Kros

Kros
File:Krosflag.png Flag
Country	Vyvland
Capital	Vef
Largest City	Strossen
Population	1,717,158
Area	13,520km²
Population density	127/km²
Government	Conservative-National-Liberal coalition
Chancellor	Isabel Werfelson (Conservative)
Parliament seats	34
Municipalities	40
Official languages	Vyvlander, Swedish
Number plate code	G

Kros is a province of western Vyvland, whose capital is Vef and largest city is the port town of Strossen. It is the seventh-largest province by the population and the tenth-largest by area in the country. The province is bisected by the River Ryzer, the second-longest in Vyvland, which runs east-west through the province. The major cities of Kros include the city of Krois, the resort town of Sangerstraand, the milling town of Tendleby and the historic cathedral city of Vef. Kros borders eight other provinces - Nevel, Stanmer, Bajre, Seerm, Wesel, Plains, Pegerm and Kafren-Grunir - the most of any province in Vyvland, in addition to having a short coastline on the Gulf of Kafren in the province’s southwest.

History

Relatively little is known about Kros’s history before the medieval period, and the area is thought to have been sparsely populated. Much of what is today the province was taken up by the Vefwoyden ('Vef Forest'), which stretched from Grunir in the south to Lyksdal in the north. In the centre of the forest was the town of Vef, which is known to have been settled from 800 AD onwards, although was not significant until the second millenium. By 1150, the city held the sixth-largest tax receipts of any city in Vyvland and was the capital of the Duchy of Vef, which covered roughly sixty percent of today’s Kros province.

However, with the growing dominance of Stanmer in the late medieval period, the Duchy became subsumed into Stanmer, and the vast majority of what is now the province was under Eylav fi Paavyl's Stanmeran control by 1330. Under Stanmer and then unified Vyvland, Kros was made a Grand Duchy, giving it a sense of regional identity.

During the Rennaissance, much of the province was cleared for farmland, despite the poor quality of the soil. The Sangmerz in the province's southwest was also drained during this period. The Industrial Revolution affected Krois and Strossen the most in Kros, which were steel milling and textile production centres respectively, with Strossen also being a major shipping centre. The trading town of Tendleby also grew much larger during this period.

After the Vyvlander Civil War in the 1930s, Kros was partitioned between South and North Vyvland, with the majority of the province's population living in the South. These people were subjected to multiple acts of brutality and violence under the regime of Amiral Jueves, who especially hurt the provinces' reasonable Swedish minority. However, under his successor Erman Sanker, condidtions in most areas improved, with seaside Sangerstraand becoming a locale for the nouveau riche who made their wealth under Sanker.

Geography

Kros's geography is relatively varied. In the northeast, hills rise to form the Slic Mountains, the highest range in the country. Dramatic scenery, such as large river gorges, make this area popular with tourists. To its south lies the large marsh known as Sangmerz, which was drained in the 1700s, although has suffered from continual flooding since then. This area is one of the poorest in Vyvland. A low ridge lies to the west of the marsh, above which lies the Vefwoyden. Most of the Vefwoyden area is used for farming, although there are significant tracts of woodland around the former border. Downstream on the River Ryzer from the Vefwoyden lies Tendleby, which lies in the most southerly of a series of three short valleys, including the Werfelsdal and Woijydal to the north. Over another ridge to the southwest of Strossen lies a small coastal plain on which lie the towns of Sangerstraand and the city of Strossen, with its extensive suburbs. This is also one of the hottest parts of Vyvland, due to its shelter combined with relative southernness.

Economy

Traditional industries in Kros include agriculture in the west of the province, with Strossen containing much heavy industry due to its position as a port, as well as its modern status as a major container port. In the modern day, tourism has burgeoned in the province's northeast and southwest, while better connections have enabled former border regions to prosper since Vyvlander reunification. Much of the north of the province around Sjyr lies in Lyksdal's commuter belt.

Transport

Kros's transport system is fairly well-developed, although its train system is still geographically separate between the former North and South. Its position ensures it is relatively easy for western areas of the province to access major cities such as Lyksdal, Vlud and Lorence, and Krois station serves as a major hub for train traffic between these cities. In terms of air travel, Kros contains no commercial airports, although two are situated just outside the provincial borders; Stanmer-Lyksdal Airport in the the north and Vef Airport Strossen to the south, in northern Grunir. The province's road connections are adequate, with road improvements planned between Tendleby and Lyksdal via Rycdayn and from Vef to Kafren and Niyport.

Politics

Since Vyvlander reunification in 1983, the Conservative Party has been the most popular in Kros. Similarly to many other rural areas, the second-most popular has generally been the Liberal Party, despite squeezes in recent years. The Socialist Party has often seen a strong showing in industrial and dock areas of Strossen. At the 2013 general election, Kros elected 34 members to Parliament; nine of these were Conservatives, with eight being Socialists, six being Nationals and five Liberals. One United Left representative, two Greens and three Capitalist-Libertarian members were also elected. The Provincial Diet is currently controlled by a Conservative-National-Liberal coalition.