Takalim

 

Takalim
Canton
Flag Shield
Etymology: Mount Takal
Nickname(s): The Limestone Canton (official), The Tech Canton, The Runner-Up Canton
Motto(s): Ελευθερία ή θάνατος Eleftheria i thanatos ("Freedom or death")
Anthem: As The River Flows
Map of Takalim in Kalșeri
Country	Kalșeri
Established	1783
Capital	Lennoxton
Counties	68
Government
• Body	Cantonal Assembly
• Governor	Greg Stephanidis (D)
• Lieutenant Governor	Bill Tibbit (D)
• Speaker of the Cantonal Assembly	Harry Jones (S)
• Senators	Mike Arnaud (D) Alan Higi (D) Iosefina Malsi (D) Brian Kristensen (S)
• Representatives	9 D, 6 S, 4 N, 4 L, 2 K, 1 G
Area
• Total	12,321.80 km2 (4,757.47 sq mi)
Area rank	2nd
Population (2019)
• Total	5,514,632
• Rank	3rd
• Density	447.6/km2 (1,159/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Takalese
Time zone	KST (UTC-3)
• Summer (DST)	KDST (UTC-2)
Postal code	8xxxx
Municipal code	Txxx
ISO 3166 code	KL-TK
Website	takalim.kl

Takalim (officially the Canton of Takalim; /təˈkælɪm/, Kalhan: [tɐˈkalɪm]) is one of the fourteen cantons of Kalșeri. It is the second-largest canton by area, the third-most populated canton and the eighth-most densely populated canton in the country.

The area was first settled by the Takalim tribe, who lived in the area surrounding Mount Takal, the highest point in Kalșeri, between the rivers Saiú and Lág. Soon after the establishment of the Kingdom of Lág in the eighth century AD, the territory developed its shipbuilding, woodworking and stonemasonry industries, thanks to the rich limestone deposits in the territory. Since the rise of the Internet, Takalim has become host to many information technology companies, forming the backbone of the Kalșerian information technology industry.

Takalim has developed a rivalry with Kalúen, due to their similar historical background and common strengths in the economy.

Name

The name Takalim is derived from Kalhan takhaliem, which means "mountain of the limestone place", owing to the abundance of limestone in the territory, as well as Mount Takal.

Geography

Four rivers flow within the borders of the canton: Saiú, Ganmel, Lág and Malnarón.

The Flanúr Flatland constitutes much of the eastern portion of the territory, whereas the western half is composed of hills. The highest point in the canton is Mount Takal, at about 1295 m (4249 ft) above sea level.

Takalim is in Radina, the biggest of the islands constituting Kalșeri, which has an oceanic climate. Temperatures range within 0 °C (32 °F) and 7 °C (45 °F) in the winter, and between 18 °C (64 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) in the summer.

Demography

Major cities

Of the 5,514,632 people living in Takalim in 2019, 52.7% live in the ten largest cities in terms of population.

City	Inhabitants	Metropolitan area
Lennoxton	1,333,072	Lennoxton
New Smyrna	218,793	Lennoxton
Jim's Hill	192,443	Lennoxton
Murphyville	188,892	Murphyville
O'Leary	186,603	Lennoxton
Cahill	180,144	Lennoxton
Babbidgeville	172,081	Lennoxton
Siena	167,699	Siena
Folkestone	150,961	Folkestone
Cuthbert	118,149	Lennoxton

Culture

Sports

Takalim is home to four hockey teams playing in the KIHC: the Lennoxton Phantoms, the Murphyville Demons, the Siena Legion and the Folkestone Bucks.

Important association football clubs include Olympia Takalim FC, the club with the second-highest number of titles in the country (ten since 1956), Lennoxton Eagles and Folkestone City F.C.; other clubs include the All-Kalșerian Sports Club, Uptown Lex and Murphyville Town.

Baseball, played in the All-Kalșerian Baseball League, is the third-most followed sports in Takalim, which is home to three teams: the Folkestone Lynxes, the Lennoxton Royals and the Takalim Mountaineers.

Media

McMartin Corp., which owns the KBC, Golden Sun, the Lennoxton Gazette and other newspapers, is headquartered in Lennoxton.

The five main newspapers operating in the canton are the Lennoxton Inquirer, the Lennoxton Gazette, The Lagoceanian, The Siena Courier and The Murphyville Bugle.

Local television and radio networks Mount Takal Rediffusion, TakalArka and Montacale TV are members of the Union of Regional Broadcasters (URB/FANG).

Lennoxton is also seen as the "Capital of Kalșerian animation", as important animation studios are headquartered in the city and its immediate surroundings, such as the Walt Burgess Animation Group.

Economy

Takalim is the canton with the highest GDP in the country, constituting about 23% of the Kalșerian GDP.

Lennoxton is the second-largest economic center of Kalșeri, behind Evalria.

Agriculture and food

Takalim is the leading producer of chicory and artichokes in the country. Other fruit and vegetables grown in the canton include apples, carrots, celery, onions and pears.

The mid-Takalim hill range is home to a consistent production of mushrooms, beef and dairy products made from cows and goats.

Tașa Vonhal, the most consumed locally-produced beer in Kalșeri, is headquartered in Ellie.

Manufacture

Iron and steel has historically been the dominating type of manufacture by amount produced, and the Takalese Iron and Steel Corporation (TISCo) is the largest company in the Takalese iron and steel industry. Starting from the 1980s, however, this industry, like others, has suffered the consequences of deindustrialization. Russo Tubes and William Kellerhoff & Sons are among the biggest companies that have made heavy use of iron and steel made in Takalim.

Takalim is the leading producer of ceramic in the country; much of the output is produced by Takalese Ceramics Corporation (TaCeCo).

Limestone mining constitutes an important part of the Takalese economy. The largest quarry by extraction is the Bluemel County Quarry.

Other important companies include VentLux, which is the largest producer of lightbulbs and public illumination, and Xenya Brands, an important brand of casual clothing.

Retail

Knirsch Supermarkets, based in Dodge City, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Kalșeri.

EgiPoint is the largest operator of rest areas on the Kalșerian Highway Network; it is present in all fourteen cantons, and is estimated to operate more than 60% of all rest areas on the Network as of 2022.

Southampton-based HyperHal Wholesale is the biggest chain of membership-only wholesale retail stores (warehouse clubs).

Founded in 1975 by Robert Friedman, Handy Bob's Hardware Stores has grown to become the largest hardware store chain in Kalșeri. Its largest store is in Siena.

Tourism

Takalim is renowned for its Eastern beaches and summer resorts, namely the; which have developed an economic rivalry with the Kaluonan beaches. Seasonal theme parks, the biggest of which is O'Leary Fun Kingdom.

The mid-Takalim hill range is another popular tourist destination, and towns like Heinzville, Florence, Ellie and Modena serve as hubs for various tours within the territory. Heinzville also serves as the headquarters for Kalșeri's Most Beautiful Villages, an association that aims to promote tourism in small villages.

The Takalim Atlantic Raceway in Johnstown, Takalim and the Mid-Kalșeri National Autodrome in Albertson, Takalim are also among Takalim's most visited sites, as they are home to two KALMORA Ryes.

Technology

The first major technology company to be founded in Takalim was Esbjerg Semiconductors in 1973, in Jim's Hill; the electronics and information technology industry has been steadily growing since then. Other major companies include satellite TV provider Telit and projector and electronic billboard manufacturer Randell.

A number of software developers, such as KibiSword, Servhal, Zing and MagoBit, are based in the canton. Game development, led by Farrago Games and GDY Games, is another important sector of the industry.

Founded in 1997, findseri has established itself as the largest real estate price comparison website in the Kalșerian market.

Financial services

Some EvSE companies operating in the financial sector are based in Lennoxton and its metropolitan area, such as the Bank of Takalim and Stenhauser Insurance.

Infrastructure and transportation

Energy

Nuclear and hydroelectric constitute the two major power sources for the canton and, by extension, for the country.

Nuclear energy is produced by the Takalim and Lág Energy Corporation, headquartered in Howardsville; the Corporation runs the Medici County Power Plant.

The North Takalim Energy Company runs all three hydroelectric power plants within the canton: Lewis County, Bushrod and Santiago.

Roads

Takalim is served by Highway 1, Highway 3 and Highway 8. Highway 15, a branch of Highway 1, constitutes half of the ring around Lennoxton.

The Takalim Department of Transportation is responsible for the maintenance of all non-federal roads in the canton, along with the individual counties, such as the Takalim Highway Network (THN).

Goldenhawk Buses, the biggest operator of intercity bus services in the country, is headquartered in Lennoxton. It operates an April—September seasonal shuttle service that links cities in Takalim, Evalria, southeastern Lág and southern New Kerry to the main seaside resorts in the Takalese eastern coast.

Railways

KalRail, the national rail service, serves the cities of Lennoxton, Murphyville, Folkestone and Siena and their metropolitan areas, as well as smaller cities.

The Takalim Railway Corporation, doing business as TKTrak, focuses on areas not served well by the existing KalRail services.

Airports

The main airport that serves Takalim is the Lennoxton International Airport (IATA: LXT; ICAO: BALX), located in nearby Babbidgeville, which is also a hub for KalAir.

Other airports include Siena–Schoneveld County and Northern Takalim International.

Government and politics

Overview

Takalim is a traditional swing canton, where Lennoxton's progressivism and the rural conservatism balance each other.

Executive

The head of state of Takalim is the Governor, who is elected directly by the people every four years along with a Lieutenant Governor, and appoints all the members of the cantonal cabinet. Prior to 2014, governors were restricted to a single seven-year term; this was subsequently changed to a limit of two four-year terms.

The current Governor of Takalim is Liberal Democrat Greg Stephanidis, who has served in this capacity since 2022. The current Lieutenant Governor is fellow Liberal Democrat Bill Tibitt.

Legislative

The unicameral Cantonal Assembly of Takalim is the legislative body of the canton. The canton is divided into 50 three-member constituencies, elected through single transferable vote. The current Speaker of the Cantonal Assembly is Harry Jones (S).

The supreme document of the canton is the Constitution of Takalim, ratified in 1799.

Judiciary

Takalim is divided into four judicial provinces: Folkestone, Lennoxton, Murphyville and Siena.

The Supreme Court of Takalim is the highest court in the canton.

Internal administration

Takalim is divided into 68 counties, of which 32 are consolidated, meaning that the county and its seat share the government.

1. Addison (Curtsville)
2. Adlai (Stevens)
3. Babbidgeville (consolidated)
4. Bluemel (Ryderton)
5. Bonn (Skillington)
6. Bushrod (consolidated)
7. Cahill (consolidated)
8. Caldwell (consolidated)
9. Carnarvon (consolidated)
10. Clayton (Jamestown)
11. Corfu (consolidated)
12. Costello (Johnstown)
13. Cuthbert (consolidated)
14. Delano (Hatliston; consolidated)
15. Dover (Dodge City)
16. Eastriver (Erin)
17. Enteco (Mansfield; consolidated)
18. Euston (Wendy)
19. Faulkner (Williamston)
20. Folkestone (consolidated)
21. Forbes (Albertson)
22. Gaines (Middlesbrough)
23. Gannville (consolidated)
24. Harvey (Storey)
25. Heinzville (consolidated)
26. Hendriksen (Coyne)
27. Holyhead (Howardsville)
28. Hot Springs (consolidated)
29. Inverness (consolidated)
30. James (consolidated)
31. Jim's Hill (consolidated)
32. Kaminski (consolidated)
33. Kramer (Kramer)
34. Leahy (Croydon)
35. Lennoxton (consolidated)
36. Lewis (Richardson)
37. Longsbury (Donna)
38. Manning (Oldsbury)
39. Medici (Florence)
40. Meiji (Southampton; consolidated)
41. Merryweather (Silorsiville)
42. Meynell (Sherwin)
43. Mitchell (Mitchell)
44. Modena (consolidated)
45. Moffat (consolidated)
46. Monaco (consolidated)
47. Murphyville (consolidated)
48. Mute Jones (St. Cecilia)
49. New Smyrna (consolidated)
50. Northampton (Tillsbury)
51. Nye (Quaint)
52. O'Leary (consolidated)
53. Oxford (consolidated)
54. Ruddy (Gardentown)
55. Schaefer (Malone; consolidated)
56. Schoneveld (Bristol)
57. Schwerin (consolidated)
58. Sellers-Casey (Geller)
59. Shepherd's Bush (Alexandria)
60. Short (Dockerstown; consolidated)
61. Siena (consolidated)
62. Sorensen (Ames)
63. Stahl (Paulson)
64. Takasoo (consolidated)
65. Teignmouth (consolidated)
66. Travis (Bernice)
67. Uxbridge (Werner)
68. Washburn (Ellie)

Education

The main university of the canton is the nonsectarian general-interest University of Takalim, which serves the cities of Lennoxton, Siena, Folkestone, Murphyville and Ames.

Several universities also operate in Takalim, such as Lexonian University, the Takalese Rural College System and the Takalim Polytechnic College.

Cantonal symbols

Flag

Flag of Takalim

The current flag, adopted in 1971, has an aspect ratio of 1:2 and is composed of a green-white-red horizontal tricolor, with a blue band bearing a yellow square at hoist side.

According to the cantonal constitution, the meaning of each element is thus explained:

• green: "the lush forests and bountiful farms";
• white: "the stride towards peaceful glory";
• red: the blood shed during the Kalșerian War of Independence and the Federalist riots;
• blue: the rivers and the Atlantic Ocean;
• yellow: limestone and Mount Takal.

Shield

Flag of Takalim

The shield is composed of a blue band that covers about half of the surface, with a golden Eye of Takalim, which is a stylistic rendition of the motto Ελευθερία ή θάνατος ("Freedom or death").

The bottom half of the shield is divided in two colors: gold and red, the traditional colors of Lennoxton.