Ostema Province
Ostema Province (Mirselec Ostema denai), also known as Province 1, is the southernmost province of Risevne. It is located on Masalne, at the southern tip of the Raretoya Peninsula. The capital of the province is the ancient city of Nesnoma.
A famous historic region of the country, the province was home to the powerful Kingdom of Rarena, which extended up the entire peninsula and lasted nearly 600 years before its personal union with the Kingdom of Masal in 1249. Despite the union, however, the area is known for its being a rather independent region of the old kingdom, and even now there is a clear cultural and dialectal divide between provinces like Ostema and provinces farther north in the Feladmena Plain.
Contents
Geography
Ostema province occupies the tip of a peninsula, and therefore faces the sea on three sides; to its west a hilly "neck" connects it with the provinces of Eonis and Inezama. It is mostly relatively flat, with the notable exception of the western hills and the high cliffs to the far east; Gelargulma, a series of wind-eroded cliffs and a famous tourist spot, is commonly taken as the southeastern end of Masalne. At the same time, natural harbours on both the north and south of the island have given rise to some of the most important commercial cities in ancient Risevne, which even in modern days are prosperous ports.
The Ostema Province, situated at the end of the Raretoya Peninsula, has a long coastline which, coupled with its relatively narrow link with the rest of Masalne, makes it a highly strategic position on the island; while easy to invest from the sea, it was very hard to attack from land. This distinctive geography has manifested itself in the similarly distinct culture of the province, a culture that has in turn influenced areas farther west and north.
History
Economy and Demography
Society and Culture
Constituent Counties
The province is divided into four prefectures, or Kine, and 11 counties, or Wasa.
Towns and Cities
- Nesnoma, the provincial capital
- Erisaromac, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Rarena and now a major port
