Sorhaithe

Province of Sorhaithe Sorhaithe Rianachd Sgìre
Administrative Area within Faneria
Kingdom of Saelin (in union with Faneria)	1794-1827
Sorhaithe Province	1827-present
Governor's Seat	Igar Dún
Government
• Governor	Cwyllig Hyebrg
• Lt. Governor	Eirlys Lleulu
• Judiciary	Provincial High Court
Area
• Total	17,852 sq mi (46,240 km2)
Population  (2030 Census)
• Total	4,395,752
• Density	250/sq mi (95/km2)
Postal Code	FH-O1
Area Codes	68-(900-915)
Website	sorsgire.fh

Sorhaithe is a constituent province of the Republic of the Fhainn situated in northern Levantia. Separated from metropolitan Faneria by land, it borders Caergwynn to the west and south, Fiannria to the east, and the Sea of Nordska in the north. It is the most northerly territory of modern Faneria and consists of both mainland and island regions, including roughly half of the Saelish Archipelago. Historically, Sorhaithe's provincial boundaries consisted of the majority of the Archipelago as well as the northern third of the mainland region of the former Kingdom of Saelin; however, since the Treaty of Loughlin in 1942, the region composes only a fifth of the historic Kingdom's area, a quarter of the Saelish language's coverage by area, and half of the world's native Saelish-speaking population. Sorhaithe is both the geographic and spiritual center of Saelin's culture and population, and contains both of Saelin's former capitals.

History

Battle of Igrun, during the Saelish Crusade.

Sorhaithe as a concept originated after the Saelish Crusade, with the Knights of St. Selyn establishing two Church-governed bishoprics in the conquered Kingdom of Svaerige. Svaerige was at the time partly colonized by Vithinjan settlers, primarily in the population centers on the coast and in the Isles of the Saelish Archipelago. As a result, the boundaries of the diocese created separated the region into Gathlan, consisting of the southern regions, and the more populous Saelia. The term 'Sorhaithe' originated from the Saelish term for 'here' (haithe, from the Faeskt word haigh), in reference to the northern Diocese and as a general alternative for Saelia which included Christianized Vithinjans. Subsequent pogroms against pagan communities (including both Vithinjan and local cults) frequently involved the name as a rallying cry, only falling out of favor beginning with the persecution of the Northern Churches for heresy beginning in 1452.

The region which became Sorhaithe was districted after the War of Saelish Succession into Brevehaithe and Imhrin, consisting of the coastal and archipelagic regions of the Kingdom. Brevehaithe was significantly impacted by the Wasting Plague of 1641-1660, during which reduced food imports from the Vandarch and secondary waves of the disease devastated urban populations and revitalized religious tensions. After the succession of Cywir I of Faneria to the Saelish throne in 1794, Brevehaithe was contracted sharply to a coastal strip surrounding the principal Saelish cities of Saelaer and Igar Dun, with the southern regions of Saelin being reintegrated with Fanerian Gathlann.

Brevehaithe acted as the foremost base of operations for the northern theater of the Second and Third Kin Wars, with the ports in Saelaer and Igar hosting significant garrisons and naval squadrons during each war and several of the major battles being fought on Saelish soil, including the Battles of Saelaer and Marlin during the Third Kin War. The Third Kin War was, in part, fought over Fanerian dominion over the rump Kingdom of Saelin, leading to an influx of Throne investments in the region, including concessions towards the local Saelish population easing the demands of Fhazenization.

Sorhaithe first became an official name for an administrative region following the integration of the Kingdom of Saelin into the Kingdom of Faneria in 1827. Luthais I of Faneria instructed the redistricting of the Kingdom into larger provincial regions, with Sorhaithe being created as a combination of Imhrin and Brevehaithe. The name Sorhaithe was adopted expressly to invoke Catholic sentiment and insinuate Fanerian rule as a unifying and positive force.

The province acted as a military hub for the Royal Army during the Fourth Kin War just as it had during the previous century, although no major battles took place in Sorhaithe itself during the war. The Boreal War less than a decade later largely took place in the Kilikas theater, though Boreal Republic forces did attack the naval base at Igar Dun several times during this period. Sorhaithe was spared significant hardship in the Fhainnin Civil War, remaining one of the last Royalist strongholds until the end of the Siege of Rihsport, after which loyalist forces in the province surrendered. The significance of Sorhaithe's surrender was a boon for the Republican movement, as Saelish law contributed to the development of liberalism in Faneria and contrasted with the attempts by Culriocha and Lyukquar to secede from the country during the civil war. A brief period of peace, highlighted by the discovery of the Imhrin Oil Fields, ended within thirty years as the province was once again subjected to wartime conditions during the Second Great War. Sorhaithe sat at the end of the largest oil supply line in the country, and more than any other part of Faneria was subjected to bombing in depth by Fiannrian and allied forces. Near the end of the war, the Great Saelish Offensive saw bitter fighting stall on both ends of Sorhaithe, with the war ending with the province pocketed by Caeric and Fiannrian armies.

The Treaty of Loughlin outlined peace conditions which had initially divided most of Gathlann and the whole of Sorhaithe between Caergwynn and Fiannria; however, the final treaty subsituted the western province of Sioc Siar and the remainder of Gathlann, as well as a large part of the Saelish Archipelago, in exchange for Faneria retaining the remainder of Sorhaithe. Sorhaithe at this time required significant reconstruction and economic support, with severance from the remainder of metropolitan Faneria further hindering development of a solely internal economy. Sorhaithe as a result was one of the first parts of Faneria to have its international markets and infrastructure reconnected to the neighboring countries, enmeshing Sorhaithe in the emerging international order.

Since the Second Great War, with the exception of a chill in Caeric-Fanerian relations following the Saelish Crisis in 19XX, Sorhaithe has remained a geopolitically quiet region, particularly benefiting from the normalization of relations between Faneria and its neighbors. The area underwent significant stagnation in both population and economic terms during the 1940s-1970s, being one of the most deeply affected by national austerity and the rampant corruption of the pre-Feawyr governments. Since the turn of the century, the region has seen considerable growth, including the introduction of significant investments into developing the province into a travel hub.

Snowcover remaining in April 2027, taken near Saelaer.

Geography

Sorhaithe lies on the northern end of the Sea of Nordska, shielded from the warmer water seasonally brought up between Kiravia and Levantia in the Kilikas Sea; as a result, it often suffers long, bitterly cold winters akin to those in northern Caergwynn and Vithinja as well as typically cool summers. The topsoil of the region is relatively thin in most areas, with the risk of snap colds making many less hardy plants highly undesirable. Potatoes and some specialized varieties of beets are grown at scale, though these are overshadowed by the area's mineral and energy wealth.

Mainland Sorhaithe sits at the end of the Giath Mountains, which historically protected the lowlands in the east from overland invasions; however, the lower hilly regions in the eastern mainland are entirely exposed to foot travel both from Fiannria and Turlann, resulting in Sorhaithe being both the first target in the region struck by viking landings and the last redoubt of Saelish power during wartime. This lead to Sorhaithe in particular becoming a launch point for numerous campaigns against Fiannria by the Kingdom of the Fhainn in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Economy

Wool is one of the larger local industries within the province, with most sheep in Sorhaithe being imported Kiravian breeds rather than the local, coarse-wooled Claggens.

Economically, the province shares many traits with the Kilikas coastal region, including a high disparity in wealth between locals and Southern labor, fewer local opportunities outside of key industries, and less developed service industries. In addition, capital and labor flight over the course of several centuries has significantly reduced the industrial capabilities of the province. However, unlike Cost Tàirne or Hurleystalmh, Sorhaithe's interconnection with both of Faneria's metropolitan neighbors and better environment allow for a larger tourism sector and wide-ranging fishing industry. Woodworking, particularly furniture, is a specialty of the region, as well as glazing and a small remnant of the sail ship industry which once defined Igar Dun. Wool ranching, previously outdone by industrial farms in Turlann and the Fiannrian market, has made comebacks since the 1990s with the import of Kiravian breeds.

In terms of mineral wealth, Sorhaithe is rich both in iron and Wolframite, though much of this is in the isles and mining these requires additional precautions to prevent water infiltration. Far more importantly, the crowning jewel of the local economy is the Imhrin Oil Fields, a vast, relatively easily accessible fossil fuel table which was discovered in the 1920s. The IOF is the principal commercial petroleum source for eastern Caergwynn and Saelish Fiannria, and is the key financial interest and chief export of the province. Pipelines through Caergwynn also transport oil to southern Faneria, where it fuels cars in the eastern half of the Vandarch. Since the signing of the Treaty of Normalization of Brotherly Relations, Sorhaithe has become a rail transit hub between the three countries, though primarily acting as a medium between Caergwynn and Fiannria due to its occupying the lowlands along the coast.

Politics

The provincial capital, Igar Dun, c. 2026.

Politically, Sorhaithe is one of the few provinces not strongly controlled by the National Republican Party; since 1982, the province has consistently supported Party for National Advancement and independent candidates in most election cycles. Sorhaithe's republican tradition is more closely related to Fiannrian and southern Levantine republicanism due to Saelin's aggressive import and later export of enlightenment ideals, and for geopolitical reasons, most notably its economic reliance on exporting fossil fuels to Fiannria and Caergwynn, the province remains a significant source of support for internationalist and pro-Levantine Union movements in Faneria, matched only by the Fanerian expat community in Costaban.

Demographics

The town of Rida, located on Eile Kivija, was primarily built in Brutalist Style during the late 20th Century to support the Rida Fish Proccessing Plant.

The population of Saelin is majority-Saelish (Fhs. Saelifhainn), with the indigenous gaelic community composing about 56% of the population; another thirty percent are Marfhainn or Sheafhainn, with notable Caeric and Faeskt minorities. Most of the population is concentrated along the coast, with an 84% urbanization rate largely due to the poor farming properties of the region, a fishing-dependent food economy, and a growth in immigrant labor since the late 1800s in response to the discovery of oil fields under the Isles. This has been exacerbated by a predominantly train-based transport sector in the region due both to terrain and comfort. The largest settlements in the province are the capital, Igar Dun, Galnea, and Saelaer, all three of which both rest on the coast of the mainland.

Sorhaithe is primarily Catholic, with 48% of the population declaring themselves as such in the 2035 census; a further 27% professed a Protestant faith, and 15% registered as irreligious, making the province one of the more religious in the country. Of the remainder, roughly half belonged to remnant pagan communities, particularly among ethnic Caerics and Vithinjans, who form a community apart from mainstream Saelish culture.

Culture

Saelish people exist on a broader scale than Sorhaithe alone, with many Saelish families being spread across countries. In areas previously or still ruled by Faneria, this translates into a culture of bi- or trilingualism, with a strong sense of cohesion around the arts and uniquely Saelish cultural practices and holidays. Saelish people celebrate several 'national' holidays including the day on which the Saelish Crusade was declared, as well as customary seasonal holidays on the equinoxes (though not the solstices, as in other gaelic cultures). To the modern day, Saelish (and particularly Sorhaithe-born) people form an outsized portion of the notable painters and writers of northern Levantia in particular, with many of these moving to the larger hubs of civilization to further their careers; Saelish art is generally characterized as imparting wistfulness and sorrow, though in reality Saelish painting encompasses several genres including Symbolism, Luminism, and Impressionism, while Saelish writing has no predominant genre. Saelish culture, especially in Sorhaithe, includes architectural and social influences from medieval Vithinja, as well as a strong cultural connection to salted fish dishes and a small boat culture vagely reminescent of Burgundie's. Sorhaithe has the largest rate of rowboat ownership in Faneria, and the local competitive rowing scene is only outdone in popularity by football rivalries.

Important people from Sorhaithe include 18th-century liberal political theorist Llewen Gower, whose writings directly inspired the adoption of Saelish law into the 1830 Constitution, and Irwin Brecken, a foundational figure in the Luminist and Impressionist art movements.