Koni Volost
Koni Volost Кони Волость | |
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Flag | |
| Capital | Direm |
| Official languages | Venadian, Koni, Ranav |
| Demonym(s) | Koni |
| Government | Volost of the Republic of Venadia |
• Governor | Chanar Ivanov |
| Legislature | Regional Veche |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 2.9 million |
The Koni Volost (Venadian: Кони Волость) is a Volost of the Republic of Venadia located in the north-east of the country. It is the largest district by area, but the 7th least populated one and has the third-lowest population density in Venadia. Most of the Koni Volost is arctic, with only the very southernmost territories being subarctic. The Koni People are the majority of the population, with ethnic Venadians largely being a minority in southern gas towns such as the capital of Direm. The Koni Peoples are a diverse group of northern peoples in Venadia's north, and is divided into a multitude of tribes and even ethnicities.
History
Like all of northern Venadia, human population in the Koni Volost is relatively recent. Historians have not reached a consensus regarding when the territory was first populated, but the first mentions of northern "Arals" by Venadia and Breheim is from the 12th century AD. The native peoples lacked a system of writing, and their oral history does not indicate how long they have lived in the north.
The territories of the Koni Volost was claimed by the Republic of Venadia already in the 14th centuries, but the Venadian state had little actual authority in the area. It was first in the 18th century the Venadian state established some degree of actual control in the area, while Venadian fur trappers had operated in the area since the 17th century. The Northern Wars between 1800-1811 between the Venadian Republic and various northern tribes saw Venadia fully establish its hold in the area and the subjugation of the native population.
Koni peoples were denied citizenship and subjected to Venadification until the 20th century, being considered too barbaric to warrant the full rights of a Venadian citizen. Citizenship was opened to the Koni, as well as all nationalities, in 1932. The Koni people were attempted christianized, although this was a mixed success at best, with the majority of the population remaining shamanist into the 21st century.
Politics
Like the other two northern territories of Venadia, the Koni Volost is in the modern era a steady supporter of the Liberal-Republican Party. The Koni Liberation Union, a secessionist party, is reasonably popular among some Koni tribes but wields little authority. The LRP has seen their support base wane somewhat in recent years with the arrival of the Civil Rights Party who has managed to attract the support both of the native population and ethnic Venadians.
Internally, the local subdivisions of the Koni Volost differs significantly from most other Venadian districts. The vast majority of Koni soil is not considered part of any, with only some areas in the south having fixed boundaries defined as municipalities. These largely consist of fishing villages and gas towns. The nomadic Koni tribes are considered another subdivision despite not having fixed boundaries, and nominally elect representatives. The Koni Volost is led by an elected Regional Veche and a centrally appointed Governor, the current being the ethnic Koni Chanar Ivanov.
2013 Election
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/- | ||||||
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| Liberal-Republican | 296,101 | 42.4% | 31 |  5
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| Socialist Party | 163,255 | 23.4% | 16 |  2
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| Civil Rights Party | 94,461 | 13.5% | 10 | 1
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| Koni Liberation Union | 65,284 | 9.4% | 6 | 2
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| Federal Party | 37,591 | 5.4% | 4 | 3
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| Green Party | 31,308 | 4.5% | 3 | 2
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| Communist Party | 10,109 | 1.4% | 1 | 1
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| Total valid | 698,109 | 93.9% | ||||||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 45,745 | 6.1% | ||||||||
| Total (Turnout: 34.2%) | 743,854 | 71 | ||||||||
| Source: Venadian Electoral Commission | ||||||||||
Economy
The Koni economy is poor and underdeveloped, with bad connection to infrastructure and a lack of public services being the norm beyond the southern gas fields. Natural gas is the main contributor to the Koni Volost's GDP, followed by agriculture and herding. Unemployment is high at around 22%, and agriculture and herding remains the most common profession. The economy is stagnant, with growth largely depending on the price on natural gas.