Holcot Inlet

Holcot Inlet Namunakumunan (Chequan) Gavamakkut Iglunga (Itchalnu)
City
Logo
Motto:  Guardian of the North
Country	Surrow
County	Southland County
Founded	1563
Government
• Mayor	Charlie Hoffman
Area
• City	199.71 km2 (77.11 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• City	110,525
• Rank	1st in Surrow
• Urban	110,525
Time zone	UTC-4 (Surrowese Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	not observed

Holcot Inlet (Chequan: Namunakumunan, Itchalnu: Gavamakkut Iglunga) is the capital and largest city of Surrow, located on the southern tip of Holcot Island. Situated just below the Breuvician Circle, it is among the northernmost cities in the world.

Inhabited by indigenous peoples prior to the arrival of Avery Holcot in 1486, the Auressian settlement was established organically as fishermen from Rythene and Tyrnica set up fishing bases in the harbour of Holcot Inlet. Due to its location, it would become the primary centre of administration, which was only strengthened when Rythene became the undisputed ruler of the Surrowese archipelago after the Eleven Years War.

After Surrow became independent in 1950, Holcot Inlet would benefit from the discovery of the Tulaktarvik palladium mine in 1952, with substantial investment being made in diversifying the city's economy away from fisheries. Today, Holcot Inlet is the primate city in Surrow, with 64% of the country's population as of the 2021 census living in Holcot Inlet.

Etymology

Holcot Inlet gets its name from Avery Holcot, who was the first explorer to discover the Surrowese archipelago in 1486. While Avery Holcot named it after (some monarch in Rythene), Holcot Inlet receive its current name from (TBC) in 1633. A common nickname for Holcot Inlet is City or Town, due to Holcot Inlet being the only major city in Surrow: as the next largest community, Tulaktarvik, is only around a third of Surrow's population, and due to Tulaktarvik not being situated on Holcot Island, Holcot Inlet is the only city on the island.

In Chequan, the harbour in Holcot Inlet has traditionally been called Namunakumunan, which derives from the Chequan term meaning southern harbour, as it is the southernmost harbour. Today, the name has been extended to apply to the city itself, although a common nickname among Chequan speakers for the city is Mishautenau, or it is [a] big town, due to the city's prevalence as being the only major city.

In Itchalnu, Holcot Inlet is officially known as Gavamakkut Iglunga, meaning government house, due to Holcot Inlet's status as the capital of Surrow. The common Itchalnu name for Holcot Inlet is Iglunga, as a shortening of Gavamakkut Iglunga. However, some Itchalnu activists, like Harvey Tanaraq, have suggested that Napaaqtutulaktarvingit, from the phrase napaaqtut tulaktarvingit meaning harbour of trees, should be used as the Itchalnu name for Holcot Inlet, citing oral history that it was the original name of the area prior to the arrival of the Chequan around 1300 CE.

History

Pre-colonial era

The site of present-day Holcot Inlet was the first place in the Surrowese archipelago to be settled by humans, with the oldest artefacts from the Pre-Armin culture dating to around 3,000 years before present, with Pre-Armin artefacts being found as late as the third century BCE. The site was subsequently inhabited by the Armin culture from around 500 BCE until 500 CE, when the Proto-Itchalnu first settled on the Surrowese archipelago. The Proto-Itchalnu would continue inhabiting Holcot Inlet until around 1300 CE, when a branch of the Ayisiyinowak settled on Holcot Inlet and expanded across Holcot Island.

By around 1450 CE, around 2,000 Chequan lived in what is today Holcot Inlet, making it the largest Chequan settlement in present-day Surrow, with the area was divided into several clusters separated by hunting grounds and fishing grounds. Evidence shows several hunting grounds around the settlements, while substantial fishing grounds near it helped make it a thriving centre for the Chequan prior to colonisation, as well as trails linking the clusters and hunting grounds with each other. Many of these trails have influenced Holcot Inlet's urban layout well into the colonial era, and affected how Holcot Inlet has been urbanised.

Early Auressian settlement

Perspective view of the Battle of Klinerhaven, 1758

When Avery Holcot discovered the island in 1486, he would record the existence of a "great harbour" near the southern tip of Holcot Island, with Holcot noting that the harbour would be "an excellent site for wintering over." Holcot also noted the presence of "substantial numbers of natives" in the area, who he dubbed the Chequan after their response of "tshekuan" (what in the Chequan language).

As the most hospitable area of Holcot Island and the Surrowese archipelago, Holcot Inlet would begin attracting fishermen from Auressia, most notably Rythene and Tyrnica. Initially, the fishermen only set up camp for the summer, and returned to Auressia during the winter. However, a few fishermen would winter over to maintain the fishing stages and associated infrastructure for the upcoming season, leading to the development of permanent settlements. In 1563, the Rytheneans established a permanent settlement on the present-day site of City Centre, and it was followed by the establishment of the Tyrnican settlement of Kleinerhafen on the site of Klinerhaven, just 2.5 km apart from each other in 1568.

However, these settlements remained small: by 1650, there were only around 300 year-round residents of Holcot Inlet, and only around 100 year-round residents in Kleinerhafen, although in the summer, there were up to 3,000 people in Holcot Inlet, and 2,500 in Kleinerhafen as fishermen made the voyage to Surrow. Conflicts between Rytheneans and Tyrnicans hampered the development of settlements, with several skirmishes being fought over Holcot Inlet and Kleinerhafen between 1600 and the outbreak of the Eleven Years War in 1748.

In the Eleven Years War, Holcot Inlet was the site of three battles: the first Battle of Holcot Inlet in 1750, which saw Tyrnican soldiers take over the Rythenean settlement of Holcot Inlet, the second Battle of Holcot Inlet in 1758, which saw Rythenean soldiers liberate Holcot Inlet from Tyrnican rule, and was followed by the Battle of Klinerhaven, which was a decisive victory for the Rytheneans, and marked the end of Tyrnican rule over Surrow.

Rythene rule

Holcot Inlet, 1863

• only city in Surrow, so history of Surrow = history of Holcot Island, and vice-versa
• colonial government governed itself during the Rythene Revolution and Great Upheaval
• post-upheaval, autonomist movement began to grow but still loyal to Rythene
• Great Fire of 1843 destroys much of the city
• FPU founded in 1878, challenges merchants' power
• FPU becomes primary political organisation against the mercantile elite, does well
• Great Fire of 1886 destroys commercial district, massive rebuilding
• not much during First Great War
• in 1930s, FPU splits between Ted Fisher who founds the UPP and builds on FPU's success, and co-op faction that flounders
• airfield built near Holcot Inlet during Second Great War, becomes Gateway
• post-war, Rythene can no longer afford to govern Surrow, gives it independence

Modern era

When Surrow gained independence from Rythene in 1950, Holcot Inlet remained the capital of Surrow. (TBC)

Geography

Like many settlements in Surrow which grew around natural harbours, the city of Holcot Inlet grew around the eponymous Holcot Inlet which connects the city to Rowland Bay. The harbour is not ice-free, although its location along the Sherborn Loop made it valuable for Rythenean ships on their way to Albrennia. Its location just below the Breuvician Circle allows Holcot Inlet to support a wider array of flora and fauna than the rest of the archipelago, which has made Holcot Inlet a major site of human settlement. However, Holcot Inlet experiences significant amounts of fog due to its location, with around 121 days of fog per year.

Although situated below the Breuvician Circle, Holcot Inlet experiences a white night, with civil twilight lasting from May 12th until July 31st: on June 21st, the sun rises at 12:54 am and sets at 11:48 pm, while on the winter solstice, Holcot Inlet only has sunlight from 10:41 am to 1:54 pm.

Climate

warm by Surrowese standards

Demographics

Saint John's Temple, 2013

As of the 2021 census, Holcot Inlet's population is at 110,525 people, comprising nearly two-thirds of the national population living there, and making Holcot Inlet the largest city in Surrow.

Racially, the largest racial group in Holcot Inlet are Auressian-Surrowese, with 104,745 people, or around 94.8% of the city's population being of Auressian descent, of which it is believed that 90% of Auressian-Surrowese are of Rythenean descent. The next largest racial group are Native Surrowese, with 1,858 people, or 1.7% of the population being of Native descent. with estimates suggesting that around 75% of the Native Surrowese in Holcot Inlet are Chequan, with then remaining 25% of Native Surrowese being Itchalnu. Finally, 3,922 people, or around 3.6% of the city's population belong to other racial groups, primarily recent immigrants from other countries.

Religiously, Holcot Inlet is mostly Perendist, with 98,390 people, or around 89% of the city's population adhering to a sect of Perendism. 11,437 people, or around 10.4% of the city's population are irreligious, which includes atheism, agnosticism, and 698 people, or around 0.6% of the city's population follow other religions.

Linguistically, Holcot Inlet is dominated by Rythenean, with 108,248 people, or around 97.9% of the city's population speaking it as a first language, and 110,083 people, or around 99.6% of the population being fluent to some degree in Rythenean. 139 people, or around 0.1% of the city's population speak Itchalnu as their first language, with 11,014 people, or around 10% of the city's population being fluent to some degree in Itchalnu. 101 people, or around 0.1% speak Chequan as their first language, with 3,431 people, or around 3.1% of the city's population being fluent to some degree in Chequan. Foreign languages are spoken by 2,037 people, or around 1.8% of the city's population, with 8,173 people or around 7.4% of the city's population understanding at least one foreign language.

Economy

View of the Port of Holcot Inlet, 2014

Holcot Inlet's status as Surrow's capital city and largest city contribute to its local economy. The Surrowese government is Holcot Inlet's largest employer, particularly in healthcare, education, and the civil service, with other areas of the Surrowese government or the county government employing significant proportions of the city's population. The privately-owned retail sector plays a major role in the municipal economy, with Holcot Inlet being home to the headquarters to Harris-Wiseman, which operates most of Surrow's supermarkets, and Surrowese Co-Op, while tourism has been a growing part of the municipal economy.

Despite the declining role of fisheries in the Surrowese economy, and by extension, the economy of Holcot Inlet, fishing is still important to the municipal economy, as many of Surrow's fishing fleets are based at Holcot Inlet, and much of Surrow's small secondary sector, which is based in Holcot Inlet, is based on the processing of cod and shellfish. Besides food processing, brewing is the other main component of the city's secondary sector, with Whitlock Brewing Company being Surrow's primary producer of ales and lagers, while microbreweries have emerged since the 1990s.

Culture

View down Whitlock Street, 2018

As the largest city in Surrow, Holcot Inlet is the centre of Surrowese culture. Holcot Inlet is home to several museums, including the Surrow National Museum, which details Surrowese history, and the National Art Gallery, which displays artworks from Surrow and the rest of the world.

Holcot Inlet is an important culinary hub for Surrow, with restaurants on Whitlock Street noted for serving Surrowese cuisine, although in recent years, the authenticity of the foods served at Whitlock Street has been questioned as its popularity increases among tourists, with areas such as Circular Road and Fisher Avenue gaining attention for having more authentic Surrowese food.

Sports play a key role in Holcot Inlet, with the most popular sports in the city being football, curling, and sailing.

Holcot Inlet is home to the Surrow national football team, based at the Surrowese National Stadium, and two indoor football teams that compete in the Surrowese Football League: FC Holcot Inlet Dockworkers and FC Holcot Inlet Hillsiders, with the two being the most dominant teams in the Surrowese Football League.

Three teams compete in the Surrowese Curling Association from Holcot Inlet: the Holcot Inlet Hardrock, which has traditionally been dominant, the Holcot Inlet Unlimited, and the Holcot Inlet Fishermen. In addition, the Surrowese curling team is based in Holcot Inlet.

Government

Holcot Inlet's municipal government is structured as a mayor-council system, with the Mayor of Holcot Inlet being elected directly by the citizens, alongside a representative to the eight-member Holcot Inlet City Council. The current Mayor of Holcot Inlet is Charlie Hoffman, who was first elected in 2015, and was subsequently re-elected in 2019 and in 2023.

Holcot Inlet is the capital of Southland County, and is represented by 14 of the 17 members of the county council, including the county commissioner, Kendra Stirner.

On the national level, Holcot Inlet is represented by 32 seats in the Parliament of Surrow. Since the 2022 elections, 19 MPs are from the governing United People's Party, 12 MPs are from the Alliance of Cooperativists and Trade Unionists, and Holcot Inlet is home to the only MP from Our Surrow, which historically was the party's strongest area relative to the rest of Surrow.

Infrastructure

Education

Rod Evenson Secondary School, 2017

Public primary and secondary education in Holcot Inlet is provided by Southland County, with the county government operating 29 public schools in the city. Of the 29 public schools operated by the county, there are 22 primary schools, and 7 secondary schools, with all public schools following the Surrowese curriculum. In addition to the 27 public schools, there are six private schools in the city. Of the six private schools, three are international schools that follow the curriculum of Albrennia, two are private religious schools, who do not fully follow Surrow's curriculum, and one (the Klinerhaven Tyrnican School) teaches in Tyrnican.

The main university campus in Surrow, the Surrow National University, is based in Holcot Inlet, with an enrolment of 9,000 students in the 2021-22 academic year, while the only other post-secondary institution in the city, the Holcot Inlet Polytechnic, has an enrolment of around 10,000 students in the 2021-22 academic year.

Healthcare

As the largest city in Surrow, Holcot Inlet is the centre of the country's healthcare system, with Holcot Inlet being home to four hospitals: Harbour View Hospital, Holcot Inlet General Hospital, Surrow Children's Hospital, and Waterford Hospital.

Transportation

Holcot Inlet is dominated by its eponymous harbour which gives the settlement its name. This harbour has become known as the Port of Holcot Inlet, and despite the fact that the harbour freezes over in the winter, is the only major harbour in the country.

Holcot Inlet sits on the southern terminus of the Surrowese Highway, which goes north to Apitumiss on the northern end of Holcot Island, with the highway beginning at Chequan Road. The highway links Holcot Inlet to Surrow International Airport in Gateway, which is the only airport to serve Holcot Island. Other major roads providing access to neighbourhoods in Holcot Inlet include Memorial Drive (which together with the portion of the Surrowese Highway in Holcot Inlet, forms Perimeter Road), Vatenhammer Road, Brandis Drive, Thompson Road, Ted Fisher Drive, Shields Road, Wich Drive, and the aforementioned Chequan Road.

Public transportation is provided by the Holcot Inlet Transit Authority (HITA), which provides bus service across the city. Services are provided every 15 minutes seven days a week from 5 am until 7 pm, and then every 30 minutes until midnight, except on Tribulation Day, when HITA does not operate.

Media

Headquarters of Arnarson Press, 2009

Holcot Inlet is a centre for Surrowese media, with the Altman Media Group, Arnarson Press, and the SBC all being headquartered in Holcot Inlet. The two primary newspapers in Surrow, the Daily Fisherman, a daily broadsheet owned by the Altman Media Group, and the Holcot Inlet Herald, a thrice-a-week broadsheet owned by Arnarson Press are both based in Holcot Inlet. Besides the two main newspapers, Surrow National University also publishes a weekly newspaper, The Trident, which functions as an alternative newspaper.

There are eight radio stations based in Holcot Inlet. Altman operates four radio stations, SUAL-FM, a classic rock station at 88.5 FM, SULH-FM, a country music station at 94.7 FM, SUHI-FM, a contemporary station at 98.3 FM, and SUWD-FM, a classic hits station at 105.6 FM. Arnarson Press only operates one station, SUHI-AM, a news/talk radio station at 640 AM. The SBC operates two radio stations in Holcot Inlet, SUBH-AM, broadcasting at 590 AM, and SUBH-FM, a repeater of SUBH-AM broadcasting at 102.5 FM. Finally, the student union at the Surrow National University operates a campus radio station, SUNU-FM, which broadcasts at 90.5 FM.

Holcot Inlet has two television stations, with the SBC having its flagship station, SUTV-TV based in Holcot Inlet, and Surrow's only independent station, SUPL-TV also based in Holcot Inlet.