Victoria (Gassasinia)

Victoria (ليديا) Lidya
City
Municipality of Victoria
Country	Gassasinia
Province	South Western Province
County	Victoria County
City State Concessions	1612
Government
• Type	Unitary Municipality under a Mayor-Council government
• Body	Victoria City Corporation
• Mayor of Victoria	Ahmad Hussein (LIB)
Area
• Total	312 km2 (120 sq mi)
Population
• Total	1,040,592
• Density	3,335.23/km2 (8,638.2/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Victorian Lidyan
Website	https://victoria.gov.ga

Victoria (Gassasinian ليديا Lidya) is a Unitary Municipality of the South Western Province and the third largest city in Gassasinia with a population of just over 1 million residents.

Founded in the 5th Century BC, Lidya was a Marigic fishing village along the coast of modern-day Gassasinia. In 1612, Lidya was at the heart of one of a series of land concessions which would be granted to the Riamese Empire under the City States Concessions, a series of concessions granted by local Gassasinian rulers with the hope of both warding off more substantial Riamese colonial interest while allowing local Gassasinian interests to take advantage of Riamese trade routes.

Victoria is notable because, whereas most previous of the city state concessions were already well-established port and trade cities, Victoria was founded by Riamese settlers over a relatively small settlement. As such, the city carries a substantial Riamese cultural influence and still officially retains it's colonial name (although it's native Gassasinian name of Lidya is often used interchangeably in conversation.)

The legacy of those whom originally inhabited the fishing village of Lidya remains somewhat contentious. Before 1612, Lidya was populated by more than 200 residents, most of whom were Roman Catholics who worked in the local fisheries. Whereas some native Lidyans managed to continue making a living in Lidya working for the various Riamese businesses which established themselves in the city, many of the other Lidyans were forced to flee their hometown and their descendants continue to trace their family history back to the fishing village which once inhabited modern-day Victoria.

Under Riamese rule, Victoria was once the second largest city in Gassasinia and competed for economic prominence with Jabiyah, which was only seized and put under direct colonial rule in 1891. However, Victoria was outpaced by Asur in the years following the Great War.

Culture

Victoria is known as the counter-culture centre of Gassasinia, and has been host to a variety of cultural and political movements, especially those centred around youth and student activism. Throughout history, Victoria's streets have seen trade union strikes, marches against Riamese occupation, gay and LGBTQ+ rights parades, and more recently, protests against digital surveillance and censorship programs. The Queenstown District of Victoria is known for it's bohemian aesthetic, and is host to a diverse variety of subcultures ranging from punk rockers to hippies.

Economy

Education and Research

Until the early 20th Century there was a powerful push by to convert Victoria's population to Roman Catholicism: a push that was equally strongly resisted and condemned even by Gassasinia's native Catholic population. During this time, many state-sponsored Catholic Church-run schools were built. Although many Catholic schools remain operational in Victoria, many of them have been acquired by the municipal government of Victoria in the years since and as of current most schools in Victoria are secular state schools.

Victoria is home to Victoria University, founded as the Protestant University of Magrekia in 1771, which is considered one of the oldest accredited universities in Gassasinia and one of the best universities in Thrismari. The Victoria University Medical School is noted for it's research in the area of studying neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism-spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and has been at the forefront of helping to develop policy and standards for the education and management of those diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. Victoria University has several facilities spread across the city, including the Victoria University Teaching Hospital which is jointly operated by the Victoria municipal government and the Victoria University Medical School.

Victoria is also home to the Metropolitan Victoria Polytechnic, which provides vocational higher education to the city's population.