Ceni (CEN) final site bids
Champions' Cup: Bicentennial Stadium, Cenial (capacity: 75,000)
Cenial is Ceni’s capital city; as such, the Cenian executive, legislative, and judicial branches are all located in Cenial. The Prime Minister 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.
Designed 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 the 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.
Cygnus Cup: Cenial Halcyon National Stadium (capacity: 85,000)
Newly built to host a tournament like the Baptism of Fire several years ago, 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.
The Isles of Avon (AVN) final site bids
Globe Cup: Gateway Stadium, Stratosphere City (capacity: 75,000)
The Isles of Avon was originally a Cenian possession, but they were gifted to Drawkland in the early 1900s as a sign of improving relations between the two countries. Since then, Drawkland built a portal between Rushmore and Sonnel on one of the larger islands, creating Stratosphere City around it. That city has rapidly grown, becoming the source of more than fifty percent of the total population of the isles. Besides Strat City, as it is affectionately known by its residents, the rest of the islands remains a bucolic paradise, with the many lakes and craggy landscape reminding many of the English Lake Districts. Its main industries are tourism, attracting Rushmoris looking to get a break from the hustle and bustle of city life, and wine production.
Stratosphere City is the Isles of Avon's largest city, home to the portal that links Rushmore to the world of Sonnel and Drawkland itself, which owns the Isles of Avon. With a large, cosmopolitan, and diverse population, it is Avon's primate city and home to a large proportion of its population, as well as the largest center of footballing passion in the nation. The name of Gateway Stadium reflects the city's status as a gateway to Drawkland (for Rushmoris) and a gateway to Rushmore (for Drawkians). Glowing and modern, the Gateway Stadium features the most modern advances in everything imaginable, from spotless restrooms to gigantic jumbotrons. Glassy to let in natural light, the stadium also has a large gateway reminiscent of an older train station to let spectators know they have arrived in one of the most up-to-date stadiums in the world. The stadium is also environmentally friendly, built to reduce carbon emissions and water usage across the stadium, with solar panels on the roof, and the stadium is designed in such a way that spectators have unparalleled visability for a stadium of this size. Even with a capacity of 75,000 spectators, seating is comfortable and spacious, with many luxurious premium boxes available, as well as a skywalk and a viewing area near the top of the stadium. When it is not hosting matches of the Avonian national team or its home club Strat City, the stadium is also a hub for the community, hosting many shops and restaurants.
Copa di Campeones (CdC): Field of Gold, New Stratford (capacity: 56,000)
New Stratford is a classic tourist town on the beaches of New Avon, billing its natural springs, white, sandy beaches, and peaceful shoreline as a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the business centers of mainland Rushmore. The team's home club, Golden Eagles, has been on a tear recently in international competition, and found themselves with a large sum of prize money. They chose to invest the dough in a state-of-the art new stadium, the Field of Gold, upgrading a stadium with a capacity of only 25,000 to one with a capacity of just over 56,000. Thematically, the designers went with gold: the exterior of the stadium is gold and reflective, and the interior is bright and shiny as well. The curvature of the stadium reminds visitors of both an eagle in flight and the crashing waves of the nearby shore. Of course, solar panels deck the roof of the stadium, and all the reflective material helps to reflect away sunlight as well, reducing air conditioning costs.