Hammarvik
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Hammarvik | |
|---|---|
| Eldmarsk huvudstad Capital of Eldmark | |
| Clockwise from top: skyline of Strandpromenaden (The Promenade), Westermarck Street, Riksdag building, The Blue Palace, Hammarvik Stock Exchange, and K&K Tower. Clockwise from top: skyline of Strandpromenaden (The Promenade), Westermarck Street, Riksdag building, The Blue Palace, Hammarvik Stock Exchange, and K&K Tower. | |
|
Coat of arms of Hammarvik Coat of arms | |
| Nickname(s): Östens Kronjuvel (Crown Jewel of the East) | |
| Motto(s): Semper Aequus "Always Just" | |
| Country | File:Eldmark.png Eldmark |
| County | Federal Capital |
| Foundation | 13 August 1547 |
| Boroughs | List
|
| Government | |
| • Body | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Gabriel Bergmann (A) |
| • Vice Mayor | Roland Gyllenhaal (A) |
| Population (2019) | |
| • Federal capital | 5,220,161 |
| • Density | 9,821/km2 (25,436/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 6,724,000 |
| Demonym | Hammarvikian |
| Time zone | WAT (UTC+10) |
| Website | hammarv.ik |
Hammarvik is a city located in the southwest of Eldmark at the terminus of the Horn of Asteria, as well as the terminus of the Helge River. It is the oldest settled city of Eldmark, as well as the administrative, cultural, and economic capital of the country. While difficult to determine exactly where the Hammarvik metro ends and the metros of nearby Stalkulle and Kvällholm begin, most maps show the Hammarvik metropolitan area containing over 6,000,000 inhabitants, making the city the most populous in Eldmark.
The city of Hammarvik was founded in 1547 by Blostlandic settlers, making it one of the oldest settlements in the Asterias. Initially serving as an administrative center for Blostlandic colonial interests, the city would serve as an outlet for Asterian trade and travel, and to this day operates the largest port in Asteria Superior and among one of the busiest airports in the region. Hammarvik also serves the unique role of being the only city in the continent to serve as the home of a reigning monarch, with the Blue Palace as the home of Eldmark's queen, Thyri I. It also is the seat of many multinational organizations, businesses, and banks. Consistently ranked as one of the healthiest cities in the continent, with one of the highest ratios of both physicians-to-residents as well as one of the highest ratings on the Healthiest Cities Index, at 6.27.
Etymology
The name "Hammarvik" is derived from the name of the ship belonging to the Blostlandic navigator and explorer Hans Adelström, founder of both the city and the country. Known as the "Hammar," the name means "Hammar Bay."
History
Pre-Assimian Hammarvik
Founding of the City
Colonial Hammarvik
Post-Independence Hammarvik
19th Century Hammarvik
The Great War
Reconciliation Era
Contemporary Hammarvik
Geography
Hammarvik is located in southwest Eldmark, at the base of the southern tip of the Ryggrad. Like a considerable portion of western Eldmark, it is susceptible to earthquakes. The last catastrophic earthquake to hit the city was in September of 1895, leading to the deaths of over 2,000 people, and billions of kronor in damage. The city, located at the base of Hammar Bay, gently curves, increasing from sea level to 400 meters high, and up to 500 meters in the outskirts that touch the Ryggrad.
Climate
Hammarvik's climate is best described as a maritime Arucian climate (Csa), enjoying sunlight for most of the year. The summer is dry, though is intermittently affected by rainfall from the Vehemens Ocean, and is also affected by fog from the currents of the ocean. In the winter, rainfall varies, and is marked with periods of heavy rains and potential but extremely rare snowfall in the higher elevations.
Summer low temperatures rarely ever dip below 20°C, while August nets an average high of 30.6 °C, while the coldest days of the year vary between 8 and 12°C. Freezing temperatures are rare. The highest recorded temperature was 46.5 °C,and the lowest is −1.9 °C.
| Climate data for Hammarvik, Eldmark (Temperature: 1987–2010, Precipitation: 1980–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 30.0 (86.0) |
33.2 (91.8) |
38.3 (100.9) |
43.9 (111.0) |
46.5 (115.7) |
44.4 (111.9) |
37.4 (99.3) |
41.4 (106.5) |
42.0 (107.6) |
44.4 (111.9) |
35.6 (96.1) |
33.5 (92.3) |
46.5 (115.7) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 23.6 (74.5) |
25.0 (77.0) |
30.4 (86.7) |
35.5 (95.9) |
32.4 (90.3) |
30.8 (87.4) |
31.6 (88.9) |
31.8 (89.2) |
32.0 (89.6) |
32.9 (91.2) |
29.2 (84.6) |
23.8 (74.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) |
17.7 (63.9) |
19.2 (66.6) |
22.8 (73.0) |
24.9 (76.8) |
27.5 (81.5) |
29.4 (84.9) |
30.2 (86.4) |
29.4 (84.9) |
27.3 (81.1) |
23.4 (74.1) |
19.2 (66.6) |
24.0 (75.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.9 (55.2) |
13.4 (56.1) |
16.4 (61.5) |
19.2 (66.6) |
21.8 (71.2) |
24.8 (76.6) |
27.0 (80.6) |
27.8 (82.0) |
26.5 (79.7) |
22.7 (72.9) |
17.6 (63.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
20.3 (68.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 9.6 (49.3) |
9.8 (49.6) |
11.5 (52.7) |
14.4 (57.9) |
17.3 (63.1) |
20.6 (69.1) |
23.0 (73.4) |
23.7 (74.7) |
22.5 (72.5) |
19.1 (66.4) |
14.6 (58.3) |
11.2 (52.2) |
16.4 (61.6) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | 6.6 (43.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
8.3 (46.9) |
10.7 (51.3) |
14.0 (57.2) |
18.3 (64.9) |
22.2 (72.0) |
23.3 (73.9) |
20.6 (69.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
10.9 (51.6) |
7.8 (46.0) |
6.6 (43.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −1.9 (28.6) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
3.5 (38.3) |
7.0 (44.6) |
11.2 (52.2) |
15.0 (59.0) |
19.0 (66.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
6.0 (42.8) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 147 (5.8) |
111 (4.4) |
62 (2.4) |
16 (0.6) |
4 (0.2) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.0) |
34 (1.3) |
81 (3.2) |
127 (5.0) |
583 (22.9) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 15 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 71 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 1200 GMT) | 72 | 70 | 65 | 60 | 63 | 67 | 70 | 67 | 60 | 65 | 68 | 73 | 67 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 192.2 | 200.1 | 235.6 | 270.0 | 328.6 | 357.0 | 368.9 | 356.5 | 300.0 | 279.0 | 234.0 | 189.1 | 3,311 |
| Source: Eldmarsk Meteorological and Hydrological Institute | |||||||||||||
Natural Disasters
Due to Hammarvik's location at the boundary of the Asterian and Vehemen plates, the city experiences a sizable amount of tectonic activity. To record, the first recorded earthquake in the region was struck long before Blostlandic settlers set foot in the area, as Ayohli writings state, and the first earthquake after the founding of the city occurred not long after in 1603, sinking portions of the old port into the sea, and leading to an estimated 1500 deaths due to the ensuing tsunami.
An earthquake near Hammarvik in 1931 was made famous due to its cause of several rockslides that temporarily devastated both Eldmarsk and Mariranan lines during the Great War. This also led to 300 deaths and the destruction of local infrastructure, causing both sides to call a truce in order to clear the debris from their respective lines, and remove the dead and injured. This earthquake inspired several laws establishing strict building codes after the war. In the aforementioned 1931 earthquake, a portion of the Blue Palace collapsed, killing one of Karl I's daughters, Ana.
The southern and eastern halves of the city are prone to rockslides and mudslides.
Demographics
According to data conducted by the 2015 census by the Eldmarsk Ministry of the Interior, the Hammarvik metropolitan area houses over 19% of the national total population. The growth of the city has been largely exponential since the end of the Great War, where a population boom was artificially created when refugees from the country's interior flooded into Hammarvik and other cities in the industrialized Vehemens coast.
Economy
Hammarvik is the financial and industrial center of Eldmark and a contender for such a title in Asteria Superior. Some international institutions such as the EC-AFDC Market Exchange Commission call the city home. Finance is a major industry, ranked second only to Gatôn as being one of the major financial hubs of the Arucian area. institutions such as Koskull och Köhler and Ästeriasbanken, along with government-operated institutions the Riksbank Eldmark and The Royal Mint of Eldmark, operate in the capital, as well as the Hammarvik Stock Exchange (HSE).
Hammarvik's economic growth has made the city into a modern metropolis. Due to this, it is now home to a growing restaurant and tourism industry, a rising skyline, a multitude of shopping centers, and extensive urban and suburban development. However, Hammarvik is a divided city in terms of income, with a Gini coefficient above the national average of 41.2, at 47.5.
Infrastructure
Rail transport
Hammarvik sits as the primary hub of the national rail service Eldmark Railways, being the terminus and origin of four lines. In the city, public transportation is managed by the Hammarviks Storstadstrafikmyndighet (Hammarvik Metropolitan Transit Authority), or HS. HS operates commuter rail, bus transport, and ferry services within the bay and to and from Sankt Albrekt and Runavik.
Air transport
Ferries
Highways
Culture and society
Due to the seismic instability of the area, few colonial buildings remain. Extant buildings include the Old Customs House, the Church of St. Judas Thaddaeus, and the Petrssen Inn.
In the center of the old city lies the Parade Yard (Paradgården), which houses the National Mint, the Old Armory, and the Church of St. Jan. In the centre of the plaza is a statue of Erik Sigismund-Adelström, flanked by fountains and a reflecting pool. The Old Armory houses the National Museum of Eldmark, which is free to the public. Go to the south two blocks to find Independence Plaza (Självständighetsplatsen), which is flanked by the Riksdag, the Blue Palace, and the various government ministries. The Riksdag building was destroyed by a fire in 1895, and then rebuilt in a neoclassical style and reopened 5 years later. Within the plaza itself lies the Memorial to the Fallen (Minnesmärke de Fallna). To the east is the Valentine Theatre (Valentin teater), the National Library, and the Old Customs House, which now houses the Museum of Hammarvik.
Taking Westermarck Street south will lead towards the Hammarvik Stock Exchange and the Church of St. Judas Thaddaeus, the oldest surviving churchhouse in the city. Underneath the church itself lies extensive catacombs that have survived countless seismic events. Also nearby is the Centralmarknad, a bustling central market and historical site. Following the street further takes you to newer portions of the city, including the Strandpromenaden and the K&K Tower, the tallest building in Hammarvik at 300 meters.
