Delphi

Delphi is the second largest city in the Republic of Acadia and the capital and largest city of Metropolitan Acadia, as well as the official capital of the Western Union. Though Acadia is often considered a city-state, the city of Delphi is a legal city with distinct boundaries and services, and is legally the capital of Acadia. Delphi is the richest and most densely populated city in Acadia or its colonies, and has a high cost of living due to it being the cultural, economic, and political capital of the Republic of Acadia.

Founded in the 700s during the High Penguin Confederacy era by a group of Snowpriot settlers some distance away from the main settlement of Acadia, Delphi grew to become the largest settlement on the island due to its strategic location on the Delphi River, which was named after the settlement. Delphi eventually became the official capital of the County of Acadia in the middle ages, with the House of Esser establishing its palace and government buildings there, along with a major port that contributed to Acadia's wealth and power.

History
Delphi was first founded in the 700s by a group of Snowpriot settlers, who established the settlement some distance from the main town of Acadia at the time. Though Delphi was originally small, its strategic location at the mouth of the Delphi River, which was named after the settlement, became a popular docking place for ships due to its deep natural harbor. Soon the small settlement of Delphi grew into a town, and a large port was built at the mouth of the river for ships to dock, which attracted more ships to dock at the port.

By the middle ages, Delphi had grown into a city, far surpassing the original town of Acadia, though the town still maintained some importance. The House of Esser, rulers of Acadia, built a castle and several government buildings in Delphi, making it the official capital of the county, and made plans to transform the disorderly city into an orderly and clean city. Over the next few decades, numerous changes to the city made greatly increased the quality of life in the city, which had neat houses and wide streets, a rarity in the middle ages.

Like most of Acadia, Delphi came under the rule of Puffle'and in the 1600s after Puffle'and seized the territory from the High Penguin Confederacy. Delphi maintained its role as the capital, but the Puffish significantly changed the city, bringing some of its most skilled architects and planners to make the city the center of its growing colonial empire in the Sub Antarctic region. In the course of a few years, Delphi transformed from a city with the typical medieval half timbered houses to one lined with the Georgian style buildings of the wealthy.

As the capital of the Province of Acadia, Delphi became the center of the Acadian Revolution, and the city was where many clashes between rebels and Puffish soldiers took place. Delphi was where the Acadian rebels overwhelmed the governor's guards and stormed the Governor's Mansion, a symbol of the Puffish oppression in Acadia, which served as one of the most iconic symbols of the rebellion. The last major battle in the Acadian Revolution, the Battle of Delphi, also took place here, which resulted in a decisive Acadian rebel victory.

The revolution left a wave of destruction in Delphi, and there were many rebuilding projects commissioned by the government after the war, which transformed part of the city from its Puffish style buildings to the modern style. After the Acadian Revolution, Delphi was where many key events in the founding of the Republic of Acadia took place, including the writing of the Constitution of the Republic of Acadia in the former Governor's Mansion and the inauguration of the first President Greg Cleanington at the Presidential Palace.

As the largest city on the island, and the capital of the former Province of Acadia, Delphi was an obvious choice to be the capital of Acadia, and most of the government institutions of the new country were established there. Though the population had slightly dropped due to the war, the city began to grow again afterwards, and continued to grow over the next few years, becoming one of the most populous cities in the region. Today, Delphi is the second largest city in its region, and is an important city in Antarctica due to its status as a major trade and financial center.

Government
Delphi is led by a mayor, who is elected every five years by the residents of the city of Delphi, while the vice mayor is chosen by the city council from among themselves. City council positions are elected every 2.5 years, with both mayoral and city council elections coinciding with the main Acadian elections, though these city positions aren't elected by the entire population of the island, instead just being elected by those who live inside city boundaries. The city council also appoints certain positions within the city itself, which are approved by the mayor.

Economy
As the center of both Acadia and its colonial empire, Delphi is home to dozens of major companies that are headquartered or have offices in the city. The city has the largest economy of any other city in Acadia and the colonies, and is richer than the rest of the Acadian cities except Chinstrapion combined. Since becoming the capital of the Western Union, Delphi has significantly grown economically as more and more foreign companies have either moved to the city or opened offices there, which has also brought more employees of the companies to the city, raising the housing cost significantly. The city hosts either the headquarters or offices of Acadian Petroleum, Air Acadia, Dupont's Coffee, Esser Hotels and Resorts, Fredriksson Group, and Tenorio Confectionaries, Inc, among others.

Culture
Unlike most of Acadia, which was either Alemanian or Francterran influences depending on the districts, Delphi has the largest Puffish influence due to the many construction projects built by the Puffish. Most of the buildings, especially in Old Delphi, are built in the Puffish Georgian style, similar to the buildings in Snowdon, and though some were destroyed during the Acadian Revolution and replaced with modern buildings, most of the old buildings still remain. The most impressive building in Delphi is the Governor's Mansion, a large mansion that was used by the governors of Acadia during the era of Puffish rule but now serves as a tourist attraction.

Demographics
Delphi has the highest cost of living and the most expensive real estate market in Acadia and one of the highest costs of living and most expensive real estate markets in Antarctica. The average cost for a one bedroom apartment in Delphi is about 1,200 Acadian francs per month, or 3,000 Fish, while the average cost for a house is 800,000 francs, or 2 million Fish. In the city's eighth arrondissement, considered the richest neighborhood in the city, this can be as much as 1,400 Acadian francs, or 3,500 Fish, while the cost of a house can be up to 1,400,000 francs, or 3,500,000 Fish.

As a result of this, many in the city are being forced to share apartment blocks with others, while many of the city's residents have moved to other cities and towns in the neighboring provinces that are close to Delphi, as housing is much less expensive there. Although the percentage of those who are homeless have been low for the past few years in the city, the rising costs of housing has also increased homelessness. Both the city and the national government have attempted to find solutions to both the housing crisis and the rising homelessness, but no solutions have been found so far.

Geography
Delphi is almost completely flat, with the exceptions being a few low hills that lie in the northern outskirts of the city where many of the city defenses and the medieval Delphi Castle were built on. The 8th arrondissement, which is considered the wealthiest neighborhood in Delphi, is completely situated on some low hills as well. Additionally, the Delphi River, the only river in Metropolitan Acadia, and named after the city, cuts through the middle of the city, separating Old Delphi (French: Vieux Delphi) from the Downtown area (French: Centre ville).

Transportation
The city was originally built in a grid plan by the rulers of the city in the middle ages, using old plans from the Penguin Empire, and the originally grid plan is still visible in Old Delphi today. This was so that the city would be more organized, and travel would be easier and more efficient due to the main streets traveling in a straight line. During the period of Francterran colonial rule, the city was expanded further with a grid plan as well, with the downtown area also being built in that plan, though the streets were built wider than in Old Delphi.

Many of Acadia's highways (French: Autoroutes) travel through and around Delphi, with the highways being Autoroutes 1, 2, 3, and 4. The Autoroutes were built during the Cleanington administration to allow for faster travel in the country, which was increasingly being congested. Delphi also has an expansive subway system as well, with the city's subway system being a part of the larger Acadia Metro system, which encompasses all of Metropolitan Acadia. The subway system is known for being one of the most modern and sanitary in Antarctica according to multiple studies over the years.

Sister Cities

 * FrancterreFlag.png Parie, Francterre
 * Snowzerland Flag.png Geneva, Snowzerland
 * NewUnitedProvincesFlag.png Winsburg, United Provinces
 * CandviaFlag.png Ventides, Candvia

Trivia

 * Delphi is one of the most expensive cities in Antarctica to live in, and this has been the result of a lot of jokes and memes among Acadians.