Northgate

Northgate, is a province in the north-central Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea. The province is partly occupied by the Pralia and Ionian Mountains, but much of the province is plains, cities, and suburban sprawl like much of the rest of the Valley. Northgate is named for the most prominent feature of the province, the Northgate, a gap in the Ionian Mountains which was a critical strategic chokepoint throughout the history of Urcea.

History
After the Administrative Reorganization Act of 1892, the territory of the Northgate was separated from the Archduchy of Urceopolis during the Crown Regency and created as a province.

The Northgate
The Northgate is a geographical feature in the northern portion of the province for which it is named. It is the primary opening of the mountains - Pralia Mountains to the west and the Ionian Plateau to the east - into the Valley. It represents the largest single opening into the region and has consistently held vital strategic and economic importance to Urcea. Unlike smaller passes to the east through the Highlands, the Northgate is wide enough to convey an army through without the risk of ambush. Accordingly, for centuries it was the primary defensive feature of Urcea and is home to many ruins dating even back to Great Levantia, including ancient forts, earthworks, medieval castles, and other more recent fortifications. Loss of the Northgate in many eras represented the complete failure of a Urcean campaign or strategy of defense and was the deciding blow of the Second Caroline War. The Northgate in the modern era was also the primary avenue for commercial travel, being the site of the Carolina-Grand Canal and Urcea's first transcontinental railways and roadways.