Noble City

Noble City is the capital of the State of Sylvania and Lovia's capital. There are 6,815 inhabitants, which is more than half the total Lovian population. The city is a very popular tourist destination as well. The governmental headquarters of the city are in Downtown: the Noble City Hall. As Noble City is the federal capital, Congress, the royal family and the Supreme Court are all based in the city. Lovia's largest international airport, the Noble City International Airport, is located just north of the capital city.

Simplified map

 * ↑ Noble City International Airport ↑

History
In 1872 Arthur Noble left California for the Lovia Archipelago. He was a Belgian migrant, living in San Francisco. As he worked for a newspaper, he had discovered an article on an archipelago west of California. He did research and found out where to go. That same year he arrived with his ship, Francis II, at an easy and large bay. The men, under Arthur's leadership set up the first settlement. The settlement grew fast and was named after its founder King Arthur I by the Founding Fathers: Noble City. The center was where the Trading Quarter is located nowadays. A list of the former neighborhoods in the 1870s and 1880s and the current neighborhoods on the same locations:
 * {| class="wikitable"

! width="25%" | Neighborhood (19th Century) ! width="25%" | Function (19th) ! width="25%" | Neighborhood (21st Century) ! width="25%" | Function (21st)
 * - style="background-color:#abcdef;font-size:95%;" width="100%;"
 * Bayside
 * Residential
 * Bayside
 * Residential
 * - style="background-color:#eeeeee;"
 * The Harbor
 * Harbor, transportation, trade
 * Old Harbor
 * Harbor, industry
 * Trading Quarter
 * Trade, administration, marketplace
 * Trading Quarter
 * Trade, shopping
 * - style="background-color:#eeeeee;"
 * Village
 * Residential
 * Downtown
 * Administration, government
 * }
 * Administration, government
 * }

Other parts of the current City of Noble City were populated, but not densily. These areas become neighborhoods in the 20th Century.

The Fire of Noble City
In August 1899, a few years after the great Fire of Hurbanova, a wooden craftsman's house in the Trading Quarter caught fire, due to both the hot weather and the bad conditions of the house. The local firefighters, who were based a couple of blocks north, weren't capable to extinguish the fire and the fire unfortunately set out to neighboring houses. As the firefighters kept extinguishing the fire, others destroyed the surrounding houses on purpose to prevent the fire from further expansion. After days the fire was stopped from spreading and when the weather turned colder and rainier the firemen managed to stop it. The losses were great: most buildings in the Trading Quarter and the neighboring quarters were destroyed, for instance the current Downtown area. One landmark building lost in the fire was the Palace Hotel, which was fortunately subsequently rebuilt. After the fire, the firefighters were reformed and made more effective. Most buildings were rebuilt in stone and less dangerous materials. Though, the Trading Quarter still is one of the more sensitive locations to fire.

Recent history
Noble City has always been the most populous location in Lovia, although many inhabitants moved out from 1890 to the 1950s, to the rural towns. In 1955, under the reign of King Lucas I, the national population growth stagnated, due to a famine. Many paysans returned to Noble City for a safer and wealthier future, hoping to get job in one of the manufactories in the corners of the city. These migrants mostly arrived in Transcity and stayed in this neighborhood or moved to Mandarin Village, Little Europe or Artista. Most new inhabitants stayed after the famine and the population peaked once more.

Since 2007, under the reign of, Noble City has become the absolute center of Lovia; cultural, economical, political. Many neighborhoods were renewed, such as the blooming center: Downtown. But neighborhoods at the brink of the city, such as Artista and Mandarin Village, weren't forgotten by the renewers.

The city still grows fast and is a very popular tourist attraction, which persuades lots op people to move to Lovia. The city's population currently is about 7,000, which is half of the Lovian population. These figures let us know Lovia is a very urbanized country.

Geography
Noble City lays at the Noble City Bay, a flat area compared to the rest of Peace Island. The city is located in the drainage basin of the Beaver River, which passes Long Road in the west and mouths in the Pacific Ocean south of the Industrial Area. The west of Noble City, including Artista, is rather hilly and very green. The climate is moderate and very soft. The area is rainy in late Autumn and early Spring, but mosty dry in Winter and Summer.

Neighborhoods
The city is divided into neighborhoods, all with their own characteristics:
 * Artista, a hilly and very green neighborhood with lots of artists and philosophers. It's recently renovated and very popular to youth.
 * Bayside, a rather wealthy neighborhood at the bay with some great apartment buildings, restaurants and villas.
 * Downtown, the center of the city, with mostly governmental institutions and tall buildings. Federal, state and city institutions are based here.
 * Industrial Park, a highly-developped industrial area. (under construction)
 * Ivy Lake, a hilly and green neighborhood with a lot of fruit gardens. (under construction)
 * King's Gardens, the residence of the royal family.
 * Little Europe, a European looking neighborhood with lots of restaurants and parks.
 * Little Frisco, a hippie neighborhood where peace, love and nature count. Great parks, sporting facilities and the second largest railway station.
 * Long Road, a large agricultural, natural and residential area. (under construction)
 * Mandarin Village, a cultural and touristic neighborhood with many fancy restaurants, shops and nice places.
 * Old Harbor, an industrial area near the bay with lots of green industry.
 * The Mall, the most important shopping area of Noble City, housing two large shopping malls and many stores.
 * Trading Quarter, the oldest part of the city with a lot of shops and bars and many historical sites.
 * Transcity, an industrial area where transportation companies have their headquarters, and where some important administrative functions are based.

Tourism and places of interest
Noble City is a very popular tourist attraction. People from all over Lovia, the United Wiki Nations, the United States and Europe visit the city. Cultural attractions and monuments are the most visited bt foreign tourists, while beaches and parks, such as the Noble Beach are frequented by locals. These are the tourist attraction in Noble City:

Top attractions
The tourist attraction top 3:
 * 1) Capitol,  Downtown
 * The Capitol is the building in which the Congress debates and votes acts. The Prime Minister's Office and many other offices and rooms of federal importance are based in this capitol. The building is well-known and the exterior is seen as one of the most beautiful capitols of North America.
 * 1) Palati Daidalo and Old Royal Palace,  King's Gardens
 * Palati Daidalo is the new Royal Palace, in which the King works and lives. It's situated in King's Gardens, where the Old Royal Palace is located as well. The gardens are worth visiting too.
 * 1) Noble Beach, from the  Old Harbor trough  Little Europe
 * The beaches at the Noble City Bay are collected under the name Noble Beach, except for the November Beach in King's Gardens. The beaches stretch along Noble City from the Old Harbor to Little Europe.

Nature and beaches

 * Abraham Lincoln Park, Little Europe
 * Botanica, Downtown
 * Long Road Cemetery, Long Road
 * Mandarin Park, Mandarin Village
 * Noble Beach, from the Old Harbor through  Little Europe
 * November Beach, King's Gardens
 * Painters Hill, Artista
 * Prince's Park, Old Harbor
 * Princess' Park, Old Harbor
 * Royal Gardens and other gardens around the palaces, King's Gardens
 * Strength Gardens, Long Road
 * Thomas Jefferson Park, Little Europe
 * Vreêland Garden, Bayside
 * Woodstock Forest, Little Frisco

Monuments

 * Abigail Johnson Theater, Long Road
 * Capitol, Downtown
 * First Campus, Trading Quarter
 * King Dimitri Hotel, Downtown
 * Little Frisco Railway Station, Little Frisco
 * Nielsen's Lighthouse, Bayside
 * Noble City Hall, Downtown
 * Old Royal Palace, King's Gardens
 * Palati Daidalo, King's Gardens
 * Statue of Andreas, Trading Quarter
 * Sylvania State Capitol, Transcity
 * Transcity Railway Station, Transcity

Entertainment and culture

 * Grand Eastern Mall, The Mall
 * Grand Western Mall, The Mall
 * Lovian Museum for Modern Art, Little Europe
 * Tower Mall, Downtown
 * Shopping area, Trading Quarter
 * Shopping and gastronomy area, Mandarin Village

Education
Noble City is Lovia's educational center, with the Nobel University in the Trading Quarter and the First High School. Currently, most other educational institutions are being renewed. New institutions are planned, such as a second university or college and a larger high school network.

Media
Lovia's most popular newspaper, The Noble City Times, is a typical Noble City newspaper and brings most news flashes from the view of Sylvanians.

Transportation
Just west of the capital the Highway 1 is situated. A few kilometers north of Noble City the Noble City International Airport is located. It's the largest airport of Lovia and one of the largest of the United Wiki Nations. Every year lots of tourists, businessmen and migrants pass through this airport, on there way to Noble City or another place of interest in Lovia.

Noble City is the city with the most expanded railway system in Lovia. The Trans Sylvanian Railway and the Peace Island Railway both arrive in Transcity and drive pass Mandarin Village toward the terminus, Little Frisco, the second busiest railway station. These two railroad make connections with Train Village SY and Hurbanova OC. Since March 2008 the Grand Interstate Railway makes a stop at the NCIA Railway Station and finally stops in Transcity, which is the number one railway station in passenger numbers in Lovia since three railways make their way through that neighborhood.

Some Lovians, such as Pierlot McCrooke, Train Village Mayor, are asking to start building a subway through Noble City. A suggested line goes from Little Frisco through the center of the city, to Long Road. These plans aren't accepted yet, because some of the neighborhoods aren't ready yet for such great works.

Seals
Noble City is, together with Newhaven, one of the only places with seals for every neighborhood. The city's seal is the oldest in Lovia and dates back more than 100 year. The Noble Ciy mayor,, has made an habit of making seals whenever a new neighborhood opens or is renewed. The newest seals are those of Artista and Mandarin Village.

Noble City is a perfect example of a sigillist place, where seals are used all over. All the Noble City seals are:



Famous Noble City'ers
These Lovians were/are inhabitants of Noble City:
 * 1873-1887: King Arthur I, King of Lovia
 * 1873-1890: Stephen Robinson, Founding Father
 * 1873-1880: George Smith, Founding Father and writer
 * 1873-1926: Abigail Johnson, Founding Father
 * 1877-1938: King Arthur II, King of Lovia
 * 1902-1926: Oscar O'Neill, poet and writer
 * 1904-1953: Queen Lucy I, Queen of Lovia
 * 1907-1956: King Lucas I, King of Lovia
 * 1909-2007: King Arthur III, King of Lovia
 * 1924-1933: James M. Jackson, writer
 * 1938-1980: Joe Lecoeur, French-speaking singer and songwriter
 * 1991-now:, King of Lovia
 * 2001-now: Christopher Verne, architect

Sister cities

 * [[Image:Adlibita.png|20px]] Agiunta, Adlibita, since March 2008
 * [[Image:Adlibita.png|20px]] Christianenburg, Adlibita, since 2007
 * [[Image:Flag of France.png|20px]] Paris, France, since February 2008
 * [[Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.png|20px]] London, United Kingdom, since March 2008
 * [[Image:United States.png|20px]] Sacramento, CA, United States, since March 2008
 * Saenteim, Mäöres, since March 2008
 * [[Image:Libertas.png|20px]] Wikicity (Wikistad), Libertas, since 2007