Aurelia

Aurelia, officially the City and County of Aurelia, is a port city and the commercial, cultural, and financial center of southern Antarctic Peninsula. With a population of 2,047,281 as of 2020, it is the second largest city in the Antarctic Peninsula and one of the largest cities in the United States of Antarctica. Aurelia is the principal city in the Aurelia Metropolitan Area has a population of 6,293,465, making it the largest metropolitan area in the state and one of the largest in the country. The metropolitan area is the largest area and southernmost point of the Southern Antarctica Peninsula Megaregion, which includes the cities of Dale, Dancefloo, Olympia, and Rasington, and has a population of 19,642,395 according to a 2020 estimate.

The city was first settled in the 9th century, and had grown into a major port city on the coast by the 13th century, being one of the many centers of trade along the Antarctic Peninsular coast. Aurelia continued to grow slowly over the years, becoming a vibrant financial center in the region and rivaling many nearby cities such as Fogvale, Delphi, and Antilles. After its height in the middle ages and the years following it, Aurelia began to decline as other cities grew, but nevertheless remained an important port city. During the Khanzem War, many military installations were built in the city and new equipment and weapons began to be developed there, and since then the military has played an important role in the city.

Today, its location on the important trade route system SABER, its status as a financial, technological, and tourism center, along with the many military industries prevalent there, has made Aurelia and its surrounding metropolitan area the most affluent in the state and one of the most affluent in Antarctica. The city has a high GDP and high median income compared to the rest of the country, and is also considered one of the most expensive cities to live in, with a high cost of living and expensive housing market. Nevertheless, it has ranked highly on rankings on livability around Antarctica. It is also considered the technological center of the Antarctic Peninsula due to the abundance of tech companies there, which has earned it the nickname as the "Germanium Valley of the Antarctic Peninsula".

Founding
The first settlement of Aurelia occurred around the 8th century as a small village surrounded by farms in the fertile lands around it. By the 12th century, it was slowly becoming a center of trade, as goods from further inland in the High Penguin Confederacy were shipped out to foreign lands. Lordship of the city was given to a Lord Forrester in the 13th century for his service to the High Penguin Confederacy, and his descendants continued to rule the city for centuries afterwards. As the years continued, the city continued to grow wealthier off of maritime trade, and was beginning to emerge as a center of banking.

The increase in maritime trade in the Sub-Antarctic region led to greater growth of population centers along the coast, and Aurelia was no exception. Its natural harbor on the eastern side of the Aurelia peninsula was an ideal place to dock ships, and the Carlisle River on the other end of Lake Amethyst allowed for vessels to venture into the interior to trade with the other towns down the river. Before, while most of the population in the province of Lameque had been concentrated in the east, near the heartland of the High Penguin Confederacy, the majority of the population now resided along the coast. As Aurelia became the largest city in Lameque, the capital of the province was moved from Dale in the east to Aurelia, to reflect the city's growth and important status.

Middle Ages
As it was located far from the heartland of the High Penguin Confederacy, the city escaped most of the periods of instability and infighting that often plagued the various fiefdoms further inland. Many peasants, fleeing the poverty and war in other parts of the country, eventually made their way to major cities such as Aurelia, where life was much more peaceful and they were able to earn more money working in the various industries in the city. Despite being far from the capital, the nobility in Aurelia were still relatively involved in court politics in the capital city, as records show. Close allies in the capital allowed for a more advantageous position in commerce and also allowed them to influence the politics of the country.

As the Ninja Archipelago countries began to develop ships and engage in more maritime trade after the middle ages, the city began to decline in prominence as other cities in the Ninja Archipelago became some of the most important port cities in Antarctica. However, it was still an important city in the High Penguin Confederacy and continued to develop as a banking center. The growth of trade around Antarctica allowed for some Aurelian merchants to grow their operations, building more ships that traveled to faraway lands such as the Asiapelago for goods. During this time, the nobility and wealthy often enjoyed luxuries from the Asiapelago that had been gained through trade.

Modern Era
In the 1800s, Aurelia began to industrialize and modernize, as factories were built in the city and railroad lines connected it with other cities around Antarctica, such as Fogvale and the capital city. Later in the 19th century, streetlights began to be installed around the city and the tram system was established as well, providing public transport between areas of Aurelia. The start of the Khanzem War a few years later resulted in the city's defenses being modernized, with the government of the Grand Ol' Land building a large naval base a few miles outside of the city to protect from a Khanzem attack.

During the Khanzem War, the city remained under the control of the Grand Ol' Land government as it was far behind the front lines. More factories were built by the government during this time for the front lines, increasing production in Aurelia and bringing down the unemployment rate to its lowest level in history. Aurelia escaped the destruction of the Khanzem War, although the Khanzem high command did make plans to conquer the city for its strategic value during the war, but Khanzem began to lose the war before these plans could be carried out.

Aftermath of Khanzem War
The city's economy continued to grow after the war, but like with most of the continent, was hit by an economic crisis in the 1930s that resulted from the instability and constant wars that plagued the continent in the years after the Khanzem War. After Olde Antarctica was founded, and Aurelia came under the rule of the Water Kingdom, the economy began to recover. Many new military technologies began to be developed in the city for the False War by the government in the 1960s and 1970s, which was the start of the city's technological sector.

From the 1960s until the 1980s, the city underwent a great deal of development in the outskirts, with new houses and shopping centers being built in the south of the city. For most of the city's history, development was concentrated in the north of the peninsula and around Aurelia Harbor, which was where the downtown area was located. The southern areas of the city were mostly home to small agricultural communities and farms, which existed up until the 1970s. The effects of this development are still seen today, as there is a stark contrast between the older layout and architecture of north Aurelia and the suburban sprawl of the southern areas. Its suburban sprawl in the south resembles the cities of Snow Jose and Kingston in Eastshield.

As it was home to many military facilities, Aurelia remained once of the last remaining Olde Antarctica holdouts during the STINC War, with a significant amount of Olde Antarctican forces occupying the city and the surrounding areas. This allowed the Bridgestadt Pact forces to quickly establish a launching point for the invasion of Antarctica that liberated the continent. When the Antarctic Revolution broke out against Puffish rule in 1999, rebels quickly seized control of the city and declared for the new United States of Antarctica, but the city was recaptured by Puffish forces later in the war. It was later given back to the new country at the end of the war and became a part of the state of Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctican era
At the founding of the United States of Antarctica, Aurelia was the largest city in the Antarctic Peninsula by population, but was soon surpassed in the late 2000s by the rapid growth of East Bank City. It was a candidate for consideration as the new state capital of the Antarctic Peninsula, but Shiverpool was ultimately chosen as it was closer to the other population centers in the state. However, Aurelia did briefly serve as the temporary capital of the Antarctic Peninsula during the War of 2002 when Acadian forces occupied Shiverpool. This was because due to its location, Aurelia was out of range of any major Acadian or Puffish fleet in the Sub-Antarctic or any bomber squadron. During this time, the Antarctic Peninsula legislature met at the former provincial assembly of Lameque, which hadn't been used since the Khanzem War.

Government
As a consolidated city-county, the government of the city and what would be the county are the same, and it is considered both a county and city. Aurelia operates under a strong mayor system of city government, where the city's mayor has a large amount of control in the government, such as the ability to appoint and dismiss the heads of the city departments, and veto power. The vice mayor is elected from the city council from among its members, and takes the place of the mayor when he is unable to perform his or her duties in any way. A city council with fifteen members who are elected every four years from among their districts in the city has the power to make laws.

Law enforcement is provided by the Aurelia Police Department, one of the oldest police departments in Antarctica. The city has among the lowest violent crime in the country, although other crimes such as burglary and theft still remain high, although not too high compared to the rest of the country. As a consolidated city-county, the city of Aurelia also administers the county jail. The city is a major hub for many government agencies in the state of Antarctic Peninsula, with a branch of the state court being located there, along with some other branches of agencies and departments in the state. There is an EPF branch office located in Aurelia as well, the only one in southern Antarctic Peninsula.

Politics
Aurelia is often a highly contested area in local, state, and national elections, with the city swaying between the liberal and conservative parties in many elections. Traditionally, the city has been conservative, but has begun to slightly become more liberal over time. It was considered a conservative party stronghold in previous elections, although the 2016 election showed that the city had become more liberal. The current mayor of the city is a conservative, and the conservative party holds a slight majority in the city council. However, the most of the state legislators from Aurelia are currently members of the liberal party. The city voted for Donal Tenorio in the 2016 election by a slight margin.

Unincorporated areas
There are two "census designated places", Musk Isle and Smoke Isle, which are located within the boundaries of the City and County of Aurelia. However, they are their own legally defined area in the city for census, postal, and statistical purposes. Musk Isle and Smoke Isle were their own separate communities from Aurelia dating back to the medieval era, being home to several villages, but were annexed by the City and County of Aurelia in the 1980s. Despite this, the names "Musk Isle, Antarctic Peninsula" and "Smoke Isle, Antarctic Peninsula" are still acceptable to be used for mail purposes. Both places are serviced by the Aurelia Fire Department, Aurelia Police Department, and other government services in Aurelia, and lie within the boundaries of the Aurelia Unified School District.

Education
Most of the city is served by the Aurelia Unified School District, which has dozens of elementary, middle, and high schools, along with some charter and magnet schools. With 155,947 students enrolled during the 2018-2019 school year, it is the fourth largest school district in the Antarctic Peninsula and the largest in southern Antarctic Peninsula. Other parts of the city are served by the Fort Wisteria Unified School District and the Sanders Unified School District as well. The Stratford Unified School District, which is headquartered in neighboring Stratford, also serves parts of the southern areas of Aurelia. The city is also home to many private schools.

There are also many colleges in the city, both public and private. Public colleges in the city including Peninsula State University, Aurelia (PSU Aurelia), University of the Peninsula, Aurelia (UP Aurelia), and two community colleges in the Aurelia Community Colleges District; Aurelia College and Beckham College. Private colleges include the University of Aurelia, Anderson University, and Rowan University. The University of Aurelia is considered to be the second best university in the Antarctic Peninsula, after the University of South Shiverpool. The city has one medical school, the UP Aurelia School of Medicine, and two law schools, the University of Aurelia School of Law and South Antarctic Peninsula School of Law.

Economy
The city is an important business and financial center in the country, and is considered one of the most important in the state of Antarctic Peninsula. The port of Aurelia is the second largest in the state, after the port of Shiverpool, and is an important link on SABER. A significant amount of goods are shipped out of the port of Aurelia mainly to countries in the Asiapelago and also to the Ninja Archipelago as well. Many banks, such as the Bank of Aurelia, are also headquartered in the city, mostly in the financial district, along with the headquarters of some large corporations in Antarctica. Technology is also important to the city's economy, and companies such as Eureka! and Peach have offices located in the financial district. The Aurelia Stock Exchange is the largest in the state and one of the largest in the country.

Aurelia has the highest GDP of any city in the Antarctic Peninsula, along with the second highest median income of any major city in the state, after Shiverpool. The city also has a high cost of living and a high standard of living compared to most other cities in the United States of Antarctica, due to the abundance of high paying jobs there. As of a 2020 study, Aurelia has the highest cost of housing of any major city in the Antarctic Peninsula. Other smaller towns and cities located in the metropolitan area had the highest cost of housing in the country. Because of this, the city has a higher amount of homelessness compared to other cities in the United States of Antarctica.

Culture
The medieval city of Old Aurelia, located in the downtown area, draws hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, and is a significant part of the local economy. The city has many historic sites, including the medieval walls, Aurelia Castle, and the many palaces in the city, among many other historic sites. There are also many museums in the city, such as the Aurelia Museum of Art and the Khanzem War Museum, that are often visited by tourists. Aurelia is also home to a vibrant performing arts scene, with the Morris Theatre in the downtown area showing a lot of musicals and shows each year, and the Aurelia Symphony playing at Jones Center.

Aurelia is home to three major professional sports teams, in football, hockey, and soccer. The city is home to Aurelia Horses, a football team that has made it to the finals on three occasions. The Horses currently play at Abulb Stadium, four miles from the city center. It is represented in hockey by the Aurelia Pelicans at their home field at CameraLife Center, who made it to the finals in 1998 and 2017. In soccer, the city is represented by the Aurelia Shadows, a relatively new team that was created in 2007, and currently plays at Dupont's Coffee Stadium.

Demographics
The city has a population of 2,047,281, or 2,057,806 including the unincorporated places of Musk Isle and Smoke Isle, over a total land area of 414 square miles, or 445 square miles including Musk and Smoke Isles, making it the second largest city by land area in the state of Antarctic Peninsula. It has a population density of 4,945 people per square mile. The Aurelia Metropolitan Area is the largest in the state by both area and population. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city was about 44% High Penguin, 23% Emperor Penguin, and 20% King Penguin. The remaining 11% consisted of various groups such as Adelie Penguins and some others.

Geography
Aurelia has a land area of around 400 square miles, and consists of mostly flat but also some hilly land in the outskirts of the city. It is about 25 miles from north to south and about 17 miles from east to west. The city lies on the Aurelia Peninsula, which the entirety of the city limits is located in, and is bordered by Lake Amethyst to the north and east. The Chestnut River runs through the city from the Stratford Hills in the south of the city before flowing into Lake Amethyst at the Aurelia Harbor. Aurelia is bordered by hills to the east, south, and west, being situated in the Alder Valley. The eastern hills are known as the Amethyst Hills, the southern hills are known as the Stratford Hills, and the western hills are known as the Durham Hills. Also a part of the city are Musk Isle and Smoke Isle, two islands outside of the Aurelia peninsula.

Most of the city lies on flat land, however, although some neighborhoods in the city's outskirts are located in the hills. The majority of the city's population resides in the lowlands, also referred to as "the Valley" by residents, while a small part of the population also lives in the surrounding hills, also known as "the Hills" by city residents. The hills have traditionally been home to more affluent communities since as far back as the middle ages, when nobility and wealthy merchants had large homes in the northern Durham Hills surrounding the present downtown area. In the late 20th century, as Aurelia grew and began to develop the southern areas, many wealthy communities began to form in the southern Durham Hills and in the Stratford Hills as well, echoing a continuous trend.

Transportation
Aurelia is served by many different freeways in both the interstate highway system and the Antarctic Peninsula state highway system. Interstate 1 is the main highway in Aurelia, crossing through the downtown area and connecting the city with other major cities in both directions. Interstate 26 is another important highway that connects Aurelia with the smaller towns and cities along Lake Amethyst in the Aurelia metropolitan area and runs north to Rasington and Dancefloo. Other highways in the city are Interstate 21 and state highway 12, state highway 58, and state highway 61.

The Aurelia Metropolitan Transportation Authority (AMTA) manages the various public transport systems in the city of Aurelia and neighboring cities in the Aurelia Metropolitan Area, which lies in Carlisle County and Somerset County. These include the city's bus system, the light rail system, and a subway system. Aurelia's light rail system is the second busiest in the Antarctic Peninsula, while its subway system is the busiest in the state. Both the state and federal governments also maintain train lines that connect Aurelia with cities in its metropolitan area and around the state as well.

The city has one major commercial airport, Aurelia International Airport, which is the busiest airport in the Antarctic Peninsula. It is located five miles from the downtown area and has flights to some cities in the Antarctic Peninsula such as East Bank City and Shiverpool along with direct flights to cities in the country such as Hashville, Kingston, and South Pole City. Other commercial airports serving the city include Dartford Airport, Jonestown Airport, and Somerset Airport, all lying outside city limits in neighboring counties. There is also one general aviation airport in the city, Walden Airport, and an air force base, Finney Air Force Base, which is located across the strait outside Jonestown.

Sister Cities

 * AcadiaFlag.png Bay Town, Acadia
 * Tropicalis Flag.png Beaksledge, Tropicalis
 * Freezelandflag.jpg Fanon City, Freezeland
 * NewUnitedProvincesFlag.png Fruit Harbor, United Provinces
 * ShopsIslandFlag2013.png Wizzint, Moon Island

Trivia

 * It is inspired by a combination of the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, but isn't a complete parody of any of the cities.
 * Aurelia has a fierce rivalry with Shiverpool, partly because Shiverpool became the state capital instead of Aurelia, but also because Aurelia is often the "second" in the Antarctic Peninsula to Shiverpool's "first", such as in quality of education.
 * This rivalry translates into the rivalry in sports, with fans of Shiverpool sports teams sometimes being booed when they show up in Aurelia for sports games, and vice versa.