Sechia

Sechia Przejście (Miersan)
City
Motto(s):  Pokój, dobrobyt i braterstwo (Miersan) Peace, prosperity, and brotherhood
Country	West Miersa
Voivodeship	Małomiersa
Founded	TBD
Government
• Mayor	Marcin Salkowski
Population  (2017)
• City	297,137
• Rank	3rd in West Miersa
• Urban	297,137
• Metro	362,356
Time zone	TBD
• Summer (DST)	not observed

Sechia (Lemovician: Ipaŕateja, Miersan: Przejście) is a city situated in southern West Miersa on the Andia River. With a population of 297,137, it is the largest city in the voivodeship of Małomiersa, of which it is the provincial capital, and the third largest in West Miersa, after Krada and West Żobrodź.

First inhabited between 8,000 and 6,000 BCE, Sechia functioned as a major trading centre, given its location along the Andia River, and its geographic location on the north-south trade routes which went into the Lemovician highlands... (TBC)

Etymology

The name Sechia is a Solarization of the Miersan Przejście, meaning gateway, owing to it being a traditional gateway between Miersa and Lemovicia. The Miersan etymology also contributed to the Narodyn name, Šjiječî (Шїєчи).

The Lemovician name, Ipaŕateja, derives from the Lemovician phrase ipaŕaldeko ateja, or the northern gate, as it the last gate on the traditional north-south trade routes in Lemovician territory before entering Miersa.

The first recorded name for Sechia, Magodunum, is believed to come from the Old Tenic magos, meaning field or plain, and dunum, which is a Solarianisation of dūnon, or fortress, which indicates that it was either a fortress overlooking the surrounding fields or plains, or was a fortress protecting a market, as magos in some Tenic languages, notably Gaullish, also means market.

History

Prehistory

Site of a settlement near present-day Sechia, 2016

Archaeological evidence suggests that the site of present-day Sechia was first inhabited by modern-day humans between 8,000 BCE and 6,000 BCE along the banks of the Andia River.

From the earliest settlement of the area, it became a major trading centre between the proto-Marolevs residing in present-day Miersa, and the proto-Lemovicians living in present-day Lemovicia/Malomiersa, with evidence of goods that are not native to the region where Sechia is. This is believed to be the case due to its position on the Andia River, which makes it easier for trade between present-day Miersa and present-day Lemovicia to take place.

By around 5,000 BCE, a permanent settlement was established on the site of the Kopiec Hill in present-day Sechia, and although there are no written records, archaeologists suggest that Sechia maintained a position as a way-stop in the north-south Euclean trade route, while its location ensured relative protection compared to a site directly on the riverbank.

Around 1,000 BCE, proto-Lemovician artefacts disappear from the archaeological record, while Tenic artefacts begin to appear in the archaeological record around Sechia. Evidence of arrows lodged in walls at Kopiec Hill suggest that a battle may have occurred in the area, which saw a Tenic victory against proto-Lemovician tribes.

Classical period

Ancient Solarian coins found near Sechia displayed at Miersan National Museum, 2012

Although Sechia, like the rest of northern Malomiersa, was never conquered by the Solarian Empire, even during the greatest extent of the Solarian Empire, where southern Malomiersa was under Solarian rule, Sechia remained a relatively important trading town. Its importance would grow in 311 CE when southern Malomiersa was conquered by Proculus Floridius Auxientius, which led to the growth of Sechia from around 5,000 people in 200 CE to 20,000 people in 400 CE.

Archaeologists have noted the development of a settlement below Kopiec Hill between 200 and 400 CE, suggesting that an increase of merchants using the Andia River trade route led to population growth. As well, numerous Solarian-produced goods, and Solarian coins have been found in and around Sechia, in addition to goods such as timber and furs, which came from northern Euclea.

As well, Sechia first enters the historical record in 350 CE when Martinus Philocrates Orosius mentions the existence of a settlement named Magodunum. Orosius reported that the settlement was largely comprised of Tenics, with a growing population of Marolevs, which suggests that Marolevs were beginning to displace the Tenic population in the region. Orosius describes a thriving market town, although one marked with growing tensions between Marolevs and Tenics.

However, due to internal instability in the Solarian Empire and worsening raids against Solarian territory, Solarians abandoned their presence in southern Malomiersa around 400 CE, which in conjunction with increasing violence between Tenics and Marolevs, led to trade being disrupted. This had the effect of reducing Sechia's population from 20,000 people in 400 CE to 7,000 people by 500 CE: during the same timeframe, Tenic artefacts by and large cease appearing in the archaeological record, while Marolevic artefacts begin to appear in the archaeological record, although some Tenic artefacts can still be found until at least 800 CE, suggesting a dwindling Tenic presence in Sechia, as they ended up becoming assimilated into the local Marolevic population.

Contemporary era

Industrial estates in western Sechia

With the end of the Lemovician War in June 1992 after the signing of the Alikianos Accords, Sechia remained under West Miersan control. That November, elections for the local government were held for the first time since 1976, electing Tomisław Siminski to serve as Mayor.

(TBC)

Geography

View of the Zamek Pański from Sechia, 2017

The city of Sechia is situated on the banks of the Andia River on the lowlands of Lemovicia, right on the border with West Miersa. However, due to the country's geographic position, Sechia's average elevation is 296 metres above sea level, with the highest point, the Zamek Pański, being at 409 metres above sea level.

In general, however, Sechia is hilly, with prominent hills including the 409 metre high Zamek Pański and the 315 metre high Kopiec Hill, which can be seen throughout much of the city of Sechia.

Climatically, Sechia experiences a humid continental climate, with average temperatures in January ranging from a low of −7.7 °C to a high of -2.6 °C, while average temperatures in July, the warmest month, range from a low of 13.6 °C to a high of 23.5 °C. It has the highest recorded temperature set in Lemovicia, at 40.3 °C on 13 August, 2019, while the lowest recorded temperature in Sechia was −38.9 °C on 2 February, 1957.

Government

Town Hall in Sechia, 2014

The local government of Sechia is a mayor–council government, with a mayor (Miersan: burmistrz) elected every four years from all citizens residing in the city, currently held by Marcin Salkowski, who served in office since 2012.

The mayor presides over the city council (Lemovician: prezydent miasta, Miersan: rada miejska), which comprises of sixteen members, each elected from sixteen wards at the same time as the mayor of Sechia. Together, the mayor and the city council meet at the Town Hall.

(TBC)

Demographics

As of the 2017 census, Sechia has 297,137 people in its urban borders, and 362,356 people in its metropolitan area, making it the largest city and metropolitan area in both the Równiny Province, the Miersan Entity, and the country of Lemovicia.

Ethnically, Sechia is the most diverse city in the country, with around 55% of the population, or 164,807 people being ethnic Miersans, around 34% of the population, or 101,027 people, being ethnic Lemovician. Finally, 31,303 people in Sechia, or around 11% of the city's population belong to other ethnic groups, predominantly Narodyns, Savaders, and Slirnians, as well as more recent immigrants from across the world.

Linguistically, around 70% of the city's population, or 208,002 people, speak Miersan as their first language, around 22% of the population, or 64,089 people speak Lemovician as their first language, and 25,046 people, or around eight percent of the population, speak other languages as their first language. The city has some of the highest rates of bilingualism in both official languages, with around 97% of the city's population, or 288,223 people reporting that they are fluent in both Miersan and Lemovician, with only 511 reporting not to be fluent in either official language.

Religiously, Sechia is predominantly Episemialist, with 187,196 people, or 63% of the city's population adhering to it. This is followed by the Solarian Catholic Church, which as of the 2017 census has 56,553 people, or just under a fifth of the city's population. Finally, 53,388 people, or about 17.9% of the city's population follow other religions, or are irreligious people.