---
title: "Auritania City"
nativeTitle: "Ciudad de Auritania"
type: "city"
nation: "auritania"
infobox: (25 rows)
---
**Auritania City** (Ciudad de [[auritania]], *see-oo-DAHD deh ow-ree-TAH-nee-ah*) is the [capital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_city) and most populous city of Auritania, as well as the most populous city in [[elysia]]. It is located in the [Valley of Anahuac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_Mexico) within the [Anahuacan Plateau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Plateau). The city has 16 boroughs or *distritos*, which are in turn divided into over 6,400 neighborhoods (*colonias* and *barrios*).
According to the most recent definition agreed upon by the state government, the 1930 population for Auritania City was 21,942,000, which makes it the world’s seventh-largest metropolitan area. Auritania City’s land area is 4,765 square kilometers, making it the [primate city](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate_city) of Auritania. Auritania City has a [GDP PPP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity) of $715 billion, which makes it one of the most productive urban areas in the world. The city was responsible for generating 22.8% of Auritania’s GDP. If it was an independent country in 1930, Auritania City would be the fifth-largest economy in Elysia.
Auritania City is the oldest capital city in Elysia. The city was built on a group of islands in [Lake Hueyaltepec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcoco) by the [Noza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexica) around 1325, under the name Tenochtepecan. It was almost completely destroyed in the 1521 siege of Tenochtepecan and subsequently rebuilt and redesigned in accordance with Oestenic urban standards. In 1524, the municipality of Anahuac City, name of Auritania City at the time, was established, known as *Anáhuac Tenochtepecan* and beginning in 1585, it was officially known as *Ciudad de Anáhuac* (Anahuac City). Anahuac City played a major role in the Oestenic colonial empire as a political, administrative, and financial center. Following independence from Oestenia, the region around and containing the city was established as the new capital of Anahuac in 1824, under Rodríguez’s regime.
Anahuac City suffered heavy damage during the Anahuacan Civil War and Hollosendian intervention, but was extensively rebuilt after the Thousand Days War, when it was designated as the Auritine Confederation’s capital with Botai. Thanks to the Constitution of 1867, Anahuac City was granted high autonomy, being able to elect its own Governor, members in its congress and representatives in the National Congress. During the Auritanian’s Golden Age, Anahuac City grew rapidly into a major city with a robust population and powerful economy. The period of high autonomy ended in Rafaelato, where the Congress of Anahuac City was put under significant government control and the Governor was appointed directly by Santos instead of being elected. This, combined with Santos’s other failed economic policies, led to the city’s stagnation, severe unemployment and social unrest. When Fausto I. Maldonado started the Auritanian Revolution in 1910, citizens of the city formed many militia groups to fight back republican forces. They managed to take over the city and force Santos to flee, contributing to the Revolutionary Army’s quick victory. During the Hidalgo coup, Anahuac City was bombarded by artillery shells for seven days straight in an event later known as the Seven Tragic Days. This, combined with the power struggle in the Revolutionary Army afterwards, destroyed major portions of the city and led to high casualties. Despite rebuilding efforts, many sectors of the city remain empty or filled with destroyed structures till this day.
After the Revolution ended in 1920, the city was designated as the [[special-capital-zone]] under the direct control of the state government, bypassing the standard provincial system. Despite promises of more autonomy, the Congress of Anahuac City was still under significant government control with the Governor still appointed directly by the Glorious Leader instead of being elected. Anahuac City was the center of the First Night of Terror, and the later Second Night of Terror, which led to a lot of riots and instability, this led some scholars to dubbed the city as “The Burning City”. Anahuac City was the first subject and main focus of the New Economic Plan. The Plan managed to help the city to achieve economic growth after more than three decades of stagnation. This helps the city’s culture to flourish and birthed new architecture and art movements. Torre Auritania, the first skyscraper in Auritania and Southern Elysia, began construction in 1928 to announce the implementation of the New Economic Plan, and is scheduled to open in 1936 or 1937. If it gets completed, it will certainly become the new economic center of the city and the symbol of Auritanian growth. On the 1st of April, 1931, along with the national name and flag change, Anahuac City also changed its name and flag, which is the current official name and flag.
## Etymology
Auritania City got its name from the Sea of Auritania, which means “land of gold” in Rumaic, referring to the legend of [El Dorado](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado), not to be mistaken as the city with the same name in Eastern Auritania. Before the name change, Auritania City was known as Anahuac City from the Quetzatl name *Anahuac*, meaning “land surrounded by water”.
The meaning of the city’s [Noza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexica) name Tecnochtepecan was still debated. Some scholars believe the name means “Among the prickly pears growing among rocks”, possibly referring to the main flora and geography of the island where the city was built on, while others believe it was named after Tenuch, the ruler of the [Noza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexica) and the founder of the city.
Auritania City was traditionally known as *La Ciudad de los Palacios* (The City of Palaces), a nickname attributed to Baron Adolf von Huffmann, who when visited the city in the 19th century, wrote a letter back to Holy Evrian Empire saying Auritania City could rival any cities in [[evria]]. Auritania City also has other nicknames throughout its history, such as *Ciudad Imperial* (Imperial City) during Tetsu colonial times, *La Nueva Capital de la Esperanza* (The New Capital of Hope) during Rodríguez’s regime, *Capital de Oro* (Capital of Gold) during the Auritanian Golden Age, *La Ciudad del Progreso* (The City of Progres) during Santos’s regime, and finally *La Capital de la Gloria* (The Capital of Glory), the newest and most recent, only came into existence in 1922 after a speech by the Glorious Leader.
## Government
Auritania City is governed as a **Special Capital Zone (SCZ)** under the direct authority of the state government, bypassing the standard provincial administrative system used elsewhere in Auritania. The SCZ designation places the metropolitan area under centralized control, with the Governor appointed directly by the Glorious Leader rather than through the Ministry of the Interior. As of now, this administrative structure is unique to only Auritania City, although there are government plans to create more Special Administrative Regions in the future.
<div class="imgrid">
<figure style="flex:1.044"><img src="/assets/old-media/media/auritania-city-8.png" alt="Map of the Auritania City SCZ"><figcaption>Map of the Auritania City SCZ</figcaption></figure>
</div>
Auritania City is comprised of 16 boroughs, which are:
San Ángel
Azcamilco
Bolívar Juan
Coyohuacan
Cuauhcuallanco
Guatimozín
Fausto I. Maldonado
Iztacalli
Atenamapan
Santa María Cuesta
Ubaldo Nieto
Alto Maizal
Tecuitlatlapan
Tlalticpacan
Jaziel Cantù
Xochimilpan
The Congress of Auritania City serves as the primary administrative body, responsible for managing the city's 16 boroughs. While the Congress oversees municipal functions including infrastructure development, public services, and local ordinances, its authority is exercised under direct oversight from the state government. Major policy decisions require approval from the Ministry of the Interior, and the Congress’s budgetary authority is subject to Executive Cabinet review. This degree of central oversight is more pronounced in Auritania City than anywhere else in Auritania.
Carina Bueno, the current governor, was appointed by the Glorious Leader Jaziel Cantù in 1928 as Governor of Auritania City. Before her appointment, Bueno served as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economy.
The Auritania City SCZ operates on a partial self-sufficient fiscal basis. Its operations are funded by local tax revenue generated from the metropolitan area, but still need government funding for significant infrastructure projects, particularly those related to transportation and notable landmarks. Most of the city’s taxes are from payroll, property, rights and fees taxation.
## Geography
### Location
The Auritania City SCZ is situated in the [Valley of Anahuac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_Mexico) located on the high [Anahuacan Plateau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Plateau). The administrative area extends roughly 80 to 90 km (50 to 56 mi) at its widest points, with a mean elevation of 2,240 m (7,350 ft). It is bordered by the province of Los Ángeles to the southeast, Orellana to the southwest, Michcalli and Zalaya to the northwest, and Nieto to the northeast.
The metropolitan area is located on what was [Lake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcoco) [Hueyaltepec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcoco). The city was divided into 16 boroughs, representing independent administrative entities and has some level of autonomy. Each borough had representatives in the Congress of Anahuac City, while the Governor would represent the entire city in the National Congress. Informally, the boroughs were grouped into Central, North, East, West and South. This division is based on geography with the main purpose of determining geographical and cultural landmarks easier.
### Climate
Auritania City has a [subtropical highland climate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtropical_highland_climate) (Köppen: Cwb), due to its tropical location but high elevation. The lower region of the valley receives less rainfall than the upper regions of the south; the lower boroughs of Antenamapan, Iztacalli, Jaziel Cantù, and the east portion of Fausto I. Maldonado are usually drier and warmer than the upper southern boroughs of Tlalticpacan and Alto Maizal, a mountainous region of [pine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine) and [oak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak) trees known as the range of [Āmēyalli](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajusco). The average annual temperature varies from 12 to 16°C (54 to 61°F), depending on the altitude of the borough. The temperature is rarely below 3°C (37°F) or above 30°C (86°F). The lowest temperature ever registered was −4.4°C (24°F) on 18 February 1860, and the highest temperature on record was 34.7°C (94.5°F) on 25 May 1924. Overall precipitation is heavily concentrated in the summer months, and includes dense [hail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hail).
Snow falls in the city scarcely, although somewhat more often on mountaintops. Throughout its history, the Valley of Anahuac was accustomed to having several snowfalls per decade, mostly [lake-effect snow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake-effect_snow). The highest snowfall to be recorded in the region was 8 cm (3 in) on 14 March 1840, 12 January 1867 and 14 February 1920. The region receives [anti-cyclonic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-pressure_area) systems, which do not allow for the dispersion of the air pollutants which are produced by industries and the growing number of automobiles. Because of this, Auritania City has one of the worst air quality in Auritania.
The area receives about 820 mm (32 in) of annual rainfall, which is concentrated from May through October with little or no precipitation for the remainder of the year. The area has two main seasons. The wet humid summer runs from May to October when winds bring in tropical moisture from the sea, the wettest month being July. The cool sunny winter runs from November to April, when the air is relatively drier, the driest month being December. This season is divided into a cold winter period and a warm spring period. The cold period spans from November to February, when polar [air masses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_mass) push down from the north and keep the air relatively dry. The warm period extends from March to May when subtropical winds again dominate but do not yet carry enough moisture for rain to form.
### Natural Disasters
Auritania City primarily rests on what was [Lake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcoco) [Hueyaltepec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcoco). Although most of the lake waters have disappeared due to extensive drainage since the 17th century, the city rests on the lake bed’s heavily saturated clay. This soft base is collapsing due to over-extraction of groundwater, called [groundwater-related subsidence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater-related_subsidence). Since the mid 19th century, the city has sunk as much as 3.6 m (12 ft) in some areas, and it continues to sink almost 50 cm (20 in) every year. The sinking is causing problems with runoff and wastewater management, leading to flooding problems, especially during the summer. The government is commission a project to paved over most of the lake bed to solve the problems.
Much of Auritania’s volcanic and seismic activity stems from the movement of the Elysian plate against the Western Panthalassan plates and it is one of the most active trenches in the world (the [South Elysia Trench](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_America_Trench)). More than 90 tremors above magnitude 4.0 are recorded in this zone yearly. While not near or on any fault, Auritania City is also vulnerable to earthquakes. The 1876 Anahuac City earthquake is the highest-magnitude seismic event documented in the city's history. Modern building codes mandate earthquake-resistant construction, although there are concerns of circumventing.
### Architecture
Auritania City still preserved many of its pre-Colonization buildings, most of them belonging to the Izteca Empire and used the [Izteca architecture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_architecture) style, which was heavily influenced by that of the [Tlamatin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toltec), the [Tepecan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tepanec), and the [Ndähiyo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acolhua). During colonization, the Tetsu introduced their architecture styles, including [Baroque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_architecture), [Mannerism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannerism), and [Neoclassicism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoclassical_architecture), which were reserved for great cathedrals and civic buildings, while in rural areas and [hacienda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacienda) buildings incorporated [Shahid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozarabic_art_and_architecture) elements. Converted Natives, mostly Quetzahs, developed the Tlatekipanojketl style, their way of interpreting Evrian architecture in native, pre-Colonization style, and functions as part of the [syncretic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncretism#Religious_syncretism) Elysian-Unisolura and later Elysian-Nazarist faith.
During the 19th century, the newly-independent Anahuac saw a gradual rise of [Eclecticism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclecticism_in_architecture) due to foreign influences, especially during the Auritanian Golden Age and the later Rafaelato. [Cast iron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_iron) technology from Evria, the United States of Elysia and Hollosend allowed for more building designs, while Vicilian marble, Evrian granite, bronzes and stained glass could be imported. Avernois and Vicilian builders have brought [Beaux-Arts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaux-Arts_architecture) and [Revivalism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revivalism_(architecture)), such as [Renaissance Revival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Revival) and [Plateresque Revival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plateresque), to the country, which were loved by the wealthy. Following the 1876 earthquake, the government mandated the use of earthquake-resistant materials for reconstruction.
After the Auritanian Revolution, there was a surge of [Tetsu Colonial Revival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Colonial_Revival_architecture) architecture, but was quickly replaced by [Modern architecture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_architecture) and [Art Deco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Deco) when the New Economic Plan was implemented. One prime example of Modern architecture in Auritania City is the still constructed Torre Auritania, which was the first building in the city to fully incorporate the style for its structure. While the Monument to the Revolution is the perfect example of Art Deco in Auritania, it was highly praised for its cultural significance and [Socialist Realism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_realism) style, taking inspiration from that of [[rudania]].
<div class="imgrid">
<figure style="flex:1.548"><img src="/assets/old-media/media/auritania-city-9.jpg" alt="An Izteca pyramid with its Izteca Architecture."><figcaption>An Izteca pyramid with its Izteca Architecture.</figcaption></figure>
<figure style="flex:1.333"><img src="/assets/old-media/media/auritania-city-10.jpg" alt="Metropolitan Cathedral of Auritania City, reflecting the successive architectural styles, including Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical."><figcaption>Metropolitan Cathedral of Auritania City, reflecting the successive architectural styles, including Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical.</figcaption></figure>
<figure style="flex:1.748"><img src="/assets/old-media/media/auritania-city-11.jpg" alt="Postal Palace of Auritania City, primarily a Plateresque Revival building but incorporated other stylish elements due to Eclecticism."><figcaption>Postal Palace of Auritania City, primarily a Plateresque Revival building but incorporated other stylish elements due to Eclecticism.</figcaption></figure>
<figure style="flex:0.936"><img src="/assets/old-media/media/auritania-city-12.jpg" alt="Monument to the Revolution, an Art Deco/Socialist Realism monument."><figcaption>Monument to the Revolution, an Art Deco/Socialist Realism monument.</figcaption></figure>
</div>
## Demographics
As of the 1930 census, the Auritania City SCZ had a population of 21,942,000, with a density of approximately 4,605 residents per square kilometer. Auritania City possesses a clear class divide between the upper and lower classes, where the wealthier neighborhoods were located on the western side of the city near the historic center, while the working-class neighborhoods were located on the eastern side on the lake bed of former [Lake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcoco) [Hueyaltepec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcoco). This is because of the migration of the wealthy and middle class to the west and south of the city’s periphery at the beginning of the 20th century, during Rafaelato.
Atenamapan (1,835,486), Fausto I. Maldonado (1,173,351), and San Ángel (759,137) were the most populous boroughs. The least inhabited boroughs are Santa María Cuesta (247,622), Cuauhcuallanco (217,666), and Alto Maizal (152,685). In 1930, the average age in Auritania City was 62.0 years, significantly higher than the national average of 33.1 years, due to higher living standards and better healthcare. Approximately 25.6% of the population was below the age of 15, while 7.6% was above the age of 50.
Representing around 18.74% of the city’s population, Native peoples from different areas of Auritania have migrated to the capital in search of better economic opportunities. While Evrians represented 22.79% and Pelagonians represented 2.03% of the city’s population. Auritania City is home to large communities of expatriates and immigrants from the rest of Elysia ([[elysian-state-of-unity|E.S.U]], [Hollosend](https://www.nationstates.net/nation=hollosend/detail=factbook/id=2681325), Gelnburg, Ponurvia, Calveria, Acadia, Thule and Terra Oeste) and [[pelagonia]] (mainly from El Endamo and Kogelland, but also from The Verdanie, North Auritania and Kullanmaan); from Evria (mainly from [[saint-tetsudera]], [[ymiria]], Nordmark and [Averner](https://www.nationstates.net/nation=the_horkish_people/detail=factbook/id=2688052), but also from [[albern]], [[turulia]], Vicily, [[elvester]], [[polabiny]] and Slytlia) and from [[nabatea]] (mostly from Selmira, [[shivon]] and Kemet).
[Tetsu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language) is the primary language spoken throughout the metropolis, while [Quetzatl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahuatl), [Totomilt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otomi_language), [Mixehca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixtec), [Tzapoteca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapotec_languages) and [Mazixci](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazahua_language) are the indigenous languages with the most speakers in Auritania City. [Brantish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_as_a_second_or_foreign_language) and [Avernois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language) are the most widely taught foreign languages in the city.
## Culture
Auritania City is one of Auritania’s cultural centers, along with Botai. Its concentration of government ministries, historical sites, and foreign diplomatic missions has sustained a dense and diverse cultural economy.
