Coland

 

    Coland, the capital city of Diking, is located on a scenic bend of the Zerbit River in the northeastern part of the main island.  It's early history is uncertain, although it is known that the first Space Police unit which came to Diking set up a base approximately one mile east of where Coland Harbor is today.  Details for the next few years are sketchy, but sometime in the early 1990s, the giant Eileen dictated that the Dikanian Air Force Base be removed from the Little Tikes House in present-day New South Dakota.  At that time, the runway and forces operated by the giant Ryan were relocated to a site north of the river and renamed Coland Air Force Base.  The forces operated by the giant Leigh relocated to a site on the northwest tip of the main island and founded Air City (now Upper Chris).  Almost immediately after its founding, people began to settle near the air base.  In approximately 1992,  King Corey I moved his seat of government to the community, and Coland became the capital city of Diking. 

 

    This panorama of Coland was taken on the river as it flows southward out of the city.  In the foreground you can see Coland Harbor, the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, the Coland Police Central Precinct , and the Coland Plaza office tower.  The airport runway is on the far right, and, in the distance, you can see Coland Palace.

 

    This picture shows the buildings of the northern portion of the air force base.  Coland Palace (the Emperor's residence) is in the right foreground.  Continuing counterclockwise, you can see the Tea House, National Defense Office, Executive Office Building (Cabinet members' offices) and Coland Gardens. 

    Here is part of southern Coland.  The Parliament building is in the center of the picture.  The red building on the right (which sits just to the left of the Executive Office Building) houses the Supreme Court.  Continuing to the left, you will see the Infirmary, the Coland Institute of Science and Technology hidden behind the Parliament building, some Land Corps units of the Federal Marshals, and support vehicles.  On the far left is downtown Coland and Coland Harbor.

 

 

    On the east bank of the river, beyond the gate to the air base, rises a hill which used to be the site of Octan Extensions.  Since the incorporation of Octan Extensions with AstroDome city, the hill has become somewhat of a commercial and entertainment district.  Restaurants, a beach, a hotel, the Coast Guard control station, the Second Police Precinct, the Bank of Diking branch office, and some ruins all sit atop this scenic hill.

 

In 1997, Dikanian engineers constructed a platform on the cliff above where the National Defense Office now stands in anticipation of building a large command and office center.  Such a building never materialized, and many people now share the space.  The Jedi Council building (front right) is the most recognizable feature.  There is also space for the TV2 equipment, the Unemployment Table, storage, minor engineering projects, an overflow jail, ICBM racks, and jump-pads for the Air Force's small interceptors.

Significant Buildings and Structures of Coland

 

    This is a close-up shot of the Jedi Council building.  Here the Masters meet and direct the efforts of the Jedi within Diking.  The Council is not at all affiliated with the Dikanian Government. 

    Here is an aerial view of the Coland Harbor complex.  Goods arrive at the quays from points all around the world.  The Trans World Freight container ship D.S. Atlantic is currently docked under the crane.  The harbor is home to several police and naval patrol boats.  In addition, it is the home port of D.N.S. Drencher, the flagship of the modern navy (red ship, center left), D.N.S. Air City (blue ship on left), and the temporary anchorage of Octan's new battleship O.S. Wallace, visiting from its home port on Lake Sykorski (black ship, far left).  A hypertunnel connects the harbor staging area with underground drydocks to allow the submarine fleet and other vessels to deploy from this port.

    The Cathedral Church of St. Francis of Assisi is the seat of the Archdiocese of Coland and home to Archbishop Rolfe Cardinal Xavier.  This structure, which overlooks the river on First Street, replaced a much more provisional structure that was located approximately where the National Defense Office stands today.  However, the the altar from the original church and the cross (which can be seen through the rose window) were retained and reassembled in the apse of this church.  Visit the Cathedral's page here.

    The Coland Central Police Station provides law and order to Coland and New Iowa.  It is the Headquarters of both the Coland Police Department and the New Iowa State Police.  Posing in front of the station (left to right) are State Police Chief Stockholm, Coland Police Commissioner Copenhagen, Coland Police Chief Helsinki, and Inspector Clousseau, head of the Second Precinct. 

    In summer 2004, ground was broken northeast of the Central Police Station for Diking's first high-rise office complex.  Rising six stories above the city, Coland Plaza is now home to the Coland Post Office, Coland Mayor's Office, Coland Tourism, New Iowa Engineering, Durkee and Kuemmel, Consultants, LLC, and private apartments.

Coland Infirmary serves as the area's hospital and wellness center.  The medical staff of seven oversees a highly advanced surgical suite and patient care wings. 

The Executive Office Building was constructed in 2004 in order to give Cabinet members private and more efficient places to work.  Justice and Foreign Affairs have office suites on the first floor, along with the building's service offices:  Security and Reception.  A white marble staircase leads from the foyer to the second floor, where the secretaries of Defense, Science and Technology, the Treasury, and the Interior have their offices.  The remaining space on the second floor is allotted to the Military Information Office, the Defense Department's Office of Tactics and Strategy, and a conference room available to anyone in the building.

Coland Institute of Science and Technology - Since the fall of 2004, two dedicated, learned  professors have taught a wide range of courses in this new facility's state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories.  The building was designed by local firm New Iowa Engineering in an homage to the early 1990s Town school of architecture and incorporates various safety features, including the second-story reinforced blast-wall that protects the rest of the building and the street from any mishaps in the laboratories.   CIST is associated with the Department of Science and Technology. 

    Coland Palace is home to Diking's Royal Family--Emperor Corey I, Empress Lucille, Crown Prince Corey II--as well as royal servants and members of the Black Knights who guard the palace. 

    Here is the Dikanian Supreme Court.  The courtroom and anteroom are on the first floor, and the Justices' chamber is on the second.  The building underwent a significant renovation in 2004 that enhanced the aesthetics of the courtroom and made the entire structure much more sound.  The building has only one employee, the bailiff. 

 

    This building houses the Dikanian Parliament.  The House of Ministers meets in the south (left) wing, and the House of Lords meets in the north (right) wing.  The center room on the second floor is used as a conference room, and it can also be converted to a courtroom for the Federal District Court of Diking for the Viceroyalty of Corey.  Federal District Judge Michael Jaggers (not pictured) resides in the turret apartment on the third floor.

 

[We hope you have enjoyed your virtual tour of Coland.  If you would like to see more of the city, please visit our Historic Image Archive.  Please check back with us from time to time, and remember, you're always welcome in Diking.  (Some restrictions apply.  See the Constitution of Diking and Dikanian Penal Code for details.  Have a nice day.)]

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