Seerm

Seerm
File:Seermflag.png Flag
Country	Vyvland
Capital	Zwe
Largest City	Govkros
Population	1,435,611
Area	23,368km²
Population density	61/km²
Government	Conservative-National-Monarchist coalition
Chancellor	Ludwega Haalskester (Conservative)
Parliament seats	29
Municipalities	85
Official languages	Vyvlander
Number plate code	L

Seerm is a province of north-central Vyvland; the third-largest by area and tenth-largest by population. It is mostly situated in a mountainous region of Vyvland, with Kalmersberg, Vyvland's highest mountain, the Wesjrenbergs, the Hoikrov plateau and the majority of the Slic Mountains lying within the provincial boundaries. It is also the source of two longest rivers in Vyvland, the Fule and the Ryzer. Seerm's capital is Zwe and its largest city is Govkros, a port town, while Slicel, suburban Jebon and northerly Kengs are also significant in population. The province borders Deg, Wik, Vlud province, Wesel, Kros and Stanmer.

History

The upper reaches of the barren, uninhabited Hoikrov plateau

Slicel was one of the last areas of Vyvland to be settled, owing to its inaccessible and inland nature, and the marginally colder climate and less fertile soil this brought with it. However, this meant that it was relatively undisturbed, and the Slicel Valley in particular remained a pristine natural wilderness until the Industrial Revolution. The mountains in the south of the province have been culturally important for years, holding some of the earliest-produced historical artefacts in Vyvland, including the Jrojesdon axe, a large war axe dating from the 500s BC. Historically, the Slic Mountains were a place of religious hermitage; numerous abandoned monasteries line the sides of the Slicel Valley. Other religious and persecuted communities, such as Gothican Orthodox adherents, Lutheran Catholics and Katrenian-speakers, were also responsible for setting up many of the region's more isolated mountain communities.

Until the late medieval period, the only settled areas of the province were those around its edges; the farming plains around Kengs in the northwest, the southern reaches of the Seerm mountains and the coastline of the Seerm Bight. Even since then, many areas have remained unsettled or sparsely settled, with the only agriculture possible on the steep slopes and infertile land being sheep and cattle farming.

Geography

The Slic Falls

The province is overwhelmingly hilly; the only significant area of plains is the area around Kengs and the mouth of the River Stanmer in the north of the province. The highest mountains are the Slic Mountains, which contains six peaks rising above 2000 metres; the area is well visited by tourists, especially in the Kreuveld skiing region and the area around the Slic Falls (Slicvalen). The mountains' highest peak is Kalmersberg, which rises to 2645 metres above sea level. Also significant in their height are the long Seerm Mountains, which stretch from the dramatic Seermklev (Seerm Gap) in the west to Jebon and the outskirts of Mafiy in the east, and contain eleven peaks over 1500 metres over a length of 120 kilometres. The other major area of uplands is the Hoikrov, a large barren plateau to the north of the town of the same name, situated in the western central part of the province between the Seermklev and the Stanmer plain.

The Seermklev is a wide, steep-sided valley which runs from the coastline on the Seerm Bight, a large, roughly circular inlet to the north of Seerm province. The valley is relatively isolated from other areas of Vyvland and as such is the site of multiple rare species, including the purple-red Hyacinthoides Sarumiensis, better known in Vyvland as the rudhaser, the provincial flower of Seerm and unofficial contender for the national flower of Vyvland.

Politics

Owing to the rural nature of the province, Seerm votes overwhelmingly for conservative parties both locally and nationally. The port city of Govkros is the only area of the province to vote for the social democratic Socialist Party in significant numbers. The Conservative Party has traditionally had a strong foothold in the province, with support for the National Party consistently growing; the two parties are currently in coalition with the smaller Monarchist Party in the Provincial Diet. The province returns 29 members to the Vyvlander Parliament; nine Conservative, five National, six Liberal, four Socialist, three Capitalist, one Green and one from the Vyvlander Front.

Transport

Despite its low population density, Seerm is relatively well-connected due to its position between many of the major population centres of Vyvland, including Vlud to the southeast, Lyksdal to the west, Mafiy to the east and Stiven to the northwest. It is therefore bisected by multiple major railway lines and roads, including the A5 motorway, which runs from Pee in the north, past Kengs and Zwe, to Vlud, and the ambitious A26, which runs over the Slic Valley and under Kalmersberg, and has been voted the best driving road in Vyvland on many occasions.