Aalmsted
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Aalmsted | |
|---|---|
Capital city and province | |
 .jpg)    From top down, left to right: Eleinasberg skyline, University of Aalmsted Midelbulþen, Kiiþenspark, Aalmsted-Stedshaal and Nysted Park | |
 Flag | |
| Etymology: From aalm (elm) and sted (city) | |
| Motto(s): De Hyymaþ fân Industrije (The Home of Industry) | |
| Country | Azmara |
| Province | Aalmsted |
| City Hall | Stefansberg |
| Boroughs | Seven districts
|
| Government | |
| • Body | Aalmsted City Council |
| • Mayor | Analiisa Aleksdohter (Workers') |
| Area | |
| • City/Province | 592 km2 (229 sq mi) |
| • Land | 539.91 km2 (208.46 sq mi) |
| • Water | 52.09 km2 (20.11 sq mi) |
| • Midelsteden | 5,039 km2 (1,946 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Population (4 September 2017) | |
| • City/Province | 1,023,942 |
| • Urban | 1,558,755 |
| • Midelsteden | 3,340,844 |
| Demonym | Aalmsteder |
| Town code | List of town codes
|
| Area code | 01 |
| Website | www |
Aalmsted (/ɑːlmstɛd/; Azmaran: [ɑːlmstɛð], locally [ɑːlmʃtɛð]) is the capital and largest city of Azmara. The city itself houses 1,023,942 people and comprises one of Azmara's eight provinces, bordering the country's two largest provinces of Westmaark and Groonbank. Both of these provinces contain parts of the city's urban area, and the city forms a key part of the Midelsteden conurbation alongside major cities in both provinces such as Jorś-Hylager, Stajnensby and Ryksby, which by some estimates has 3.3 million people, or one third of the entire Azmaran population.
The city's origins lie in its placing on a ford on the river Bojner and there exist records of consistent settlement in the area from Tenic times, yet it is thought that before the 13th century the settlement remained rather small. However, as the two Rudolphine polities of the Western March and the Duchy of Groonbank entered a personal union in 1238, the settlement's key position on the border between the two polities gave it some key importance, with the territory's monarch operating in the then-village of Aalmsted and the nearby town of Stefansburg. This led to the expansion of the two settlements, and by the time of the breakaway of the Azmaran Confederation from the Rudolphine Confederation, the two had merged into a notable town which would serve as the capital of the new state.
While its status as the capital of the Azmaran Confederation gave the city a notable profile, its population would start to grow exponentially during the early 19th century as the Industrial Revolution took off in the city and in nearby Cislania as first textiles and later the production of steel grew exponentially in the city and surrounding areas, leading to the city engulfing nearby settlements such as Eleinasburg, Friihâben and Wiljâmsburg. This would coincide with notable revolutionary action in the city as its growing entrepreneurial class and educated working class rejected their lack of a say in the national government and would therefore be the scene of the declaration of the Commonwealth of Azmara in 1855 and would provide vital support for Mikel Hankssun, the leader of the republican movement within the country. In the late 19th century, the city would also become the home of the University of Aalmsted, which has established itself as one of the most prestigious in Euclea.
Much of the early sites from the Industrial Revolution which remain form the collective Progenitors of the Industrial Revolution World Heritage Site alongside many similar sites in Cislania. In recent years, the city has performed very highly on quality of life indices and has grown attractive as a tourism destination. It is also known for being the home of many information technology startups in recent years due to a suite of municipal and national policies encouraging small enterprise in the sector, and for the Aalmsted urban rail system, which has been viewed by many as a model for urban transit. The city is divided into seven boroughs, largely based on the various towns and settlements which were absorbed into the city over its period of growth, the largest of which is Stefansburg in which many institutions of the Azmaran government are housed.