Voorstede

Voorstede Veurstadt
City
Descending, from top: View of the Binnen Waterfront, warehouse district, and Voorstede city hall
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Onze stad tussen heide en zee
Country	Vossem
Government
• Body	Stadsraad van Voorstede
• First Mayor	Peter Vandenlange (Conservatieven)
• Governing parties	Conservatieven
Area
• City	1,255.22 km2 (484.64 sq mi)
Population  (30 September 2016)
• City	4,822,445
• Density	3,800/km2 (10,000/sq mi)
• Metro	9,107,429
Demonym	Voors
Posta Code	10000-11500
Area Code	010
ISO 3166 code	VO-VO
Vehicle registration	V

Voorstede is the capital city of Vossem, and the administrative seat of the Hoofstedelijk Gewest. It is the seat of the Vossian monarchy. Voorstede is the second largest city in the country in terms of both population and economic importance. The city straddles the river Ven shortly before it reaches the sea.

Geography

Voorstede is situated near the mouth of the river Venn, and straddles both its north and south shores. The city center is on the southern shore, however over the centuries the city has expanded across the river, and into the surrounding flatlands, marshes and heath-beds. Several rivers and canals flow into the Venn inside the current city-limits.

Demographics

Religion

The vast majority of Voorstede's population reflects the national trend of following the Roman-Catholic religion. There are over 800 churches and chapels in the capital, with a registered regular attendance of roughly 5 million worshipers. The second largest religious group is made up of other Christian denominations including various protestant and reformed branches, as well as Orthodox Christians. The third largest community is simply labeled as "other", and is made up of budhists, hindus, muslims and other minority religious groups.

Church service is mostly given in Dutch or to a lesser extent German, however there are also services given in English, French and other foreign languages. Traditionally, the royal family attends mass at the Sint Kathelijne Cathedral in the city center.

Language

While Dutch is the main language spoken in Vossem, many people in the capital also speak a second or third language. The second most popular language spoken in Voorstede is English, with German in third place.

Government

Voorstede City Hall (front view)

The city and administrative area of Voorstede are governed by the Stadsraad van Voorstede ('City Council of Voorstede') which is elected by and represents residents of the capital administrative region in most aspects while the House of Deemse still retains some of its historical special privileges to this day, though the royal house tends to keep out of local politics and remain on the city council in a ceremonial role. The role of Council Speaker is traditionally held by the heir apparent after completing their studies and military service until the day they ascend to the throne.

The city government is made up of the Kleine Stadsraad (Little City Council), Grote Landsraad (Great Land Council) and then the offices of the Commisariaat (Commissariat). The city council is made up of representatives from Voorstede's boroughs and parishes, which are elected directly by Vossian citizens living in the boroughs and parishes. The Grote Landsraad is made up of representatives from the counties within the administrative are, which coincides with the medieval holdings of the Deemse hold. Each county is granted five representatives while Voorstede is granted fifteen. The Commissariat is the remnant of the old system of charters and guilds in the city, and represents special interests to the city and regional government. There are various commisariats representing everything from the press agencies, to the banking institutions, to the harbor, down to bakeries and bookshops.

The seat of the city and regional government are in Voorstede's city hall. The current building is the most recognizable example of Vossian Neo-Renaissance style architecture today. Its foundations lay on top of the city's previous city halls. Records and archaeological digs have confirmed three different structures on the sight dating back to the original settlement.

Boroughs

(For main article, see: Boroughs of Voorstede)

As in most cities in Vossem, Voorstede is divided into boroughs, which in turn are made up of parishes. Each borough is made up of two or more parishes. The postal codes in Voorstede are based on these parishes, rather than the boroughs. The boroughs are in turn organized by zone, which decides which commune they are administered by, and which services are assigned where. Voorstede is made up of ten boroughs, which are subdivided into 18 communes, made up in turn of 108 parishes.

Borough	Parishes	Zone
Oudestad	Sint Kathelijne Korenmarkt Paleiskwartier Jodenviertal	1
Buiten Waterfront	Akwetijn Dokken Sint Stefaan a/d Venn Versmarkt Pergamijn Dokken Arsenaal	1
Binnen Waterfront	Kethedraalkwartier Grote Markt Raadshuisplein Julianakwartier	1
Westerpoort	Westkapelle Sint Joris ten Node Aldebroedersberg Westerwallen Minderbroedersheide	2
Zuiderpoort	Keizersbarraken Zuiderveld Meertrichterpoort Cauberg Sint Madelijne	2
Oosterpoort	Oosterdokken Wavrewal Sint Tien a/d Venn Wolmarkt	2
Noordoever	Sint Eustasiusdokken Marinehaven Kruidenmarkt Servusskwartier Abdijbrug	2
Buitenhof	Lentepaleijs Eppsdorp Jillingen Schinnvelden	3
Westerheide	Sint Malloe Ereveld Zulligen Eberberg Builtenvoorde Zuiderdorp Akedemiehof	3
Vennmond	Lek a/d Venn Sint Judith Vennstrand Vennervoorde Haven Noor-West Haven Zuid-West Radiumkwartier	3