White Plains
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White Plains | |
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| Royal County and City of White Plains | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Nickname: | |
| Motto(s): Felicitatem et Concordia (Happiness and Harmony) | |
| Anthem: Civitas de Concordiae The City of Harmony | |
| Country |  Illusia and Neverendia |
| Region | Neverendia |
| County | White Plains (coterminous) |
| Founded by Demetrius I | 16 May 1345 |
| Population (2056) | |
| • Total | 15,610,205 |
| Postcode area | |
White Plains (Illusian: Weissebene, Weißebene (until 1901)[a], High Neverendian: Hwytfolde, Gathorean: Geales Feld, Santhean: Wiss Felde, Kazdelian: Campi Alba), formally the Royal County and City of White Plains, is the largest city of Illusia and Neverendia, and the capital of Neverendia. It is also a county in itself, in which its borders correspond to the city limits. It borders Wellingtonia and Abergolwyn to the west, Nyverithia to the north, Bella Vista and Ravenhearst to the east, and Ravenhearst Bay to its south. The settlement sits within the River Havel estuary and is the termini of the River Havel's drainage basin.
White Plains is comprised of 34 boroughs, and is also the heart of the White Plains metropolitan area. It is the most populous Illuverendian city, with over 15.6 million people alone as of 2055, and one of the oldest, being founded in 1345 and has been settled for seven centuries.
The city was founded in 1345 by the Neverendian king Demetrius I, envisioned as the new capital city of the fledgling Kingdom of Neverendia, shortly after the Nyverith Convention in 1342 that saw the end of the United Duchies. Its geographical location, and being a natural harbour extensively contributed to its growth, and by the 15th and 16th centuries it was a prestigious epitome of an early metropolis. During the Illusia-Neverendia War, the city's waters became a battleground between the Illusian and Neverendian navies during the Battle of White Plains Harbour.
After the war, White Plains experienced a rapid and continuous boom in population. The Enigmastadt Declaration of 1796 ended the tenure of White Plains as an independent capital city, as the capital of the united crowns of Illusia and Neverendia was moved to Enigmastadt. However, the city continued to grow and stand out amidst the stagnation of the late Victorian era. The following Franziskanic era providentially contributed to the urbanisation of the city and the founding of the metropolitan area around it, and by the 1960s, White Plains in itself had reached 9.4 million citizens.
During the Illuverendian-Vapian War in the 1930s, Enigmastadt was captured by the Fascist Vapian forces, prompting White Plains to become the capital city of the country until it was liberated. This was the only time White Plains briefly became a capital of Illuverendia ever since the Enigmastadt Declaration relinquished its independent capital status.
The House of Midford moved from Nyverithia to the city in 1979 and began to solidify their influence after Maximillian von Midford took position as the city's mayor in 1984. The Midford Estate would also be constructed in the city, and would become a royal residence.
The Ekelepoche brought new air in White Plains. After the Autriche family took over the throne upon the death of Franziska the Great, many royals moved away from Enigmastadt to other counties, but most took refuge in White Plains at the behest of the Midfords. The city also was the site of the controversial Great Fire of White Plains, which further plummeted royal opinion against the family. The Midford mafia also ruled the city from the shadows. The city's distancing from the Autriche rule briefly made it a site as well for a Neverendian independence movement in the 90s. Upon the culmination of the Illuverendian Revolution in July 2017 and the end of the monarchy, White Plains became a city for most royalties in exile, and briefly stayed that way until the reestablishment of the monarchy under the Alyssanian era.
White Plains is considered to be the most elegant Illuverendian city. The city is littered with classical to neoclassical architecture amidst rapid urbanisation. Many and most landmarks of the city traces back to its heydays in the 17th and 19th centuries. The Witherton Castle in Wisteriaburgh is the oldest landmark in the city, being completed in the 1650s.
Etymology
The name of White Plains comes from the abundance of white flowers around the natural harbour, which was also a wide flat plain. This is reflected on the city's flag and coat of arms, the primary symbol being a white lily. The Settlement Clad in Florescent White, which is a poem dedicated to the city, also focuses on the city's name and surroundings.
History
The need for a new capital to the newfound Kingdom of Neverendia was a top priority. Nyverithia was seen inadequate due to its inland position, and thus King Demetrius I ordered and led the Capital Expedition of 1343 to find a suitable place for the new Neverendian royal capital.
Oppositions to the Capital Expedition were raised by the citizenry of Nyverithia themselves, arguing that their heritage matters, being the previous capital of the United Duchies. Other cities, like Abydos and Glaithwyck on the other hand, offered the King their willingness to be the Neverendian royal capital, but were respectfully denied. In 1344, an interim capital was created on the east bank of the River Havel, which is now known today as Newtown upon Havel, in Andreas-on-Havel. The idea to establish a greater capital within the Havel proved to be a vital point: the expeditioneers followed the trail of the Havel southward. The following year, they arrived at what is now the Old Town of White Plains, and surveyed the area. The vast plain and the otherwise strategic natural harbour sitting on the Havel's estuary proved to be greater than what the King expected; Demetrius I would then arrive on spring of the same year.
Owing to the huge presence of white lilies in the area, Demetrius I, who was captivated, said:
Now here shall a Settlement lie for thee Kingdom of Nyverenthia, clad in White fields of Lilies, flanked by thine Crystal Blue oceans, with thou River o Hayvell serenefully flowing through. Thine natural Harbour and Aestuary o thee Hayvell shalt maketh a finest of Capitals for thine Youngeth Kingdom.
Greatly satisfied by the result of the expedition, he immediately declared it concluded, and effectively signed the Capital Act of 1345 which designated the settlement of White Plains as the new national capital of the Kingdom of Neverendia.
Geography
Well-known as the most important natural harbour of Illusia and Neverendia, White Plains sits on the estuary of the River Havel. The city borders Ravenhearst Bay to the south, and most of the city's geography has been significantly altered through land reclamation, beginning through the 18th centuries onward, and rapidly doing so at the onset of the 20th century.
Boroughs
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White Plains has 34 boroughs, of which are evenly divided by the River Havel. Due to the city's size, there is no definite "city centre" or a central business district. However, the prolific boroughs of Esplanade, Jasminetown, Wisteriaburgh, Silicon Point, Erthasburgh, and Midfordsburgh are the city's bustling districts, with Midfordsburgh being the seat of government of the royal county and city.