San Juan de Castellán
| San Juan | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
Loading map... | |||||
| Ethnic Groups (2020) | Kofuken 70% Gryse̊-Tyranykalěn 24% Castellanese 6% | ||||
| Demonym | San Juanero | ||||
| Government | |||||
| • Mayor | Alberto Vacanejo Ruiz | ||||
| • Vice Mayor | Martina Puyol Sanchez | ||||
| Population | |||||
| • Estimate (2021) | 20 890 | ||||
| • Census (2020) | 20 820 | ||||
| • Density | 13 519/km2 35 288/sq mi | ||||
San Juan de Castellán is an overseas territory in Antarephia that belongs to the Grisean-Thirranic Commonwealth. It consists solely of the city and island of San Juan surrounded entirely by the Kofuku Republic. It has 20 820 inhabitants and 1.54 square kilometres. Its population is made up of Kofukens at 70%, Gryse̊-Tyranykalěn 24%, and Castellanese at 6%. The official language is Castellanese and many people speak Ingerish. The city is less than 20 km from Fiork, the closest Kofuken city and the headquarters of the Antarephian Coalition.
History
Before 1772, around ten people lived on San Juan. The site of conflict between two world powers, the island was first part of the Ingerish Empire and subsequently the Castellanese Empire. Deemed important by Castellán, the Castellanese waged war against the Ingerish and were only able to conquer the island. At the close of the war, Castellán annexed the island and gave it the name of San Juan.
San Juan was founded on 24 June, 1695, in the day of San Jhon (San Juan in Castellanese).
In the Kofuku Revolution of 1851, almost all of Kofuku achieved independence. In the peace treaty guaranteeing Kofuken independence, the new nation claimed all Ingerish colonial possessions in Kofuku. However, as San Juan wasn’t under Ingerish rule, it was not included and remained Castellanese. From this moment on became one of the main military and commercial outposts of Castellán. From 1815 to 1936, it remained as an overseas territory of Castellán.
With the outbreak of the Castellanese Civil War in 1936, San Juan was allied with the fascist forces, Kofuku remained neutral, and the Grisean-Thirranic Commonwealth was allied with the Republic. As a show of force to the fascists and to support the Republic, the Commonwealth conquered the fascist outpost in the name of the Republic. In 1939, the fascist forces proclaimed victory over the Republic and San Juan was left stateless. Due to this, the Commonwealth annexed San Juan and it became the first of two Commonwealth Overseas Territories. From 1940 and onward, it is considered an important commercial city of the Commonwealth as well as a province and continues to maintain very friendly links with Kofuku.
Places of Interest
Castle of the Rock
The Castle of the Rock, otherwise known as Castillo del Peñon, was built in 1720 by order of the local governor as a defense against foreign naval invasions. Due to the altitude of the castle, the cannons could take out warships from the castle with ease. Because of the nature of the Commonwealth takeover, one curiosity of this castle is that its antique cannons still work. During local festivals, the cannons are fired, but are unloaded to protect civilians who may be in the waters nearby.
From 1890 to 1939 the castle was abandoned, and in 1940 it became the seat of Commonwealth authority. In 1965, the Commonwealth government was moved to another building nearby and it was opened as a museum.
The museum shows the complex history of San Juan and many historical objects.
-
Manuel Rogelio Stadium
This is the official stadium of the San JuanFC football team. The stadium was built in 1976 by the central government of the Grisean-Thirranic Commonwealth to celebrate San Juan becoming the Seventh Region of the Commonwealth. It has a capacity of 20,000 people.
It also hosts concerts and big-scale activities in San Juan, like the Fallas of San Juan. This is a traditional celebration from Valença,where big statues are burnt in the night. The stadium also has many shops inside it and the tomb of Manuel Rogelio, the first football player from San Juan, celebrated as a provincial icon.
Virgen del Sur Cementery
This is the only cemetery in San Juan. It was opened in 1816 by the new overseas government. The cemetery is near the Lighthouse with the same name. To access the cemetery, there is a 300m tunnel crossing under the airport runway. The cemetery has this name because it's located on Cape Virgen del Sur, closest point to the north of San Juan.
Cape Virgen de Sur Lighthouse
.jpg)
As sailors come in from the seas the first thing they see is the Cape Virgen de Sur Lighthouse. It signifies shelter, safety, and a home for weary sailors. It was built in 1645 before the city and is the oldest building in San Juan. In 1820, 1962, and 2007, it was restored to conserve it in good conditions. The lighthouse is still working and is also a museum.
The current lighthouse keeper is Daniel Gómez Prado, also a member of the municipal government.
-
-
Rock Walls
On the island there are 350 metres of an old castle wall. They were built from 1702 to 1709 to protect the city population against a pirate invasion. After the construction of the Castle of the Rock in 1720, these walls were abandoned. In 1994 they were opened again for visitors and tourism.
Theses walls are mentioned by writer Fernando Salvar Ruiz in the famous "Book of the Iguanas" (1876)
-
-
City Hall
The City Hall of San Juan was built in 1819, functioning as the government link with the rest of the Commonwealth and the house of the local Major, (Right now, Alberto Vacanejo Ruíz). Here is also where all San Juan financial paperwork is managed. The Assembly of Parties are held here.
On 1 May, 1999, a bomb exploded in the City Hall and ten people died. The bomb was detonated by the now-defunct separatist terrorist organisation of “Independencia San Juan”, a separatist group advocating for the independence of San Juan from the Commonwealth. Since that day the first of May is a day of mourning, remembering the victims of terrorism. On that day the Kofuku Goverment sends gifts to the city.
Cathedral
The Cathedral is the most visited building in San Juan. It was built in 1894 on the ruins of an old burned church from 1754. According to local legends, the old church was built by Saint John himself, although this was never proven. When the old church was burned in a fire, the Pope ordered to build a cathedral in the same place. Castellán and Kofuku raised a lot of money to build it and to restore the declining city of San Juan. The result was this wonderful cathedral.
San Juan Rock
,_Pe%C3%B1%C3%B3n_de_Gibraltar,_2015-12-09,_DD_09.JPG)
The Rock (El Peñón in Castellanese). This is the heart of and the only mountain in San Juan. It has near 200 meters of altitude and a very leafy forest on it. The Rock has a small population of grey monkeys (See photo). The Rock and the monkeys are protected by the Grisean-Thirranic Commonwealth Government and the International Nature Organisation since 1997. The Rock has a lot of pathways all over it to visit or walk. On the top of The Rock there is an antenna that provides free safe internet access to all of San Juan (Only registered citizens). The Rock park ranger headquarters is on the centre of the mountain.
Goverment
Internal
The internal goverment is divided in the Major Group (5 to 20 persons) elected by the City Major, and the Assembly of Parties elected by the population of San Juan.
How is the government elected: In the first, the San Juan citizens vote for one of the multiple parties. Later, the most voted party needs to reach 50% of votes by allying with other parties. When parties reach the 50% mark, the head of the most voted party becomes Major. The head of the next most popular and the allied party becomes Vice Major. The Major and Vice Major select the group of people that are going to form the government with them. In a different part the Assembly of Parties of 20 persons is formed with the percentages of votes. For example, if a party gets 10% of votes, it will have 2 seats in the Assembly of Parties.
Assembly of Parties:
Diplomacy
Due to how close they are and their link, Kofuku maintains a consulate in San Juan. Almost five thousand people cross the border from Kofuku to San Juan everyday to work and visit it. The consulate also manages the border with San Juan in the Kofuku side. They have an agreement with the San Juan government in which the San Juan citizens and Kapstrand citizens can cross the border without passports and only with the identification card, but only if they go by train. Additionally, the Kapstrand and San Juan police work together in many of the operations against smuggling.
San Juan is also known for vehicle theft and the smuggling of illegal firearms. This is why in the border guns are not allowed to pass and vehicles are often searched, which is way many people from Kofuku use the train.
-
Transport
Roads
San Juan has a good Road Network. It has only one Highway, (the SJ-1 or Highway of San Juan / Autopista de San Juan in Castellanese), and the main roads are Avenue Castellán (Avenida Castellán), Avenue 24 of June (Avenida 24 de Junio), Avenue of the Sea (Avenida del Mar), Avenue East Coast (Avenida Costa Este), Avenue of The Rock (Avenida del Peñón), Avenue Catholic kings (Avenida Reyes Católicos), and Virgen del Sur Street (Calle Virgen del Sur ). All roads in San Juan are controlled by the local government.
Airport
San Juan operates a small airport. The main purpose for it is to enable arriving to San Juan by air without passing through Kofuken land. The San Juan airfield was built in 1932 only with a grass field and one hangar. In 1957 was upgraded to a military base and in 1984 as a civil and military airport. The Kofuken and Commonwealth goverments made an agreement, in which the Commonwealth could invade the aerial space of Kofuku, but the only civil airline to make commercial flights will be Dumbo Star aside from the Commonwealth's own airline, Commonwealth Airways. The runway length is about 1,250 metres and allows small and midsize aircraft and big aircraft only in emergency situations. The airport services lines from the Grisean-Thirranic Commonwealth and Kofuku.
| Cities | Airport Name | Airline | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antarephia | |||||
 Kofuku
| |||||
| Bako-Huz | Bako-Huz International Airport | Dumbo Star | |||
| Metrocolis | Metrocolis International Airport | Dumbo Star | |||
 Grisean-Thirranic Commonwealth
| |||||
| Aragansa | Aragansa International Airport | Commonwealth Airways | |||
| Aľatyn | Aľatyn International Airport | Commonwealth Airways | |||
| Barran | Barran International Airport | Commonwealth Airways | |||
Harbour
The San Juan Harbour was built in 1701 as a little port and has been amplified many times (1780), (1860), (1930), (1960) & (2004). It has hosted of the greatest boats of the past 200 years. The north-east part of the harbour is the most used. Private boats and yachts dock there often. The north-west and southern parts are for large boats, and the east part is for mixed-use. In the east there is the dock of the ferry line that connects San Juan and Kabó Aštorýá, one of the main ports of the Grisean-Thirranic Commonwealth. The San Juan Police speedboats are docked here as well.
The governments of Kofuku and San Juan have an agreement, in which the San Juan civil and police boats can pass through Kofuku’s waters without permission, but they can't get out of the San Juan Security Waters without the permission of the Kapstrand police. Additionally, Kofuku has its own speed boat police that goes through San Juan Security Waters and outside it, but needs the permission of the San Juan Police to enter San Juanero waters.
Rails
As explained in the section of Government—>Diplomacy, almost all the visitors and workers who cross the border go by train because is faster and gives more security. The station has its own little border control in it and the station ground is international territory just like the airports. The train line is managed by Lucca Vehicles, a state owned company of Kofuku. The line has 4 stations. San Juan, San Juan de Kofuku, “Nikiln”, and Fiork. The duration is 20 minutes and costs 3 bitcoins ($ 3.37) or three Yšen. The San Juan de Kofuku and Fiork stations have free parking to leave personal vehicles.
Loading map...