Help me settle a capital city

[Authopius]

Greetings,

Today in History Class, we were given each of us a map. Different map for each of us. And we were told to label the map whatever we like (e.g. This spot is farmlands and this spot is a city, etc.). I need help placing my Nation's Capital. I don't wanna put it anywhere like what my other classmates did. I want it to be put somewhere strategic (Like Istanbul).

Please help!

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I'd put it at the bay right next to the giant lake on the large island to the right. The city can then control passage through the central straight and has access to fresh water. Plus the mountains to the right offer a commanding view of the straight for artillery. Land to the south and west of the lake is flat and thus lends itself to easier development. This location blocks access between the west and east sides of the island since it comes together at that narrow isthmus.

 

[BvBPL]

Ankara isn’t strategic?

Place the capital just between the large lake and the mountain on the eastern island. That area is one of the best. It has:

• A large natural harbor that will be protected from severe weather by the land around it,
• Access to fresh water (critical for an island nation),
• A large, flat plain near the lake basin for farming and development,
• A nearby mountain for forestry and mining industries, and
• The potential to run a canal across the island at that narrow reach.

Strategically, coastal fortresses could be placed at the north and south of the strait running between the islands, making the capital harbor much easier to defend.

The western island looks much more rugged. Not as much arable land. Although I suppose that, as an island, fishing would be a primary industry. That might make agriculture and husbandry concerns less important.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Is this island group north or south of the equator?

I need to tell you where to put a rocket launch complex. You don't even know.

 

[red_elk]

You should put several radars on the mountains at each island, and SAM launch site nearby.
Also, coastal defense batteries.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Ok so the rocket launch complex should go at the tip of the northern peninsula (not the northeast peninsula) on the eastern island. This way when it launches northeast (to go to geostationary or leo orbits) or north (to go to polar orbits), you're not overflying any other land. Unfortunately, the surrounding land is quite rugged which makes land transport to it difficult. However, you could easily ship parts up from the capital up the straight by barge - assuming that's where your rocket factory is. Alternatively, there is a narrow strip of sea-side land heading straight north from the capital where you could put a railroad or regular road for ground transport of the rocket. That strip of land gets bisected by a narrow mountain range where the peninsula meets the rest of the island but it looks narrow enough to put a tunnel through it.

The bay to the west of the rocket launch complex is a decent (though not great) location for another city, which is where the rocket factory could be placed instead of the capital.

 

[red_elk]

And if seriously, I would put the capital on the Western island's coast near large mountain and a river

 

[Gori the Grey]

I don't wanna put it anywhere like what my other classmates did.

As I understand it, you can't. Each student got a different map.

Cool map, by the way.

I'll give some thought to my serious answer. That whole landmass is your country? Where are the other countries on the globe?

Ok, I like the area at the mouth of the river that flows through the center of the center area of the western island.

 

[GinandTonic]

Eastern island, at the spot where the main n/s loch/ fjord meets the other e/w loch/ fjord. Access both. Ask your teacher why an Island at 10 south seems to be defined by fjords.

 

[sophie]

Are you just putting a dot on a map? Or do you have to argue for why it goes there? And is the "why" based on reasoned geohistoric-type reasons or are you expected to write an entire historic background/scenario?

If somewhere like DC, Rome, Naypyidaw, or Brasilia can be a capital city, then anywhere could be a capital city. It all comes down to political and historical context.

Hell, even Istanbul was a relatively poorly situated city until the Valens aqueduct came in.

 

[BvBPL]

Eastern island, at the spot where the main n/s loch/ fjord meets the other e/w loch/ fjord. Access both. Ask your teacher why an Island at 10 south seems to be defined by fjords.

Slartibartfast is at it again!

If somewhere like DC, Rome, Naypyidaw, or Brasilia can be a capital city, then anywhere could be a capital city. It all comes down to political and historical context.

Logan Uriah Reavis pushed for the US Capital to be moved to St. Louis.

 

[metatron]

Greetings,

Today in History Class, we were given each of us a map. Different map for each of us. And we were told to label the map whatever we like (e.g. This spot is farmlands and this spot is a city, etc.). I need help placing my Nation's Capital. I don't wanna put it anywhere like what my other classmates did. I want it to be put somewhere strategic (Like Istanbul).

I'm asuming up is jump north. Correct?
Ok, so i casually circled the areas i'm inclined to care about, i.e. the flat land.
If this is 10° S (or rather 5°S to 15°S) there's probably going to be vengeful weather phenomena on the side where i have drawn that derpy arrow.

Considering that and considering the scale i'm basically writing off the western landmasses as hinterlands full of charming excentricities, live stock and hillside honor culture.
You know...

Proximity to a plurality of the flat places on the eastern landmass would be nice, cause that's where i suspect all the action will be.
So essentially i'm interested in the locations "A" and "B".
B has the nice access to both seas (via some satellite city anyway), but i like A better, on account of the larger plain and the river.

I find "C" and "D" suspect. See below.

I'd put it at the bay right next to the giant lake on the large island to the right. The city can then control passage through the central straight and has access to fresh water. Plus the mountains to the right offer a commanding view of the straight for artillery. Land to the south and west of the lake is flat and thus lends itself to easier development. This location blocks access between the west and east sides of the island since it comes together at that narrow isthmus.

Look at the scale. Have you seen how huge all this is?
That land corridor you want to block is as wide as Belgium. So you know how well that works.
If you mean the mountains i think you mean, they'll yield a wonderful view, just not of the sea.

Plus i'm quite suspicious of that "lake".
Ponder this: How many lakes anywhere near that size do you know in the tropics?
How many of those are fueled by no river, watershed, anything except seasonal rainfall?
How many of that subset don't have something horribly wrong with them?

 

[Dachs]

Proximity to a plurality of the flat places on the eastern landmass would be nice, cause that's where i suspect all the action will be.
So essentially i'm interested in the locations "A" and "B".
B has the nice access to both seas (via some satellite city anyway), but i like A better, on account of the langer plain and the river.

I also like your "A". The river is the kicker for me.

 

[innonimatu]

Considering that and considering the scale i'm basically writing off the western landmasses as hinterlands full of charming excentricities, live stock and hillside honor culture.

Depends on the era also. Mountains are good in the tropics. The capitals were built on highlands, even near the coast (Caracas) because the lowlands were too hot and/or rife with diseases. You are right to be suspicious of the lakes!

Plus the mountains will supply your city with resources and people.

Scale is also important in older times, if you have an island a thousand kilometers across. Let the cities on the coast trade and grow wealthy, keep the power seat in the center. On such a scale a city by the central lake of the western island will have big trade routes thanks to the lake itself. Think Tenochitlan/Mexico City. And the rulers there will be in a good position to keep the various regions of the western landmass connected. Otherwise it's likely to fragment.
A city by the inner sea might be a good idea for an empire that included both islands, but given the scale that empire would be unlikely to endure, and the city itself might fail with it. Better to bet on controlling the bigger island. Much like the roman empire eventually split and one of the capitals prospered, while the original central city declined.

If you were picking a spot for a new capital now, within a stable country, geographic considerations would be less important.

 

[Gori the Grey]

This is a fun exercise to watch Civ-inflected minds take up.

 

[Arakhor]

Moderator Action: Thread title changed to include the thread's request.

 

[plarq]

Depends on the era also. Mountains are good in the tropics. The capitals were built on highlands, even near the coast (Caracas) because the lowlands were too hot and/or rife with diseases. You are right to be suspicious of the lakes!

Plus the mountains will supply your city with resources and people.

Scale is also important in older times, if you have an island a thousand kilometers across. Let the cities on the coast trade and grow wealthy, keep the power seat in the center. On such a scale a city by the central lake of the western island will have big trade routes thanks to the lake itself. Think Tenochitlan/Mexico City. And the rulers there will be in a good position to keep the various regions of the western landmass connected. Otherwise it's likely to fragment.
A city by the inner sea might be a good idea for an empire that included both islands, but given the scale that empire would be unlikely to endure, and the city itself might fail with it. Better to bet on controlling the bigger island. Much like the roman empire eventually split and one of the capitals prospered, while the original central city declined.

If you were picking a spot for a new capital now, within a stable country, geographic considerations would be less important.

You can build your capital in Maracaibo though. By the lake.

 

[Hrothbern]

It depends on when.
4,000 BC you want to be at the delta of a long river with a lot of fertile silt for arable soil (like Egypt and Sumeria) and coming from enough mountain area to have still enough fresh water in the winter to drink and for transport.
All the crosses are ok for that.
The bold cross has the advantage that it borders to a protected sea that enables transport to a huge coastline to grow around your capital over time.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Look at the scale. Have you seen how huge all this is?
That land corridor you want to block is as wide as Belgium. So you know how well that works.
If you mean the mountains i think you mean, they'll yield a wonderful view, just not of the sea.

Plus i'm quite suspicious of that "lake".
Ponder this: How many lakes anywhere near that size do you know in the tropics?
How many of those are fueled by no river, watershed, anything except seasonal rainfall?
How many of that subset don't have something horribly wrong with them?

Actually, I didn't see the rivers before so I had no idea what the scale was. And even still they could just be streams.

It's a fantasy map so what is there to be suspicious about?

 

[Lexicus]

Actually, I didn't see the rivers before so I had no idea what the scale was. And even still they could just be streams.

there's a scale in the bottom right corner - 1 px = 3 km

That means the map is depicting an area that's like, 3,000 km by 2,000 km

More continents than islands, I'd say.