Easthampton

Easthampton is a city and metropolitan area in the Eastern part of Arcerion's Moorden Governorate, and is Arcerion's fourth-largest city with a burgeoning population of almost 2.3 million people. Easthampton is located in the Eastern Aileach Mountains and is considered to be the soical, cultural, financial and commercial centre of Eastern Arcerion. Distinctively, Easthampton is one of the few Arcer cities that is not based on one of the major rivers of Arcerion, and is instead entirely inland.

Originally founded in 1834 as part of Arcer expansion into the Southeastern Cronan Peninsula, Easthampton was founded only five years prior to the Second Bush War. During this time, a major engagement was fought at the settlement, when in 1848 members of 1st Battalion, Royal Arcerion Regiment defended the settlement from a large indigenous assault aimed at removed Arcerion from the Northern Washkaran Area. Following the war, the establishment of the Arco National Railway Service (ANRS) in 1886 resulted in the nation's first heavy commercial rail line from the Kinnaird-Kurst areas to Easthampton to carry raw resources to ports for transport to manufacturing facilities abroad. This was followed by a significant economic boom over the next three decades.

Historically a mining and industrial town during the 19th and 20th centuries, Easthampton saw rapid growth with the introduction of heavy rail and transportation infrastructure during the late 1800s, becoming a boom town with a swelling population and economy, producing much of the iron ore and other raw and processed industrial materials that help launch the modern Arcer economy. By 1900, it was often referred to as the 'Heart of Industrial Crona' by foreign and domestic newspapers. The relatively easy access to mineral ore and the extensive rail network provided by the national railway ensured that it was able to export mass amounts of natural resources to Crona and Levantia. These mining and industrial conglomerates continue to hold considerable sway in Moorden and Arcerion's political sphere.

The rather remote nature of Easthampton also led to a distinctive subsect of Arco Determinism, wherein there is an Easthampton accent and distinct sub-culture not found in wider Arcerion. This is also a byproduct of the Easthampton Mountainmen, one of the most successful rugby teams in the history of Arcerion.

Easthampton continues to be economically dominated by the mining and energy sector, with a planned nuclear reactor to be built by 2030. However, natural disasters such as low-magnitude earthquakes are not uncommon, leading to several engineering challenges to ensure the safe replacement of coal-fired power plants. Easthampton is also home to several major military installations making it one of Arcerion's largest cities per-capita of servicemembers.

Population and Size
Of the five Boroughs that make up Easthampton, the city core is by far the most populated with 1.51 million inhabitants, which is over two-third of the total EMA.

Major Institutions
University of Easthampton

Easthampton Mountainmen (rugby)

Aileach Barracks, Arcerion Armed Forces Base Easthampton (HQ 7 Rifle BDe)

2030 nuclear reactor planned to be built

Istroyan Games
Easthampton is one of the few cities in Crona, and Arcerion, that has ever hosted the large international sporting event. It was highlighted by the Aileach Mountains providing the perfect environment for skiing and other winter events, leading to the city hosting both the 1984 and 2016 Istroyan Winter Games. Notably, the 1984 Istoryan Winter Games were the first occurrence of Winter Games being held in Crona, owing to Arcerion's modern infrastructure and a successful bid to bring the games to Arcerion and demonstrate its culture and heritage. The 2016 Istroyan Winter Games were originally intended for Akwesasne, Quetzenkel but were relocated due to the South Nysdra War. Due to the Cronan Nexus, the Istroyan Council requested that Arcerion host, and re-using many of the older facilities and quickly building new ones, Easthampton was able to plan and deliver one of the most popular Istroyan Winter games (by international viewership and attendance) in Ixnay's history.

Prominent Citizens

 * Astronaut; Wing Commander Timothy Yves, most time spent in Orbit around Ixnay (244 days, 7 missions)