North Coast Region

The North Coast Region is a unique region of Veldenland, politically encompassing the three parliamentary constituencies of Randhavn, Svendholt and Harthorpe & Brack which make up the North Coast Council's jurisdiction, but with the geographical boundaries far less simple. The Region is distinct for the large Danish speaking minority which in these three constituencies are the majority of the population. Svendholt is widely considered the cultural capital of the North Coast and is the most Northern City in all of Veldenland.

## History

The North Coast has historically been an unruly part of Veldenland and was historically close to the Scandinavian States. This changed under British rule as Scandinavian influence was rooted out of North Island and was pushed to just the island of Skoveland and the North Coast Region.

During the War of Independence, the North Coast was a haven of support for the growing Velden Forces, with Svendholt being a major outpost throughout the rebellion. Since then, in spite of it's distinctness, the region has - unlike Brabant - been relatively unionist and strongly in favour of the State of Veldenland.

In the 20th century, the North Coast began to fall behind the rest of Veldenland with the rural North Coast still very agrarian and, although Svendholt was able to develop and industrialize, the rest of the North Coast did not. During the Second World War, the port of Svendholt was bombed intensely by the German Luftwaffe and was effectively put out of action. Towards the end of the war, the region became littered with airfields designed for bombers.

## Geography

The North Coast is a primarily hilly region with rugged coastlines amongst a sparsely populated mountainous countryside. The region is home to many lakes, particularly Randhavn and is a popular tourist destination for some who enjoy bird watching, walking and mountain climbing. The magnificent coastline is littered with beautiful beaches and the Svend Firth on the Southern tip presents a narrow estuary moving into the Port of Svendholt. The region is home to multiple areas of outstanding natural beauty and the Northern Coastline is littered with more than 62 islands, all with their own beauty.

## Transport

#### Railways and Public Transport

Svendholt is home to a Stagecoach Bus Network which operates a park and ride from the South side of the city. Currently there are six routes operating, mostly around the Svendholt Train Station which serves as a local transport hub. Alongside this, there are multiple rural bus connections, however these are very limited in number and there has been criticism of the lack of connectivity for rural villages, especially in Randhavn, in the North East of the North Coast area.

Although North Island's East Coast Mainline ends at Belwick, the West Coast Mainline wraps around the Northern Coast at Harthorpe and offers services as far as Svendholt, with a low density of trains operating in and out of the city.

#### Roads

The North Coast has two motorways serving the region, with the M3 ending at Harthorpe and the M4 ending at Svendholt. Within the North Coast, the North Coast Highway connects the M3 and M4, and continues from Svendholt eastward to Randhavn. There is also a Coastal road which wraps around the North Coast and ends at Randhavn.

## Politics

The Politics of the North Coast has typically been more liberal than other parts of Veldenland. The sense of identity has been said to have contributed to a particular political persuasion in which the region has generally voted for parties advocating more autonomy, smaller government and - with the exception of Svendholt - right of centre economic positions.

#### Local Council

The region is governed by the North Coast Council, which operates in Class A with the next election scheduled for 2020, followed by 2023. The Council has 45 members and is seen as a crucial "Swing Council" between Phoenix and Green Solidarity. The Council is currently under No Overall Control, with a narrow result in the 2020 local elections.

 Phoenix
 Conservative

#### Place in National Politics

Since 2015, the three constituencies of the North Coast have been served by a total of 3 parties. Since 2017, the largest party in the region has been Green Solidarity.

 The Conservative Union
 Phoenix