combined. If Cerdanya were an independent country, its nominal GDP would be ranked among the top 20 in the world (and the third largest in Latin America), and would have the highest HDI in all of Latin America. The economy of Cerdanya is the most developed in Balisca.

With more than 34 million inhabitants in 2019, the region of Cerdanya is the third most populous of the Baliscan regions (26% of the national population), of which around 14 million live in Greater Concepción-Metropolitian Merced area (commonly known as Mercepción) and 3 million in the rest of the province. Around 23.8% of the inhabitants weren't born in the province, of whom 3,918,552 are immigrants from other provinces and 758,640 were born abroad.

Most of its inhabitants are descendants from colonial-era settlers and immigrants from Europe who arrived within the 19th and 20th centuries, including Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Aranese Baliscans, though composed mainly of descendants of German and Norwegian immigrants. There is also a large proportion of the population from other regions, especially from Santo Antônio. A number of suburbs in the province are also home to a large, predominantly mestizo population that began migrating from the Balisca's northern provinces in the mid-20th century to take advantage of growing employment opportunities. These same communities are also home to considerable numbers of more recent migrants from Paraguay and Bolivia.

Economy
The economy of Cerdanya ranks among the largest in Latin America. As of Q2 2018, the gross state product was estimated at 1.3 trillion, making it the second largest economy in Balisca, behind Santo Antônio. Florida is responsible for 32 percent of Balisca's approximate $4.2 trillion gross domestic product (GDP). As of 2018, Cerdanya's nominal GDP is larger than all but 16 countries. In terms of Purchasing Power Parity, it is larger than all but 24 countries In the twentieth century, tourism, mining, construction, international banking, biomedical sciences, healthcare research, simulation training, defense, and shipbuilding have contributed to the region's economic development.

Cerdanya's regions are collectively richer than Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia combined. If Cerdanya were an independent country, its nominal GDP would be ranked among the top 20 in the world (and the third largest in Latin America), and would have the highest HDI in all of Latin America. The economy of Cerdanya is the most developed in Balisca. Copper, silver, aluminum and gold exports play an important role in the economy, especially in the southern regions of Cerdanya. More than 85% of Cerdanya's economy was based on the exports of natural resources in 1900. Cerdanya has since then reduced its dependency on mineral exports, by expanding the tourism, finance, and construction sectors. Cerdanya alone was responsible for 60% of Balisca's mining output in 2018. As a mainstay to the economy, mining directly contributes around 20% of Cerdanya's total gross domestic product and 39% of the region's exports. In addition to being an important supplier of energy, Cerdanya is now becoming an increasingly relevant consumer of energy. The region has established a long tradition of responsible energy stewardship as it develops and diversifies its economy, accelerating the development of new hydroelectric energy sources.

Per capita GDP in 2018 was $38,242, ranking first in the nation. Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and profession. The Far South and the rural native areas of the Carelmapu archipelago are the most impoverished in the region. Cerdanya overall has an average poverty rate of 7.8%, the lowest of any place in the country. Many coastal and mining cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in the Baliscan Confederation.