Arvant
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| Municpality of Arvant Municipalité d'Arvant Arvant Jekan |
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| Flag | Seal |
| Motto: "In limine marae" English: "On the threshold of the sea" | |
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| Location of Arvant within New Cambria | Location of Arvant within St. George's County |
| Country |  New Cambria |
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| County |  St. George's County |
| Incorporated | 24 April 1677 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Bryan Hanna |
| - Constituencies | Arvant Central Arvant South Bristol-Arvant East |
| Area | |
| - Total | 394.4 km² |
| - Land | 393.1 km² |
| - Water | 1.3 km² |
| - Urban | ?? |
| Elevation | 0m - 36m |
| Population (2006) | |
| - City | 366,085 |
| - Density | 931.2/km² |
| Time Zone | NST (UTC-3:30) |
| - Summer (DST) | NDT (UTC-2:30) |
| Area Code | 230 |
Arvant (a corruption of the French term "avant-garde," meaning "vanguard") is both the largest city and capital of the Republic of New Cambria. It is located near the midpoint of New Cambria Island's northern coast, at the mouth of the River Ferne. Originally founded as a temporary settlement for shipwrecked French fur-traders, it evolved into the primary port of entry through which the ancestors of over 90% of New Cambria's current residents passed. Today, the amalgamated Municipality of Arvant is by far the largest of New Cambria's 65 municipalities, with a population of 366,085 living in over a dozen urban, suburban and rural settlements. Arvant is a historical and contemporary cultural centre for the country, as well as a modern centre of education, the arts, administrative function, economy and industry.
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Geography
Edit
ClimateEdit
Like most of the country, Arvant's weather is predominantly cloudy, with an average 1,512 hours of sunshine per year. Most of New Cambria has a human continental climate (Dfb) with cool-to-warm summers, and cold winters. Average highs and lows are 19°C/8°C (66°F/46°F) in July and -4°C/-11°C (25°F/12°F) in January. The annual precipitation is moderate to high, with an average of 1710 mm (67.3 in) per year.
CityscapeEdit
Neighboring MunicipalitiesEdit
- Atlantic Ocean (north)
- Anselm, Avery County (north-east)
- Greenwich, St. George's County (east)
- Coventry, St. George's County (south)
- Portsmouth, St. George's County (west)
HistoryEdit
Arvant's modern history begins in the spring of 1613, when French fishermen established a settlement near present-day Arvant. The peninsula on which much of the old town was built protected ships anchored inside two small harbours; one on the peninsula itself and a larger one to the southeast.
During the period leading up to and following the execution of King Charles in 1649, large numbers of Roman Catholic settlers from Great Britain arrived to New Cambria via Arvant and Southport, fleeing anti-Catholic sentiment at home. The influx of British immigrants, almost all of them Catholic, continued for a half-century before leveling off around 1705. By this time, however, the population of New Cambria stood at approximately 35,000. With British settlers concentrated in the north and north-east (centred around Arvant), and most of the French population in the south and west.
As New Cambria's major seaport, Arvant quickly grew into the economic and cultural centre on the island. After the British defeated the French in the Seven Years' War, the French relinquished control of nearly all of their territory in North America east of the Mississippi River to the British, including New Cambria, Sainte Claire, Grouville and Blanche Islands (Grouville and Blanche Islands were renamed Cavit and Alaric, respectively). The creation of the Province of New Cambria was complete in 1764, and Arvant was chosen over Southport to be the capital city.
In the 1700s and 1800s, nearly all of New Cambria's immigrants arrived in the country through Arvant, making it by far the most culturally diverse place in the province. The next major influx of new arrivals occurred in the mid-1800s, during which thousands of Irish, fleeing starvation and disease caused by the Great Famine, sought economic opportunity in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and New Cambria.
Due to the Local Government Act 1957, Arvant City, nine neighboring towns and a large part of sparsely-populated land were consolidated into a single incorporated area named Municipality of Arvant. These towns have retained their identity within the municipality, and it is common for them to be referred to by their former town name, particularly in the mail (ex. 2 Main Street, Greystones, Arvant). In 1986, the Assembly granted Arvant the status of "home-rule municipality," thereby establishing a municipal council with the same powers as a county council. The Act did not remove Arvant from St. George's County, however. St. George's County Council still has its seat there, to which the Municpality of Arvant is entitled to elect one councilor. The Local Government (Consolidation) Act 2010 changed the way county councils are elected, and from 2012 onward Arvant will no longer elect members to the St. George's County Council.
AdministrationEdit
Although Arvant is a de jure part of St. George's County, Parliament has granted its municipal council significant home-rule powers, to the point that it de facto functions as its own county. Arvant maintains its own municipal school district, local police patrol area and fire and rescue district. The Municipal Council is composed of 42 members, two from each of Arvant's 21 wards. Each council member is elected to a three-year term, with elections staggered so that only one member from each ward is up for election at a time. The council then elects from its own membership a mayor to serve a single-year term. In exchange for its own county-level council, Arvant is permitted only a single member in the St. George's County Council until 2012, after which Arvant's representation in the council will cease.
NeighborhoodsEdit
Arvant City has 37 officially recognized neighborhoods, most of which have their own neighborhood associations. These neighborhoods are purely symbolic, as they are not related to the 21 wards of the municipal concil or any other legislative body. Owing to 150 years of immigration into New Cambria through the city, Arvant's neighborhoods are the most culturally diverse in the country.
DemographicsEdit
Approximately one in every seven New Cambrians lives in Arvant. The municipality is also home to the country's largest population of foreign-born residents. Approximately 1,500 Keva live in Arvant Municipality.
| Arvant Municipality Demographic Data - 1 July 2006 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Residents living in urban and rural areas | ||
| Urban | 303,296 | 82.8% |
| Rural | 62,789 | 17.2% |
| Age distribution | ||
| Age 0-17 years | 74,452 | 20.3% |
| Age 18-64 years | 212,541 | 58.1% |
| Age 65+ years | 79,092 | 21.6% |
| Primary language spoken at home | ||
| English | 343,903 | 93.9% |
| French | 17,883 | 4.9% |
| Hejvat | 1,388 | 0.4% |
| All others | 2,911 | 0.8% |
| Religious affiliation | ||
| Roman Catholic Church | 280,415 | 76.6% |
| Anglican Church | 46,571 | 12.7% |
| Methodist Church | 15,114 | 4.1% |
| Presbyterian Church | 7,965 | 2.2% |
| All others | 2,024 | 0.6% |
| Not religious | 13,996 | 3.8% |
| Religious attendance1 | ||
| At least weekly | 42,244 | 11.5% |
| At least monthly | 54,893 | 15.0% |
| At least twice a year | 148,271 | 40.5% |
| At least once a year | 56,149 | 15.3% |
| Never / Almost never | 22,053 | 6.0% |
| Declined to answer | 42,475 | 11.6% |
| Country of origin | ||
| New Cambria | 329,997 | 89.9% |
| Canada | 11,648 | 3.2% |
| United States | 9,979 | 2.7% |
| United Kingdom | 4,988 | 1.4% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2,328 | 0.6% |
| France | 1,688 | 0.5% |
| Other Europe | 4,806 | 1.3% |
| All others | 1,651 | 0.5% |
1 Data on religious attendance is collected from a survey of all New Cambrian households, which allowed survey takers to self-identify.
EconomyEdit
As New Cambria's largest municipality, it has the country's most diversified economy. Fishing, shipping and shipbuilding have been, and continue to be, the cornerstones of Arvant's economy. In the past few decades, however, tourism, software development and international finance have grown in importance. A significant number of Arvant residents are employed by the government, the municipal school district and the Port of Arvant.
InfrastructureEdit
RoadsEdit
Arvant is the hub of New Cambria's road system, and four of the country's ten national routes pass through the municipality.
Airports and SeaportsEdit
Arvant is home to New Cambria's largest airport, Sebastien Brun International Airport (ARV), in the southeastern portion of the municipality. In 2007, the airport handled approximately 2.5 million passengers on seven airlines: Air Canada, Cambria Airways, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways. Daily destinations include New York, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, London, Halifax and St. John's.
Arvant's seaport is home to thriving fishing and shipping industries. Daily ferry service operates between Arvant and The Settlement on Cavit Island, and also to Wild Harbour on Alaric Island. Ferries serve the other islands twice weekly.
CultureEdit
Arvant is, along with New Cambria's second city Southport, a major cultural centre. The municipality's urban core also benefits from a large population of post-secondary students who strongly influence the local cultural scene. Arvant has a number of art galleries, theatres and museums, as well as a significant portion of the country's premier sports and entertainment facilities. The municipality is also home to many performance venues, the largest of which is the Brock Carter Memorial Arena. Arvant is also the home to the New Cambria National Archives, the Library of the Republic, and the New Cambria Symphony Orchestra. On special occasions, the municipality will put on a fireworks display which is best viewed from a boat. The area is noted for the strength of its music scene and nightlife, especially in the central urban core.
Arvant plays host to a wide variety of festivals that take place throughout the year, including Independence Day celebrations and the annual Ethnic Enrichment Festival. New Cambria Public Broadcasting, the country's national broadcasting service, has its headquarters in Arvant, as are three of the New Cambria's five national daily newspapers.
Sites of InterestEdit
Added by Nkr20Due to its status as New Cambria's cultural and economic center, and also the seat of government, Arvant is home to many sites of interest. The President's official residence Blackburn House, is located near the center of Old Town Arvant at the intersection of Mackey and Bourne Streets. Opposite from Blackburn House is New Cambria's largest municipal park, St. David's Park.
Point Centre, located in the heart of the CBD at Pillar and Catherine Streets, was Parliament's original meeting place. After the legislature moved to is current complex in 1977, Point Centre was closed, and three of its buildings dating back to the 1760s were torn down. In 1984, Charles McGirk, a local businessman, led a campaign to save the remaining buildings. Arvant's municipal council undertook the task of rehabilitating Point Centre, and its three historic buildings were re-opened for lease in 1990. The oldest of the three has since become the location of the Arvant Municipal Library.
The seaport district has undergone considerable renovation in the last decade, and is now one of Arvant's major tourist areas. Between 1995 and 1997, many of the dilapidated buildings on Commercial Street's northern side were demolished and replaced with open space, allowing better views of the sea.
EducationEdit
Primary/SecondaryEdit
Arvant maintains its own local school system, the Arvant Municipal School District. The district is the largest in New Cambria, employing 1,700 teachers and serving approximately 36,000 students. Arvant MSD operates 27 primary, five lower secondary and three upper secondary schools.
A significant number of primary (and to a lesser degree, secondary) students attend one of Arvant's 16 privately-sponsored schools. Eleven of these are Catholic, four are inter-denominational "independent," and one is French-language.
UniversitiesEdit
Added by Nkr20Sister CitiesEdit
Arvant is twinned with the following cities:
- St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada (since 1974)
- Ushuaia, Argentina (since 1991)
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (since 1999)
- Invercargill, New Zealand (since 2000)
- Beirut, Lebanon (since 2003)
- Creburg, Heigard (since 2010)
| Municipalities of St. George's County, New Cambria
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Arvant •  Coventry •  Greenwich •  Portsmouth •  Woodbridge
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| Municipalities of New Cambria
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| 250,000+ | Arvant |
| 100,000+ | Portsmouth • Averytown • Talbot • Coventry • Southport • Đor • D'Arcy • Islands • Woodbridge • St. Sampson • Tain |
| 50,000+ | Greenwich • Brecon • Greenbriar • New Breizh • St. Saviour • Berea • Kahsat • Anselm • New Calvary • Crevecoeur |
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