| Koningstad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Historical facts | |
| Alternate names | Adriania |
| Founded | 1572 |
| Patron Saint | St. Adrian |
| Information | |
| Parish | Cape Cross |
| Population | 197,413 |
| Mayor | Karen House |
| Postal code | 3200, 3205, 3300, 3340 |
Map of Koningstad
Koningstad (The City of Kings) is the capital and largest city of Brunant with a population of almost 200,000 in the city proper and 265,000 in the capital region as of 2015 (making nearly 20% of Brunant's population). Koningstad is the political center of the country, as seat of Government and location of most government offices. Thus the Congress, Prime Minister, Royal Family and major government agencies are based here. The mayor is Karen House.
Koningstad is one of the newer cities in Brunant, having been founded in the mid 16th century. Founded along the Dortmund River, it is now the most internationally-minded city and important for economics and transportation. The new Koningstad International Airport is located to the south, and several major train stations and lines can be found crossing the city.
Name[]
Koningstad's logo
Koningstad literally means "City of Kings", derived from the Dutch words 'Koning' (king) and 'stad' (city). Until the early 19th century and in many formal documents, the city was called 'Adriania' in honor of King Adrian I.
History[]
Roman history[]
In 276, the Romans established a colony at Villa Fulvia. It was a small settlement, with no more than 100 people. Around the year 380, the settlement was suddenly abandoned by the Romans and largely forgotten. It is presumed a plague destroyed their crops and they were forced to flee.
Hunting lodge[]
It was only until the 1500s the area would be resettled During one of Adrianus Graf's hunting expeditions (1554), he came across the Roman settlement. He built himself a villa near the ruins, and soon it became a holidaying place for wealthy merchants and noblemen. In 1572, the King moved his summer home to the town, and then became known as Koningstad- the city of kings. The Royal hunding lodge and the immediate community were very small, centered around the area now known as the Grafstad. Koningstad featured in the famous Benicar Map in 1596. With the establishment of the town of Dortmund and The Port district in the 17th century, the settlement gained more prominence and was incorporated as a town in 1708.
Modern history[]
During the Franco-Brunanter War in the 1750s, the French laid siege to the Adriankastel in Dortmund, but did not manage to occupy the area north of the Dortmund River. In the 1770's the town was oficially incorporated after renewed construction and expasion. After Carrington's's Invasion of Brunant in 1784, the city became the official capital of the country. He built Carrington's Arch to commemorate his victories and the President's House in 1786.
Recent history[]
Koningstad, primarily in the Business District saw the construction of several skyscrapers from the 1970s on, culminating with The Spire in 2013. In response to this the city government passed legislation to prohibit the construction of new buildings over 100 meters in height.
The city has been the site of anti-austerity protests, most significantly the 1028 protests in late 2013.
| 1870 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1946 est. | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25,050 | 27,674 | 32,101 | 38,982 | 42,450 | 50,000 | 61,214 | 77,300 | 80,280 | 92,540 | 107,210 | 122,000 | 138,210 | 155,900 | 173,260 | 197,413 |
Government[]
The current municipal government is led by the Green Party and Avanze, though headed by mayor Karen House of the Social Democrats. Elections were last held in 2015, though since some seats have changed.
| Party | Seats | |
| YES | 8 / 24 | |
| ECO | 6 / 24 | |
| SD | 6 / 24 | |
| Ind. | 2 / 24 | |
| FLP | 2 / 24 | |
Geography[]
Koningstad lies along the mouth of the Dortmund River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Koningstad has very mild winters and warm to hot summers and thus enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of about 300 days of sunshine and only about 50 days with precipitation annually. Its coastal location with winds blowing from the Mediterranean Sea make the heat manageable during the summer. Koningstad has only recorded snow twice (on December 27, 1894 and February 2, 1966).
Neighborhoods[]
Koningstad is split into several neighborhoods:
- Grafstad (the old town): this was originally where Adrianus Graf and early townspeople lived. It was made in a late-medieval, Northern European style with lots of wooden buildings.
- Koningstad Centrum (Downtown): The Downtown district is the main area of Koningstad, where all the government buildings are located. It was built from right before Carrington's invasion in 1784 to the 1850s, and it was built in a federal/baroque style
- The Port: The Port is the old city port built in the 1600s.
- Charleston Beach: A resort district built in the 1870s, with fine apartments and hotels.
- Business District: The business district is the financial center of Koningstad, built in the 1890s.
- Arabian Quarter: A late 19th-century neighborhood, mainly occupied by people of MENA orgin.
- Industriestad: The city's industrial center, built in the 1920s.
- Inter District: The city's second-newest neighborhood, formed by immigrants fleeing the fighting of WWII (1940s).
- Dortmund: A charming 17th century military town located on the south of the Dortmund River, which is now considered a part of Koningstad.
- Newtown: The city's newest neighborhood, made to appeal to small businesses and people wishing to seek an eco-friendly neighborhood.
- Koningstad International Airport: The new international airport under works.
Culture[]
Koningstad has a very diverse culture owing to its large size and population. The city has traditionally been influenced by Dutch-and-Anglophone cultures. More recently, the significant population of Middle Eastern origin has brought multiculturalism and the introduction of new foods.
Music[]
Koningstad has had a number of well-known musicians, such as pop singers Jayne Bell and Estelle Fletcher, rappers Ina and XX3, Eric Craig (and rock group Broken Engines) and others. Koningstad is host to a number of music festivals and events, many around Independence Day. The best-known , though, is Sound Off, an electronic music festival.
Architecture[]
The Grotestraat
Koningstad follows a typical mediterranean architecture except for downtown Koningstad, which was made in a more Baroque-classical style of Victor Janowicz.
Transport[]
Traditionally, many roads from Koningstad began at what is nowadays the Kilometer Zero monument on Liberty Plaza. From here, distances to most parts of Central Island were measured.
Koningstad has one of the best-developed transport networks in Koningstad. Koningstad Transport runs the bus and S-train systems in the city, as well as the regional Connector. The city and French multinational JCDecaux have worked to found the Bici bike-sharing system, operating since 2011. A car share system, Autogo, was also introduced in 2015. In 2014 the city worked on introducing a congestion tax to reduce traffic in the city, though it was eventually never kept.
A rotating rationed driving scheme was passed by the city government in 2015 and will be implemented in 2016. For one day a week, Monday, cars with a license plate ending in a certain number will not be allowed to drive, rotating from 0 and 1 on week 1, 2 and 3 and week 2, 4 and 5 and week 3, 6 and 7 in week 4 and 8 and 9 on week 5.
Some 2800 taxis are found in Brunant, making it the largest fleet in Brunant.
Twin cities and towns[]
Wikistad, Libertas- Finskeby, Strasland
- Trondheim, Norway
- Paris, France
- Boston, USA
- Dublin, Ireland
- Santiago, Chile
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Pisona, Juliana
- Patriam City, Patriam
- Dauham Sammar Hazaham, Phaluhm Phoueck
