Administrative divisions of Themiclesia

The administrative divisions of Themiclesia are geographical areas administered by a regional authority responsible for implementing the decisions of the central government. Themiclesia is a unitary state, though local authorities have a range of specified powers in order to encourage regional diversity and development. The current administrative system developed directly as a continuation of the ancient one, and compared to the central government, local government has evolved remarkably little; Themiclesia for most of its history was a highly centralized state, necessitating a highly-developed local bureaucracy to ensure social control from the central government. Most of the types of regional divisions are cognate with those in Menghe, though the meanings of some terms have shifted in one country or the other.

First-level divisions

Themiclesia is divided into 16 first-level divisions. With the exceptions of the region containing the capital city and the one that covers the sparsely-populated eastern half of the country, there are 14 regions (州).

Regions

Each is governed by regional controller (州刺史), who is appointed by the central government, subject to the approval of the national legislature; as such, this is deemed a political office. His term lasts as long as the government that appointed him remains in power. It is comparatively rare for a government to dismiss a regional controller, as they are less likely to be caught in political controversies due to the administrative nature of their position. It is also a position where discredited Cabinet-ministers find themselves, in expectation that their popularity or reputation would be rehabilitated by a period of lesser activity; on the other hand, a junior minister appointed as a controller would often be seen as promoted. Regional controllers have comparatively little autonomy and few offices, and they mostly serve a supervisory purpose in the implementation of government policy.

Inner Administrative Region

The region around the capital city is called the Inner Administrative Region (內史部). This is in reflection of its special status and is originally a Menghean term. Accordingly, the governor of this region is called the inner administrator (內史), holding the high rank of the Third Affluence, on par with a Cabinet minister; his duties are identical to that of a regional controller.

Eastern Territories

The eastern part of the country is governed as the Eastern Territories (東域長史部).

List of first-level divisions

Name		Population	Capital		Population
Transliteration	Shinasthana		Transliteration	Shinasthana
Lang-tju	揚州		建康縣	Kjan-k'ang
Krong-tju	江州		九江縣	Kju'-krong
Lja-tju	徐州		彭城縣	Brang-djeng
La'-tju	豫州		陳縣	Drjen
Ts'ing-tju	青州		臨淄縣	Rjem-snje
Luan'-tju	兗州		廩丘縣	Rjem'-k'lju
Sje-tju	司州		洛陽縣	Rak-lang
Krjes-tju	冀州		信都縣	Sjians-ta
lju-tju	幽州		涿縣縣	Truk-gwians
Brjiang-tju	平州		襄平縣	Snjang-brjiang
Bjiangs-tju	并州		晉陽縣	Tsjens-lang
'jong-tju	雍州		長安縣	Drjang-an
Rjang-tju	涼州		姑臧縣	Ka-tsang
Snjin-tju	秦州		冀縣縣	Krjeh-gwian
Rjang-tju	梁州		南鄭縣	Nom-drjens
'jik-tju	益州		成都縣	Drjeng-ta
Kwang-tju	廣州		番禺縣	P'ur-ngje
Kraw-tju	交州		龍編縣	Rjung-prjan
Kjing-tju	荊州		江寧縣	Krong-ning

Second-level divisions

The Inner Administration Region and all other regions are composed of prefectures (郡),. The Eastern Territories are divided into prefectures and circuits (道) instead.

Prefectures

The average region has between three and five prefectures; the IAR possesses seven, and the region of Liem-ts'eaw oversees only two. Prefectural borders are altered at higher frequencies to reflect changing demographics as well as the needs of the current administration. The average prefecture has jurisdiction over about 700,000 people. A prefecture is administered by a prefectural governor (郡守), with the exception of the prefecture that contains the capital city, where its governor is titled a controller (尹), which should not be confused a region's controller. Prefectural magistrates are elected as opposed to appointed, and by some commentators they constitute the highest layer of local government.

Circuits

The Eastern Territories are historically inhabited by many semi-nomadic groups in addition to traditional sedentary agricultural communities. For example, the vast expanse of the desert to the south of the River Gha is a single circuit called Ghruehi-hruaah. Currently, these regions are still very sparsely populated.

Third-level divisions

Counties

Prefectures are further sub-divided into counties (縣). There are 616 counties in total, each covering an area with around 20,000 to 40,000 people during the early 19th century, before Themiclesia urbanized due to industrialization. Currently, counties often fall between 30,000 and 60,000 people, as a result of rural depopulation, which remains an ongoing, albeit more sedate, process. The administrator of a country, like that of a prefecture, is elected. There are two titles for this position, 縣令 (gwians-mlings) or 縣長 (gwians-drjang’), but both are rendered in Tyrannian as "Magistrate". Nominally, counties with over 10,000 households had the former, while those with less, the latter, there being a difference in rank between the two; since these positions are now elected, rank ceases to be relevant to its holder.

Urban counties

While rural counties steadily lost population, a handful of counties are much more populous than average because they contain urban areas. The capital city, Kien-k'ang County, has a population over 4 million; there are 34 other counties that have populations over 250,000. Such counties most often correspond to the site of the prefectural government or regional centres of commerce. In the local government reforms of 1901, they became designated as market counties (會縣, gweps-gwians), which are given some additional allowances in staff and budget to administer their larger population and to maintain urban conveniences. Urban environments became unsanitary and had inadequate social services during the period of rapid industrialization between 1860 and 1880; the reforms addressed these problems by establishing local clinics and subsidized pharmacies, which were administered by the county. In Tyrannian, such market counties are often labelled as "cities" for economy of words.

Garrisons

In some areas adjoining a national border to the north and east, administrative divisions are called garrisons (府). Historically, the army governed these regions for defensive purposes, and few civilians lived in these areas. The administrator of a garrison is, somewhat strangely, called a quartermaster. Currently, garrisons are still very sparsely populated; a number of them have been renamed to counties, but most retain this title even though border garrisons, as a military installation, have long been withdrawn, leaving only the civilian administration behind to govern settlers.

Fourth-level divisions

There are two types of fourth-level administrative divisions, the village (鄉) and the commune (里). This is usually considered the most basic level of local government that has any form of discretion.

Village

Villages are found in rural areas. The administrator of a village is called a village alderman (鄉良人).

Commune

Communes cover more densely settled locales, such as the local market or, in the case of an urban county, residential areas. The elected administrator of a commune is a commune administrator (里正). While the nominal commune has around 2,000 to 5,000 invidiauls living in its jurisdiction, Kien-k'ang's communes may have as many as 250,000, which is as many as several counties or an entire urban county; this exceptional situation is provided for by specific legislation.

Fifth-level divisions

Individual households are divided into groups of around 50; such groups are called neighbourhoods (閭). A neighbourhood elects its own convener; however, aside from ensuring that each household receives and understands certain government publications, the convener has no duties. The convener is not salaried, though for each piece of publication delivered and explained, the government remunerates the convener at a fixed rate.