Sainte-Anne

**Sainte-Anne** (Taharian Creole: *Sin-Ann*), unofficially known as **Sainte-Anne de La Tahare**, is the prefecture of the overseas region of Tahare in the Papaguscan Sea. It is located on the northwestern coast of the island.

As of 2021, the commune has a population of approximately 312,850, making it both the most-populous commune of Tahare, and the most-populous commune in overseas Marone. Its metropolitan area, including both the city proper and the surrounding suburbs of Saint-Gaspard, Sainte-Jeanne, Saint-Pierre, and Saint-Sébastien, has a population of approximately 582,680, making it the most-populous metropolitan area in overseas Marone, and accounting for more than two-thirds of the population of Tahare.

## History

### Foundation

Tahare was first discovered by Escarian explorers led by Fábio Ávila da Silva in 1504, with its prior history being unknown. Upon its initial discovery, the entire island was unpopulated, but with evidence suggesting that prior civilizations had resided on the island and had since either left or died out. The island was later conquered by the Maronans in 1613, and named the Île Chambon in 1624. Colonization of the island officially began in 1627.

At the time of Tahare's initially colonization, Sainte-Anne was not the island's main city, as Maronan civilization on the island had instead begun in the southern city of Saint-Philippe. The foundation of Sainte-Anne as a city did not begin until several years later in 1637, when the city was opened as a second port to supplement the port of Saint-Philippe and allow for faster travel to the island through its northern coast. The initial development of Sainte-Anne began in its Solémare neighborhood, which maintains the city's historic district and old town. Over the ensuing decades, Sainte-Anne and Saint-Philippe shared power as the island's two main cities, with the former's port eventually overtaking the port of Saint-Philippe as the island's main port and shipping hub, and the latter maintaining its dominance as the agricultural center of the island. As the shipping industry expanded and the Industrial Revolution of the late-18th and early-19th centuries led to a rise of factories and manufacturing, largely based within Sainte-Anne, the city quickly began to grow in population.

### Development

The abolition of slavery in 1820 led to widespread change in Tahare, including in the city of Sainte-Anne. With the formerly enslaved population now newly freed, many former slaves residing in the agricultural south, including Saint-Philippe, migrated north to Sainte-Anne in order to begin working jobs in the shipping and manufacturing industries, which continued to expand. Additionally, newly freed slaves from the nearby other islands of the Vorellian Islands Colony also began migrating to Sainte-Anne *en masse* due to the economic opportunities in the city, as the other islands in the colony began to see declines in work opportunities and economic stability due to an over-reliance on agriculture. Sainte-Anne began rapidly growing, and by 1830, its population exceeded that of Saint-Philippe for the first time. In 1844, accounting for the continued population changes and the decrease in reliance on the Taharian agricultural industry, governor Marie-Pierre Foucheteau de Briège moved the colonial capital from Saint-Philippe to Sainte-Anne. In Taharian popular culture, this is often cited as the cause behind a sporting and cultural rivalry between the cities which continues to the modern-day.

The rise of indentured servitude in the mid-to-late-19th century did not have a strong impact on the city of Sainte-Anne, due its reliance on the shipping and manufacturing industries, which were predominantly staffed with Taharian workers. Agricultural communities in the city were largely founded in inland areas during the late-18th and early-19th century by landless *Grebs* known as *petits-blancs*, with the labor in these communities being largely performed by the *Grebs* who resided on the land themselves. As industrialization in the city continued into the late-19th and early-20th centuries, migrant workers from Tiria began to arrive in the city as construction workers to build the newly planned road networks and railroads intended to connect the various communities on the island together, which lead to the growth of the *Pondiche* and *Zaro* communities in the city.

In the 1954 status referendum, Sainte-Anne voted overwhelmingly for further integration with Marone, much like the rest of the island, and eventually became the regional capital of the newly established overseas region of Tahare in 1956. The remainder of the Vorellian Islands Colony voted for independence, resulting in the formation of the Republic of Vorelles. Further integration with Marone was significantly more popular in Sainte-Anne and the island of Tahare than in the remainder of the colony due to its strong economic stability and industries, which resulted in the island having closer relations with the national government in Delmas than the remainder of the colony did. Following the referendum and incorporation of the island as an overseas region, Sainte-Anne began to experience significant levels of immigration from nearby nations such as Vorelles and Papagusca, in addition to immigration from Shina and the former Maronan colonies in Helonesia. This rise in immigration led to the further mixing of cultures in Sainte-Anne and the growth of ethnic communities such as the *Zugos* and *Shinois*. By the late-20th and early-21st centuries, the local economy in Sainte-Anne and the remainder of the island had begun expanding rapidly, making it the most economically prosperous region in overseas Marone, and even more economically prosperous than some regions in metropolitan Marone. The subsequent expansion of the Taharian tourism industry and the newfound willingness of international companies to open offices in Sainte-Anne has led to rapid growth amongst the *Zorey* community. However, this growth has become a point of contention, with local Taharians arguing that the influx of *Zoreys* has led to an increase in the cost of living and loss of work and housing opportunities, particularly in the city of Sainte-Anne.

## Demographics

Sainte-Anne is both the most-populous commune in Tahare, and the most-populous commune in all of overseas Marone. Since the disestablishment of Vorellian Islands Colony in 1956, the population has more than tripled, with the commune having one of the highest growth rates in all of Marone during the mid-20th century. The growth rate has largely steadied since the 1980s.

Following the 2018 Maronan census, 77.0% of residents were born in Tahare, 16.2% of residents were born in metropolitan Marone, 2.1% were born elsewhere in overseas Marone, 1.3% were born abroad with Maronan citizenship at birth, and 3.4% were immigrants. The overwhelming majority of residents born elsewhere in overseas Marone were born in Jalotte, while most immigrants were born in Papagusca, Podros, or in Helonesia.

### Ethnic groups

Like the rest of Tahare, Sainte-Anne is home to a multiethnic community, with various ethnic groups residing in the city. Sainte-Anne is often considered to be the most ethnically diverse commune in Tahare, with large populations of the various Taharian ethnic communities such as *Zugos*, *Grebs*, *Pondiches*, *Zaros*, *Gafres*, and *Shinois*. The city is particularly known as the center of the *Zugo* and *Gafre* communities. Sainte-Anne is also home to the largest immigrant population in all of Tahare. Many *Zoreys* also reside in Sainte-Anne, with the city hosting the largest community of *Zoreys* in all of Tahare; the majority of *Zoreys* in the city work as teachers at local schools, within the Taharian tourism industry, or as managers and executives at large international companies with offices located in Sainte-Anne.

As the Maronan census does not ask residents questions about their race or ethnicity, the exact ethnic breakdown of the city's population is unknown. However, ethnic mixing is also believed to be high, and interethnic tensions have been warm for most of modern history.

### Religion

Sainte-Anne is home to a variety of religious communities, with the most prevalent being the Eurean Catholics, Tirus, and both Eurean and Ryptian Muslims. As the Maronan census does not ask residents questions about their religious affiliation, the exact religious breakdown of the city's population is unknown, however there is believed to be high degrees of religious harmony and religious conflicts are rare. The city is also home to small communities practicing other branches of Christianity and those who practice Helonesian traditional religions.

The Eurean Catholic community in Tahare is headquartered in Sainte-Anne as the Diocese of Sainte-Anne de La Tahare. The cathedral church of the diocese is the Sainte-Anne Cathedral, located within the city. The city is also home to the Nour-Sayidatina Mosque, the oldest mosque in Marone, having been constructed in 1896. A number of Tiru temples are also located in the city.

## Government

Sainte-Anne is the prefecture of Tahare and its chief city. As the prefecture of the region, it is additionally the seat of the prefect of Tahare. The prefect is appointed by the president of Marone on the advice of the prime minister and interior minister. The prefect is a direct representative of the president, and is responsible for exercising the duties of the presidency while the president is unavailable. In effect, the prefect acts as the head of state of Tahare when the president is not present in the region. The role of a prefect is largely ceremonial, being tasked with representing the national government in their designated department or region, but they are additionally responsible for overseeing public safety and national security, such as coordinating the local police force and issuing driver's licenses and passports. As the prefecture, Sainte-Anne is additionally the seat of the General Council and the president of Tahare, with their offices being located at the Hôtel de région Christophe Domeur in the Solémare neighborhood.

The central authoritative body of Sainte-Anne is the Council of Sainte-Anne, the city's municipal council. The council is composed of 86 members, and is presided over by the mayor and their deputy mayors, who join the mayor to form the mayoral cabinet. The mayor is directly elected by voters registered in the city as the leader of the electoral list which receives the most votes in the election; the seats are distributed proportionally in accordance with the amount of votes that each electoral list received. In addition to the Hôtel de ville de Sainte-Anne, which is based in the Solémare neighborhood, there are five other city halls located in the Brise-en-Crique, La Clémence, La Ditrone, Équine, and Sainte-Anne-les-Bains neighborhoods, in order to provide stronger access to municipal services to residents. The mayor is tasked with appointing an assistant mayor to oversee each of the five other city halls. The city is also the center of the Sainte-Anne métropole, with the mayor additionally serving as president of the métropole and its grand council.

### Subdivisions

Like most large metropolitan communes in Marone, Sainte-Anne is divided into several neighborhoods (Maronan: *quartiers*). The neighborhoods are officially defined by the regional government and exist primarily for statistical, local government, and historical reasons.

There are 21 neighborhoods of Sainte-Anne:

* Bosquet-de-Marelle
* Brise-en-Crique
* Cielclair
* La Clémence
* La Ditrone
* Eau-Bleue
* Éclat-de-Lune
* Équine
* Lirondelle
* Le Marécage
* Le Moulin
* Palmazur
* La Perlerie
* Plage-de-Plume
* Saint-Henri
* Sainte-Anne-les-Bains
* Sainte-Anne-les-Hauts
* Solémare
* Vérune

### Politics

Like most of Tahare, Sainte-Anne is a city that is typically dominated by the left-wing. Since the establishment of the municipal government, the city has only elected left-wing mayors. In the 2022 regional election, the left-wing Pour La Tahare ! scored their largest victory in the city, while the far-right Nationalist Movement scored their biggest loss.

In national politics, Sainte-Anne supported Gisèle Frédérique-Betsch of the Socialist Party in both the first and second rounds of the 2018 presidential election, with Frédérique-Betsch scoring her largest victory amongst cities with a population of more than 200,000 residents (not including Delmas) in the second round in Sainte-Anne. Sainte-Anne is divided into three legislative districts which elect representatives to the Chamber of Representatives: Tahare's 1st constituency, Tahare's 2nd constituency, and Tahare's 3rd constituency.

## Education

Sainte-Anne lies within the jurisdiction of the academy of Tahare, one of the academies of Marone under the direction of the Ministry of National Education. Sainte-Anne is one of only two communes in Tahare which offers comprehensive educational opportunities from the nursery level to the doctoral level, with Saint-Philippe being the only other; the two communes are often commonly cited as amongst the best in Tahare for their educational standards, in addition to Saint-Pierre. The majority of education in Sainte-Anne is public sector, although private education exists in the city as well. In total, there are 25 *collèges* and 16 *lycées* in Sainte-Anne; of its *lycées*, five offer CPGE courses. The Lycée Sainte-Marie, a private *lycée* run by the Eurean Catholic Church, is located in Sainte-Anne and commonly considered to be the most prestigious *lycée* in all of Tahare.

For post-secondary education, the main campus of the University of Tahare is located in Sainte-Anne, primarily within the Éclat-de-Lune neighborhood. The University of Tahare is the oldest and largest university in overseas Marone, having been founded in 1945. It is subdivided into five research colleges and six professional institutes, and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. There are additionally five *Institut des études de techniciens supérieurs* (IETS) schools in Sainte-Anne, which offer the *diplôme de technicien supérieur* (DTS) degree.

* **Collège Rolland Benramdane** – public, based in Solémare
* **Collège Madeleine Blancard** – public, based in Plage-de-Plume
* **Collège Michel Bonardel** – public, based in Sainte-Anne-les-Bains
* **Collège Geneviève Boyer** – public, based in Vérune
* **Collège Romain Clain** – public, based in Brise-en-Crique
* **Collège Jean-Pierre Dalleau** – public, based in Saint-Henri
* **Collège Albert Désert** – public, based in La Clémence
* **Collège Mathieu Garcenot** – public, based in Bosquet-de-Marelle
* **Collège François Gigan** – public, based in Solémare
* **Collège Martin Hoareau** – public, based in Sainte-Anne-les-Bains
* **Collège Paul Lebon** – public, based in Éclat-de-Lune
* **Collège Catherine Marbois** – public, based in La Ditrone
* **Collège Jacques Moussa** – public, based in Eau-Bleue
* **Collège Jacques Névoux** – public, based in Bellefontaine
* **Collège Marie Pageot** – public, based in Mont-Argent
* **Collège Pierre Rivière** – public, based in Éclat-de-Lune
* **Collège Samuel Tariffe** – public, based in Palmazur
* **Collège Fabien Tellier** – public, based in Équine
* **Collège Jean-Marie Turpin** – public, based in La Perlerie
* **École Notre-Dame-de-Fátima** – private, Eurean Catholic, based in Éclat-de-Lune
* **École Notre-Dame-de-Rémission** – private, Eurean Catholic, girls school, based in Le Moulin
* **École Saint-François** – private, Eurean Catholic, boys school, based in Le Moulin
* **École Sainte-Margaux** – private, Eurean Catholic, girls school, based in Vérune
* **École Saint-Martin** – private, Eurean Catholic, boys school, based in Lirondelle
* **Lycée Charles Corré** – general public *lycée*, based in Bellefontaine
* **Lycée Jean-Louis Fontaine** – general public *lycée*, based in Cielclair
* **Lycée Pierre Grondin** – general public *lycée*, based in La Perlerie
* **Lycée Horizons** – professional public *lycée*, based in Plage-de-Plume
* **Lycée Babette Leap** – professional public *lycée*, based in Vérune
* **Lycée Salomé Louis** – general public *lycée*, offers CPGE courses, based in La Clémence
* **Lycée François Masson** – general public *lycée*, based in Vérune
* **Lycée Alexandre Minatchy** – general public *lycée*, based in Le Marécage
* **Lycée Henri Morel** – general public *lycée*, offers CPGE courses, based in Éclat-de-Lune
* **Lycée Notre-Mère-de-Doleur** – general private *lycée*, Eurean Catholic, based in Le Marécage
* **Lycée professionnel de Sainte-Anne (LPSA)** – professional public *lycée*, based in Palmazur
* **Lycée Jacques Tahare** – general public *lycée*, offers CPGE courses, based in Éclat-de-Lune
* **Lycée Sainte-Clothilde** – general private *lycée*, Eurean Catholic, based in Lirondelle
* **Lycée Saint-Henri** – general public *lycée*, based in Saint-Henri
* **Lycée Sainte-Marie** – general private *lycée*, Eurean Catholic, offers CPGE courses, based in Bellefontaine
* **IETS Éclat-de-Lune** – based in Éclat-de-Lune
* **IETS Équine** – based in Équine
* **IETS La Clémence** – based in La Clémence
* **IETS La Ditrone** – based in La Ditrone

## Culture

### Sports

Like in the rest of Tahare, the three most popular sports in Sainte-Anne are football, handball, and basketball. The most popular sport in Sainte-Anne is football. The five largest football clubs in the city are Sainte-Anne FC, SS Solémare, SS Sainte-Anne, FC Équine, and US Sainte-annoise. The Stade du Nord and Stade Jacques Tahare are the city's main sports stadiums.