San Fernando

San Fernando 聖費爾南多
City in Slokais Islands
Nickname:  "Delta City"
Country	Slokais Islands
Province	San Fernando Province
Founded	1634
Government
• Mayor	Miles Chan-Aguerra (Centrist Party)
Elevation	434 ft (132 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,234,891

San Fernando is a city in Slokais Islands, located on San Fernando Island, along the San Fernando River. With a population of 2,234,891, San Fernando is the second-largest city in Slokais and the capital and largest city of San Fernando Province. San Fernando is primarily located along the namesake river although its suburbs are spread throughout the San Fernando Delta. Founded in 1643 as a collection of villages, it expanded to a trading hub by the 1800s. For much of its existence, San Fernando has been the primary point of exporting and importing goods. This has led to many manufacturing and production jobs in the area.

History

Founded in 1643 in honor of San Fernando de Salinas, the founder of the settlement. San Fernando was originally inhabited by settlers from the Costeno region of Lauchenoria as part of the Costenan Empire. The region had been sparsely populated by the local Pimya ethnic group in small villages before being settled by Ren faithful around the year 1000. The settlement of Jian Te Quan was built on a raised bank along the river in the 1200s, to act as a trading post and a center for the Pindai State's failed expansion along the San Fernando River. When San Fernando was founded, the Mission District was built nearby to Jian Te Quan, although a wall was built around the city of San Fernando, with the area in between becoming known as the Quayside due to the interaction of Ren and Costeno settlers in selling goods and the location of a small natural lagoon.

The farming quality of the San Fernando Delta soon became apparent, and plantations began to be established by wealthy financiers outside of the city gates. Additionally, slaves from Kolda began to be brought to the new Colony of San Fernando around 1705. In 1712, a port was built to connect plantations further inland with foreign markets known as the Kingside due to its location opposite the Mission District. As the center of the Colony, San Fernando experienced rapid development as the richest settlers quickly built grand colonial buildings in the district of Nuevo Numancia, located inland at a higher elevation compared to the swampy surroundings. In addition, large numbers of wealthy Minjian traders moved from surrounding states to establish businesses, leading to primarily Ren being the trading and banking class.

San Fernando also became home to the largest slave market in the Slokais Islands, with an estimated 100,000 people being processed through the city between 1714 and 1805, when the practice was abolished, although it would take several more years for those enslaved people to become free citizens. As the city grew, Indigenous people were often forced into sharecropping in order to retain their land from wealthy farmers who had begun to develop the marshy interior. San Fernando grew industrially in the 1830s with the construction of the San Fernando Canal, allowing for ships to travel further inland while profiting from traffic. Manufacturing companies began to employ thousands, enticing workers to move to the city. After the independence of Slokais in 1892, San Fernando became the initial capital until 1901, when it was moved to New Liverpool.

During the 1920s, San Fernando became a hub of manufacturing with steel being the largest industry. As part of state planning, San Fernando saw rapid suburban growth around new industries. This population growth eventually led to the development of regional rail services as commuting began to the financial and business district in central San Fernando. In the 1940s, San Fernando saw violence between National Reformist forces and city police who protected Minjian districts from attack. During the Costa administration, San Fernando was somewhat resistant, with city officials refusing to comply with federal mandates. Eventually, in 1954, the National Reformist Brigade staged a coup against the city government in the October 8th Incident. This led to an active presence against the mostly Minjian-based resistance groups until 1963 when the city was liberated

Afterward, the Great War saw a general exodus to the suburbs as the economy transitioned to goods manufacturing, and companies opted to build large factories in large rural plots. The population of San Fernando decreased from 3.9 million in 1975 to 2.5 million as of 2000, with nearby towns such as San Sabla becoming cities in their own right. However, in recent decades, urban renewal and a growing immigrant population have led to population growth once again.

Economy

San Fernando is a manufacturing hub with companies such as Riox and HMG Industries based there, as well as Slokais Islands' 3rd largest airport, San Fernando International Airport. Banking and financial services are also a major industry, along with shipping and logistics via the Port of San Fernando. The Kingsway District of the city has, in recent years, become home to several major companies as well as start-ups and consulting firms. Similar to much of the region, manufacturing of material goods such as computers, plastic products, and shoes are key industry. The metro area is connected by the San Fernando Tram and Metro Network as well as Slokasian Rail.

Demographics

San Fernando is a large urban center and thus has drawn migration and immigration for much of it's existence. The largest ethnicity is Rén with 36.3%, with large populations in the Bayside region of San Fernando as well in the historic Koumntias Ren of Quayside. Meszcaldo is the second largest ethnic group with 28.8%, and is found in sizeable populations in the western and southern portions of the city. Indigenous people make up 11.2% of the population and are generally scattered across the city. Blancos have a historic community dating to 1800s and today can be found in large numbers in the Eastside, making up 11.1%. Although formerly the largest group in the city, migration to the suburbs in the early 20th century mean that Costenos now make up 5.1% of the population. 4.7% of the population is classified as Nerianos with most being Salvadoristas, an ethnic group of mixed Koldan and indigenous ancestry. In addition recent immigrants from Kolda have added to this number. The remaining population is split between immigrant group's such as Haesanites, Mallacans and Andharians with many moving to the city to work in the financial sector.

Ethnicity in San Fernando

	%	#
Rén	36.7%	811,265
Mezcaldo	27.8%	621,300
Indigenous	11.2%	250,308
Blancos	11.1%	248,073
Costenos	5.8%	236,147
Nerianos	4.7%	105,539
Kaijanese	1.6%	35,578
Andharian	0.6%	13,409
Other	0.9%	19,321

Religion

Religion in San Fernando

Name	%
Christianity	55.8%
Minjian Faith	27.5%
No Religion	8.2%
Ambonar Church of God	4%
Islam	3.5%
Other/No Answer	2.4%

Culture

San Fernando has developed a unique cultural blend due to the city's history. San Fernando is considered the hub of the Slokaisian Bahasha with the language being initially developed in the city and is currently home to the largest newspaper and largest TV network for Slokasian Bahasha. In addition, San Fernando has several cultural institutions such as the San Fernando Art Museum and the Suci-Grah Gallery. Music is also a key industry with S-Pop, Bahasha Folk, and Electronic having major studios and performance venues in the city.

Sports

Several sports teams play in the city such as San Fernando FC and the Salvador City Pythons of the SPL, as well both team's GDBL affiliated clubs. In addition, the San Fernando Stars of the SBL and the City Athletic Club of the Slokasian Basketball League also play the highest level of the respective sports. San Fernando also has a history of sailing and aquatic sports due to its maritime past with the National Sailing Center being in Tepilau Beach and the National Aquatic Center in the Quayside District. Golf in Slokais also has its roots among the city's elite with several professional courses.