  Shires and provincesFriland is divided into ten administrative zones, the so called "gawan" (shires). The head of a shire is the "druhtin" (earl), who governs the shire in name of the government. Shires that border another country (also by water) are called "gamark" (shire march) or simply "mark" (march). The difference between a shire and a march is that the march played an important role in national defence. For that reason the march was also allowed to have its own army in historic times. Nowadays the difference between shires and marches is negligible, though overseas shires have a higher degree of autonomy because of their distance. The capital of a shire is called "gastad" (shire city). The ruler of a shire can be compared to the Lord Lieutenant (England) or the Governor (USA). Hiveria is divided into four zones, which are called "provinces". Just like in ancient Rome a province is led by a "gouverneur".  Skak ("Foreland") Capital: Glitstad Skak is characterized by a somewhat desolate landscape and a low population density. In the eastern part of Skak there is much farming; the inhabitants of Skak are also a bit provincial and just like the Low Saxons on the European mainland they have the tendency to nasalize words with an -n or -ng at the end of a vowel. Most people there are sober, modest and a little bit leery; starting an intimate conversation with someone from Skak is therefore pretty difficult, let alone getting accepted when you start living between them as a newcomer. Despite this the people there are very warm and hospitable when they get to know you, and one could even knock on their door for help in the middle of the night when needed. Nurþland ("Northland") Capital: Stolburg In Nurþland one can find the Sparwalþ, which incorporates almost one half of the shire. The Nurþlandars descent from pioneers who have cultivated the rugged terrain around the Iswalþ during the last few centuries. These days many of them work in the steel industry. The people of Nurþland are known for their hard, adventurous character and their preference for rough sports. Berglaft ("Mountain corner") Capital: Saltwik Berglaft has many beautiful cities and is very popular amongst tourists. Many also see the area as the cultural heart of Friland: art, traditional clothing, building styles, operas, songs and dances, plays, libraries and history, Berglaft has it all. The inhabitants are very traditional and highly value rituals and cultural development, most children in Berglaft are therefore sent to painting lessons, drama school or music lessons at an early age. Medga ("Middleshire") Capital: Twaibak Medga is a sparsely populated area that mainly consists of bogs, swamps and woods. The people there are deeply religious, have a big resentment towards modernism and a great distrust of the government, which is, according to them, only out to screw them. The average Medgawar carries at least two firearms, smokes like a heretic, drinks like an SUV and curses like a sailor. In the rest of Friland the Medgawars are therefore seen as uncivilized hicks. Despite this it must also be said that the Medgawars are very hospitable and helpful people. Riksga ("Royal shire") Capital: Waldanburg Riksga is the most densely populated area of Friland; this is where the big cities, the important harbours and the industrial areas are. Commerce, the capital and the government can als be found here. The inhabitants of Riksga are a bit more progressive than the other Frilanders and have a modern, rational nature. In average they are highly educated, polite and value civilized manners. Tourists often compare Riksga to England or Canada, which most Riksgawars consider a compliment. Langmark ("Long march") Capital: Bergan Langmark is one of the most remote areas of Friland. The island can be reached by ferry or airplane, but there is so little to do that few people would even want to. The Langmarkars themselves don't really mind this; life on the island is jolly, untroubled and there is rest and space in abundance. The Langmarkars are calm, introvert people who can seldom be found in a bar. However, there is a blossoming chain of internet cafés and almost every Langmarkar is member of a computer club, miniature train society or scientific association. The premiere of the newest Star Wars film in 1999 caused a mass hysteria in Langmark. Walamark ("Wael march") Capital: Spirdung Throughout history many wars were fought about this area and also today the huge tensions between Friland and Hiveria can especially be felt in Walamark: on both sides of the border they keep a sharp eye on each other and the fear for an Hiverian invasion is so big that almost every citizen has a bomb shelter in his garden. The Walamarkars therefore feel strongly threatened in their cultural identity and express their patriotism whenever they can. A very large percentage of the Walamarkars is enlisted in the army, which again can be explained by the constant threat of war. In the south of Walamark there is a large Christian minority, including many people with Irish roots. In this area many traces of the Vikings can also be found. Sunþwaldskap ("Southern Domain") - Overseas shire Capital: Storgard Islands in the Southern Atlantic Ocean and Antarctica. Frilandisk-Dagalau ("Frilandic Tagaloa") - Overseas shire Capital: Hwarbgard Islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Wulfmark ("Wolf march") - Overseas shire Capital: Logarwik Islands in the Labrador Sea near Canada. Hiveria: Solaria (named after the city of the same name) Capital: Solaria Solaria is also called East-Walamark because it was originally a part of the Frilandic Walamark, until it was occupied by Hiveria in the 19th century. The population of Solaria mainly consists of Frilanders, completed by Hiverian colonists. Between both groups there is much intolerance and a language struggle has been raging there for years. The majority of the Solarian inhabitants is in favour of secession and return to Friland, which is exactly the reason why Hiveria refuses to hold a referendum about it. Demonstrations against this are usually ended by force. Danab (< Fril. Dunga: "Duneshire") Capital: Danab Danab is a remote wasteland that is dominated by a large heath, the Bruyère Grand. Despite the infertile soil people continue to move further into the sparsely populated area to found villages, far from the polluted and noisy cities. Along the east coast of Danab many Spanish and Arab immigrants have settled, who have irrigated large parts of the area to make them suitable for agriculture. Many people in Danab live below the poverty line, which causes a lot of dissatisfaction about the government. To keep the spirit up every city organizes an annual Brazilian carnival, where the gendarme doesn't show itself because of the many beer bottles thrown at them. Heunia (< Fril. Hamulga: "Stoneshire") Capital: Heunia The oldest and most densely populated part of Hiveria: here one finds the big cities and the economic center. The main language is French, which tourists should definitely master because most people there refuse to speak anything else. However, in the eastern part of Heunia there is also a large number of English speakers, who mainly originate from Great-Britain. Although many cities appear a bit dull and grey, St. Gérard and Louisville are definitely worth a visit. By the way, in the Stade de Hiveria in St. Gérard there are bull fights almost every week, alternated with performances of the Cirque Acrobatique. Esrayette (< Tam. t-esray-et: "Islands of Destiny") - Overseas province Capital: Port Gaudin Islands near West Africa.  |