Haedong Province

Haedong Province (Zhenian: 해동도) is a Zhenian province located east of Zhenia's Danguk Peninsula. It consists of the Haedong Islands and surrounding islands, and is separated by Zhenia's Gyeongcheon and Gwandong provinces via the Strait of Chungmu. "Haedong", the name of the province, literally means "land east of the city", a term reflecting its location as the easternmost province of Zhenia and a separated entity from the Zhenian mainland. It spans over an area of 39,595 square kilometers (15,287.6 square miles), with the eight major islands of the Haedong Islands constituting around 95.5% of the province's total land area.

Having been populated by a mix of Dan Zhenians and the Haedong people since 3,500 years ago, what is now Haedong Province retained a separate history from the mainland, islands being ruled by a set of chiefdoms until they were unified under the Kingdom of Haedong in 104 AC. The Kingdom of Haedong maintained tributary relations with kingdoms in the Danguk Peninsula, being granted autonomy in exchange of their monarch being installed by that of the Eastern Zhen, Daehwa and later Shindan, confirmed by records in which Haedongese princes attended the Shindanese royal court in 931, in exchange of. Haedong fell into the Shindanese sphere of influence following the suppression of the Revolt of Jinhaegwan in 944, while it was formally annexed into Shindan under King Munjong in 986. Haedong has since remained within centralized Zhenian rule, its importance as a key gateway to the east spurring its growth over the years. While the Haedong International Mandate was temporarily established by the Allied High Command following Zhenia's defeat in the Second Great War, it was returned into Zhenian control in 1546.

Etymology
The name of Haedong Province originates from the Haedong Islands, the constituting the province. The term 'Haedong' refers to 'land east of the sea', a term traditionally used by the Dan people to refer to the islands and sections of modern-day Sakaro.

Kingdom of Haedong
Being situated off the coast of Zhenia's eastern edge, the Kingdom of Haedong prospered with intermediary trade between the Danguk Peninsula and southern Sakaro, rising to be a hub of goods and services making their way across the West Hanmaric.

Geology
The Haedong Islands were formed as a result of volcanic activity initiated along the northeastern edges of the Danguk Plate and the southwestern edges of the Sakaro Plate.

Demographics
As of 1610, the population of Haedong Province is estimated to be 5,691,462 residents, making it the fifth least-populated province in the nation.

Ethnicity
Haedong is the only Zhenian province in which the Haedong people retain a majority of the population to this day - as of 1610, around 4.2 million Haedongese lived in the province, accounting for 73.8 percent of the provincial population. It also has some of the lowest percentages of Dan and Wei Zhenians among Zhenian provinces, with each group accounting for around 20.1 percent and 3.2 percent of the provincial population respectively.

Language
Active assimilation with the Danguk Peninsula since Shindanese rule in the late 10th century has firmly consolidated Zhenian as the province's main language. Haedongese, a language native to the Haedong people, remain a secondary language in public, with associated laws specifying that Haedongese "be used for public acts and transactions only when they are required". This, coupled with increased migration from the Zhenian mainland, has resulted in a significant decline in the usage of Haedongese, with 79.7% of Haedong residents reportedly speaking exclusively Zhenian at home.