Hirdirekten
| This page (or section) is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final. |
Duchy of Hirdirekten | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
 | |
| Capital and largest city | Terschlag |
| Official languages | Arkian |
| Ethnic groups | Human 100% |
| Demonym(s) | Hirdirekten |
| Government | Dukedom |
• Herzog | Karl von Heuslen |
• Kaiserin | Ilse Erika von Freyaelv |
| Establishment | |
• Granted to the House of von Heuslen | 1690 |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,173 km2 (1,225 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Census | 444,000 |
• Density | 139.9/km2 (362.3/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | 5,763,281,000 |
• Per capita | 23,500 |
| Currency | Note (ARK) |
| Date format | MM/DD/YYYY BCE/CE |
| Driving side | right |
| ISO 3166 code | AK-DE |
Hirdirekten, formally known as the Duchy of Hirdirekten, is a constituent state within Arkalarius ruled by the von Heuslen family. A landlocked state, the duchy's economy is mostly driven by its proximity to nearby large cities. It is a hub for agriculture, heavy industry, and resource extraction. Despite this its population remains among the poorest in the country, with considerable wealth funneled to the ruling nobility and the extensive Hirdirekten Investment Corporation, or otherwise used to maintain the Duchy's extensive security forces. Much of the economy is also driven by impoverished migrant workers.
Hirdirekten borders the Duchy of Hertzberg and the Grand Principality of Kannesreich to the south, the Grand Principality of Gelaschenburg to the east, and the Principality of Steinsdorf to the north.
History
Hirdirekten's ruling house originates from the town of Heuslen in Ethalria, though its precise date of origin is a matter of some dispute. For some time, the von Heuslens were a minor part of Ethalrian nobility, and left their meagre holdings there in search of greater fortunes when Ethalria colonized what would become Arkalarius. It would be under Catharina von Heuslen that they would be granted the lands that would become Hirdirekten in the year 1690.
Post Revolution
The Duchy, under the rule of Horst von Heuslen, would aid the Principality of Deichland in its unsuccessful attempt to put down the Dighairan Revolution in 1848.
Arkian Revolutionary War
By the time Arkia rebelled against its Ethalrian rulers, the von Heuslens had become deeply integrated inside Arkian society, and Hirdirekten had even begun moving away from the purely matriarchal form of governance it had inherited from Ethalria. Thus, the Duchy and its landsknecht would side with the rebels during the ultimately successful conflict.
Arkian Civil War
During the Arkian Civil War, the Duchy found itself near the frontlines with republican West Arkalarius. The fiercely conservative and traditionalist duchy, now lead by Herzog Karl von Heuslen, fought in support of the Arkian Empire during the war.
Government
Hirdirekten is effectively kept under the absolute rule of the House of von Heuslen , with many government posts doled out to various family members. The General Assembly serves as a local legislature, but is itself heavily influenced by corporate entities and clerical institutions. Herzog Karl von Heuslen is the current ruler of the Duchy.