Bastia

Overview

Bastia, or The City of Bastia, is the national capital of the Federal Republic of Belarum, and has the largest city population in the nation. Bastia was created in order to accomodate the administrative duties of the national government and related agencies, but has grown to become one of the most vital cities in Belarum. It is a media and transportation hub, with an economy geared towards government, education, healthcare, technology, finance, retail, publishing, and other related industries.

Bastia is a federal district, but it is adminstered funds as if it were a principality. The capital has a municipal government with a "strong mayor" system. Bastia is frequented by tourists from around the nation, the European Union, and even the world for it's notoriety as a leading city in the EU.

As of June 2006, the Belarian Census Bureau calculated the exact population of Bastia proper to be 14,856,975. The Bastia Metro Area has a population of over 25 million.

History

Planning

Planning for the city began at the dawn of the 20th Century, as the new nation of Belarum began to take shape. Several city planners and architects were hired, and drew inspiration from cities such as Moscow, Istar, Roma, and the former capitals of the principalities. Original plans called for the placement of the city along the Pas de Calais in order to foster more trade with sea fairing nations, but it was ultimately decided by the Senate that the city would be placed closer to the center of the new nation.

Sections of the City

Federal Section

The Federal Section of Bastia is the site of most of the government's buildings, but some facilities spill over into neighboring sections.

Economy

As of June 2006, the federal government employs roughly 36% of Bastia's inhabitants available in the job market. This is due to the presence of the federal government and it's many angencies, including the Belarian Intelligence Office, the Institute for Disease Prevention, and the Employment and Training Administration. This has also led to the creation of private enterprise because of the presence of agencies such as this, such as nonprofit organizations, independant contractors, law firms, NGOs, and many other private organizations sustained by the presence of the government. Many economists claim that this makes Bastia virtually recession-proof, as the government maintains all of it's functions and duties during periods of economic lagging. Some economists even go so far as to say that the Bastian economy grows during recession, as it continues to provide steady income, which in turn creates more purchasing power, allowing people to jumpstart the economy.