Towta

Towta (tUta) is a city in Kulpania, on the island of Towtalt. Towta is the largest city on Towtalt, and it is Kulpania's sixth largest city, behind Tondil in Lowtahtor. Towta is located roughly in the centre of Towtalt, and the boundary of the city does not reach either coast of the island. This boundary defines the divide between zones 2 and 3 on the Towta metro system, with stations in zone 3 sitting outside of the city and stations in zones 1 and 2 being inside. Towta is home to the offices of the Towtalt County Council as Kulpan county councils tend to be located in their county's largest city.

History

Towta, for most of its history, remained a small town, known only for its market. From the island's amalgamation into Kulpania in 1519 until around 1650, Towta's Zimtan Market, held weekly, attracted visitors from across the island and sometimes from the Kulpan mainland also. After 1650, however, the town began to grow rapidly. Large amounts of gold were found in the rock underneath the town, so workers from across the north of Kulpania flocked to Towta in order to set up or work in mines. This led to a very large demand for housing, which gave Towta its well-known classical appearance as many new 17th century houses were built.

The population of the town grew rapidly: the population in 1650 was approximately 7,200, but by 1700 it was nearly 60,000. The city was ill-equipped to support most of the new arrivals, so the majority of houses remained without proper sanitation methods and sewage systems. This problem was recognised by the Soltahtor Council, as the island was part of Soltahtor at the time, and they invested a large, unknown sum of money into developing housing for the influx of miners. Their scheme was mostly successful, as access to sanitation increased by 61% between 1680 and 1720, and as the population growth slowed it became easier to develop the necessary infrastructure for the residents. By 1730, the population of Towta reached 100,000, making it the third largest city in Kulpania, only behind Dalow and Katril.

After the mining boom, and its subsequent population increase, Towta's population continued to grow steadily, albeit more slowly. Lowtah's population overtook Towta's in 1787, and Oloton's did the same in 1799. The Kulpan industrialisation period brought more people into the city seeking factory and manufacturing jobs, but the city had learned from previous population increases and was able to appropriately cater for all of the new residents.

Towta's ability to deal with its population increases properly allowed the city to gain a reputation as a flourishing and well-off town, something which was reflected by the large number of wealthy residents living in the city and contributing to the Council through taxes. Consequently, the Soltahtor Council were able to allocate more funds for development of infrastructure and amenities in the city, allowing the city to grow quickly and in a planned manner.

Amenities

Towta is home to the Northern Arena, the home ground for the Towta Blues. The team have been in the Kulpan Premier League since its formation in 1992, and the high levels of traffic travelling to the ground necessitated the opening of a dedicated KulpanRail station, Northern Arena. Dutell Trains services run from Towta North terminal in the north of the city, to Bigmistan Port, on the south of the island, where ferries run to the Kulpan mainland. Towta also has a metro system, which has three lines and thirty-eight stations, and it is operated by the Towtalt County Council.