Pegerm
| Pegerm Pågem (Swedish) | |
| File:Flag-pegerm.png Flag | |
| Country | File:Flag vyv.png Vyvland |
| Capital | Pegerms |
| Largest City | Niyport |
| Population | 934,910 |
| Area | 8,508km² |
| Population density | 110/km² |
| Government | National-Conservative coalition |
| Chancellor | Onver Eskmaan (National) |
| Parliament seats | 32 |
| Municipalities | 40 |
| Official languages | Vyvlander, Swedish |
| Number plate code | J |
Pegerm is a province located in south-central Vyvland. It is the third-smallest by area and fifth-smallest by population. The province's largest city is Niyport, although its capital is the historic city of Pegerms. The province is mostly comprised of flat plains and marshes, although in the west lies the Fijral volcano, which erupted in 1036, destroying the ancient city of Pegerms and the area around it. It was also the area with the highest concentration of Swedes in Vyvland before their expulsion under Amiral Jueves.
History
Pegerm was the centre of Vyvlander culture soon after the island's habitation; the Fijral volcano in the province's west, and the old city of Pegerms which lay on its flanks, were the historic meeting points of tribal leaders from across Vyvland; the city was the hub of the 'Old Confederacy' of tribal elders, and as such became the most technologically developed and richest city in the country, with numerous heated bathhouses having been discovered in excavations of the site, which is one of the most visited in Vyvland.
However, the eruption of the volcano led to a rapid depopulation of the area around it, with much trade going to the new city of Lorence instead. As such, the city of Pegerms stayed as little more than a village for the majority of the middle ages.
In the 17th to 18th centuries, it was decided that much of the tidal marshes in the province should be drained, in order to provide more agricultural land. The new city of Fulemaaf was constructed by Geadish architect Johannes Brettel. It was around this time that the city of Niyport, located on the wide Fule estuary, rose to prominence as one of Vyvland's major ports in addition to having a strategic location on multiple routes; this resulted in the growth of manufacturing in the town.
After the Nencia Accords, Pegerm became part of South Vyvland, and was thus soon under control of Amiral Jueves. As the area with the largest Swedish community in Vyvland, Pegerm experienced a massive depopulation during this period, with towns such as Osden, Jeni and Domborg experiencing a population decline of over two-thirds. This ruined the livelihoods of many survivors in the areas, who often had their communities destroyed, and plunged the local economy into a poor state. This caused Pegerm to be one of the least comfortable provinces with nationalist rule, and despite being a relatively rural area, the province was a centre of the resistance movement against Jueves and his successor Erman Sanker.
Geography
The province is overwhelmingly flat, with the exception of the Fijral area; until the 18-19th centuries, much of the land area was tidal marsh, and a large programme of draining was created through this time. However, it still remains sparsely populated in the south and west, in contrast to the suburban north-east and cities of Niyport and Pegerms, which are far more densely populated. In addition to the Fijral volcano, a small range of hills lies to the west of Niyport.
Economy
Although rural, many of the less populated parts of the province experience deprivation due in part to the poor quality of the land agriculturally, as well as the lack of public investment in the area. However, in contrast, Niyport is much more industrial, while its docks are the second-biggest in Vyvland, while the area around Oydaas has experienced massive growth due to its proximity to transport links such as Pegerm Airport, and Lorence, in addition to the influx of tourists to Pegerms. This growth has led to some people comparing the Pegerms area to the Syfdyr, which lies on the opposite side of the Fijral volcano.
Politics
Politically, much of the province is very socially conservative, and as such the Conservatives and Nationals are by far the largest parties in terms of constituency MPs (they each hold 5 of the province's 19) and Provincial Diet members - 25 and 26 respectively. The Socialist Party is also fairly major, with a consistent stream of the vote flowing to them, mainly due to the urban vote in Niyport. The city of Pegerms and its hinterland are Liberal Party support bases.