Voston
Voston, Illuminatia
Population:
- 558,552 (250 AI Census)
- 940,000 (300 AI estimate)
Rank: 25
Demonym: Vostonian
Primary trading partners: Adamopolis, Harmony, Birdland, Greensleeves, Mingus
Voston is the capital city of Illuminatia and serves as the primary seat of government for the entire continent. Voston lies inland on the western banks of the Vostonian River, nearly equidistant between Adamopolis to the south and Harmony to the north.
Voston was conceived in AI 16 specifically for the purpose of serving as a national capital. A secondary settlement city, Voston's location was chosen on so-called neutral ground—at a location away from the major established population centers dominated by any particular multiversal duplication so that the capital could operate without being suspected as under the control or influence of any one tribe of Illuminatians. The city's location along an emerging trade route between Adamopolis and Harmony along the Vostonian River was strategic, as this route follows a pass providing convenient passage through the Timmons Range.
Voston was planned at this location along an emerging trade route along the Vostonian River. As a result, Voston sits essentially equidistant from the core of the largest megalopolitan regions established by the first and third multiversal duplications and outside the regional range of most of the farthest-flung secondary settlements from those original population centers. This site is symbolic as it declares the central government of Illuminatia as neutral and without bias to any one ethnic or cultural division of Illuminatians. The vaguely centralized location of the capital also was thought to ease the burden of travel for as many political representatives as possible, although admittedly the chosen location exhibits a moderate disadvantage for the peoples of the second multiversal duplication located on the somewhat further west coast of the continent.
The economy in Voston is driven strongly by the public sector, with a significant workforce accounted for by Illuminatian government bureaus, departments, and other regulatory agencies, executive administration, judicial personnel, legislative support people, and government control bureau administrators. The private sector economic impact on the Voston metropolitan region comes largely from personnel associated with communication and journalistic enterprises that are necessary wherever government happens.
Voston is home an unusually dense cluster of media outlets thanks to the city's role as a hub of government and bureaucracy. Vos Valley News, considered to be Illuminatia's newspaper of record regarding politics and governmental affairs, is the largest publication based in the city. Other newspapers publishing here include The Vostonian and the non-profit Illumifact. The Trans-Illuminatia Network also broadcasts from Voston.
Vostonian University is the city's largest educational institution, attracting students keen on learning about politics and statespersonship. Voston is represented in the National Sportsball League by the Voston Indifference.
It should be noted that while Voston is the site of Illuminatia's highest density of governmental institutions, a large proportion of government agencies are not based in Voston. Various bureaus and departments of the government are distributed throughout the continent in such a way as to distribute the balance of power among regions. While a government bureau may not be based in Voston, it most likely still has a significant presence in the capital city for administrative purposes.
As of the 250 AI Census, Voston had a population of 558,552 residents, making Illuminatia's capital the continent's 25th-largest city. Voston has experienced significant growth since then and it is estimated the city will have a population over 940,000 by the 300 AI Census, an increase of nearly 170% over 50 AU.
Voston was purposely settled by persons representing all three major multiversal duplications as well as settlers from all three Lucidus ships. Nonetheless, the general population of the city is now somewhat disproportionately represented by descendants of people from the first and third multiversal duplications and has a modest overrepresentation of descendants of survivors of the Lucidus I and Lucidus II ships. Both statistics are attributed to Voston's proximity to the Adamopolis and Harmony metropolitan regions.
Voston was named in honor of the historical figure situated in Illuminatian lore as the father of the Lucidus mission, Professor Voston. Professor Voston was considered to be the visionary who imagined and visualized the Lucidus mission and whose work eventually brought the mission to fruition.