Province District 01
Province District 01 | |||||||
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: "Liberum Silvam Terram" | |||||||
| Capital and largest city | N/A | ||||||
| Official languages | English | ||||||
| Religion | Christianity | ||||||
| Demonym(s) | N/A | ||||||
| Government | |||||||
• Governor | vacant | ||||||
| Legislature | Provincial Assembly | ||||||
| Establishment | 7 September 2021 | ||||||
| Population | |||||||
• 2023 census | 3 | ||||||
| Currency | Meritian Pupa | ||||||
| Time zone | MGT (Meritian General Time) | ||||||
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Province District 01, or simply Province 01 is one of five major provinces which encompass the territory of Meritia. It is tied between Province District 03 and Province District 04 as the 3rd most populous province of Meritia, with a total population of 3. It is also the 3rd largest by area, only smaller than Province District 02 and Province District 04. An important region of Meritia, the province within it has multiple major roadways, buildings, and artifacts. It originally was the location which the influential city of Patrickston lied within, until the dissolution of Northio and creation of the new Capital Federal Administrative District under the new government of Meritia, as a special district for the capital. Currently without a Governor or Provincial Legislature in session, it is directly administered alongside the other provinces under the federal government.
History
Compared to the other provinces of Meritia, the history of Province District 01 is particularly interesting. Originally one of three land parcels of the area that today comprises the Empire of Meritia, it was home to a small house in its southernmost area from an unknown time that was presumed to have been built around the mid 20th century or possibly even as far back as the 19th century. Around sometime between the 1970s-1980s, this building was subsequently destroyed in a house fire due to unknown causes. All residents were thought to have survived, and no physical evidence or firsthand accounts have since disproved this claim. The stone foundation of the house remained following its total loss in the fire until in 2010 when it was filled using the rocky dirt that was removed from the land following its purchase. The owners of this lost residence were known to bury their belongings quite often, as during the 2010s many attempts were made at extracting these artifacts from the ground all around the province, yet most have since been lost to unknown factors. It still remains a mystery as to why so many artifacts had been buried around the area, however popular theory suggests it to have simply been the old owner's way of disposing things. Meritian theory, on the contrary, typically attributes these burials to a much more meaningful cause, such as a purpose to keep the items safe from any theft.
In 2021 the area saw its first ownership under an entity not affiliated with the United States, as the Principality of Northio was established as a sovereign state. While no official maps were ever drawn up, the Principality claimed, "all lands of their former private property which was covered by woods", thus making the modern area of the province relatively similar to the claims that Northio had established. Remaining under Northioan influence until 7 September 2021, the area was very inactive under this ownership, facing little changes to it in any ways. This would end when the Empire of Meritia was officially established to replace Northio on the same aforementioned date, during which time activity in the region spiked. The first change to the area was the usual maintenance of roads in the area, which were kept free of any vegetation and regularly used by vehicles of the state. A small wooden watchtower was additionally created to enforce border security, with it having an additional use of storing items within the compartments of it. Since its creation, it has held the current MMF training weapons, which were found abandoned in Province 04 alongside Hwy 1 and were quickly repaired/cleaned back into working order. Late in 2022, Meritia also finally created a formalized excavation agency, known as the Meritian Excavation Company, a state-sponsored business created to excavate any remaining buried artifacts and ensure this time their full protection, so no more ever could be lost. Province District 01 was also the area in which the first National Park of Meritia was created, which was formed in late 2021 in the southern portion of the province.
Geography
A primarily wooded region, Province District 01 is home to a very diverse ecosystem of birds and mammals, which roam the area freely. It is primarily comprised of generic oak trees; however, it has been known to also have bitternut hickory trees, sycamore trees, and even some maple trees. Many other generic species of shrubs thrive in the more northern areas of the province, which are even known to have blackberry bushes that produce small yet organic berries for consumption. A variety of birds have been known to exist in the area, and northern cardinals, blue jays, house sparrows, and common buzzards have all been spotted around the province at some point in time. Whitetail deer and common coyotes have also been found to exist in the area. Currently protected by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the only National Park also exists in the southernmost point of the province, containing the only major area with a cleared patch of land, a great spot for outdoor activity.