Administrative Divisions of Vittmark

The administrative divisions of Vittmark comprise a complex system of subdivisions, each with different levels of authority and terminology. Since the ratification of the new constitution of Vittmark, the terminology and authorities have been streamlined, but Vittmark remains an asymmetrical federation with intricate administrative structures.

Administrative History

Vittmark is a federation composed of formerly independent states and autonomous or dependent territories. The previously independent nations were known as "landskap," which roughly translates as "land-state." All dependencies were transformed into six "län" (provinces). Three of these formed a new single "landskap" in 7570.

The capital district is a unique subdivision, as are the merchant city-state of Skara, the company town of Kopparbruk, and the island nation of Mivö. In addition to these territorial administrative divisions, there are two entities with similar rights: the Bengtist Stift (Bengtist Stonds) and the Fjällsta Stift. These groups operate as non-territorial entities with significant influence.

In 7570-71, the outer territories off the Altaian east coast, managed by the Fisks stim, joined the federation as an "overseas company territory," possessing similar autonomy to the city-state of Kopparbruk. In 7572, Ådalen, Hagen, and Köttshagen were promoted to principalities ("furstendom") following a new law that banned armed military units from lands ("landskap") after an attempted coup in March 7572. Principalities retain the right to maintain their own military, unlike other lands that lost this right.

Ådalen signed a free association treaty with Vittmark in 7573, ending its unilateral declaration of independence made in 7570. This resulted in Ådalen being considered a voluntary member of the federation, similar to the Bengtist and Fjällsta Stifts, as well as Fisks.

Member States of Vittmark

Vittmark is a federation of formerly independent states and some neighboring territories that were governed by foreign powers before the creation of the nation. There are 17 primary subdivisions, or member states, each with one seat in the Förbundsting (House of Lords) and a set number of allocated seats in the federal parliament. The federation is asymmetrical, resulting in varying degrees of authority and autonomy for each state.

Principality

In 7572, three of the lands received the status of principality ("furstendom"), granting them slightly more authority than the remaining lands, including the right to maintain their own military. Hagen has been divided into Hagen and Köttshagen, which are non-continuous territories. Ådalen accepted this status over a year later through a free association treaty.

Name	Capital	Type	Head of State	Area
Hagen	Hinnårum	Furstendom	Gustav Gustavsson av Hagen
Köttshagen	Vinborg	Furstendom	Gustav Gustavsson av Hagen
Ådalen	Ås	Furstendom	Ulla Ådahl	60,702

Landskap

The six former independent nations officially swore allegiance to the federation of Vittmark in 7564, transferring some of their governmental responsibilities to the federal government. This process was influenced by Central Anarian nations aiming to resolve the "three-way conflicts," fearing they might lead to a new pan-Anarian war. These former nations were known as "landskap" ("land-state") from 7564 to 7573.

Name	Capital	Type	Head of State
Dunsvik	Ormserum	Landskap	Peter Petersson av Dunsvik
Kletudde	Kletudde City	Landskap	Teres av Ståhlvik
Kram	Sandsala	Landskap	TBA
Kulla Kronområde	Kronsta	Landskap	Anna av Kulla (Konung av Vittmark)
Laxholm	Kobbe	Landskap	Markvard Turesson av Kobbe
Liden	Månsta	Landskap	Östen Karlsson av Månsta Lundén
Sörmark	Kronsta	Landskap	Anna av Kulla (Konung av Vittmark)

Other Territorial Units

Vittmark includes several unique subdivisions such as the capital district of Östervallen (a city-state), the merchant city-state of Skara, the company town of Kopparbruk, and the island nation of Mivö. These areas possess unique local government systems. Additionally, the recently added Altaian company territory of Fisks is classified as an "overseas company territory" with more autonomy due to its distant location, and has entered the federation by free association.

Name	Capital	Type	Head of State	Area
Kopparbruk	Kopparbruk	Company Town	Petra Brunhildsdotter Pulsmyr	78
Mivö	Källbyholm	Island Nation	TBA
Skara	Staden Skara	City State	TBA	21
Östervallen	Stad Östervallen	Capital District	Gert Hialmarsson av Almedalen	61

Non-Territorial Units

Two non-territorial subdivisions are the Bengtist Stift and Fjällsta Stift, which represent freestanding congregations spread across other territories, mainly in the south (Sörmark) and to a lesser extent in Kulla. These stifts have unique rights and duties, separate from the territorial units to which they belong.

Name	Capital	Type	Head of State	Inhabitants
Bengtist Stift	Bengts Gästgiveri Östvallen	Stift	TBA	5,096
Fjällsta Stift	Fjällsta	Stift	Palne Kristersson (Herr till Fjällsta)	205,882
Kakuri Stift	Toshi-bu	Stift	Moa Palnesdotter av Blåkulla	4,800

Enclaves and Exclaves

Due to the bottom-up nature of government in traditional Orkanan societies, enclaves and exclaves within administrative divisions are common. Examples include city-states like Skara and Östervallen and various territories that do not fall under the jurisdiction of the state they are geographically located in. Other examples are "Statshotellen," national exclaves located within Östervallen, and "Förbundsfaciliteterna," federal installations governed directly by the federal government.

Secondary Levels: Stifts and Härads

Each "landskap" is divided into "stifts" (territorial religious subdivisions) and/or "härads" (hundreds or secular subdivisions). Härads function as the governmental subdivisions, while stifts manage religious affairs. In some regions, stifts perform governmental duties in the absence of a functioning härad.

Storstift

Some stifts are grouped into larger "storstifts" or archstifts, which span state borders and sometimes cover more than one member state, creating a higher level of administrative division.

Local Level

At the local level, governance is organized around the "socken," a unit formed by stims (extended families) voluntarily affiliating and bringing their land as territory. This structure results in a pattern of enclaves and exclaves.