Bajre

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Bajre
Baadjer (Dutch)
File:Flag-bajre.png
Flag
Bajrelocator.png
The location of Bajre (red) within Vyvland

Country File:Flag vyv.png Vyvland
Capital Mruk
Largest City Seldon
Population 1,581,981
Area 11,072km²
Population density 143/km²
Government Liberal-Socialist-Green-United Left coalition
Chancellor Tomas Mandersaagen (Liberal)
Parliament seats 32
Municipalities 56
Official languages Vyvlander
Number plate code A

Bajre is a province in western Vyvland, which borders the provinces of Stanmer to the east, Nevel to the south and Kros to the southeast. It is the eighth-largest province by population, with 1.6 million inhabitants, and the eleventh-largest by area. The Provincial Diet is situated in Mruk, although the largest city is Seldon. Bajre is known for its rural countryside, mostly chalk downland, which is popular with tourists.

History

Historically, Bajre was sparsely populated, with few sources of water despite its good-quality farmland. The cities of Rycdayn and Mruk controlled the south and north of the province respectively by Grand Dukes, before they united in 1354, when Rycdayn became the capital. By 1500, the entire province had been taken over by Stanmer.

Since then, Bajre has been relatively settled, although the arrival of the railways changed some areas of the province, including the previously small fishing village of Seldon and Sebris, which grew up as an entirely new town at the exit of the railway tunnel under the Nevelgrenc mountains.

Geography

Chalk downland in central Bajre

Bajre is generally composed of rolling hills and chalk downland, although the northern coast around Seldon is more rough. The south of the province contains the Nevelgrenc; a low mountain range along which the North Vyvland-South Vyvland border used to run, and this constitutes the highest area of the province. The province is notable for its dry valleys which are common in downland areas, as well as caves in the northern limestone area of the province.

The province also contains the Bajre Cliffs National Park, which is composed of 500-metre high chalk and limestone cliffs. The cliffs are notable for their rare temperate rainforest areas and populations of rare and endangered birds such as the fernhawk, whose numbers have tripled since the park was created in 1997, aided in part by its designation as the national bird of Vyvland.

Below the cliffs lies the provincial capital of Mruk, which lies on a small plain at the mouth of the Tes river. The city is known for its large castle standing on an isolated hill across the river from the town's centre. Upstream from Mruk lies the industrial railway town of Sebris and its neighbour Medey. At the source of the river lie the largest of the chalk hills of Bajre, rising to 300 metres high, and behind this lies the historic city of Rycdayn, notable for its long cathedral.

Economy

Rycdayn, the fourth-largest city of Bajre

Although the vast majority of the land is farmed, the tertiary sector in Bajre is the largest, with agriculture comprising 8% of total GDP. Sebris, Bajre's third-largest city, is a major train repair and construction centre and depot for western Vyvland, being situated on a junction between three main lines between Byzvild, Seldon and Lyksdal. Alcoholic drinks giant Swev is also headed in the province, while many of its ingredients are sourced from Bajre. Bajre's economy also comprises of higher-than-average employment in small artisan manufacturing industries, especially in the east of the province with its good transport links and easy access to markets in Lyksdal and further afield. The area also contains exurbs of Lyksdal, which serve as bases for commuting into the city.

Governance

Bajre's politics is dominated by the Liberal and Conservative parties, who currently control a majority of the Provincial Diet, while also holding twelve and nine of the province's national Parliament seats respectively. The current diet, however, is controlled by a broad left-wing coalition comprising of the Liberal Party, Socialist Party, Greens and United Left. Other significant parties include the Capitalist-Libertarian Party.

Template:Provinces and independent cities of Vyvland