Angatahuaca

Angatahuaca 𐐈𐑌𐑀𐐰𐐻𐐰𐐸𐐶𐐰𐐿𐐰
Metropolis
Clockwise from top left: Cityscape of Heron Island, typical altepetlianca residential ward, World-Carrier plaza, Atlatlemitl statue in Cuayollotli park
Country	Zacapican
Republic	Aztaco
Atlepetl	Angatahuaca
Established	744
Tlayacame	5 Heron Island (Aztlan) Cihuacoatl Achauhtla Pozon Mixtiani
Government
• Altepepixqui	Lozya Xanamil
• First Altepehuaque	Lodmilla Hladizla
• Chief Magistrate	Tizaro Sesasi
Area
• Total	401 km2 (155 sq mi)
Elevation	10 m (30 ft)
Population  (2022 census)
• Total	8,054,830
• Density	20,087/km2 (52,030/sq mi)

Angatahuaca (Nahuatl: 𐐈𐑌𐑀𐐰𐐻𐐰𐐸𐐶𐐰𐐿𐐰) is the largest city in Zacapican and the capital of the Aztaco Republic. The city has a population exceeding 8 million within its urban limits nearly double that of the second largest Zacapine city Tequitinitlan and more than half of the Greater Angatahuaca urban zone home to a total population of 14 million. The urban zone of Greater Angatahuaca is the largest in Zacapican, one of the largest in the world and encompasses nearly the totality of the entire population of the Aztaco republic. Angatahuaca proper encompasses 401 square kilometers across two islands and a large section of the coastal plain of the eastern Aztaco peninsula, creating a high average density of roughly 20,000 residents per square kilometer which rises to heights of 71,000 per square kilometer in the city center on Heron island. Angatahuaca is the industrial, financial, historical and cultural center of the Zacapine mainland as the former capital of its predecessor state Aztapamatlan and the prime destination for the principal waves of immigration to Zacapican from foreign nations over the course of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The city has a GDP equivalent to nearly 500 billion solidus, accounting for a quarter of the national GDP of Zacapican, having the highest GDP per capita of any region of the country.

Located within a major natural harbor, Angatahuaca maintains the largest port facility in Zacapican which extends beyond the bounds of the city and is shared with neighboring Amegatlan. Angatahuaca harbor is the epicenter of the city, the first site colonized by oceangoing Purépecha traders and explorers on the tip of what is now Heron island at the center of the city, (also known as Aztlan). For a thousand years from its foundation onward, Angatahuaca would be the capital of a republic that would grow from a minor city state to a regional power and then a vast empire encompassing all of modern day Zacapican and extending across the oceans in imperial ventures on other continents. As the capital of Aztapamatlan, Angatahuaca would be one of the first cities in the world to surpass a population of 1 million residents and became a multi-cultural metropolis where people, cultures and religions from all over the empire could be found. Angatahuaca retained tremendous economic, cultural and therefore political significiance after the fall of Aztapamatlan and the relocation of the nation's political center to the west coast. The city's port was the entry point for millions of immigrants from Norumbia, Malaio, Ochran and Belisaria, a large portion of which would remain and settle in the city itself while others would disperse to other Zacapine cities from their first port of call in Angatahuaca. Multiculturalism, diversity and the burgeoning economy and population of the city have earned Angatahuaca the name Altepetl Macuilcan Anahuame or "city of five continents".

Etymology

A colony of great white herons on the island that is today known as Aztlan or Heron island gave Angatahuaca its name, originally Angajtakuaka meaning the "Land of Herons" in the Purépecha language. The founding population of the colony were entirely Purépecha, but would become more and more Nahua as the city drew in the local people from the surrounding hills and marshes. Due to the relative isolation of the colony away from the Purépecha heartland on the west coast, the city changed from primarily Purépecha to primarily Nahua in character and would lead to the Nahuanization of the city's institutions, lineages and its name. Angatahuaca was only one of the Nahuatl transformations of the Purépecha name, with the other common form being Anhuatahuaca due to the "g" phoneme being alien to the Nahuatl language. However, it would be Angatahuaca that would eventually win the battle of Nahuanization and become the widely accepted spelling and pronunciation of the city's name by the 11th century.

History

Foundation

The history of Angatahuaca is the history of Aztapamatlan and the unification of Zacapican. Legends of the founding of the city tell of a the Purépecha sailors following a flock of twenty heron which guided them through the fog and the shoals of the mouth of the harbor to find Heron island and land upon its tip. Tradition places the foundation of the city of Angatahuaca on the tip of Heron island in 744 CE, although some evidence suggests a small outpost of wooden buildings located on the site as early as 700. This Iruka Angajtakua served as a trading post for the Purépecha merchants to purchase trade goods such as copper, silver, furs and dyes from the Nahua, Iakan and Ona tribes inhabiting the marshy coastal plain and the forested hills and valleys of the interior. The lifeblood of this early settlement was the trade around the Anamictlan peninsula back and forth with the main Purépecha city-states of the west coast, although this connection would prove tenuous and easily disrupted by the characteristic winter storms emerging from the polar currents which strike southern of Zacapican from the west. Where its western counterparts engaged in a policy of permitting selective immigration by the locals into their colonial centers and the assimilation of these demographics into the Purépecha culture and way of life, the small and isolated outpost on the tip of Heron island failed to assimilate the local people and instead began to itself assimilate into the predominant Nahua culture and language of the surrounding region. Far from resisting this process, the Purépecha elites of the city embraced this process as a means to bring the city to greater standing among the local powers and as a necessary move to preserve their power in the face of Nahua migration into the city. In 801, the oligarchy of the traders in the city overthrew the weakened Caconzi lord of the city to seize power for themselves as the Nahuanization process placed pressure on the city's political system, establishing the republic of the Wakusicha or "Eagles" later known as the Cuauhtli as Purépecha faded into the status of a minor language in the city. The republican government of Angatahuaca, known as the Cuauhtlatollo, primarily provided a stable political system free of coups and dynastic disputes which plagued the surrounding monarchic city-states and petty kingdoms. Angatahuacan democracy would provide a medium for the relatively peaceful resolution of power struggles within the city elite, establish a release valve for societal pressures and grievances of the people, and most of all protect the power of the Eagles and their ancient lineages which retained control of the political system.

Aztapamatlan

Main article: Aztapamatlan

Under the rule of the Cuauhtlatollo, the city-state of Angatahuaca underwent a shift in culture from a minor merchant city to a major martial republic. Militarization began at the top, with the new republican system of government outright requiring certain lengths of military service from the elite before they would be eligible to hold specific offices. The social structure of the city transformed with most of the old merchant families now becoming officers in a new army with the Nahua commoners of the city becoming the rank and file soldiers. The militant republic of Angatahuaca began a campaign of subjugation, integration and assimilation of the same tribes which had once traded with the Purépecha merchants, with flexible units of infantrymen moving into the hills and conquering or displacing the resident tribesmen under the distinctive white banners of the city of Angatahuaca, made of the white feathers of the herons which had given the city its name a century prior. In 955, more than two centuries since the foundation of the city, the Angatahuaca republic ruled over most of the peninsula today known as Aztaco. This expanding new state would become known as Aztapamatlan, a generally translated as "there under the heron's wings", a metaphor for the heron-feather banners which were now flown over fortresses and towns across the peninsula. Angatahuca persued a policy of assimilation not unlike the old Purépecha doctrine of absorbing the surrounding people, this time integrating the conquered people into a Nahua culture and language. The city would also become the new epicenter of the Cozauist religion, then a minor monotheistic sect native to the peninsula and quickly diminishing before being adopted by the Angatahuacan elites as the start of the city's militarization. Angatahuaca became the seat of the Cozauist clergy and temple institution, a status which it retains to the present day. Cozauism became a vehicle for assimilation and integration of the conquered peoples, as the temples would oversee the conversion of the people to the robust and distinct Cozauist sect while spreading Nahuatl language and the narrative of Aztapamatlan imperial destiny in the process. For the next centuries of the city's history, it would continue to grow and prosper greatly through the extracted taxation and tribute from its growing empire. Infrastructure projects and public works, some of which remain in place in the present day a millennium later, were funded with this wealth to accommodate the ballooning population which reached 1 million by the 12th century, occupying the whole of Heron island.

Urban Structure

Biel construction worker laboring on the steel structure of the Xolotecatl tower.

The city of Angatahuaca is divided into five Tlayacame, or city sectors, with varying cultures, architecture and structures stemming from the 13 centuries of evolving urban planning which shaped the city as it expanded. The oldest Tlayacatl, Heron island, has been fully urbanized for a thousand years which many newer structures and public works overlapping their ancient precursors, while the youngest Tlayacatl of Pozon bears a much more uniform and modern appearance comparable to the 20th century urban developments of other Zacapine cities. Angatahuaca is relatively unique among the modern Zacapine cities thanks in large part to how large the pre-modern urban core had become relative to those of other cities. Due to this pre-existing organic city on Heron island, the modern Angatahuaca has expanded in a pattern largely cooperating with the older patterns of settlement rather than overriding the old city as is the case in other urban centers. The five Tlayacame are subdivided into hundreds of calpolli wards, some of which are some of the oldest calpolli still existing.

The old city on Heron island is connected by bridge to the mainland Tlayacame of Cihuacoatl and Achauhtla, the second and third oldest sectors of the city respectively, as well as the island district of Mixtiani which is the smallest and most modern subdivision of the city. The old city on the tip of Heron island features the pattern of winding streets of an organic and unplanned city, which gradually turns into a grid of rectangular city blocks representing the transition of Angatahuaca from a minor trading town to the capital of a growing military power. The grid is the defining feature of the modern city of Angatahuaca, with its straight lines and regular format all but eliminating boundary disputes between property holders and easing construction and investment over the terrain as the city expanded. Many of the older sections of the grid, particularly on Heron island itself have become one-way streets and even pedestrianized areas due to the narrow width of the streets and winding passages between buildings charachteristic of the old city which made the infiltration of motor vehicles to this region of the city very difficult. Conversely, the later grid and in particular the grid of the mainland Tlayacame of Cihuacoatl, Achauhtla and Pozon have streets wide enough for 2-4 lanes of traffic and two way streets, many of which have been altered to accommodate tram lines and designated omnibus lanes in the later eras of the city's development. Reconstruction in Cihuacoatl and on Heron island have been constant processes, even before the modernization initiatives of the 20th century as the old city of Angatahuaca suffered many fires, riots and periods of remodeling for centuries. This has created an architectural and design profile placing structures and city features of various ages in close proximity, from the elevated tracks of rapid rail transit lines of the 20th century, the grand villas and of the Aztapamatlan golden age and even some surviving structures of medieval Angatahuaca integrated into the modern cityscape.

Typical mid-rise residential buildings in Cihuacoatl tlayacatl

The Xolotecate renovations led to the widening of many streets, new avenues and boulevards cutting through the city and the general demolition and reconstruction of a large number of structures in the old city. Angatahuaca had been the only Zacapine city to be electrified before the Revolution, yet this electrification would expand dramatically under Xolotecatl Acuixoc, accompanied with the construction of the city's sewer, the precursors to its modern public transit system, and a number of other municipal utilities necessary to sustain a modern city. The late Xolotecate would see Angatahuaca no longer modernizing but entering the league of the world's great cities with the construction of its iconic skyscrapers achored to Heron island's schist bedrock, a strong and stable geological foundation that would allow the great spires and towers of the city to emerge. Even in the modern day, the skyline of the city rises noticably where the underlying schist is found near the surface, enabling the taller structures to be soundly anchored into the rock. Much of the Heron island region, as well as the nearby sections of Cihuacoatl and Achauhtla tlayacame are home to a large number of iconic skyscrapers contributing to the astronomical density of the central Angatahuaca urban region. Several of the Heron island towers are so tall and have such internal capacity that they are shared among several calpolli and thousands of employees, so many that the housing capacity of the surrounding cityscape cannot keep up with the demand. This has led to many of the workers of central offices and production firms living in wards unusually distant to their workplaces in the context of the Zacapine calpolli system, forming a large population of commuters living in the outer tlayacame and even in the satellite cities outside Angatahuaca and traveling every day to work in the economic centers of Heron island.

In contrast to the dense popuylation and verticality of Heron island, the much less stable marshy soil of the rest of the city, particularly outer Cihuacoatl, Achauhtla and all of Pozon makes the construction of true skyscrapers difficult and favors buildings of 3 to 5 stories on average and no more than 10 stories tall. The Altepetlianca typical of the industrialization era of Zacapine urban history are found in these outer regions alongside the city's industrial centers and factories. Pozon, sometimes called "Little Tequi" because of its resemblance to the western planned city, is well known for its very typical altepetlianca wards, while in other neighborhoods of the city the characteristic altepetlianca structure of standardized apartment blocks with common spaces between them are interspersed with 2 or 3 story residential and mixed use buildings for a more organic pseudo-altepetlianca ward structure.

Climate

The city of Angatahuaca on the eastern coast of the Aztaco republic lies at the confluence of the warm Rezese current from the north and the cold Cecatoya current emerging from the southern circumpolar current. These conditions create the fertile waters of the Matlayahualoyan off the coast of Angatahuaca, as well as the frequent morning fog and humid subtropical climate of the region. The geography of the city and mountainous barriers of the Aztaco hinterland and the Mixtepemec mountains to the west shield Angatahuaca from cold air currents in winter, making the cold and damp Angatahuaca winters milder than those of the major western cities. The extremes of cold and hot climate are generally regulated by the onshore breeze from Angatahuaca bay and the Amictlan ocean which moderates climate conditions, although they also increase the rate of precipitation in the region relative to the more continental climates further west and north. The highly urbanized environment also gives rise to a heat island effect, making the nighttime and wintertime temperatures in the city generally warmer than those of the outlying areas across the Aztaco republic.

Climate data for Heron island
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	74 (23)	80 (27)	89 (32)	97 (36)	99 (37)	103 (39)	108 (42)	105 (41)	105 (41)	96 (36)	85 (29)	76 (24)	108 (42)
Average high °F (°C)	40.0 (4.4)	43.0 (6.1)	50.9 (10.5)	62.6 (17.0)	72.6 (22.6)	81.8 (27.7)	86.9 (30.5)	84.7 (29.3)	77.7 (25.4)	66.0 (18.9)	54.9 (12.7)	44.8 (7.1)	63.8 (17.7)
Daily mean °F (°C)	32.8 (0.4)	35.1 (1.7)	42.5 (5.8)	53.3 (11.8)	63.3 (17.4)	72.7 (22.6)	78.2 (25.7)	76.4 (24.7)	69.2 (20.7)	57.5 (14.2)	47.0 (8.3)	38.0 (3.3)	55.5 (13.1)
Average low °F (°C)	25.5 (−3.6)	27.2 (−2.7)	34.2 (1.2)	44.1 (6.7)	53.9 (12.2)	63.6 (17.6)	69.4 (20.8)	68.0 (20.0)	60.7 (15.9)	49.0 (9.4)	39.0 (3.9)	31.2 (−0.4)	47.2 (8.4)
Record low °F (°C)	−8 (−22)	−14 (−26)	6 (−14)	16 (−9)	33 (1)	41 (5)	51 (11)	45 (7)	35 (2)	25 (−4)	12 (−11)	−8 (−22)	−14 (−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.42 (87)	2.98 (76)	4.13 (105)	3.87 (98)	3.97 (101)	4.34 (110)	4.66 (118)	4.15 (105)	3.82 (97)	3.79 (96)	3.33 (85)	4.14 (105)	46.60 (1,184)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	9.1 (23)	10.1 (26)	5.6 (14)	0.5 (1.3)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.51)	0.6 (1.5)	5.4 (14)	31.5 (80)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	10.6	10.0	10.9	11.5	11.4	10.9	10.0	9.8	8.7	9.4	8.8	11.1	123.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	4.6	3.8	2.7	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	2.8	14.5