canolaOverview
Canola is a Clay town located in Southern Italy, founded on February 1st, 3026. The city features a high dense but organic urban design based out of necessity rather than grand planning. To the west along the coast are the Canola Clay Pits, of which make up the backbone of Canolan infrastructure. To the east are the vast fields that keep the populace alive.
The town gets its namesakes from Canola (or Rapeseed), of which was found growing in the region and was used by Canola's early settlers as cooking oil.
History
While the people of Canola had existed much longer in the region, evident by the very few ruins found in the region, but the early history during that time is not known. What is certain is that, prior to February 1st, smaller settlements numbering no more than a handful did exist. However, on February 1st, a powerful nomadic band chose to settle near the coast, founding the town of Canola. They had decided to name their permanent settlement by the name of the crop that allowed them to cook real meals and acted as feed for the very few animals they attempted to domesticate. Furthermore, the settlement allowed for swift building construction due to the large deposits of clay located one kilometer to the west. Along with that, the land in this region is naturally flat with larger hills backdropping the town. However, the lack of lumber-yielding trees and the arid environment made the first days difficult.
In the early days, growth was slow as the only population growth was dictated by nomadic groups hearing of Canola and choosing to settle. However, as more clay would be dug up and more housing became available, more people began to show up. By the time the town had hit 300 people, iron was first being harvested to satiate the wood and food demands.
As the town reached a population of just over 1000, the city elite and the chieftain of the city felt that commerce and diplomacy needed somewhere more dignifying. Over the course of a few days, a diplomacy campus was constructed, featuring an official town hall and departments of commerce and territorial relations. The campus would serve as a location of inter-territorial politics between different community rulers and inter-city commerce.
In the weeks following this, a port would be constructed to further expand trade between farther settlements across the mediterranean. During this time, the city would entrench itself within the European Trading Alliance as a major southern hub near Likora. The city would also continue to expand, with urban sprawl expanding pressing against the established farmland of times gone by.
At the crest of 3500 population, the Canola Institute of Scientific Discovery would be established towards the West of the city. This institute was dedicated to reinform the people of the world that once was. The hope was to find artifacts of old with hopes on reconstructing an understanding as to why things are they way they are; oral tradition can only go so far.
Demographics
Currently, the population of Canola is 5227