Kuye Province

Kuye Province (ꡀꡟꡨꡠꡂꡡ Kuye-go) is a province of Saramosir, Chisei, encompassing four major islands - Kuyesir, Cikapsir, Yukunsir and Humpesir - and 23 minor islands. The province has a total population of 231,230, over 70% of which is located in the provincial capital of Kuyekotan and it's surrounding towns and villages.

Early history
Though the islands of Kuye Province had long been sporadically inhabited by Kannaguru, they were first heavily settled by the Ashiwase and Urita people in the 1200s, and for centuries after were primarily inhabited by these two groups, who lived mostly independently from mainland groups except for occasional trade and coastal piracy.

Creation of Kuye province
The Unification of Chisei in the 18th century led to an increased interest in Kuye, as the Chiseian union sought to expand it's control over the Jade Sea. In 1710, the [{Chiseian Royal Navy]] established a base on the largest island, which would grow into the port town today known as Kuyekotan, and this was shortly followed by the islands being formally claimed as a province by Saramosir. Mainland advances onto the islands were not welcomed by locals, who in 1719 launched the Kuye revolt, burning a anchored Chiseian fleet and seizing control of the port, as well as executing the newly appointed provincial governor. While initially successful in driving the Chiseians off of Kuyesir, even managing to fend off two successive invasion fleets with the aid of poor weather, the rebellion would finally be put down in 1722. 10,000 were executed on Kuyesir alone, with 2,000 more in Ashiwase communities on the Saramosiri mainland deemed to be sympathetic to the revolt. In addition, tens of thousands were also enslaved or transported to Valeya and Osova. The revolt and it's aftermath - including a string of famines caused by attacks on farmland, and the mass executions and deportations of able-bodied men and boys - pushed the Ashiwase language to near extinction by the 19th century. The population of Kuyesir dropped to just 21,200 people by 1750, with many of the survivors of the massacres fleeing to Kuiju or Uraan to avoid further persecution.

Following the Chiseian conquest of Uraan in 1762, the provincial boundaries were expanded to include the two islands of Cikapsir and Humpesir. Kuyesir was gradually repopulated with colonists from Saramosir and Shirakawa, as well as some from Uraan, drawn to the increasingly busy port at Kuyekotan.

19th century
The Battle of Kuye took place in the vicinity of the islands during the Chiseian civil war, with the loyalist navy prevailing over a rebel fleet and successfully occupying the islands to put down local revolts.

20th century
The province was occupied by the Kingdom of Kuiju shortly after the outbreak of the Second Escar-Varunan War. An attempt to liberate Kuyesir in 1939 was repelled, and the islands would consequently remain under occupation until 1941. An airfield and POW camp were constructed on Kuyesir by the Kuijuans. The former was destroyed by Chiseian bombers ahead of the 1941 invasion, but would be restored after the war into RAF Kuye, as the demand for western airfields grew with the development of the postwar Escaric Divide.

In 1983 a second military airfield was constructed on Yukunsir, and leased to the Yamatai Mainland Air Defence Force.

Politics
The islands are represented by a single seat in the Heavenly Assembly, and two seats in the Grand Assembly of Saramosir. The 12-member Kuye Provincial Council presides over the government of the province, and appoints the governor, with elections taking place every 2 years. Both the parliamentary and council seats are dominated by the Federalist Party of Chisei, though there are 2 councillors representing the Chiseian Social Front as of the January 2021 local elections.

The current governor of the province is Erumayn un Hurekotan.

Demographics
The islands are all relatively rural, with the provincial capital of Kuyekotan being the largest settlement and home to about 70% of the population. A significant proportion of the population are military personnel, owing to the military facilities on the islands, and seasonal workers associated with the tourism and fishing industries.

Kuye island was historically primarily home to the Ashiwase people, and despite historical discrimination and ethnic cleansing, the islands retain the largest proportion of the population identifying as such anywhere in Chisei - Kuyekotan itself has particularly become a major center for the revival of traditional Ashiwase art and culture, and the provincial government has introduced financial incentives for schools to offer classes and courses in the language.