Ostena

Ostena is the capital and largest city of Viaska. Located on Kipriae Island, and with an extensive natural harbour, it is one of the most wealthy and most strategically located cities in the country.

History
Ostena was founded in CE992, and quickly became an important merchant town. It was staunch rivals with a former city on the opposite side of Ostena Harbour, known as Montabeka, until Montabeka was all but destroyed in the eruption of Mount Una in 1122. Refugees from Montabeka fled to Ostena and it's sister city Sellaport, as they were "not welcome" in Ostena. The population spread rapidly, to over 1 million inhabitants in 1800. In 1802 it was proclaimed the Capital of Viaska (the capital previously being at Vorgrad), and the government was moved there into a massive new building called Magdalen House. The first Premier to use Ostena as a capital city was Lehman Bauer. The adjacent city of Sellaport became a victim of Ostena's rising house prices in the early 1900s, as people flocking to the city couldnt afford the high land prices in the capital, so they moved to the lower-cost properties in neighbouring Sellaport. As a result, Sellaport has always been a poor and crime-ridden city. In 1970, Ostena and Sellaport were grouped into a single metropolitan area, consisting of a population of 1.488 million.

Politics
The House of Government, Magdalen House is located in Ostena, on it's Central Square. As is the City Hall, where the Governor of Kipriae Island, Tomas Levaena has his offices.

Road
Ostena is the origin of numerous expressways that lead all over the country, many of which are underused, due to expansion of the rail network. The EW9 expressway originates in Ostena, and travels almost the entire length of the country until it ends in Ull, Ritchinson.

Rail
Ostena is served by seven main rail terminals which encircle the city centre. From here, trains serve four of the five main islands of the country, as well as an advanced suburban metro network within the city.

Air
There are two major airports that serve the city, Holyoak-Danvers International Airport and Newsker Airport. Holyoak-Danvers serves international flights to Europe, Asia and the Americas. Newsker serves internal flights, particularly to Mancsea Island, as well as short-haul international flights to Iceland, Scotland and Norway.

Sea
Ostena Port is the largest port in Viaska, serving freight and cargo ships, as well as transport ferries. Viaskan National Ferries provide services to the coastal city of Ull. Services were originally international, and went to a great many more destinations, but has recently lost out to Air and Rail.

Education
Education in the city of Ostena is administered by the Governor of Kipriae, Tomas Levaena. All schools are state-owned, and there are 20 higher education colleges (15+ year olds) within the Ostena-Sellaport Metropolitan Area.

Crime
Crime rates in Ostena are fairly low, considering it's size. Nearby Sellaport has less than half the population, but a crime rate 22 times higher. Ostena Police are regarded as a decent and well-presented force, however concerns have been raised recently as more and more Ostena Police are being restationed at troubled Sellaport, to try and combat crime problems there. Many people fear that the thinly-spread police force will attract more crime to Ostena city.