Friuli

Grand Ducat de Friûl
Grand Duchy of Friuli

Image not available. Flag of Friuli
Subdivision of:	Italy
Cities:
Capital:	Udine
Largest:	Udine
Other:	Gorizia Pordenone
Languages:
Official:	Italian Friulian
Others:	Croatian Helvetian Slovenian
Grand Duke:	Gjon III Furlan
President:	Ivan Triestin
Area:	7856 sq. km
Population:	1,208,278 inhabitants (2005)
Established:	1933, incorporation into Italy

Friuli is a small province in northeastern Italy, bordering Helvetia and Croatia. It has small minority populations belonging to those countries, but is largely Italian.

Administration

Government

Friuli's Grand Duke retains much executive power. He is, however, assisted in his work by an elected senate, composed of thirty elected representatives from around Friuli. The senate elects a president from among its number who runs the senate meetings and sets the agenda.. The Grand Duke casts the deciding vote in the senate in the case of a tie, and may veto any bill that the senate puts before him, although a popular referendum may override his decision. Friuli, like Elba and Piombino, has a number of local political parties which compete at the local level, contrasting with the national parties.

Aquilea

It is worth noting that the city of Aquilea in Friuli operated for many years as an independent patriarchate, and in many respects still does--the Friulian government does not intefere with the running of the patriarchate unless it violates Friulian law (something that has never happened). Effectively, Aquilea still is independent, but for the purposes of elections, Aquilea is treated as being a part of Friuli.

Geography

Friuli occupies a small stretch of the Adriatic coastline.

Borders

Aosta is bordered by:
North: Helvetia
West: Veneto
South: Adriatic Sea
East: Croatia

Economy

Friuli's economy is centered on shipping and trade. The cities of Trieste and Monfalcone are large ports which conduct much of Italy's trade with the world.