Province of Porta

Banner of the province and historical banner of the South Seas Company.

The **Province of Porta**, formerly Meridia, is a province of Great Thornia. The capital of the province is Porta, which sits on the province's north coast along Lake Goruid. The territory's legal status as a province is widely considered to be a mere formality. In reality, it is an extension of the Province of Elysia. It is expected to be annexed by the province in the near future.

The province's territory covers the areas immediately south and east of Lake Goruid. It also contains the Coral Islands archipelago, itself being a former province in its own right. To its north is the Province of Elysia, to its west is the Province of Ume.

The region is largely isolated from economic activity in its neighbouring northern provinces and from the international community to its west and south. Internal trade between villages remains the main economic driver of the province.

## History

### Background

Exploration of the region started in 2016 when South Seas Company ships claimed what is now Baoratovia as one of its ports. The territory was largely abandoned until the Holy States era when the Despotate of Thornia, and later the State of Goruid, made an attempt to reclaim the region.

In late 2019, the Goruidian government decided to help with Hegemon Wey Yao's early policies of reducing the massive size of the League of Palus. It was later merged back into Goruid before becoming a part of the Crown of Great Thornia. It then briefly became a puppet state before being brought back into Great Thornia (now under a socialist regime) as a province.

### Socialist era (April 2020 - August 2020)

On 18 April 2020, the TRD decree moved the capital of Meridia from Baoratovia to Porta. Having a capital city closer to the major metropolitan areas will allow for quicker and more frequent shipping to and from Meridia.

On 30 April 2020, the Coral Islands became a district of the province after the national government accepted the fact that the province is largely dependent on Meridia due to its extreme remoteness from the rest of the country. Meridia also formally adopted the South Seas Company banner in recognition of its history as being a former colony of the company (one of the original banners was found near Baoratovia during the February 2020 naval expedition in the region).

### Post-socialist era (August 2020 - Present)

The overthrow of the monarchy in August 2020 saw little change in the province except for its name (all provinces in Thornia were renamed after their capital). However, the province gained the new territory of North Gnora after the Transitional Council decided it to be the nation's responsibility to halt the expansion of its neighbours eastward. North Gnora was to serve as a defensive line against such actions. The territory was later abandoned upon the restoration of the monarchy.

The Thornian military carried out regular exercises in the vicinity to simulate attacks of Thornia from the south.

The province saw little interference from the outside world even through the Second Pillager War, The Great Plague, and even the Thornian Civil War. The former monarchy of Great Thornia did not implement plans to evacuate to the province during its third overthrow in the midst of the civil war, nor did it attempt it during its fourth. The province has remained a backwater in the Umic world even through to 2022. The Armed Forces of Thornia-Aphthonis has used the province as a base for intelligence operations in the South Sea.

Between 4-8 April 2022, the provincial government of Elysia began preparations for a possible annexation of the Province of Porta as a new borough. This initiative was halted after it determined that it was more worthwhile forming a joint economic zone with the already-economically-integrated South Aphthonis.

## Administrative divisions

### February 2022 - Present

Since February 2022, Koralinisia was transferred to the Council of Governors of Thornia-Aphthonis (effectively a confederal territory, but really it was under the control of the Armed Forces of Thornia-Aphthonis). The boroughs of Porta and Baoratovia were combined into a single jurisdiction, administered from Porta.

### September 2020 - February 2022

Porta was divided into three boroughs. It adopted the borough system from the neighbouring Elysia Province, with the Porta and Baoratovia boroughs adopting the name of their capital whilst Paramethoria is the name of the archipelago of islands.

 Koralinisia | *Administered from Baoratovia* | Formerly known as the Coral Islands.

### Before September 2020

Meridia was divided into three districts, each stretching from north to south.

 Western Mountains
 Eastern Hills
 Coral Islands
 North Gnora