Koryem
Koryem was the first Kalmasan colony established in Barendar, on its southern peninsula. As the peninsula was mostly coastal plains with a few scattered forests, the colonization was not disputed by the dhun who had almost no presence there. The Kalmasan explorers did find many ruins of cities with strange stone architecture. The Apoxtec name for the lands is Xuelahuac, the Land of Ghosts. Many Calmaxtec, especially those from the north, refuse to set foot in Koryem, or at least refuse to go near any of the ruins.
The people of Koryem are mainly farmers and fishermen, many retired from the Samraji army or navy and granted lands as part of their service pension. They tend to be a independent, individualistic people and some in the central government are concerned about a possible rebellion similar to the one in Volenar. There is a large military presence maintained in Koryem with forts near all its major towns and cities. Regiments are cycled out every five years to avoid corruption and native influence.
Koryem is administered by a governor appointed directly by the Samrajan. The governor appoints administrators who govern local districts. There is no democratic representation in Koryem and any democratic tendencies in the population are aggressively investigated and quashed by the government. However, the governor is replaced every seven years, and new governors tend to continue the local appointments of their predecessors to keep things running smoothly. Thus there are closer relationships between local administrators and the people of their district, although not always congenial.
Each district also has an established garrison overseen by a colonel with powers nearly equal to that of an administrator. There is a degree of tension between the military and civilian government. Many officers resent the civilian government for reducing their powers and see the governor and administrators as corrupt bureaucrats. Many in the civilian government likewise see the military as brutish and insensitive to the practical considerations of governance and question their continued strong presence, pointing out the absence of any revolutionary movements among the Koryemians.
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