Chives

Chives (Tilennan: ; : Chivesse ) is a in Southern Tilenno, located in the region of Atriva. With a population of more than 1.5 million in 2018, it is the 14th most populous city-state within the federation. It is home to the 13th largest metropolitan area, which is called Chives as well. The city-state is mainly compromised of the island of Chives located centrally within the Atrivan Sea. Besides the island of chives the state also includes the island of Usae and the twin islands of Fourae as well as some smaller islands in the Atrivan Sea. The region is sometimes referred to as the Party Islands due to its laid back attitude and large amount of celebrations. It shares a maritime border with Rone and Faedes in the east, Fares Atrivo in the west, Glikaero in the north and Istuva in the south.

The name of the city-state comes from the city of Chives, the largest metropolitan area in the city-state and 13th largest overall, which itself derived its name from the Tilennan word for whirlpool (xivae).This name comes from the founding myth of Chives which included a shipwreck caused by a whirlpool bringing the first people to the island. Other notable municipalities in Chives are Fourae-Kítrae, Usae and Leraeda Tòseido, which all are located on different islands than the main city of Chives.

Chives is known for having laid back and hospitable culture as well as having the best parties in the Federation, they also claim to have the best seafood in the nation. Even so the islands are economically less fortunate and slowly declining. Some notable sites within the city-state are the Temple of Aura, the Lion's Cave, Mysterious hole, Vause Lighthouse, Fourae split peak, Seile Arc and Pillars of Bàje. The region also offers many great cultural events like concerts, art installations and festivals. The Chives Beach Festival Fúcha Taeka is one of the most popular events in Tilenno and draws massive crowds each year. The city of Chives also has been awarded prizes for most beautiful city in Avalonia due to its beautiful white aesthetic.

History

 * see also: History of Tilenno



Ancient History
In the founding myth of Chives it is described how around 1000 BCE a Gantian ship got caught in a whirlpool and stranded on the island of Chives. The people who arrived there tought they had been exported to a far away land through the whirlpool and named the island accordingly. The captain of the ship, Nerae Daròna, immediately took charge and with the remains of the ship and natural resources she started the construction of a small village. After a while their settlement got found by a Glikaeran expedition and the small village quickly grew out to an important trade city. Due to this Chives always has had close cultural and economic ties with Glikaero and have mostly supported them throughout history in their battles with the Làmosans and Gantesian. Chives was one of the few Tilennan states that opposed the reunification as it would instability to the nation and would lead to deep schisms within the federation.

Modern History
During the Civil War of Tilenno Chives sided with the liberalists in Glikaero and fought against the Royalist, a war which they eventually lost. The Chivese people are to this day a big proponent of more autonomy for the individual states and feel that the Federal Government should take a less active role in Tilennan politics. This stance only got more strong in the wake of the Osorra-Tilenno War which took a heavy toll on the region and was mostly blamed on the mismanagement of the Federal Government.

Nowadays the islands get most of their money from the tourists and service industries. However the economy has slowly been declining in the last years which why more and more people are leaving the islands to move to Glikaero or the mainland. The islands have a large elderly population and are very conservative in comparison with other regions. However the large amount of tourist makes this demographic evolution less noticeable.

Geography


Chives is comprised of multiple islands located in the centre of the Atrivan Sea. Its largest island is the eponymous island of Chives on which also the city of Chives is located. This island holds also holds the largest population. The island is often described as a three-pointed star with the city in the middle. The western spike contains the hilly area of Tàlaná Kàronei, it reaches its highest point here in Araseile at 556m. The north spike, also know as Selia, contains the beautiful Cape of Tràneho, which juts out into the sea before falling down sharply. The southern spike contains the Tòseidan Hills and the Masonae peninsula.

East of Chives island lies the island of Usae, the second largest island in the state. Further down in the south-west lie the split isles of Fourae. It is believed these islands were split by the eruption of a mythical volcano as depicted in the myth of Mareiso although no volcanic activity has been measured in the area for a long time. The islands are connected via a bridge knwon as Kereno Bridge after the god who split the islands. The chasm between the islands are flanked by steep cliffs on both sides, reaching a maximum height of over 1000m making it the highest points in the state. Some smaller scattered islands can be found in the south and in between the islands.

Population
Chives has significantly increased in population over the past century. There were 2 major drops in population from around the time of the Civil War and the Osorra-Tilenno War.

State
The current lord following the 2018 General Elections is Soure Leichiades from the confederalist party Glaela Lete. Her terms end in 2024. The leader of the City-State Council is Vaenes Lousto from GXD. The City-State council consists of 16 representatives of which 8 come from the municipality of Chives alone. Fourae-Kítrae gets to send 3 and Usae has 2 spots resereved. The other 3 municipalities only receive 1 seat.

Federal
In the Federal Elections of 2018 the confederalist and autonomy forward party Glaela Lete won the city-state of Chives with 38% of the votes, securing 3 seats in the chamber of representatives. The runner-up was the liberalist party of GXD with 2 seats, followed by FDL and TLK, both with 1 seat. Most of the state voted for GLL, with GXD only managing to win in Usae and Màreines. Suprisingly FDL managed to recive a seat from Chives which traditionally never gave seats to FDL.

The two senators from Chives belong to GLL and are Dorae Oleso and Kuresa Baedore. In addition Chivese media icon Ruso Deilaeno, famous from shows like Glaela Dio has a seat in the Senate as Pural Senator.

Life
Life in Chives has two sides. On hand hand you have the generally aged and conservative native population. The Chivese grandmother is a big stereotype within the federation. On the other hand you have the tourists and young party goers who flood the islands every year. Chives is known for having one of the best nightlife and party cultures within the nation. This is also reflected in the incredibly popular beach festival Fúchae Taeka held every year in Màreises.

Cuisine
Chives claims to have the best seafood in Tilenno and it certainly lives up to this claim with many of their seafood restaurants being critically acclaimed. Its regional dish is without a doubt Pàmànae Chivo, or Chives Octopus, prepared in different ways, mostly combined with kàraeti spice mix. The dish is in fact so popular restrictions on fishing had to be put in place to ensure the survival of the species. Recently scientist are also exploring ways of breeding octopus in captivity.

Sports
The most popular sports in Chives are swimming, competitive dance and volleyball. The regional volleyball team is called the Chivese Thunderstorms and the regional soccer team is called the Chivese Whirlpools.

Landmarks and Sites
Popular landmarks and sites within the Chives city-state include:


 * Temple of Aura
 * Lion's Cave, Mysterious hole
 * Vause Lighthouse
 * Fourae split peak
 * Seile Arc
 * Pillars of Bàje

Municipalities
Chives consists of 6 municipalities of which Chives City is the largest at more than 860 thousand inhabitants, about 55% of the total population. It is followed by Fourae-Kítrae at 289 thousand and Usae at 203 thousand. Leraeda Tòseido and Traneho both have a population with over 50 thousand inhabitants. Màreines is the smallest at only 18 thousand inhabitants.

Chives City
Chives city is located at the centre of Chives Island. it is the biggest city of the state and offers many great facilities. It has an amazing nightlife. However the city is degrading slowly over time and crime is rising within the urban areas. Tourists often find themselves in peculiar situations.

Fourae-Kítrae
Fourae-Kítrae is a city sprawled over two islands connected with Kereno Bridge. The city is often referred to as a ring as it wraps around the islands. Most people who visit here come for the impressive cliffs that straddle the inner chasm. The islands are more separated from the rest of the state and therefore differ slightly in culture.

Usae
Usae is located on a islands next to the main one. Usae is described as the most traditional Chives as it preserved more of its culture than the modernized city and suburbs of Chives itself. Usae is a charming and peaceful place to visit. The inhabitants are seen as lazy and laid-back which is great if it fits your style.