Zhijun
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Zhijun Special Federal District 知君省 | |
|---|---|
Subject of the Democratic Republic of Daxia | |
 Flag | |
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| Special Subject | Daxia |
| Capital and largest city | Yishi |
| Official languages | Daxian |
| Ethnic groups |
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| Government | |
• District Chief | Hun San |
| Command Council | |
| Zhijun Territorial Assembly | |
| Gini (2028) |  32medium |
| HDI (2068) | 0.635 medium |
Zhijun (Daxian: 知君省), officially the Zhijun Special Federal District, is a territory of the Republic of Daxia in Australis consisting of two islands off the northern coast of the Peratra region. The main island is named Zhijun while the smaller of the two is named Tang. Colonized in the 1680's by the Daxian Qian dynasty, the islands were extensively populated by transplanted colonists. It grew in importance as a base of operations for the South Seas Trading Company and a trading outpost with the native tribes of Peratra, and later would be used as a staging point for a conquest of said tribals and as the foremost base of Daxian power projection in the western Ocean of Cathay. In the modern day it is a center of sugar production and a regional tourist hub especially for gambling related activities for which there is an especially favorable fiscal regime in place. It is home to the Daxian Navy's Australis Squadron which operates in the area in anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations.
Geography and Climate
Zhijun enjoys a mild tropical maritime climate with persistent seasonal winds blowing throughout the year and high volume rains during three seasons of the year. Mean summer temperature is 27.9 °C and mean winter temperature is around 23.3 °C. The temperature difference between summer and winter is 4.6 °C. January to June are the hottest months and October is the coolest month. However there are temperature variations affected by elevation, as shown in disparities between the flat coastal areas and the more mountainous interior. Geographically the north, south and eastern shores are covered in sandy shores while the west is predominantly rugged rocky cliffs and a large coral reef. A limestone covered mountain named Mount Podong is the tallest point in the islands at 560 meters tall.
History
Daxian settlement
The twin islands of Zhijun and Tang were only sparsely inhabited by peoples hailing from the mainland Peratran landmass to the south, who organized into small communities of fishermen and hunter-gatherers. The culture of the islands developed uninterrupted at a slow pace and was still in a relatively primitive state by the time Daxian explorers reached it in the 16th century. Zhijun was properly colonized by the Qian Dynasty during the maritime campaigns of the Yuanjian Emperor in the early 1590's, as part of Qian efforts to explore and establish Daxian outposts in Australis. A fort town named Yishi was founded in 1594 with sixty families. The Yishi colony was governed initially by Xi Haifong, captain of the vessel who had transported the colonists to the island. Two years later the Qian authorities sent another ship with twenty more families of colonists, three-hundred soldiers to serve as the town's garrison and several bureaucrats to order the affairs of the island and take over from Xi Haifong. Crucially, the new ship also brought five smoothbore cannons of which only three were mounted on the walls of Yishi. The remaining two would be used by the Yishi garrison in raids against the, up until now, peaceful island natives. The fort town of Yishi would be the focal point of Daxian activities in the area for the next fifteen years. The port of Bondor would be built in the eastern coast of Zhijun after buying the land from the Tufele tribe. It is at Bondor that the explorer Gabo de Pogiano came into contact with Daxians, starting the exchanges that would lead to the establishment of the Southern route. By 1596 the natives led by the Tufele and Afakasi tribes, now suspicious of the foreigner's intent, attacked Yishi and Bondor. The wall-less Bondor was captured but Yishi repelled the attack thanks to the three smoothbore cannons installed on the wall. Admiral Haifong set out on three ships to retake Bondor, doing so two weeks later. With relations between the two sides broken down, the Qian court ordered the complete conquest of the islands and the enslavement of the polynesian tribes. The imperial mandate was completed in 1607 after a lengthy guerrilla war and several decisive defeats for the tribes. Th defeated tribes of Zhijun would be the first people to be taken into bondage by the Qian in a process that would be the start of the Southern slave trade.
Daxian Polynesian Wars
The colonization of Peratra by the Qian dynasty was the main contributing factor to its decision to start a conflict with other seafaring powers and to forestall their expansion into the western Cathay area. The series of conflicts and battles is known as the Daxian Polynesian Wars and it involved Daxia fighting at various times Kiravia, Burgundie and Caphiria. Supplies and men for the wars on Peratra continuously poured through Zhijun and the Fleet of the Eastern Tides was had its main bases there. Zhijun was targeted in 1666 by a Kiravian fleet in retaliation for Zhu Bolin's Siege of Dun-Kurrengev, around a third of Port Bondor burned down as a result of enemy bombardment. This period of conflict resulted in the Qian dynasty pouring a great many resources into improving the defenses of the island by such actions such as: building new walls for Yishi that completely encircled the old ring wall, increasing the imperial garrison to five thousand men, building a keep and watchtower in Tang and enlarging the docks of Bondor to accommodate larger ships. Many non-Daxians captured from enemy fleets or taken from raided towns wound up in the flesh markets of Zhijun, usually sold off at high prices as 'westerner' slaves, especially sought after if they were dwarves. Zhu Bolin's famous albino manservant, Mala Jong, was bought in such an instance.
A curiosity of Daxian settlement in Zhijun is that intermarriage with the island natives was not banned for many years, resulting in many mixed marriages and as a result a large share of the population was of mixed origin. These genetic mutts were called 'Hluttaw' after an especially juicy local fruit. The practice of intermixing was much more rampant in the interior of the islands compared to the coast and over time these Hluttaw would diverge from their Daxian progenitors in various ways that would prove a problem for imperial control. The colony would repel more raids until the 1728 Truce of Caserges that ended most fighting between the Qian dynasty and its rivals.
Modern period
The Republican era saw renewed attention on the island by metropolitan authorities due to its vulnerability during the Second Great War. Heavy handed military government was imposed, which would lead to periodic outbreaks of civil disobedience and armed rebellion. The Hluttaw rebellion (named after an ethnic group of people of mixed Daxian and Polynesian origin) of the late 1980's was the longest and most severe period of unrest on the island leading to the increased militarization of the island. The end of the Hluttaw Rebellion saw a negotiated settlement take place and the co-optation and installation of Green Army bureaucrats as the island's administrators and their institutionalization as part of the Daxian government.
The new peace brought increased attention and federal funds to develop the island, with the South Seas Development Company building sugar refineries and the government increasing infrastructure spending that resulted in port facilities, waterworks, power stations, paved roads, schools and entertainment facilities being built. The increased amenities coupled with fiscal and monetary incentive began attracting more colonists to the islands.
Government
Zhijun is ruled officially by the Zhijun Regional Administration chaired by a District Chief as the executive. The District Chief is nominated by the Chancellor of the Republic of Daxia and ratified by the local legislature. The legislature is formed by two chambers, the first of which is the Zhijun Territorial Assembly which is composed of three hundred members, none of which are subject to popular vote and are instead personally appointed by the District Chief at his discretion. The upper house is called the Command Council and its fifty members are all active duty officers of the Green Army structures. The Command Council can block legislation approved by the Territorial Assembly. The current District Chief of the regional administration is General Hun San, who is also Supreme Commander of the Green Army. As of 2028 efforts are underway to overhaul the regional administration and bring it in line with other Daxian federal subjects, the changes include a new local constitution, official integration of Green Army political structures into the Party and the implementation of elections for the Territorial Assembly.
Not subject to the Chief Minister's authority are the naval forces of the Australis squadron stationed in Zhijun and the resident Bureau of State Protection battalions.
Economy
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The agricultural sector is one of the mainstays of the local economy. Thanks to its tropical climate, the island's interior boasts one of the foremost centers of sugarcane production in Australis, having cultivated the crop uninterrupted for hundreds of years. During the Republican years the full spectrum of facilities required for sugar production were installed and it is now the islands principal export. Tropical fruits such as guava and mango are also extensively cultivated for export and for local consumption. The South Seas Development Company operated several fisheries, liquor distillation plants and a garment factory, all of which continue to operate but with their operational focus now shifted to servicing the Peratran markets. Zhijun has become a pivotal entry point for Daxian companies looking to participate in Peratra, leading to many companies opening their regional offices there. The annual Zhijun Economic Forum seeks to continue attracting attention and investment to the island by promoting it as a unique communication and investment nexus between the regions bordering the Ocean of Cathay. Daxian commercial interest in cornering the Peratran markets puts Zhijun as the lynchpin of the strategy, necessitating the modernization of the territory's legal, tax and commercial frameworks; likewise the high levels of corruption under the current local government are pushing economic actors to demand changes to maintain the islands as economically competitive.
Under PDD rule, the construction of casinos on the island has been heavily promoted with the first casinos opened in the early 2000's. The gambling industry has seen an exponential growth in the last decade and its become one of the largest sources of revenue for the regional administration, with Fondor Gaming International being the single largest taxpayer on the territory. Fondor's license to operate casinos was extended in 2026 by 35 years. The increased stream of revenue has fueled a construction boom and the expansion of the tourism industry, with luxury hotels, condominium complexes and shopping malls catering to rich foreigners being built at an accelerated pace. Criminal enterprises have also taken root along with gambling. Prostitution, weapons smuggling and drug production are also thriving under the nose of the Green Army regime, and some say with its connivance and protection.
Television
Local television stations in Zhijun are the following:
- CZTV, which is owned by Daxian-Zhijun Television
- WSZT-8, which is owned by Dayun Group
- ABBA-TV, which is owned by Australis Telestations
Transportation
Zhijun is served by two airports, the Yishi International Airport and the Kaliman Military Aerodrome. The Zhijun Trans-Coastal highway traverses the length of the entire main island, linking all its major population centers and ports. There is also a terminal for cruise ships in Yishi and another one in Ato. A bridge connecting Zhijun and Tang is currently in the planning stages, to replace the ferry system in place. Transport between Stenza and Zhijun takes place by plane and by the Rakahanga-Yishi ferry.