Pietersburg
Pietersburg | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): "Die eerste stad" Estmerish "The First City" | |
| Country | Nuvania |
| Province | Kaap |
| District | Pietersburg |
| Municipality | Pietersburg |
| Established | July 5, 1542 |
| Legislature | Greater Pietersburg Council |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Stefan Liebenberg (DAP) |
| Area | |
| • Urban | 1,087 km2 (420 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 8,939 km2 (3,451 sq mi) |
| Population (2019) | |
| • Urban | 5,052,879 |
| • Metro | 6,926,503 |
| • Metro density | 770/km2 (2,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Pietersburger |
| Time zone | UTC -6 |
| Website | www.pietersburgstad.nv |
Pietersburg is a city located in the northwest of Nuvania at the foot of the Bay of Dolphins. It is the administrative capital of Nuvania as well as its financial, economic, and cultural centre. With a total population of 6.9 million inhabitants, it is also Nuvania's largest city, and one of the largest on the Arucian Sea. The Port of Pietersburg, located to the northwest of the city itself, is Nuvania's second largest port by total volume and by value of cargo, after the Port of Windstrand.
The region around Pietersburg has been inhabited since Neolithic times, with several archaeological sites producing artefacts that have been dated to around 16,500 years BP. Numerous cultures and tribes occupied the area before Lusitan explorer Luciano Mascarenhas first charted the peninsular to the west of the city and the Bay of Dolphins itself in 1531. The area was not properly explored by Eucleans until Hennish-Estmerish explorer Petrus Boerhaave arrived in 1542, and landed at what is now Boerhaavestrand in central Pietersburg. Here he founded the city of Pietersburg, naming it after his sponsor, Pieter van Meetkercke, with the first wave of immigrants landing in Pietersburg four years later in 1546.
Initially a small trading post, the city became the launching pad for the Hennish colonisation of Nuvania, with word reaching both sides of the partition, with waves of largely Amendist settlers arriving over successive periods. Although there were no official claims over the colony until 1673, it was considered to be a Hennish colony of sorts, as the colonists were largely Hennish speaking and pledged allegiance to the Sotirian Commonwealth. The colony was proclaimed officially on October 12, 1673, with Pietersburg the largest settlement and the administrative capital. It would remain as such throughout the remainder of the Commonwealth's control over the colony.
Under Estmerish rule, which began on July 20, 1720, the city became important politically as the administrative centre of the colony, but also important for trade and communications without the outside world, as the Estmerish quickly improved and expanded the port's facilities. By home rule in 1811, Pietersburg was among the largest and wealthiest cities in Estmere's colonial empire, and was considered significant in terms of industrial output and cash crop exports. It became an important naval facility, providing Estmere with significant influence over the western Arucian Sea.
This economic and military importance carried over into the independence era, with Pietersburg now the capital of an independent Free State. The industrial and economic development continued, and the city experienced a surge in growth until the Great Collapse in 1915. The city suffered from a stagnating economy following the Great War, although population growth did not reach pre-collapse levels until the 1950's. Pietersburg would lose the title of the largest port in Nuvania to Windstrand by the 1980's, but the city became one of two major manufacturing and logistical hubs. The 1980's also saw a boom in finances, which is responsible for the growth of the city's skyscrapers, a trend that accelerated until the Great Recession in 2005.
Today Pietersburg is a vibrant and dynamic city that boasts one of the highest living standards in Nuvania and in the wider Arucian region. It is also one of greenest in the country in terms of park lands, preserved wetlands, including the world's only urban national park, as well as environmentally friendly transport policies.
History
Geography
Pietersburg is located at the foot of the Bay of Dolphins in northwestern Kaap province. Geographically the city is bordered to the east and south by the Kustveld, to the west and northwest by the Westrand, and to the northwest by the Mascarenhas Peninsula. The city itself lies around the foot of the bay, expanding westwards into the easternmost foothills of the Westrand, south and east into the Kustveld.
Central Pietersburg lies on what was formerly a large wetland fed by numerous streams as well as two rivers, the Riebeck and the Konrad, which come to a confluence near the central city in the district known as Tweerivier. Much of the land was initially converted for farming in the 17th and 18th centuries, before being urbanised in the 19th and 20th centuries. Much of the initial urban development began on the flat hard areas to the south of the modern city centre, which was created when the wetlands were drained and turned into stable land. These areas formed the core of the central business district. Much of the central business district of Pietersburg suffers from varying rates of subsidence, with the average sink rate of around 3-6 millimetres a year. This has caused problems for the city's infrastructure, especially its utilities and several lines of the Pietersburg O-Spoor. In addition, these areas suffer from drainage issues and are prone to surface flooding during heavy rain.
Western Pietersburg is generally defined as the areas to the northwest of the central business district, as well as the contiguous urban area between the left bank of the Riebeck river, and the Westrand. These include suburbs of the city proper, as well as various satellite cities and towns. Unlike the central business district, western Pietersburg was largely forest and farmland before being urbanised, with the soils generally being fertile, in line with the other areas of the kustveld. Northwestern Pietersburg is home to many of the more exclusive areas of the city, as the Westrand is closer to the coast here than elsewhere. Suburbs like Chatillon, Leliëndal, and Sabana, are among the wealthiest places in the city. To the south are more satellite towns, including Baskop and Governor's Valley, the latter known for its colonial architecture. Most of western Pietersburg is largely residential with small commercial centres. These are considered to be the city's largely middle class and upper class suburbs.
Southern Pietersburg is generally defined as the contiguous urban area south of the city centre, which encompasses numerous areas, and is a mixture of middle class, working class, residential, and industrial areas. Both the Riebeck and the Konrad rivers flow through this area. It is home to many well known suburbs including Lowlands, Kroonenburg, Redfield, Twin Lakes, as well as the large industrial area of Longwood, which is home to numerous large industrial complexes, including several car factories. The suburb of Huntingdon, located at the periphery of the urban area, is the location of Pietersburg's largest airport. Outside of the urban area, there are a number of satellite cities and towns, including Andover, Montgomery, Oakhurst, and Ravenswood. Southern Pietersburg is predominantly known for being a largely Estophone area of the city.
Eastern Pietersburg is defined as the urban area located east of the Konrad river, and the eastern shores of the Bay of Dolphins. These areas are much like southern Pietersburg, with mixed use, mixed class areas. Predominantly the area is known as being the site of the Port of Pietersburg, as well as Nuvania's largest naval base. It is mostly low, rolling terrain, with lagoons and mangrove swamps close to shore, these areas being either protected or developed for residential projects. It is the location of Albertina National Park, as well as some notable suburbs including Bethania, Constancia, Easton, and Wortelboombaai.
Beaches are a primary feature of the geography of Pietersburg, and are some of the most famous beaches in Nuvania. The biggest and most well known of these is the Witstrand, from which the surrounding district derives its name. The Witstrand is located directly north of the city centre and is often considered to be among the most desirable beach in the city owing to its central location and being lined with luxury apartments and condominiums. It is also the location of a number of festivals, including the largest sandcastle building festival in Nuvania, as well as a New Year music concert. Vosstrand to the east is another popular beach located in the east. Other popular or notable beaches include West Beach and Konradstrand, parts of which form the mouth of the Konrad river, and Boerhaavestrand, just northwest of the city centre.
Climate
Pietersburg experiences a tropical savanna climate, which differs from most equatorial climates in that it lies close to the confluence of a warm current to the northeast, and a cold current to the southwest. Because of this the city experiences some monsoonal tendencies, with a more pronounced dry season and wet season from the change in winds.
The wet season in Pietersburg lasts between December and May, and is marked by a marginal drop in overall temperatures with significantly increased rainfall and humidity. Temperatures during this period remain warm, between 27-31°C during the day and around 23°C during the night. Most of the rainfall during the early part of the season falls in large thunderstorms which produce significant amounts of rainfall over a short period, and due to the issues with subsidence Pietersburg suffers, flooding is often caused. On average around seven people a year are killed through thunderstorm-induced flooding. April is the wettest month, with an average of 284 millimetres of rainfall recorded.
The dry season lasts between July and November, and is slightly shorter than the wet season, lasting around five months. The changes in weather are reasonably significant, humidity and rainfall drop considerably, the latter decreasing by over half at the peak of the dry season, with September the driest month at just 45 millimetres of rainfall recorded on average. Temperatures reach between 31-33°C during the day, and fall to between 22-23°C during the night. A reason for the increase in temperatures, as opposed to the decrease in temperatures observed elsewhere during the dry season in tropical climates, is due to the pervasive southerly and southwesterly winds, which sometimes bring hot air from the drier interior.
Pietersburg's highest observed temperature is 39.6°C, observed on September 18, 1980. The lowest temperature observed in the city is 19.1°C, recorded on October 19, 1998.
| Climate data for Pietersburg, Nuvania | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 31.0 (87.8) |
30.1 (86.2) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.7 (85.5) |
30.5 (86.9) |
31.1 (88.0) |
31.8 (89.2) |
33.0 (91.4) |
33.3 (91.9) |
33.8 (92.8) |
33.5 (92.3) |
32.2 (90.0) |
31.6 (88.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.5 (79.7) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.3 (79.3) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.3 (79.3) |
27.0 (80.6) |
27.4 (81.3) |
28.2 (82.8) |
28.1 (82.6) |
27.4 (81.3) |
26.8 (80.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 23.2 (73.8) |
23.2 (73.8) |
23.2 (73.8) |
23.2 (73.8) |
23.3 (73.9) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.9 (73.2) |
23.0 (73.4) |
23.4 (74.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23.2 (73.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 156.03 (6.14) |
218.12 (8.59) |
271.44 (10.69) |
284.80 (11.21) |
245.95 (9.68) |
118.83 (4.68) |
94.26 (3.71) |
53.57 (2.11) |
45.79 (1.80) |
50.25 (1.98) |
66.14 (2.60) |
143.84 (5.66) |
1,749.02 (68.85) |
| Average precipitation days | 29 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 26 | 312 |
| Source: Nuvanian Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Parks
Pietersburg has numerous parks, gardens, and a national park within the city limits, as well as extensive protected areas around the city itself. These parks and gardens are the responsibility of the city council and include the main public parks, the botanical gardens, and the gardens around numerous colonial buildings, such as the Governor's Residence.
The Pietersburg Botanical Gardens are the largest of their kind in Nuvania and are located just south of the city centre. This area occupies a significant area of land close to the central city, and were originally created as an amalgamation of several stately properties towards the end of the 19th century. These gardens are primarily maintained by the city council, and the land is owned by a private trust who allows free public access to the gardens. There are over 4,000 species of trees, bushes, and flowering plants in these gardens, as well as over 100 different fountains and water features. Among the more well known features of the botanical gardens include the Kristalhuis, the largest ornamental glasshouse in Asteria Inferior, and the Avenue of Palms.
Located within the central city is the Hoofstuine, or Central Gardens. This is located within the central business district and borders many of Nuvania's government buildings. Although not the biggest urban park, it is by far the most well known and most popular, appearing in numerous Nuvanian-language movies and TV shows, as well as in several foreign films. The Hoofstuine is considered to be the focal point for the central city, and is surrounded by many cafes and upscale restaurants, and is often used for walks among visiting dignitaries. Among the more famous of the landmarks within the Hoofstuine is the statue of Petrus Boerhaave, which has a local legend surrounding it that states anyone that rubs the crotch of the statue receives good luck. Another is the Angel of Freedom fountain, commissioned in 1883 after Nuvania was granted independence.
Albertina National Park is located on Pietersburg's coast just behind the Vosstrand. Prior to the explosion of urban development in the 1950's and 1960's, the area was covered in thick mangrove swamps. Progressive urban development threatened to completely destroy the mangroves until protests began in 1971 to protect them. In 1973, the remaining 215 hectares was designated as protected land and development prohibited. The significance of the mangrove protests in the 1970's in establishing environmentalism as a mainstream social and political movement within Nuvania resulted in the park being upgraded to national park status in 1998, and renamed in honour of the leader of the protest movement that saved it, Martinus Albertyn, in 2003. It is the most visited and smallest national park in Nuvania, and the only one in Kylaris served by a metro station.