Vlud (province)
| Vlud Vlouwd | |
| File:Flag-vlud.png Flag | |
| File:Vludlocator.png The location of Vlud (red) within Vyvland | |
| Country | File:Flag vyv.png Vyvland |
| Capital | Vlud |
| Largest City | Vlud |
| Population | 3,214,729 |
| Area | 10,606km² |
| Population density | 303/km² |
| Government | Liberal-Conservative coalition |
| Chancellor | Daniel Doux (Conservative) |
| Parliament seats | 64 |
| Municipalities | 49 including 1 special city (Vlud) |
| Official languages | Vyvlander |
| Number plate code | P |
Vlud (also known as Vludland to distinguish it from its capital city) is a province in the in the north-central area of Vyvland. It is the nation's second-most populous province after Stanmer, and the most densely populated. Its capital and largest city is Vlud, Vyvland's largest, and much of the area of the province comprises commuter and exurban settlements in addition to the city's urban area. Major settlements outside Vlud city include Melvdon to the north, Pohl and Rubre to the southwest and Semons to the east. Vlud was the home of the monarchy who used to run the North Vyvland from the province's eponymous capital city. As such, it is often perceived as grand and is a major tourist and business location; because of this, Vlud is the country's richest province by GDP per capita.
History
The Vlud area was, until the sixteenth century, relatively sparsely populated due to its inland and relatively inaccessible location. The few settlements in the area were concentrated around the River Fule, of which the only one of notable size was the city of Vlud. Agriculture was by far the dominant industry, although trade was especially important in the city of Vlud. It is this trade, as well as a favourable settlement to the House of Vlud at the end of the Wars of the Banners, in which it became the national capital, that grew the city and positioned it as Vyvland's largest on the eve of industrialisation.
Industrialisation in the province only took hold in the city of Vlud and in iron-mining towns such as Alsen to its southwest. Much of the province's remainder stayed rural due to its lack of natural resources, however overspill from Vlud city began to develop surrounding areas towards the latter half of the nineteenth century. This overspill became more pronounced after the development of factories and slums in many areas of Vlud city, and further due to slum clearance and relocation efforts in the 1920s and late 1940s, which saw the growth of commuter and dormitory communities such as Keykre and affluent Veerveld.
During the partition era Vlud became the centre of a new nation - North Vyvland, ruled by the monarchists from Vecanbek Palace to the provincial capital’s south. During this time, Vlud prospered greatly and became somewhat of a financial centre, due to the perceived stability of the northern government, especially in comparison to the unstable nationalist South. Large technology developments started to spring up as a result of the abundance of educated citizens, and the city’s suburbs and exurbs expanded massively to cover over one-third of the province, making Vlud the island’s largest city. However its proximity to the border always put the area on edge, and twice it was shelled by the Southern army. A small amount of the territory of the modern province (the areas around Biyli and Susec) lay south of the North-South dividing line, and large areas were occupied by Southern military emplacements during partition.
In 2006, the status of Vlud as the country’s capital city was lost to Lorence, angering many Vludeers, who perceive this to be a result of phony political correctness, despite Lorence’s historical position as national capital. It further cememnted apathy towards the Socialist Party in Vlud.
Geography
Geographically, Vlud province is comprised of flat plateau in its centre, and it is on this easy terrain that the city grew. The province is bisected by the River Fule, which also flows through Vlud city. Hills occupy the edges of the province; the border with Wesel in the northwest is marked by a large escarpment, while hills in the east separate the province from Wik and Brudon; the Selwydklev (Selwyd Gap) marks an important transport link to bridge these mountains towards Mafiy. However, the southwest and east of Vlud province are more hilly, with the River Wik running through a steep valley past the western town of Semons. The highest point is the Melpik to the west of Mel in the far west of the province.
Politics
The Provincial Diet has 125 members and is currently controlled by a grand Liberal-Conservative coalition, with the Socialist and Capitalist parties being the main opposition. The Monarchist Party also tends to record its highest support levels in Vlud, including in the 2013 general election, when 3 of the party's 7 seats were elected from the province. Its delegation to the national Parliament consists of 18 Conservatives, 16 Liberals, 12 Socialists, seven Capitalists, five members of the National Party, three Monarchists, two Greens, one United Left member and one independent, representing the local Vlud City Interest party.