Ellesborg
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Ellesborg, officially the Crown Mandate of Ellesborg, is a city and a Cryrian held mandate within the Union of Free Cities in Arcturia. It borders the Arkain mandate of Sehlhaf to the east, the Sokalan mandate of Kokrisugrad to the west, and the Acronian mandate of Ilaris to the north. A port town built on the Elles River, the territory has become a resort city and a tax haven, known for its many casinos and loose regulations.
Ellesborg | |
|---|---|
Crown Mandate | |
 The Mandate of Ellesborg located in red within the UFC | |
| Crown Mandate | 1865 |
| Government | |
| • Lady Patron | Ulrika Leidensen |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Metro | 682,800 |
History
The territory that would become Ellesborg has been settled by humans since roughly 200 BC, however it would not see the establishment of any significant settlements until the start of Cryrian influence in the area.
The Cryrian government historically had little inclination to involve itself in the distant continent of Arcturia, however, Cryrian business interests would take a growing interest in the area starting in the 19th century. This can be traced back to when experts from the Royal Cryrian Railway Company were hired by local Zapolese authorities to develop a modern transport network in the area, likely in no small part due to the fact that Cryria's distance gave the impression that the Kingdom was unlikely to attempt to exert any undue influence beyond its contract. The presence of the RCRC would, however, lead to the discovery of copper deposits that would draw the interest of a variety of Cryrian mining interests, who would use their nations newly developed local contacts and goodwill to acquire mining rights within the area. Copper would be shipped down the Elles river to the sea, and a fortress called Ellesborg was built at the mouth of the river to guard this trade, thus giving the area its name.
The coalition of investors and companies involved in the copper trade would soon consolidate into the Ellesborg Mining Cooperative, and would increasingly take advantage of regional instabilities and the weakness of Zapolese rulers to expand their influence and control over the area. By the mid-nineteenth century, the EMC effectively acted as independent governors over the area, largely free of any kind of regulation or taxes as local authorities were subverted or bribed. The EMC's situation remained precarious, however, as it had little real support from any actual government or military, least of all the distant Cryrian homeland, and its power was derived almost entirely from its financial resources and a small but comparatively well armed private army, largely consisting of native Zapolese troops.