Constantinople (The Sublime Porte)

Constantinople, officially known as the Republic of Constantinople (French:République de Constantinople) is a transcontinental city-state in Europe and Asia, spanning both sides of the Bosporus strait. It borders Turkey, both on its eastern Asian border and on its western border in Europe. Constantinople is the largest city-state in the world by both area and population, as it is the home of 11.3 million people on 5,343 square kilometers, making it the world's 33rd largest city by population. The city-state has a multiethnic population of Turkish, Greek, Armenian, Europeans (Levantine), and Jewish people. It also has a large multi-ethnic population that is the result of decades of intermarriage. The government's policies on social and ethnic mixity have led to the formation of a unique Constantinopolitan identity, which is characterized by its use of French as primary language.

Constantinople's history dates back to the foundation of Byzantium by Greek colonists in the 7th century BC. The city was later chosen by Roman emperor Constantine the Great to become the new capital of the Roman Empire. The city was renamed Constantinople and grew to become one of the wealthiest and most prosperous cities in the world over the next millennium. The city served as imperial capital to the Roman/Byzantine (330-1204, 1261-1453) and Ottoman empires (1453-1878). Over the centuries, the city served as a center for both Christian and Islamic cultural and political centers.

Following the 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War, Constantinople was transformed into an international zone under the supervision of Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. Following World War I, the territory of the modern-day city state was reorganized into a League of Nations mandate under the authority of the British and French, up until World War II when the French were driven out following their defeat in 1940. After the Second World War, Constantinople gained independence via referendum, becoming an independent nation.

Politics
Constantinople's is a representative democracy organized as a unitary parliamentary republic, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic, which was adopted via referendum in 1946. The president is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the military, the prime minister is head of government and chief executive, and the bicameral Parliament is the country's legislative body.

The President of the Republic serves as Constantinople's largely ceremonial head of state. Elected by the Parliament for a renewable six-year term, the President serves primarily as a figurehead. The powers of the presidency are severely limited, requiring the advice of the prime minister or Parliament. The sole power that is exclusive to the president is that of referring a proposed law to the Constitutional Court in order to verify its constitutionality.

The Prime Minister of the Republic serves as the head of government and chief executive of the country. The prime minister is appointed by the President after a vote of approval in the Chamber of Deputies. The prime minister is the head of the Council of Ministers, the organ that holds effective executive power in the country. To continue governing, the Council of Ministers must maintain the support of the Chamber of Deputies, with the Chamber having the capacity to dismiss the entire government in a vote of no confidence. The prime minister has the power to ask the president to dissolve the Chamber, granting him the power to call elections.

The bicameral Parliament of the Republic is composed of an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the aforementioned Chamber of Deputies. The two houses of Parliament are unequal, with the Chamber of Deputies having more power than the semi-ceremonial Senate. In some cases, such as the adoption of a constitutional amendment, the approval of both houses is required.

The Chamber of Deputies is made up of 2XX deputies that are elected from single-member constituencies using a first-past-the-post electoral system. The Chamber is elected for a four-year term, although it is common for incumbent prime ministers to dissolve the Chamber during a peak of popularity. The Chamber holds the majority of the power in Parliament, having the final say in the legislative process and sole authority over the adoption of the budget. The disparity between votes and seats in the first-past-the-post electoral system has led to calls for electoral reform, as minor parties find themselves under-represented against large parties.

The Senate is composed of 50 senators that are elected via proportional representation from reserved seats for the city-state's different communities. The Turkish and Greek voters elect 14 senators each, Armenians elect 12 senators while other voters elect 10 senators. The Senate's lesser role, coupled with proportional representation, often results in the presence of more parties in the Senate than in the Chamber. Despite its smaller role when compared to the Chamber, the Senate has powers that exceed those of a typical upper chamber in a traditional parliamentary system. Indeed, the Senate has the capacity to amend or introduce laws (subject to further approval from the Chamber), oversees and votes on judicial appointments of the prime minister. In the exceptional case of a three-fourths supermajority, the Senate has the power to dissolve the Chamber.

Political parties