Belir

The Belir (pl.' beliren) is an administrative subdivision of the Lein Empire, roughly corresponding to a modern-day county. The lowest official level of administration within the Empire, they are grouped into meroyene.

The governor of a belir is called a belirast; these officials make up the bulk of the Imperial government's regional presence, and are often the 'foot soldiers' of administration.

Grades and Subdivisions
The beliren are not, in fact, the smallest level of administration within the Empire; it is, however, where the official remit of the Lein Imperial government ends. Below the belir there can be a profusion of different local authorities, from military garrisons, towns and villages to local magnates' estates.

Most of the beliren within the Empire are graded according to the size of their population. A large belir is one that contains more than 10,000 households within its borders; a medium one has between 5,000 and 10,000 households; and a small belir has less than 5,000 households.