Levesque

Levesque Ville de Levesque
Provincial Capital
Levesque and Maehwa Lake
Nickname(s):  Jewel of the Northlands, Lake City
Country	Haesan
Administrative District (Province)	Northlands
Founded	1253
Government
• Mayor	Chantel Besson (Parti du Nord)
Area
• Total	690 km2 (267 sq mi)
Elevation	750 m (2,450 ft)
Population  (2015)
• Total	2,492,740
• Density	3,600/km2 (9,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+6 (WHT)
Website	villelevesque.hn

Levesque (Haean: 레벡, French: Ville de Levesque) is a city in Haesan and the largest in the Northlands, of which it is the provincial capital. It is located on Lake Maehwa, perched amongst hilly terrain. With a population of almost 2.5 million, it is currently the 8th most populous city in Haesan. Levesque is a key center for Arrivée culture in Haesan, and hosts the second largest Arrivée population in the nation, behind only Anfa. French is an official language in the Northlands, and it is the most spoken language in casual conversation in the city.

Levesque originated as Yeolho-si (열호시), originally a key market town which helped funnel the produce of the north's farms, vineyards, and orchards towards the population centers to the south. In the 18th century, the city was "discovered" by French explorer Albert Levesque, who brought the city under French rule, and later the colonial authorities renamed the city in his honor. During the War of Haesanite Succession, Levesque was insulated by its advantageous geography and saw little of the conflict between Opthelian and French forces in the north, with the war's peace treaty, the Treaty of Levesque, ultimately being signed in the city. As a result, it has maintained a much more intense Arrivée culture than much of the north, as it was never conquered by Opthelia, and only had French rule removed by edict. Consequently, Levesque was a site of heavy resistance to Opthelian rule, and the "Libre Levesque" uprising in the 1850s which led to the creation of the short lived Levesque Free State was brutally crushed by the Nelson regime.

After democratization, Levesque served as a critical melting pot between the resident Arrivée and Haemin workers from rural Northlands, Maehwa, and Seocheon who sought work in the city's rapidly expanding industrial sector. This brought newfound prosperity to the city, and led to the development of a unique combination of art deco and more classical Haean styles. However, during the Great War, much of the city was leveled during heavy fighting during the early stages of the war, first during the initial Daryan invasion in 1963, and then further during the Laeralian Northern Campaign in 1964 and 1965. Levesque was slow to rebuild, as the destruction of nearly all rail lines into the city combined with its fairly remote location hindered aid entering the city, even as it swelled with refugees from the war-torn countryside. It ultimately wasn't until the late 1980s that the city had an economic revival, driven by liberalization in trade policies and opening of economic markets which helped Levesque be revitalized a financial, industrial, and trade center for northern Haesan.

Levesque's current economy is driven by the finance sector, especially the insurance industry, of which it is the Haesanite hub. Levesque's exurbs are home to many production facilities; however, many industrial processes especially in chemicals have been phased out due to environmental concerns about toxins leeching into Lake Maehwa. As a result industry in Levesque centers around agricultural processing and consumer goods manufacturing. Levesque has also emerged as a leading location for biotech and pharmaceuticals research in Haesan.

Levesque is a hub for northern rail lines, most notably a spur of the Trans-Haesan Express and the Northern Connector operated by Haecheol. Levesque has a tram system operating throughout its downtown area, with some lines extending out to provide commuter support. Levesque Lemaitre International Airport (LVQ), Haesan's 14th busiest airport, provides air connections to mainly East Hesperidan destinations, but has some connections further afield. The airport is connected to the city center via a monorail line. There is also a ferry service connecting Levesque Marina to Sanri, Maehwa.

Levesque is one of the most architecturally important cities in Haesan, due to the unique Levesque Arts style commonplace in the 1930s and 40s. However, due to the aftermath of the Great War, very few specimens of this style remain. As a result, the city was a key focus of the conservation campaigns of Corinne Depuis during the late 20th and early 21st century, and the city has enacted some of the strictest historical conservation and urban design codes in the IDU. Skyscrapers are banned in the city center, where buildings may not exceed five stories in height. Acceptable color palettes and design styles are limited to historic codes, and renovations must be curtailed if a building is deemed "architecturally significant". As a result, the city has developed a distinctive charm, and has long been a staple of lists about "hidden gem" tourist destinations due to its unique style, high levels of accessibility and low tourist volume.

Levesque is the seat of many international organizations' Haesanite branches, and has turned into an informal hub for non-profits and NGOs. The World Assembly has many of their Haesanite or East Hesperidan offices in the city, including WATCH and the WHA. Its peaceful, relatively apolitical lakeside location has also made it a prime destination to host summits and other diplomatic events.

Notable Places

• Battle of Levesque Memorial, a monumental remembrance of the Haesanite and Laeralian soldiers and civilians who died in freeing Levesque from Daryan occupation
• Château Mignot, the restored French castle which was the seat of colonial government
• Devaux Estate, a private mansion turned museum, and one of the best preserved examples of the Levesque Arts style
• Levesque Marina, a historic sailing hub offering lake cruises for tourists
• Place Hôtel de Ville, the city's historic central square with cafés and restaurants offering al fresco service