Administrative divisions of Menghe
The Socialist Republic of Menghe is formally divided into five levels of bureaucratic administration. The "First Level of Administration" refers to the Central Government encompassing the whole country, and is not listed below. The remaining four are often simplified as the Provincial, Prefectural, County, and Town levels, but at each level there are multiple possible classifications based on population density and level above – for example, a County may be designated as a City if it has a large contiguous population, or as a District if it lies within a larger city. Each of these different sub-designations brings its own degree of independence over policymaking, though because Menghe is a unitary state, even in the most independent units lower-level authority is mostly related to discretion over the implementation of higher-level initiatives.
Second-Level Divisions
There are twenty-five Second-Level Divisions in Menghe, consisting of three Directly Controlled Cities, eighteen Provinces, and four Semi-Autonomous Provinces. The boundaries of these units generally follow the edges of historical subdivisions of Menghe, and some – such as Taehwa, Donghae, and Chŏnro – still bear the names of past warring states that occupied those approximate areas. Even so, Provincial boundaries are not permanent, and the Central Government has partitioned off four new provinces since 1972 (Baeksan, Sunju, the North/South division of Donghae, and the East/West division of Chŏnro).
Directly Controlled City
There are three Directly Controlled Cities (직할시 / 直轄市, Jikhalsi) in Menghe: Donggyŏng, Sunju, and Junggyŏng. These are equal in rank to Provinces, but skip the Prefectural level of organization, and are instead divided directly into Districts and the surrounding Counties. By default, the three Directly Controlled Cities function as though they are Provinces consisting of a single Metropolitan City.
Status as a Directly Controlled City is not a function of population; Haeju and Hwasŏng both have larger populations than Junggyŏng but remain Major Cities within provinces. Donggyŏng and Junggyŏng were established as separate subdivisions in 1899 to reflect their status as current and historical capitals, and Sunju was broken off of Chŏnro in 1991 to help it formulate its own policies as a Special Economic Zone.
Province
Provinces (도 / 道, Do, occasionally translated as "Circuit") are the most numerous subdivisions in the country. Technically, Semi-Autonomous Provinces are a subcategory of Provinces, and have the same formal leadership structure. Provinces are divided into Prefectures and Metropolitan Cities.
Semi-Autonomous Province
Four provinces of Menghe carry the status of Semi-Autonomous Province (준자치도 / 準自治道, Jun-Jachido): Argentszant, Darisant, Turkesant, and Siyadag. All are located in the southwest of the country, which is sometimes informally referred to as the "Southwestern Semi-Autonomous Region" or "Uzeri Semi-Autonomous Region," though these classifications do not receive formal government recognition. Semi-autonomous provinces are divided and administered in the same way as standard Provinces, but receive greater federal rights to implement their own cultural policies and may conduct local administration in minority languages. In this vein, while they follow the same subdivision system described below, the names of smaller units may be repeated in the local language.
List of Second-Level Divisions
Code (2009) | Name | Sinmun | Gomun | Area (km2) | Population (2015) | Population Density (per km2) | Capital |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Donggyŏng Directly Controlled City | 동경직할시 | 東京直轄市 | 1,864.90 | 17,286,133 | 9,269.20 | Donggyŏng |
2 | Sunju Directly Controlled City | 순주직할시 | 淳州直轄市 | 3,395.57 | 22,623,714 | 6,662.71 | Sunju |
3 | Junggyŏng Directly Controlled City | 중경직할시 | 中京直轄市 | 1,641.82 | 6,249,895 | 3,806.70 | Junggyŏng |
4 | Chŏnghae Province | 청해도 | 青海道 | 104,740.40 | 32,225,452 | 307.67 | Chŏngdo |
5 | Goyang Province | 고양도 | 高陽道 | 157,950.16 | 24,014,298 | 152.04 | Jang'an |
6 | North Donghae Province | 동해북도 | 東海北道 | 70,486.15 | 34,157,114 | 484.59 | Anchŏn |
7 | South Donghae Province | 동해남도 | 東海南道 | 62,836.78 | 45,188,285 | 719.14 | Hyangchun |
8 | Ryonggyŏng Province | 룡경도 | 龍境道 | 171,122.00 | 43,706,259 | 255.41 | Daegok |
9 | Sinbukgang Province | 신북강도 | 新北江道 | 32,649.75 | 7,174,932 | 219.75 | Baekjin |
10 | Gilim Province | 길림도 | 吉林道 | 171,457.83 | 16,097,904 | 93.89 | Songrimsŏng |
11 | Taehwa Province | 태화도 | 泰火道 | 153,882.94 | 17,679,595 | 114.89 | Hwaju |
12 | Haenam Province | 해남도 | 海南道 | 155,748.64 | 44,549,713 | 286.04 | Hwasŏng |
13 | Sanchŏn Province | 산천도 | 山川道 | 88,369.87 | 22,734,823 | 257.19 | Chŏnjin |
14 | Sŏsamak Province | 서사막도 | 西沙漠道 | 372,020.58 | 3,360,797 | 9.03 | Suhait |
15 | Chikai Province | 치카이도 | N/A | 117,986.87 | 9,150,286 | 77.55 | Jinjŏng |
16 | Gangwŏn Province | 강원도 | 江原道 | 158,062.10 | 13,702,801 | 86.69 | Wŏnsan |
17 | East Chŏnro Province | 천로동도 | 千鷺東道 | 197,726.89 | 38,869,260 | 196.58 | Hamyang |
18 | West Chŏnro Province | 천로서도 | 千鷺西道 | 252,093.38 | 50,927,448 | 202.02 | Insŏng |
19 | Baeksan Province | 백산도 | 白山道 | 105,785.19 | 2,196,945 | 20.77 | Wŏnsŏ |
20 | Pyŏngsu Province | 평수도 | 平肅道 | 74,180.23 | 4,450,981 | 60.00 | Susŏng |
21 | Hwangjŏn Province | 황전도 | 黄田道 | 88,172.98 | 17,851,509 | 202.46 | Pyŏngan |
22 | Uzeristan Semi-Autonomous Province | 우쩨리스탄준자치도 | N/A | 174,928.03 | 22,106,859 | 126.38 | Kuşadası |
23 | Daristan Semi-Autonomous Province | 다리스탄준자치도 | N/A | 156,905.37 | 8,692,124 | 55.40 | Hasavyurt |
24 | Argentstan Semi-Autonomous Province | 아르겐스탄준자치도 | N/A | 110,673.32 | 15,812,675 | 142.88 | Szantiag |
25 | Siyadag Semi-Autonomous Province | 시야닥준자치도 | N/A | 47,948.49 | 4,107,376 | 85.66 | Kadirkent |
Third-Level Divisions
Third-Level Divisions, also known as Prefectural divisions, are the next level down in Provinces and Semi-Autonomous Provinces. Prefectures and Metropolitan Cities have only limited control over general policy, but Provincial governments may give them considerable leeway in fine-tuning and implementing general policy initiatives, especially in the economic realm and especially when the government is uncertain about the effectiveness of different options. This has led some scholars of the Menghean National Economic Miracle to label them “laboratories of reform.”
Prefecture
Prefectures (현 / 縣, Hyŏn) are the default subdivision of provinces. They may include minor population centers, but are separate from major ones. Prefectures are divided into Counties and Cities, but do not include Districts.
Metropolitan City
Metropolitan Cities (도시 / 都市, Dosi, sometimes translated as “Major Cities” or “Prefecture-level Cities”) are major urban areas within a province, usually those with a population of over 1 million. They should not be confused with Directly Controlled Cities, which are otherwise identical but are independent at the provincial level. Metropolitan Cities may contain some suburbs or surrounding towns and villages, but do not extend far into rural areas, and are mainly organized to give a large city’s government further subdivisions and greater control over its own urban administration. Metropolitan Cities are mainly subdivided into Districts, but they may also include Counties on their periphery. As a rule, they do not include separate Cities as a subdivision; in cases where one City is merged with a Metropolitan City, it is generally broken up into smaller Districts.
Fourth-Level Divisions
County
Counties (군 / 郡, Gun) are the most common fourth-level division of Menghe. They are relatively rural or suburban, and generally have populations of under 200,000. The Gumun symbol originated in the First Warring States Period, and first referred to a Commandery at the periphery of a larger state. Counties are divided into a combination of Towns and Villages, and in rare cases include Gacha.
City
Cities (시 / 市, Si) also translated as “Minor Cities,” “County-Level Cities,” or “Non-Divided Cities,” are densely populated counties that consist of a minor urban area and its immediate suburbs. They should not be confused with Metropolitan Cities, which are a higher-level administrative division. Cities generally have populations of between 200,000 and one million, depending on the redesignation process. They are directly divided into Blocks (Myŏn), skipping the District level present in larger cities.
District
Districts (구 / 區, Gu) are subdivisions of a larger city. They are only present within Metropolitan Cities and Directly Controlled Cities. Menghean districts are similar to boroughs in other countries, and handle local administration of smaller areas of a city. Districts are divided into Blocks (Myŏn).
Fifth-Level Divisions
Block
Blocks (면 / 面, Myŏn), not to be confused with city blocks, are similar to formal neighborhoods or communities. Blocks may range from highly developed urban areas at the city center to less developed suburbs at the periphery. Suburban Blocks, even relatively rural ones, are tightly integrated into the District or City, whereas Towns and Villages enjoy a higher degree of autonomy. Blocks have only limited governing authority and are mostly responsible for providing local services.
Town
Towns (읍 / 邑, Ŭp) are a division of Counties and some Districts, and have greater autonomy than Blocks. Villages automatically acquire Town status when they reach a population of 20,000. Towns lack formal subdivisions, but may informally be divided into Neighborhoods (근린 / 近隣, “Gŭnrin”) in everyday speech, especially when describing different locations within a town.
Village
Villages (리 / 里, Ri or Li) are the smallest administrative division to have a separate local government. They are exclusively rural, consisting of small population centers combined with their surrounding land. Many were formed directly out of Communes dissolved by land reforms after 1987. In densely populated parts of the country, Villages may directly abut one another, while in the sparsely populated Northwest and Central Mountains a given village may be attached to a very large plot of unpopulated land.
Gacha
Gacha (가차) are a special subdivision unique to certain Counties in Sŏsamak province, and are applied to semi-nomadic communities near the border with Dzhungestan. Otherwise equivalent to Villages, their administrative duties are modified to adapt to the needs of nomadic groups, including those which regularly cross the border. As such, they tend to cover a much larger territory, and have different methods for assigning addresses and census locations.
Reclassification
Every year, the local Bureau of Demographics and Statistics in each administrative division assesses the population of each of its subdivisions, and makes recommendations about whether to modify any of them. This may include merging, dividing, reclassifying, or upgrading existing districts, or revising the boundaries between them. Local governments are not required to follow these recommendations, and may also revise boundaries for other reasons. Especially during the 1990s and 2000s, it was common for Prefecture governments to upgrade fast-growing County centers to City status in order to encourage and anticipate future growth, in some cases using this as an incentive for other towns to catch up.
Part of this flexibility stems from ambiguity in the way guidelines on upgrading are phrased. For example, central regulations on the population threshold to form a city (市) refer to the number of people in the “contiguous population center,” not in the county or any of its member towns. Thus, a city may be carved out of the corner of one county, plus elements of the neighboring counties, and its edges may be defined by existing town and village boundaries or drawn anew based on population distribution. Similar ambiguity applies when upgrading a City to a Metropolitan City (都市); demographers may include the populations of adjacent towns and villages in the total, and usually draw Metropolitan City boundaries around a larger area to leave room for further expansion and ease integration with suburbs. Even the simplest regulation, which automatically upgrades Villages to Towns when they surpass a population of 20,000, also allows County officials to merge several "adjacent and contiguous" villages into one town so that they meet the total. As a result, the reclassification of cities is often conducted on an ad-hoc basis, and may reflect the relative political influence of local administrative officials.
Regulations imposed in 2009 have sought to limit the speed of these changes, which were making it difficult to coordinate and redistribute local services. The new laws focused primarily on the merging of villages and Cities, and the formation of "shadow Cities" from non-contiguous groups of towns in a county. Notably, the regulations did not cover the "annexation" of neighboring counties by Metropolitan Cities, leaving additional room for the expansion of existing urban units.
Proposed revisions
Revised provincial map
In 2010, the NSCC debated a proposal by In Jae-sŭng, a prominent Menghean geographer, to increase the number of provinces to 44. This would be done by breaking up the largest and most populous provinces and reviving some former provincial units from the Myŏn, Ŭi, and Sŭng dynasties. Hwasŏng, Insŏng, Anchŏn, and Haeju would also be upgraded to the status of Directly Controlled City. As part of the same reform, the National Assembly would abolish the Prefecture as a unit of government through a constitutional amendment, allowing the smaller Provinces to directly administer Counties.
While the NSCC ultimately decided to retain the Province-Prefecture-County system, In Jae-sŭng's 44-province proposal would resurface again and again in the coming years, often with minor changes to the new provincial boundaries. Some smaller provinces have begun experimenting with direct administration, disbanding Prefectures to create a special category of Directly Administered Counties, but these remain the exception.
A particular source of debate around the proposal is that it would divide several provinces between their wealthier and poorer areas. In Jae-sŭng saw this as a benefit of the plan, as it would allow provincial governments to manage more economically homogeneous populations and give hinterland areas direct representation; he even proposed an accompanying system of province-to-province cash transfers, as part of a centrally coordinated effort to reduce regional inequality. Skeptics, however, contend that the plan would deny hinterland areas the benefits of provincial integration with better-developed areas. Some have also pointed out that a Province-County chain of command, while manageable in smaller coastal provinces with few counties and many cities, would be too burdensome in large rural provinces with dozens of counties.
Renaming of Argentstan
After suppressing the Innominadan Uprising, some Menghean policymakers expressed concern over the fact that with the approval of the Innominadan secession referendum, there would be an independent state of Argentstan on Menghe's southwestern border. The incoming Argentstani leadership has generally expressed strongly pro-Menghe views, as Menghe allowed the secession referendum to go forward and has worked hard to oppose violence against ethnic Argentans by Innominadan Creoles. Yet the new country, which already lays claim to a large swath of territory within the Maverican-backed People's Republic of Innominada, would share a name with a Menghean Semi-Autonomous Province containing an Argentan ethnic majority.
With little fanfare, on April 4th, 2018, the Menghean government formally changed the name of the Argentstan Semi-Autonomous Province to "Semi-Autonomous Province of Argentan People Living in Menghe" (Menghean: 멩국에서 아르겐탄 민족의 자치도, Menggugesŏ Arŭgentan Minjog-e Jachido). Signs, websites, and government letterhead will gradually be changed over the course of 2018 to use the new full name. Faced with the even wordier form, unofficial commentators began using the shorthand form "Arŭgentan Jachido," which gained additional legitimacy when repeated in state-owned media.