About CeniCeni is a small island country of around 5500 km2 located in the eastern parts of the Rushmori region of Terranea. Although it has no land borders, the nearest countries are Electrum, from which it is separated in the west by a narrow strait, and the Isles of Avon, a small republic located to the east in the same island chain. With a population of just over 13 million, this makes Ceni one of the densest countries in Rushmore, at around 2360 people per sq km. Ceni is also one of the most urbanized countries in Rushmore, with the three major cities, Cenial, the capital, City Centre, and New Oxford, forming one large urban agglomeration, with the city petering out around the edges of the metropolis. Climate-wise, Ceni has a temperate oceanic climate, with the influence of the ocean helping to moderate both the summers and the winters - temperatures are almost never extreme either way, cold or hot.
Historically, Ceni was first settled by a group of people, ancestors of the Fererldan, who spoke a language, Ancient Cenian, that is almost extinct except for a few speakers (but it survives in many Cenian names, both surnames and given names), which is related to modern day Avaerilonian (the prevailing theory suggests that these people migrated from an area in New Gelderland, across a land bridge to Ceni, and then across to Avaerilon, where they settled later in time). The name Ceni itself comes from a corruption of an Ancient Cenian word for 'White Cliffs', which described the cliffs near the present day Dover. These people stayed in the area around Cenial for a while until a group of settlers from Eura arrived and settled in the southern half of Ceni, displacing some of these populations. A Spanish population from Valladares arrived and set up a colony in the north of Ceni, hoping to set up a port for the growing nation, but when the city of Junin was settled, these settlers were disappointed, nonetheless deciding to stay and send seafood to the Valladar communities as well as lobbying the government to set up a port in the north. These communities formed the backbone of a thriving Hispanic population in Ceni.
In the face of a rising Euran threat, these various colonies - the Fereldic population, the Spanish in the North, and Euran/Cenian mix in the South - decided to unify their solitary island in order to coordinate their defenses and reduce infighting. As the Euran threat died down, the Cenian government retooled its economy to provide services and goods to the growing Euran industrial economy while still remaining a bit on edge. As the economy bloomed, a group of Avaerilonian refugees settled in Ceni after escaping one of that country's long wars, establishing a Cenian tradition. These refugees contributed to Ceni's rising high-tech and service economy as the country moved into the 21st century.
Ceni's government is a parliamentary system with a one-chambered parliament, the Cenian Assembly, which has 235 representatives in it; the Prime Minister is the head of government, while a ceremonial President is the head of state. More locally, Ceni is divided into 14 districts, which serve to administer most of the government's services to the people and giving them local control, with a Chief Minister heading the government in each district; most districts have a District Council of either 7 or 9 councilpersons, headed by the Chief Minister. The Cenian people love their elections, with more than 80% turnout most times. Economically, Ceni has a large financial sector along with large pharmaceutical, high-tech, education, real estate sectors, and renewable energy sector. Ceni has a large GDP due to its proximity to Eura and the Euran economy and also a large GDP per capita, one of the largest in the region. Cenians enjoy a high standard of living as well as a large social welfare net and free education, courtesy of a Scandinavian-style liberal government.
Map of CeniTransportation and Other Practical ConcernsBeing a relatively small island nation, it is very easy to get around in Ceni. Most major hotels are close to and within walking distance of subway stations. In turn, the seven stadiums are very close to subway stations as well. City Centre and Cenial, where three of the four venues are located, are both located around Lake Cenial. Ferries transport passengers across the lake, and the same subway system connects City Centre and Cenial. As for the fourth venue, located in Santiago de Ceni, light rail connects the city to City Centre and Cenial, while a high-speed rail system dramatically decreases the transport time to other areas of the country. The high-speed rail system also connects Cenial with New Oxford and Whitehaven. In the cities themselves, most are very walkable. There aren't many cars in Ceni, and, with the subway system and the closeness of many major attractions, most of Ceni is very walkable, and pedestrians can get almost anywhere.
To get to Ceni, there are several options. Air Terranea, Ceni's major carrier, is based out of Cenial, and has links to many of the sporting world's premier nations, making it very easy to fly to Ceni. Cenial International Airport, located north of Lake Cenial, is the main gateway to Ceni, serving general aviation and most commercial flights. New Oxford also hosts a low-cost airport, but mostly the carriers operating out of New Oxford stick to Rushmori routes. Airports in Southpoint and Santiago mostly serve small private planes and general aviation, but they are less traveled and less conspicuous if your team wants a less... obvious entrance into Ceni. There are numerous ferry and commuter flight services linking Ceni with many Electrumite and Euran destinations, meaning that it's pretty easy to get between the two host nations.
CenialCenial is Ceni’s capital city; as such, the Cenian executive, legislative, and judicial branches are all located in Cenial. The President has his home and offices here; office buildings for executive departments are also located in Cenial. The capitol building of Ceni, the meeting place for the Cenian Assembly, was recently redesigned and sits at the head of a park stretching to the President’s home. Judicially, the highest court in Ceni, the Supreme Court, meets here, as well as one of Ceni’s eight appellate courts. In elections, Cenial’s citizens are very active, with more than 85% turnout in national elections and 75% turnout in local elections.
Cenial attracts people from all over the region and the world with its world-class universities—the University of Ceni and the University of Cenial its two most prominent. The University of Ceni is renowned for its instruction in architecture, business, the humanities and history, politics, and law, while the University of Cenial focuses its academic investments in the science section. In fact, the University of Cenial is a leading research university in the fields of biotechnology and engineering.
A large part of Cenial consists of parks and greenery. One of the largest parks in the nation, Lake Cenial Park, stretches along the coast of Lake Cenial and provides opportunities for hiking, biking, canoeing and kayaking, Frisbee golf, and just plain old fun with friends and family. In the spring, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, Lake Cenial Park is a very pretty sight, and its beautiful fountains are available year-round for all to enjoy. Another major park in Cenial is the Capitol Mall, a park stretching from the Capitol to the President’s House, with its memorial reflecting pool. Other green attractions in Cenial include the Japanese garden, in that section of the city, with its beautiful ponds, pagoda, and rock garden section for peaceful meditation, and the National Botanical Garden, with specimens from all over the world and exhibits of most major climates in the region. Not only is Cenial renowned for its green spaces, it is also renowned for its green attitude. Cenial is among the world’s leading cities in the proliferation of green technology, with a large number of buildings with energy saving measures. Many homes have solar panels, and the government has invested money into increasing the amount of renewable energy in the city; around 35% of the city’s electricity comes from renewable sources.
Cenial has a tolerant attitude and welcomes people from all over the world. As a result, Cenial has an incredibly diverse population. People from all over the world—from Asia, Africa, the Social Liberal Union, and all other regions of the world—have chosen to make Cenial their home. Because Cenial is very welcoming to all people, including refugees, Cenial supports a large population from Ciqi and Coconutstan, two countries ravaged by war. Because of its ethnic diversity, Cenial also has religious and language diversity. Hundreds of languages are spoken in different parts of Cenial, although English is mainly used in day-to-day communication. Religiously, no single religion makes up a majority of the population of Cenial. Atheism is the major religion in Cenial, with around 30% of people, although Christianity (almost equally split between Catholics and Protestants) (25%) and Islam (15%) both make up significant fractions of the population. Cenial has one of the world’s largest and most significant Chinatowns, while Little Saigon and Little Lyndainium are also significant ethnic enclaves. Ethnically, Cenians, Avaerilonians, Eurans, Electrumites, and Spanish make up a total of 75% of Cenial’s population, and there is a large diversity in the remaining 25%.
Cenial, as the cultural center of Ceni, is Ceni’s hub for performing arts. Cenial has the largest number of theatres, concert halls, and exhibition centers in all of Ceni. Cenial’s Royal Shakespearian Theatre Company is well renowned for its performances of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as other plays of Victorian English authors. Because of its diversity, Cenial has a large variety of ethnic restaurants of all kinds—from Westerheimian and Avaerilonian to Persian and Vietnamese, which are found mostly in ethnic sections of the city. Homemade Chinese noodles can be found in Chinatown, while Vietnamese culture is prevalent in Little Saigon. There are a number of excellent Avaerilonian restaurants in Little Lyndainium. Popular street foods in Cenial include Middle Eastern and Indian dishes. In the city centre, there are a large number of upscale restaurants catering to legislators, lobbyists, and richer tourists, while small cafes serving Cenian cuisine dot corner sides. Because of Ceni’s proximity to, and reliance on, the sea, Cenian cuisine places a large emphasis on fish and seafood. Popular Cenian dishes include Cenial Clam Chowder, widely regarded as one of the world’s best, various fish stews, and fish & chips. Other significant Cenian dishes contain crab, lobster, sea scallop, and cod. Alcoholic beverages are fairly common in Ceni, and there are a fair number of pubs, including some chain and local pubs. Cavalier Brewpubs and Machu Picchu Pubs, two famous chains, both originated out of Cenial. At night, a fair number of nightclubs serve alcoholic drinks and provide the citizen or tourist with the opportunity to party.
Cenial Halcyon National StadiumNewly built to host a tournament like this, the Cenial Halcyon National Stadium hosts most of the Cenian national team's home matches. With a capacity of 85,000, the stadium has an unique roof which is retractable in case of inclement weather, preserving the optimal climate for spectators inside the stadium. The stadium also has won plaudits from national team players who say the stadium is one of the best grass pitches they have played on. Cenial United also hosts its home matches in this stadium. The stadium is currently the biggest in all of Ceni at this point and is fairly close to both of the major airports in Ceni, easily accessible by subway to those areas as well as most other areas of Cenial. It was built by the renowned Sky High Architecture in a southern area of Ceni, near the sea.
When elected as the host of the Baptism of Fire, the Cenian FA decided to upgrade some of the facilities at the stadium, including the press box and VIP box, as well as installing WiFi access for all seats, following the example of the Alexander I National Stadium. Notably in the history of the Cenial Halcyon Stadium, Ceni has never lost at this stadium when it was first used during qualifying for World Cup 73, and the Cenian national team defeated Gregoryisgodistan on penalty kicks to qualify for its first ever World Cup. The Halcyon National Stadium counts itself as one of the greenest buildings in Ceni, making use of solar panels wherever possible, recycling water and heat through its system (so that water used to water the pitch can be used in the toilets, etc.), making use of recycled materials in constructions, and other eco-friendly measures to reduce its energy footprint.
Hosting: MD 1 - Eura vs The Holy Empire
MD 2 - Ficiscia vs Ceni
MD 3 - San José Guayabal vs Audioslavia
Final Match - S1 vs S2
Shadow B'Betsy StadiumShadow B'betsy Stadium served for a long time as Ceni's home stadium for World Cup matches, including the team's first ever World Cup match. The stadium also served admirably in the Cup of Harmony 63, where Ceni reached the semifinals. With the advent of the Cenian Premier League, the stadium grew ever more in demand, and 1860 Azoth and Cenial United both called this stadium home for their home matches. However as both team's fan bases grew, the stadium was no longer big enough for the teams' demands, and Cenial United began clamoring for a new stadium. The travails faced by Ceni's national team (a draw with Octinstine most notably) at this stadium also led to the construction of the Cenial Halcyon National Stadium. Nonetheless, this stadium still is Ceni's second largest stadium, a capacity of 63,126 people. Shadow B'betsy is closer to the city center of Cenial than the Halcyon Stadium, and is very accessible by subway and public transportation, as well as bicyclists.
Hosting: MD 1 - Ficiscia vs Osarius
MD 2 - Brenecia vs Osarius
MD 3 - Eura vs Flardania
Round of 16 - B1 vs C2
Lake Cenial StadiumLake Cenial Stadium is the home of Sporting Cenial, one of the many Cenial teams vying for spots in the increasingly competitive Cenian Premier League. This stadium also hosted matches during the 63rd Cup of Harmony. Located along the shores of its namesake, Lake Cenial, the Stadium is part of a larger sports complex, with tennis courts, which hosts the Cenial Masters every year, as well as facilities for badminton, squash, and other sports. In turn, the sports complex is located within a big park that surrounds Lake Cenial. In the spring its cherry trees delight visitors, but in all other times, there are still plenty of things to entertain visitors at the park, including gardens and an exquisite Japanese Garden. The stadium is also known for its green-friendly architecture, with solar panels covering a good portion of the exterior and, of course, the park surrounding it. It is also very friendly for bikers and pedestrians. Overall, the stadium seats 53,241 at full capacity.
Hosting: MD 1 - San José Guayabal vs Port Christopher
MD 2 - Valanora vs Eura
MD 3 - Barunia vs Valladares
Round of 16 - D1 vs A2
Bicentennial StadiumDesigned especially for World Cup 76, the Bicentennial Stadium also was designed to celebrate Ceni's 200 years as a unified country, which managed to coincide with this World Cup. The stadium, which seats 75,000 people, is the epitome of modern stadium standards, with modern amenities and television screens along every corner. The stadium was designed with a modernist view in mind, with curving lines as well as interesting use of 3-D texture, and the seats inside being ergonomic and comfortable for viewers. The home of Phalanx AF, Bicentennial Stadium is located in the heart of the bustling city of Cenial, near the University Green and the location of several major Cenian universities, so the stadium is the favorite of many a college kid coming in to watch a game. The fact that this stadium could fit in the city center is a testament to Cenian urban engineers' prowess in getting the maximum out of every square meter of space.
Hosting: MD 1 - Abanhfleft vs Audioslavia
MD 2 - The Holy Empire vs Flardania
MD 3 - Ficiscia vs Barunia
Semifinal - Q1 vs Q2
City CentreCity Centre is Ceni's second city and home to 3.6 million people. The city does tend to vote extremely liberal in elections due to its economy, which used to be heavily dependent on chemical manufacturing; however, the city has now mostly switched to becoming a high-tech, green manufacturing center, and labs in City Centre have produced some of the most modern innovations in renewable power and energy efficiency technologies. Unions, unlike in other countries, are very strong here in City Centre. Besides its historic manufacturing, City Centre is notable for its libraries and literature, hosting some of Ceni's most famous authors. City Centre also boasts a thriving gay community. However City Centre is less culturally refined than many other cities in Ceni, such as New Oxford and Cenial. Nonetheless, it does boast its fair share of tourists, who come to visit the playhouses and aforementioned libraries. Like Cenial, it is located along Lake Cenial, and the two cities merge to form one big megalopolis; the city of New Oxford also abuts it to the south, forming a good portion of Ceni's urban population.
Volatus Millennium StadiumThe Volatus Millenium Stadium is home to Ceni's best club, Tir Snake Strike, and routinely draws its full capacity of just under 60,000. The stadium is known for its modern curves and structure designed with lots of glass and its 'high tech' appearance, earning the stadium its name of 'Millennium' - the stadium's design reminds people of a new era in stadium construction. The Millenium Stadium is very open to sunlight and has a great temperature when the conditions are just right. Nearby are the indoor tennis courts that host the Volatus Open, in the run-up to the Cenian Open. Again, the stadium is well-connected to public transport, but visitors coming from Cenial might have to spend a little bit of time getting to the stadium, perhaps half an hour away from the center of Cenial by subway.
Hosting: MD 1 - Barunia vs Krytenia
MD 2 - Audioslavia vs Port Cristopher
MD 3 - Ceni vs Osarius
Quarterfinal - R1 vs R2
New OxfordWhile it does have a population of around one million, which sounds small by international standards, it is concentrated in a small area, making it a very dense city. New Oxford is very ethnically diverse, even more so than Cenial, with large Asian, Electrumite, and Euran populations. New Oxford is most notable for hosting the third of Ceni's major universities, the University of New Oxford, which boasts a high quality educational program. In addition to its University, with its excellent sporting facilities, New Oxford hosts a number of museums and other educational institutions, as well as science and technology based industries within its soaring, modern skyline. Besides these attractions, New Oxford has a very active nightlife, with a large number of bars and nightclubs serving the student population, and the city is a hub of cocktails and experimentation with alcohol. As such, there are quite a few drunken ramblers out at night, although many students do stay sober.
New Oxford ColiseumNew Oxford's major team, Myrmidon, gained a new stadium recently with the construction of the New Oxford Coliseum, a stadium that seats 55,000 people. Previously, the club had made use of a stadium at the University of New Oxford, which was much smaller and not adequate as the club's fan base expanded. The stadium perhaps deserves the name of 'Millenium' more so than the actual Millenium Stadium, as it is very modern and has almost a space-age feel to it. The stadium is also totally covered with translucent panels, giving it the look of a gemstone, and also protecting the pitch from inclement weather. The Coliseum is also notable for its VIP boxes, of which it has more than your usual stadium. While fans can get a bit rowdy (New Oxford is a University town after all) and the pitch can get a pit dark, the atmosphere totally makes up for this, and teams like playing here because of that unique atmosphere.
Hosting: MD 1 - Ceni vs Brenecia
MD 2 - Savalen vs Barunia
MD 3 - Valanora vs The Holy Empire
Quarterfinal - R3 vs R4
Other VenuesEstádio International de Santiago, Santiago de CeniThis stadium is the home of the CPL club Viento Oeste and can seat 47,800 at full capacity. Santiago de Ceni is in the north of Ceni and boasts a vibrant Hispanic culture with street food and restaurants galore to delight the palate. This stadium has a modern feel to it and is designed with the colors of the Cenian national flag in mind. Santiago de Ceni itself is the northernmost of the venue cities although it is well connected to Cenial via the high-speed train link.
Hosting: MD 1 - Savalen vs Valladares
MD 2 - Krytenia vs Valladares
Md 3 - Abanhfleft vs Port Christopher
Round of 16 - A1 vs D2
Southeastern Ceni Stadium, WhitehavenWhitehaven is the home of the club Polaris and this newly-built stadium, which seats 49,500, for the increasingly popular club. Arguably the most beautiful spot in Ceni, Whitehaven is known for its beaches and its spas. Originally, the town sold itself as a center for sea bathing, which, 200 years ago, was said to have medicinal properties. A nice sea breeze blows along the beaches here, and the tradition of sunset walks along the beach has attracted lovers for a while now. The Southeastern Ceni Stadium was built near the shoreline and designed with the sea in mind, with its bluish color and wavy pattern. Whitehaven is the southernmost of the Baptism of Fire venues but it can be easily reached via high speed rail from Cenial and via light rail from New Oxford.
Hosting: MD 1 - Valanora vs Flardania
MD 2 - San José Guayabal vs Abanhfleft
MD 3 - Savalen vs Krytenia
Round of 16 - C1 vs B2