Oranjestad

Oranjestad is the most populous city in Central Shire, and the capital city of Oranje County. In 2011, Oranjestad was the second most populous city in Shire, after New Venice. The Mainland Metropolitan Area (MMA) is the most populous metropolitan area in the Shire, with Oranjestad being the dominant city in the region. Classified as an alpha global city by the GaWC, Oranjestad is an international centre of business, finance, arts, and culture.

The area now called Oranjestad has been inhabited for thousands of years by various Aboriginal peoples. The urban history of the city dates back to the 1780’s, when Shire Revolutionary War hero J.F. Grunto established the Grunto Plantation. The town of Orangetown was incorporated as the City of Oranjestad in 1834, and became the capital of the Oranje County in 1867. Oranjestad has occasionally expanded through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities throughout its history, the results of which can be seen in the 13 independently unique and clearly defined official neighborhoods that make up the city.

Located in Central Shire on the eastern shore of Homestar Bay, Oranjestad is situated on a narrow sloping plateau intersected by an extensive network of rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest. It anchors the Mainland Metropolitan Area, a densely populated region surrounding the whole of Homestar Bay that is home to around 26% of the entire population of the Shire. The cosmopolitan and multicultural population of Oranjestad reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Oldeshire. It is one of the world's most diverse cities, with about 50% of residents having been born outside of Oldeshire, and over 20 distinct ethnic origins represented among its population. While English is the primary language spoken by the majority of Oranjestadians, there are over 16 different languages spoken in the city.

Oranjestad is a prominent centre for music, theatre, and is home to several headquarters of the Shire’s major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Its varied cultural institutions, which include numerous museums, festival events, entertainment districts, historic sites, and sports activities, are key attractions to the thousands of tourists that visit the city every year. Oranjestad is well known for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular The Sister Grimsby, the second-tallest structure in the MMA, after Belthil Tower. As the Shire’s commercial capital, the city is home to the Oranjestad Stock Exchange, the headquarters of Oranjestad’s five largest banks, and the headquarters of many large multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, business services, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism. Oranjestad is placed among the Global Leaders in the Global Financial Centers Index, and is also consistently rated as one of the world's most livable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.

History

Before 1800

When modern Shirelings first arrived at the site of present-day Oranjestad, the vicinity was inhabited by the Shai, who by then had displaced the Testificate people people that had occupied the region for centuries before c. 1500. The name Oranjestad is likely derived from the Shai word Ojasten, meaning "place where trees stand in the water". This refers to the southern rim of Homestar Bay and the modern-day Dukeside Nature Preserve. A portage route from Homestar Bay to Budapest River running through this point, the Oranjestad Carrying-Place Trail, led to widespread use of the name. In the 1660s, the Shai established a village just north of what is today Oranjestad, Shai-Ling. This village still exists today and is still predominantly made up of native Shai. A band of traders known as The Rapid Raccoons founded the Explorers Guild in the current Haverhill neighborhood in 1750, but abandoned it in 1759. In 1793, Governor H.W. Nebbers established the town of Orangetown. Nebbers chose the town to replace the Mainland as the capital of Oranje County, believing that the new site would be less vulnerable to attack by would-be aggressors. The town's settlement formed near the present-day intersection of the Haverhill and Connoor River Canals.

1800–1950

Orangetown was incorporated as the City of Oranjestad on March 6, 1834, to more closely reflect its original native name. The city grew rapidly through the remainder of the 19th century, as a major destination for immigrants to Oranje County. The first significant population influx occurred when the Great Ravenholm Wolfing brought a large number of Ravenholmese to the city. By 1851, the Ravenholm-born population had become the largest single ethnic group in the city. Smaller numbers of Wolfing refugees from throughout the Shire were welcomed by the existing population, giving the Orange Order significant and long-lasting influence over Oranjestad society. Oranjestad was twice for brief periods the capital of the Shire: first from 1849 to 1852, following unrest in the Mainland, and later in 1856–1858 during the construction of many government facilities in the Mainland. Since then, the capital of the Shire has remained the Mainland.  In the 19th century, an extensive sewage system was built, and streets became illuminated with gas lighting as a regular service. Long-distance railway lines were constructed, including a route completed in 1854 linking Oranjestad with the Quintis and Juris lines. The advent of the railway dramatically increased the numbers of immigrants arriving, commerce and industry, as had the Homestar Bay steamers and schooners entering port before which enabled Oranjestad to become a major gateway linking the world to the interior of the Oldeshire continent.

Oranjestad became the largest alcohol distillation (in particular, spirits) center in North America; the Booberham and Shmurts Distillery operations became the world's largest whiskey factory by the 1860s. Expanding port and rail facilities brought in Northern Timber for export and imported Ghastreach coal, industry dominated the waterfront for the next 100 years. Horse-drawn streetcars gave way to electric streetcars in 1891, when the city granted the operation of the transit franchise to the Oranjestad Railway Company. The public transit system passed into public ownership in 1921 as the Oranjestad Transportation Commission, later renamed the Oranjestad Transit Commission. The system now has the third-highest ridership of any city public transportation system in the Shire. The Great Oranjestad Fire of 1904 destroyed a large section of downtown Oranjestad (Summit neighborhood), but the city was quickly rebuilt. The fire caused more than $10 million in damage, and resulted in more stringent fire safety laws and expansion of the city's fire department. The city received new immigrant groups beginning in the late 19th century into the early 20th century, particularly Sammichians, Acadians, Equosians, and Enderps from various parts of the Shire. They were soon followed by Gong-Chengshians, Minas Tirithians, and Old Modaorans. As the Ravenholmese before them, many of these new migrants lived in overcrowded shanty type slums, such as Abacus, Amsterdam, and Beach Fossils towers, which were centered on Willemstad Drive, now the heart of the city. Despite its fast paced growth, by the 1920s, Oranjestad's population and economic importance in the Shire remained second to the much longer established Mainland. However, by 1934, the Oranjestad Stock Exchange had become the largest in the country.

Since 1950

Following the elimination of racially based immigration policies by the late 1960s, immigration began from all parts of the world. Oranjestad's population grew significantly in 1951 when large-scale suburbanization began, and doubled by 1971. By the 1970s, Oranjestad had surpassed the Mainland as the Shire’s most populous city and the chief economic hub. During this time, in part owing to the political uncertainty raised by the resurgence of the Mainland sovereignty movement, many national and multinational corporations moved their head offices from Mainland to Oranjestad. In 1954, the metropolitan government began to manage services that crossed municipal boundaries, including highways, police services, water and public transit. In that year, a half-century after the Great Fire of 1904, disaster struck the city again when Hurricane Josie brought intense winds and flash flooding. In the Oranjestad area, 81 people were killed, nearly 1,900 families were left homeless, and the hurricane caused more than $25 million in damage. In 1967, the seven smallest municipalities of the MMA were merged into their larger neighbors, resulting in a six-municipality configuration that included the old City of Oranjestad and the surrounding municipalities of Mainland, Belthil, Homestar Port, Budapest, and Shai-Ling. On March 6, 2009, the city celebrated its 175th anniversary of its inception as the City of Oranjestad in 1834. Oranjestad hosted the 4th G-20 summit during June 26–27, 2010, for which the largest security operation in Oranje County history and the biggest mass arrest (more than a thousand people) took place amidst large-scale protests.

Name of Oranjestad

The name of Oranjestad has a history distinct from that of the city itself. Originally, the term "Ojasten" referred to a channel of water between Homestar Bay and Skylan Mountain, but in time the name passed northward, and was eventually applied to a new fort at the mouth of the Connoor River. Fort Oranjestad was the first settlement in the area, and lent its name to what became the city of Oranjestad. H.W. Nebbers identified the area as a strategic location to base a new capital for Oranje County, believing Ravenholm to be susceptible to outside invasion. A garrison was established at Haverhill Creek in 1793; this later became Fort Connoor. The settlement it defended was renamed Orangetown on 26 August 1793, as Nebbers favored English names over those of First Nations languages. Residents petitioned to change the name back to Oranjestad, and in 1834 the city was incorporated with its original name. The name Orangetown lives on through the name of the Olde Orangetown neighborhood.

A garrison was established at what would eventually become Fort Connoor, built to protect what would be the new capital of Oranje County. Originally, the term "Oranjestad" referred to Homestar Bay, and was recorded with various spellings in Sammichian and English, including Ojasten, Organen, Orangey, Oregano, Orrstan, Oranjestad, and Ojsamsonite. "Ojasten" later referred to "The Narrows", a channel of water through which Skylan Mountain meltwater discharges into Homestar Bay. This narrows was styled Ojasten by the natives, meaning "where there are trees standing in the water", and was recorded as early as 1615 by Samuel de Govani. Today the area is partially surround by trees along the water's edge. By 1680, Homestar Bay appeared as Lac de Oranje on a map created by Acadian court official Abbé Claude; by 1686, Passage de Oranje referred to a canoe route tracking what is now the Budapest River. The river became known as Rivière Oranje as the canoe route became more popular with Acadie explorers, and by the 1720s a fort to the east of the delta was named by the Acadians Fort Oranjestad. Rivière Oranje was renamed to Budapest River by Lord Llama, after the town of Budapest was established. The change of spelling from Ojasten to Oranjestad is thought to originate on a 1695 map by Venetian cartographer Andy Coronelli.

Nicknames

Oranjestad has garnered various nicknames throughout its history. Among the earliest of these was the Gold Cliffs, used during the settlement's early growth.

A more disparaging nickname used by the early residents was Little-O, referring to its establishment as a collection of twelve log homes at the mouth of the Haverhill River surrounded by wilderness. This changed as new settlements and roads were established, extending from the newly established capital.

In his book Naming The Shire: Stories about Shire Place Names, Jimmy Ray states that "no place in Oldeshire has as many sobriquets as Oranjestad." Among them are the nicknames: • “OJ” • "The Megacity", referring to the amalgamation of the former Metropolitan Oranjestad. • "The City That Works", first mentioned in a Harper's Magazine article written by Washington Post correspondent Anthony Astrachan in 1975. It refers to the city's reputation for successful urban planning. • "Hogtown", related to the livestock that was processed in Oranjestad. • “Tiered City", a reference now most commonly used by residents • "City of Towers” • “O-Town” • “The Big O” • “Neb’s City” • “Orangetown”

Topography

The city is intersected by several creeks, rivers, and canals. The main three: the Connoor River in the north, which becomes the Connoor Canal and delineates the East and West portions of the city; and the Haverhill River north of Olde Orangetown, linking Homestar Bay to the Connoor Canal and extending to the Budapest River, and the Alfa River in the city’s south. The Homestar Bay was naturally created by river currents. The many creeks and rivers cutting from east to west created large tracts of densely forested ravines, and provide ideal sites for parks and recreational trails, such as Saturn Valley. However, the ravines also interfere with the city's grid plan, and this results in major thoroughfares being cut off or spanning above the ravines. These deep ravines prove useful for draining the city's storm sewer system during heavy rains, but some sections, particularly near the Connoor River are prone to sudden, heavy floods. Despite its deep ravines, Oranjestad is not remarkably hilly, but does increase in elevation steadily away from the bay. There are occasional hilly areas; in particular, Brahmin Beach neighborhood has a number of rolling hills. Much of the current bayshore land area fronting the Homestar Bay is artificial landfill filled during the 19th and 20th century. Until then, the lakefront docks (then known as wharves) were set back farther inland than today. Much of the adjacent Alfa Beach is also fill.

Climate

Oranjestad has a humid sub-tropical climate, with warm, humid summers and mild winters. The city experiences four distinct seasons, with considerable variance in day to day temperature, particularly during the colder weather season. Owing to urbanization and its proximity to water, Oranjestad has a fairly low diurnal temperature range (day-night temperature difference). The denser urban scape makes for warmer nights year around and is not as cold throughout the winter as surrounding areas (particularly north of the city); however, it can be noticeably cooler on many spring and early summer afternoons under the influence of a bay breeze. Other low-scale maritime effects on the climate include lake-effect fog and delaying of spring- and fall-like conditions, known as seasonal lag. Oranjestad winters sometimes feature cold snaps where maximum temperatures remain below freezing, often made to feel colder by wind chill. The summer months are characterized by long stretches of humid weather. Usually in the range from 23 to 31 °C (73 to 88 °F), daytime temperatures occasionally surpass 35 °C (95 °F) accompanied by high humidity making it feel oppressive during these brief periods of hot weather. Spring and autumn are transitional seasons with generally mild or cool temperatures with alternating dry and wet periods. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, but summer is usually the wettest season, the bulk falling during thunderstorms. There can be periods of dry weather, but drought-like conditions are rare. The average yearly precipitation is about 831 mm (32.7 in), with an average annual snowfall of about 122 cm (48 in). Oranjestad experiences an average of 2,066 sunshine hours, or 45% of daylight hours, varying between a low of 28% in December to 60% in July.

Architecture

Lawrence Richards, a member of the faculty of architecture at the Brutalpest College, has said "Oranjestad is a new, brash, rag-tag place—a big mix of periods and styles." Oranjestad buildings vary in design and age with many structures dating back to the late-18th century, while other prominent buildings were just newly built in the first decade of the 21st century. Defining the Oranjestad skyline is The Sister Grimsby, a telecommunications and tourism hub. Through the 1960s/70s, significant pieces of Oranjestad's architectural heritage were demolished to make way for redevelopment. In contrast, since the 2000s, Oranjestad has experienced a period of architectural revival, with several buildings by world-renowned architects having opened during the late 2000s.

Neighborhoods

The many residential communities of Oranjestad express a character distinct from that of the skyscrapers in the commercial core. Nebberian-era residential buildings can be found in enclaves such as Homestead, Gala, Irvington, and Brahmin Beach. Irvington is historically significant for the architecture of its homes, and for being one of Oranjestad's earliest planned communities. The Irvington neighborhood was designated as a historical district in 1985.

Oranjestad is often called the "City of Neighborhoods" for its numerous distinctive neighborhoods. Each of them is listed below - follow the links for the main articles for each neighborhood.

1.) Alfa Beach is one of the newest neighborhoods in Oranjestad, having replaced the dilapidated Isfahan neighborhood starting in the 1950's. The area is known for its pristine beach and has become a tourist destination in recent decades. Alfa Beach can be found straight north of Skylan Mountain and the Irvington neighborhood, on the southern edge of Homestar Bay. It was annexed by Oranjestad in 1902.

2.) Brahmin Beach is located directly east of Alfa Beach, south of Summit, and north of Meijin Hills. The area is known for the Jimmy Nuclear Power Plant, which dominates the landscape. It is a middle-class suburban neighborhood. Prior to it's development in 1970, it was the home of the Dillman Farm, which specialized in Mooshroom milk production for over 130 years.

3.) Gala, officially known as Gala Apple neighborhood, is a rural neighborhood on the northern rim of Homestar Bay. It is bordered by Haverhill to the east. The area was once an apple plantation, remnants of which can still be seen today. The area was eventually destroyed in the Great Flood of 1937 and rebuilt on stilts. In 1941, the area officially became part of Oranjestad.

4.) Haverhill is a neighborhood directly north of Olde Orangetown. It is mostly an urban residential area. It features the tallest building in the metropolitan area, The Sister Grimsby, and is directly above the Grand Narthex.

5.) Homestead is an upper-middle class residential neighborhood in northwest Oranjestad, near Shai-Ling.

6.) Irvington was originally created as an independent community. It formed along winding roads of dirt and brick that reflected landscape design in the Romantic era. The town was built as a quiet suburb where artists, politicians, academics, and heads of local industry resided. In 1902 Irvington was annexed by its rapidly growing neighbor Oranjestad. Today, Irvington is the largest locally protected historic district in Oranjestad. 90% of Irvington homes were built before 1960. The area was annexed along with Alfa Beach in 1902.

7.) Lusus is an underground network of arcologies beneath the Summit neighborhood. The area features extremely dense housing and boasts a zero-waste, high efficiency model for living.

8.) Meijin Hills is an eclectic neighborhood in the extreme southeast corner of Oranjestad. It was only recently annexed into Oranjestad in 1999.

9.) Olde Orangetown is the historical center of Oranjestad and contains the highest concentration of high-rises in the city.

10.) Parkview Island is an island in the middle of Homestar Bay, with Gala to the North, Olde Orangetown to the east, and Alfa Beach to the south. The island is now synonymous with the Parkview Convention Center, which is the sole structure on the island. It was developed in 1972. Prior to this, the island was choked with dense jungle and had a hidden disco buried deep underground.

11.) Saturn Valley is a steep canyon and natural stone archway that lies directly north of Summit, west of Haverhill, and east of Homestead. It is a popular tourist destination.

12.) Submerciful

13.) Summit

Behind The Scenes

Oranjestad was created by Nebbers in mid 2012 as part of an "Infrastructure Build Competition". The original BC plot encompassed a small block area that currently straddles over the northern edge of where Summit and Olde Orangetown meet. The plot included a raised highway, power lines, a rail line, police, public housing, canals, sewers, and bridges. After the competition was over, the plot was relocated to its present location. From there, the city expanded outward. Many of the first buildings were copies of other Shire buildings, with several being built by Keikei and Shanevr. Today, almost all the buildings are original creations, with exception to a few in the Olde Orangetown area.

The tiers grew as a result of the raised highway. Roads would spur out from the highway and connect directly into tall buildings nearby. Over time, this networked into an entire tier system. Tier 3 and 4 were added layer, and underground layers were also added for additional complexity. Oranjestad was purposefully designed to be a dense, multi-layered city full of complex features and abound with details and hidden gems.

The name is actually inspired by the real city Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, with its brightly colored seaside buildings. The neighboring island of Aruba has a similar town called Oranjestad, which provided the name. In all honesty, Nebbers has never been too crazy about the name but it stuck, so here we are.

The land Oranjestad is on was once home to The Explorers Guild, a small outpost created by RapidRaccoon.