Elena Region

Elena
Region of Gylias
Flag
Country	Gylias
Capital	Argyrokastron
Area
• Total	65,344 km2 (25,229 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,826,760
• Density	28/km2 (72/sq mi)
Demonym	Elenese

Elena (abbreviated EL) is a region of Gylias. Located in the east, it borders Kausania to the north, Arsad to the east, Tomes to the south, and Sváen to the west.

The only Gylian region with a non-Gylic plurality, it is the main centre of Hellene settlement and culture in Gylias, which is reflected in its flag. The demonym "Elenese" is used for residents of the region as a whole to avoid confusion with "Hellene".

Geography

The region's territory is largely flat and composed of the Laişyn plain. The Paksas hills are located in the centre of the region, providing the main elevation and the source of the Tezés river and Pineios river. The Ţikona river determines its boundaries with Arsad.

Demographics

The 2020 census recorded a population of 1.974.876. Large cities include Argyrokastron, Nikopolis, and Nymphaion.

Elena is notable for its concentration of Hellene Gylians, which form a plurality. They are mainly concentrated on the coast and around Nikopolis — the area of the historical Dekapolis. The main Gylic peoples in the area are Tanans, with a Tomesian minority towards the south.

Economy

The region is one of the main centres of Gylian industry. It has a strong tourism sector, with a reputation for some of Gylias' premier beaches and surfing spots.

Politics

The Pallas Athena sculpture at the entrance of the Elena Regional Council building, based on the ancient Athena Parthenos

The region's regional council is named the Elena Regional Council, also known as the Synedrion (Hellene reformed: Συɴέδʀιοɴ), and its regional party is named the Assembly for Elena (French: Rassemblement pour Elena; Hellene reformed: Εɴότετα Έλλεɴες, Enoteta Ellenes).

Elena has historically been a liberal stronghold, and it remains one of the Liberal Union's dominant regions, earning it the nickname "the yellow redoubt".

Regional governments' policies to promote Hellene culture and maintain a Hellene identity in Elena have sometimes caused controversy or lawsuits that have reached the Constitutional Court. In one notable case, the Constitutional Court allowed the Synedrion to display statues of Athena at the entrance of its building and in its chamber, as long as those statues referred to Athena as a symbol of democracy and not in her capacity as a goddess.