Baltimore

Baltimore
[[image: |x78px|Flag of Baltimore]] Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: "From Thine Shores Come Influxes of Wealth, Power, and Luxury"
Anthem:
Geography
Area	1,520km2
Highest point	Baltisent Island Hills
Longest river	The Logan River
Demographics
Population	8,466,120
• Growth	2.4%/year
Median age	39.7 years
Demonym	Baltimorean
History
Founded:	April, 1809
First City Council Held:	August 4th, 1831
Government
Capital	Downtown Baltimore
Official language	Farmine
Type	United States of Quentin City
Legislature	Baltimore City Council
Mayor:	Christina Bangbash
City Council Head:	Drew Loche
City Treasurer:	Raljekx Freston
Permanent City Decider:	Adam Darlington
Districts:	Downtown Baltimore, Uptown Baltimore, Quadrabehn District, Hill Bluffs, Desert Branch, Backrooks District, Baltisent Island, Highbills District
Economy
Currency	The DIG System (Ð) (DIG)
GDP	Ð89.67 Billion ($869.70 Billion)
• Per capita	Ð5,764 ($57,640)
• Growth	3.2%/year
Sectors	1% Agriculture 65% Industry 34% Services
Unemployment	4.8%
Development
Life expectancy	65.3 years
Clean water access	99%
Literacy	99.9%
Enrollment	85.13%
• Primary	99.9%
• Secondary	84.2%
• Tertiary	71.3%
Standards
Measures	DuBuis System
Date format	Month-Day-Year
Traffic	Right-Hand
Codes
ISO code	BAL
Internet TLD	.nwd
Time Zones	VST+3 (Asperian Gulf Standard Time)
Calling code	+7

The City of Baltimore, commonly referred to as Baltimore, is a major city in The United States of Quentin and the capital city of The Desert Area. Besides being the 5th most populous city in the USQ, Baltimore is on the shores of the Gulf of Creed as well as the Logan River, making it a natural port site with billions of dollars flowing in and out of the city via water trade each year from other countries, but especially other Quentinian cities. This port location also contributes to Baltimore's high immigration numbers, with immigrants coming from northern countries such as The Northern Patrons of Ice, Ravensonia, Rapathion, and The Nista Federation of States, contributing in turn to great cultural and ethnic diversity in the city, perhaps more so than any other in the USQ.

Baltimore is also known for its extensive cultural programs with music, art, and especially cuisine and literature being an integral part of the community as a whole and its identity. Baltimore's Baltisent Island a small distance off the coast has been recognized around the world as a model of power and space efficiency, with 97% of the city's electricity coming from the small island, owned and operated by the city. Besides the island, Baltimore sports world class restaurants, many on the coastline along with other ports and shops.

Besides Baltisent, Baltimore has numerous notable landmarks. These include the DA government buildings, the Baltimore Arch of the Wall, the Federal Quentinian Aquarium, and Missile Twist Tower. Founded in 1809 by a group of settlers in The Territories of Quentin, the city has a current population of 8.46 million people in an area of 1,520km².

History

Founding

The city of Baltimore was founded in 1809, in what was then The Territories of Quentin, under the rule of the Republic of Megatridimensional Order. The settlers of the city came from the Territory of Grassland, after space along the Logan River was filled up. So the settlers moved west along the banks of the river, eventually branching off north until coming to the large body of water today known as the Gulf of Creed. They settled in the area adjacent to both the river and the gulf, near to both coasts, which provided them with a plentiful water source and access to fish and other resources.

Growth and Independence Movement

The city started to boom with trade as new settlers arrived from the east as well as from the gulf, and ships came out from the harbor sailing east to the Logan River and down to Mechanicsburg with lumber and fish, coming back with ore and more importantly, money. In 1819 it became the capital of the new Territory of the Desert, as a result of the large growth.

From 1809 to 1820 Baltimore was involved in some of the protesting against the rule of the MTO, however unlike cities such as Mechanicsburg and Jameisville, Baltimore was generally calm until The Mechanical Goods Act of 1818. While there weren't many riots in this period, they were much more violent in Baltimore, with the Ministerial Harbor Riots and the Baltimore Massacre of 1821 killing a near 40 people. In 1823 the Quentinian Declaration of Independence was released, and although trade with the MTO was beneficial for the city, most supported the cause, including the government. Those who did not necessarily support it still contributed, with privateers leaving Baltimore for MTO coasts, seeking treasure and a reward for their efforts.

After independence was won in 1830, Baltimore became the capital of The Desert Area, which became official in 1834 after The Constitution of the United States of Quentin was ratified.

Late 1800's

After the Constitution was ratified, Baltimore continued to grow, becoming an integral part of the new economy and trade. The city expanded as well, growing to encompass space on both banks of the river. During both the Early Punctin War and the Final Punctin War Baltimore served as somewhat of a gateway area from the war zones to the main inhabited areas of the nation. Troops moved through the city constantly, with naval ships being launched from Baltimore's port as well, including the famous Baltimore-made QNS Foam Cruiser.

As the nation industrialized, so did Baltimore, building up its shipping prowess most of all, bringing in trade from the MTO among other countries, as well as playing a crucial role nationally, helping to move goods west to new ports and Quentinian settlements. Trade from Boston to the city was, and still is to a certain degree, extremely important, as Boston's lumber and fish could reach the rest of the country much faster than going around the peninsula.

Hurricane Creed hit Baltimore hard in 1882, wiping out many shops and ports on the waterfront, however recovery was swift, with only 7 people dying and new safety measures being implemented because of it, which were upgraded in 1974 to protect the transit and other underwater systems. As the USQ absorbed Punctinaturalland in 1871, former Punctins in the modern day Kumar Area couldn't deal with the new taxes, many taking ships from Liberation City to Baltimore, beginning the city's long history of immigration and cultural diversity.

20th-21st Centuries

The 1900's began for Baltimore with a large immigrant population, which quickly grew from 1900 to 1921 by the thousands. After this period of immigration, the city developed a large fine arts and literature community. While the rest of the nation wouldn't experience these kind of arts, entertainment, and literature until the 1960's, Baltimore entered a period from 1913-1924 known as the Wall Arch Revolution, referring to the Baltimore Arch of the Wall that was built in 1904. This arch and wall were symbols of the cultural revolution, which included jazz being picked up first in Baltimore before being popularized in The Chip Area later. Art was a large part of it as well, with Darryl Phoebe living and working in Baltimore, and the wall arch being decorated in its recognizable paint as it is today. Finally, literature flourished, with Villager Publishers, Ocean Trash Publishing Office and Broken Horse Publishers being headquartered in Baltimore in the 1930's and still today.

In the Great Venturian War, Baltimore did not serve a large role besides that of a troop point once again, as in the Punctin-Quentinian Wars, as well as being the main launching point for ships from the USQ in the north. (The one in the south being Port Jaron) In the Greater Venturian War Baltimore's role as a buffer point for troops from the east on their trip to the Paladinian-Quentinian Border was largely diminished, with troops moving through Bakersfieldville much more frequently, however the importance of the city as a naval construction, launching, and commanding point was the same, if not greater.

After the Venturian Wars, Baltimore began a steady population decline from 1950 through the 1980's, largely as a result of southern population movement, the same thing happening to other northern cities like Boston and West Snowy. One high point for the city was the 1935 Winter Sidus Dei Ludos, which were held in Baltimore, having a large turnout from fans and citizens. During the Quentinian Age of Culture, Baltimore may have disappeared from the spotlight and recognition of the country, but still served as a critical economic backbone for the country. During the 1990's and into the 2000's, Baltimore began a massive resurgence, with Holly Stevenson Naval Center being constructed in the city, becoming the headquarters of the Quentinian Navy. Additionally, the refurbishment of the Federal Quentinian Aquarium gave Baltimore a major tourism boost. In 2000, the United Creed Center was also completed, the largest indoor sports arena in the world. The architecture of the arena immediately made it popular, however the fact that its construction coincided with the resurgence of the USQ itself in the early 2000's made it a national icon. The arena is still a major Quentinian icon today, with numerous politicians introducing plans to designate the United Creed Center as a national monument. Due to many of these changes, the city's population rose greatly from 1987 onward, and has continued to steadily rise since then, jumping back into the top 5 Quentinian cities by population in 2001.

Locations and Skyline

See also: Baltimore Image Library

The Gulf of Creed surrounding Baltimore.

Baltimore, with the Highbills District in the foreground and the downtown in the background.

Baltisent Island, the main power supplying island and a center of industry for the city.

Baltimore Church Park, near the InTech Building, in the foreground, with downtown Baltimore in the background.

Geography

Baltimore is located adjacent to two main bodies of water, the Logan River and the Gulf of Creed. The main area of the city is flat and at a low elevation, due to its coastal position, however it is surrounded by much rougher land, with the Backrooks District being the rougher of any of the districts, as well as the outskirts. Baltisent Island is included in the city proper, and it has a very high elevation compared to the mainland, as well as heavily forested.

The city's climate is the stereotypical Quentinian one: temperate summers, a fair fall and spring, and a cold winter. Baltimore's spring, summer, and fall are much colder, however, a factor of the ever-present wind from the sea, with temperatures in fall reaching highs of 50, usually much lower, summer being from 60-70 degrees, sometimes colder, and springs being from 40-60 degrees. Wildlife in the city is minimal except for marine life, with hundreds of variations of fish and water plants making the gulf home. The same is true for the river, however only recently has this been true. After discoveries in the 1990's that showed high pollution in the Logan River running next to the city, the DA Department of Nature made efforts to clean up the river, which restored plant and animal life to the river as well as raised the health quality of water.

Culture

Sports

Baltimore is a major sports city, with numerous teams and events. Unlike other cities, vehementiaball is actually more popular than roofball, mostly because of the great success of the Baltimore Harbormasters throughout the history of the United Vehementiaball League (UVL). Roofball is still popular in the city, however, with the Baltimore Lightning being the city's team in the Quentinian Roofball Organization (QRO).The collegiate athletics organization QUACA includes 2 of Baltimore's universities in their Tier I athletics competition, with the University of Baltimore Renjakx, and the BTU Barnegats being Tier I collegiate athletics programs. The Desert Area State Unity are also a Tier I college, though DA State is not located exclusively in Baltimore. The city has also played host to the QRO Champions Cup 5 times, twice at QBCI Arena and three times at the United Creed Center.

Besides vehementiaball and roofball, Baltimore is a starting point for the annual Snowfield Peninsula Marathon, an extremely long multi-day marathon that runs from Baltimore to West Snowy. Nearly 75,000 turn out for the event to compete each year, millions others watching with large news coverage being given to the event, which has a prize of $1,000,000 for the winner or the competitor who makes it the furthest. The Sidus Dei Ludos have only been held in the city once, for the 1935 Winter Sidus Dei Ludos, however the Baltimore City Council continually puts in hosting bids to the Quentinian Sidus Dei Ludos Committee.

The annual Quentinian Super Quadrathameet has been held in Baltimore 11 times, with the city being chosen because of its vicinity to both types of water, salt and fresh, as well as its large population and temperate climate. Football is oddly common in the city as well, certainly much more than other places in the nation. In the Quentinian Football League, Baltimore has two teams, the Baltimore Fireworks and the Baltimore Hexagonal Prisms. Most sporting and athletic events in the city are held in stadiums or arenas. Baltimore has four stadiums, the largest one being the United Creed Center, mainly used for sports and concerts but also as the starting point for the Snowfield Marathon, followed by Majestic Gulf Stadium, Rowspan White Stadium, and the Missile Twist Quacka Arena.

Leisure and Entertainment

There are many places in Baltimore to go for leisure or entertainment, including a beautiful waterfront section with numerous stores and restaurants called Seaverport Strip. Numerous of these shops are famous around the world, and exclusive only to Baltimore. Notable ones include Madame Dit's Print Shop, which opened in 1848 and is famous both for its engravings in any product you bring them as well as its waiting room, with a view of the gulf and complimentary dessert service. Another notable one is Castriiple de Diennavaau, a restaurant that sports classic Iridium Cuisine. Opened in 1905 by immigrants, it has locations all over the nation, but the most famous and original is on the waterfront in Baltimore.

Besides the waterfront, the city maintains numerous parks, both large and small, available for public use. One of the largest is Upslant Park, in Uptown Baltimore, which includes paths through the square with trees and numerous statues. Another notable park includes Iridium Square, down in the downtown area, that always sports numerous Iridium performers, some official and some not, as well as a good view of the city and paths to walk. Sports events always take place in the city, with all 4 of the main stadiums holding concerts as well. The Federal Quentinian Aquarium is probably one of the main entertainment centers in the city, however, with nearly

Food and Drink

Cuisine in the city is perhaps one of the more thriving industries in Baltimore, more so than any other city in the nation, besides Verisitium and cities in the Chip Area such as Von Ville.

Architecture

The Arch of the Wall, built in 1860.

Literature and Media

Literature in the city of Baltimore has continued to thrive and flourish throughout the city's 210 year history, with the largest period of growth and creation being the early 20th century. The works of Baltimorean author Sammie Lutz, who wrote poetry and romantic fiction, are perhaps the most read and well known from that period in the earl 1900's, along with realistic fiction writer Manu Dalahreed, who became famous mainly for his book ''Where the Tide Falls'', however wrote other works as well, including ''The Articles of Gloria Tiides'', about immigration and acceptance, something Manu came in contact with often in the immigration-laden Baltimore. The 1970's were also a time of great literature production, with fantasy writer Ballie Ridison writing many great works in the city, with one of his lines even being engraved on the Arch of the Wall.

Book stores are common in the city, perhaps not as common as in Mechanicsburg, which is also known for its abundant and well known literature, but still extremely prevalent in the city. The most notable of which is the Second Station Bookstore, in the Quadrabehn District of the city, which is known for being located adjacent to the Logan River, as well as holding hundreds of books. Literature companies are also headquartered in the city, including Villager Publishers, Ocean Trash Publishing Office, and Broken Horse Publishers.

Government and Politics

The city, like all in The United States of Quentin, is governed by the Baltimore City Council, whose members, as well as the mayor, are elected by the city's citizens. The council is in charge of numerous issues and services, things that the state government does not handle, such as the water and power distribution, sports events and stadiums, the Baltimore City Police Force, the city's public parks and monuments, etc. The Mayor of Baltimore, currently Christina Bangbash, leads the executive branch of the council, approving or rejecting the Council's bills and making sure they're enforced, much like the President of the USQ does for the nation. Finally, in every Quentinian city a decider is stationed to act as a judicial branch for minor matters the Supreme Council of the USQ won't handle. The Baltimore City Decider, currently Adam Darlington, settles local disputes and crimes inside the city.

The city's political majority is currently Mild RePublican, however Baltimore is extremely prone to change in political opinion, perhaps more so than any other city besides Bakersfieldville. Local positions are generally a good way to gauge the public's opinion, with the current mayor, and several council members being Mild RePublican, with notable exceptions being Decider Darlington and Baltimore City Councilperson Jackson Stark, who are both Fundamentalist. The city is the capital of the Desert Area, with numerous key government locations located in Baltimore, including the Desert Area Capitol, one of the two meeting buildings of the Desert Area Supreme Council, and the Desert Area Governor's Residence. Baltimore is centered on politics because of this, and the city is key to the DA's government.

Districts

The city, as in all Quentinian cities, is divided into multiple districts. Baltimore's districts are Downtown Baltimore, Uptown Baltimore, the Quadrabehn District, Hill Bluffs, Desert Branch, the Backrooks District, and the Highbills District, with Baltisent Island being classified as a City Administrative District, because of its park on one end and the Baltisent Island Power Plant on the other.

Demographics

Religion

Main article: See Religious and Cultural Diversity in Baltimore

Baltimore has a large and extremely diverse religious community, mainly because of the high immigration rates of the city in the late 19th century through the early 20th century. The city's largest religion is Christianity, at 45%- with 65% belonging to Quentinian Christianity, and the other 35% belonging to Allian Christianity- followed by Skethianity at 22%, Hatvism at 15%, Trinitism at 11%, Reformed Hatvism at 5%, and Rationalism at 2%. Numerous Churches, Sothinaks, and Synagogues can be found in the city, the oldest of which is the Sanctus Elijah's Church, and the largest of which being the tall Church Cedieu Construit in the Quadrabehn District.

Education

Baltimore has a condensed education system compared to other cities, referring to the city's small number of large schools, with one Quentinian School District for the entire city. The city's education is handled by the Quentinian Department of Education, with different bureaus handling different levels of education.

Primary and Secondary Schooling

There are approximately 900 public primary and secondary schools in the city, nearly all of which are over 2,000 students. Some notable elementary schools in the city include Baltimore First Public Elementary, originally built in 1825 and rebuilt in 1965, with 1,900 total students, Behn Wagner Elementary School, the largest in the city with 2,100 students, and Baytimore Port Elementary School, the most awarded in the city as for education and numerous fine arts programs. There are also numerous middle schools in the city, the largest being Carol Apaiby Middle School, with 4,000 students, as well as Uptown Baltimore Middle School, the newest in the city, being built in 2018 and holding 2,300 students.

Some of the more notable high schools in the city include Baltimore Public High School, known best for its Vehementiaball rivalry with Baltimore Shore High School, each holding close to 4,500 students. Arch Public High School is notable for its fine arts and performing arts programs, as well as its close vicinity to the Baltimore Arch of the Wall, with a total of 2,080 students. In addition, there are nearly 75 private primary and secondary schools located around the city.

Tertiary Education

Baltimore is also home to numerous universities, colleges, academies, and other places of higher learning. As it usually is in The United States of Quentin, most of these are privately run, except for the Desert Area State University, which has one of its two main campuses in Baltimore. Besides this, the private universities and colleges in Baltimore are, "...not stupendous, however are abundant, inexpensive, and competent," according to former Quentinian Secretary of Education Bill Bricker.

Baltimore University main building in the background, with a branch f the city's aquarium in the foreground

Some notable colleges in the city, schools with only one campus, include Harbormast College, Ballabhor College, Hexal College, the Baltimore Fine Arts Academy, Quadrabehn Religious Cultural College, and Brickbacher College, among others. The best of this list for all around academics is generally recognized as either Hexal College which enrolls 6,600, or Harbormast College which enrolls 4,100, but Baltimore Fine Arts Academy, which enrolls 5,000, focusing on the fine arts is ranked among the top 5 in the nation when it comes to arts.

Baltimore has one main Quentinian University, Baltimore University, which is not ranked in the top 10 of the country, but is one of the largest, enrolling 61,000 in the city alone, making up most of its 110,000 student total enrollment. The other main Baltimorean university is Baltimore Technological University, which offers hundreds of degrees but specializes in computer science, shipping, and administration. Finally, numerous universities that aren't headquartered in Baltimore still have campuses there. These include Mechanicsburg University, Baltimore, Wagner and Firedawn University, Baltimore, Kumar Technological University, Baltimore, Upper Quentinian Peninsula University, Baltimore, and Bakersfieldville University, Baltimore.

Public Services

Police and Crime

Law enforcement in the city is handled by the Baltimore Police Department, one of the most highly trained units in the nation, however is only 11th largest. The BALPD is operated by the Baltimore City Council, and funding comes from the city and state residents, as Baltimore is the state capital. The BALPD was founded in 1821, to enforce the Territorial Assembly in the city. The force employs nearly 16,000 officers, as well as another 600 administration employees. The BALPD is headquartered in Downtown Baltimore, as well as more minor headquarters in the Backrooks District and Baltisent Island.

Crime in the city is one of the higher rates in the nation, especially in areas near the waterfront, called Second Block Back. During the Golden Age of Gangs in the nation, the crime rates in the Second Block Back went through the roof. Recently the City Council has attempted to expand the force, however in 2011 the Baltimore Police Upgrade Bill simply upgraded the training and equipment of the existing force.