Porto Azul

Porto Azul City Centre at night looking west from Monte Azules

Porto Azul (Portuguese pronunciation) (Por-to A-zule) also known by its English name of Blue Harbour,is located on the island of Ceu Azules and the state of Porto Azul (state) which is in the South-East of the country and is the capital city of Shmakalaka. Porto Azul is the most populated city in Shmakalaka with a population of 3,328,000 which is correct as of the 2009 census. Porto Azul enjoys a Warm Sub-Tropical Climate with warm temperatures throughout the year.

# History

The island of Ceu Azules and the other islands of Porto Azul State were discovered in 1558 by Vaso De Payo and was discovered after Stormela Island in the state of Travira. The island was colonized by the Portuguese but not as a their major city. During the tension with Portugal (1586-1638) neither side bothered with the island as it only had a population of 8,000. At the end of the disagreements, the Portuguese claimed Ceu Azules but didn't have a very large population. but in 1644 the city of Porto Azul became very important when a very large group of Portuguese came from Bahia Sol in Costa Dourado relocated to Porto Azul to create a city which would allow more jobs and importance to the people of Portuguese Shmakalaka. In 1692, Porto Azul had a population of over 70,000 from both empires. In 1738 when the Portuguese handed their side of the country, Porto Azul was made capital of Shmakalaka. The population more than doubled from 85,000 to 200,000 in 3 years. The city has been the main port since 1738 and has been the most important place in the entire country through exporting beer, wine, fruit, coffee and sugar. In 1949 the city reached 1 million, in 1988 the city reached 2 million and in 2006, the city reached 3 million.

# Climate

The residents and visitors of Porto Azul enjoy humid and subtropical weather all year round as it is near the equator. Occasionally Shmakalaka can have tropical storms and cyclones but aside from that the weather in the country is very enjoyable. The appealing weather plays an important role in the countries tourist business which then plays an equally important role on the economy.

# Demographics

Porto Azul has a wider Metropolitan population of 3,328,000, making it the largest urban area in the country. The residents of Porto Azul are referred to as Vinaldos. Porto Azul also has the largest population of immigrants in the country with roughly 47% of all immigrants living in Porto Azul.

# Religion

Roughly 82% of the Porto Azul population is Christian. The people of Shmakalaka consist mostly of Portuguese and British descent with both colonies mostly consisting of Christianity. 93% of those 82% are Roman Catholic. The rest of the Christianity consists of Anglican, Presbyterian and Orthodox.The remaining 18% of the religion consists of Muslim (1.2%) and most of the remaining is non-religious (10.6%). Almost all the Muslim population is from the recent refugee crisis in Middle Eastern countries including the 2015 Syrian Refugee Crisis.

# Language

The official languages of Porto Azul is English and Portuguese with both being widely spoken throughout all of Shmakalaka. However English is thought to be the most common language in the city of Porto Azul. Portuguese is also a very common language in Shmakalaka and people are expected to speak both languages fluently. Both languages of course are from the occupations of both the Portuguese Kingdom and the British Empire. Speaking both languages which are commonly spoken throughout the world helps the country in both its economy and its tourism because of the little language barrier for people in Portuguese and English speaking countries.

# Economy

With Porto Azul being on the coast it's port plays a crucial role to the country many exports and imports come through here although the cities of Georgetown on Hamilton Island and Palmero on Bahia Sol also serve as the countries main ports. The cities main export is Tourists. Others are, fruit, beer, sugar and coffee. The cities main imports are electronics, metals and wood.

## Tourism

Porto Azul attracts many tourists from Worldwide. Porto Azul is popular destination because of its wide variety of attractions and things to do with a wide variety of both numerous cultural activities and natural activities and attractions including beaches Baia Castelo and Copocaya Beach other popular tourist spots include Monte Azules and Fort Barraca which both offer stunning views across the city, another popular destination is Fort Street a large shopping complex right in the heart of the city. The Freemond Tower is a popular place for tourists to see across the city. Porto Azul is surrounded by jungle which offers a variety of wild animals including the tapir, the native cat penstos, the elusive jaguar and many more animals. The five star resorts are in a strip of land called Dourado Peninsula this area provides a safe and carefree feel about and is ideal location being not too close to the city but still close enough to be near. Finally the Cooper Jeffery's Coral Reef roughly 1 hour by ferry and it takes you to a reef filled with extraordinary wildlife such as tropical fish, dolphins, turtles and sharks.

# Recreation

Porto Azul has parks for sporting and recreational activities throughout the city. The beaches in Porto Azul are popular for tourists and locals because of the warm water and good waves. Fort Street is a large shopping complex right in the city. Porto Azul is a popular diving spot because of the amazing sea life and shipwrecks which attracts tourists from around the world. The Porto Azul Zoo is a world class zoo which has native wildlife and wildlife from across the world. The Porto Azul museum is a good place to see the history of the country and the world.

# Sport

Porto Azul is host to a wide variety of sports, most commonly football and cricket. Porto Azul has three major football clubs, Porto Lavelo FC which is based in the city center and is arguably the most popular team of the three. Civelo Azul CF which is located in the city as well but is mainly supported in the South and East of the city. Finally Vimeiro FC which in in the West of the city. Each team provides consistent results and are all popular teams in different parts of the city. Porto Azul CF play in the Estadio National which is right in the heart of the city and has a capacity of 69,000. Civelo Azul CF play 10 minutes to South of the city center at Vexto Stadium which has a capacity of 38,000.Finally Stazari FC has a 16,000 seat stadium called Dalley Park. There is also two cricket sides in the 20/20 cricket competition Vexto Cup called the Porto Azul sharks and the Porto Azul Lightning. There is also the side that plays domestic one day and four day side.

# Transport

Shmakalakan cities offer quality transport in a variety of ways. The Porto Azul transport leads by example in the context. The highways are very well used and provide an effective way to go throughout the city. There are buses and trains always at hand and the metro within the city is always packed with people going to and from the city center.

## International Airport

Porto Azul International Airport (**PAX**)is located just 15 minutes outside the Centre of the city. The Porto Azul International Airport is the largest in the country and is by far the busiest. The airport offers links both Domestic and Worldwide with many Global Airlines flying directly to it. Airbuses and trains offer good, quick transport from the City Centre to the airport.Porto Azul International Airport is the home of Vexto Airlines.

## Metro

Porto Azul has a well used metro in the city. The metro has 77 stations and gets up to 300,000 customers a day and over 100 million a year. It has a reputation for very rarely having delays and always being on time. The metro is an effective way to get throughout the city quickly.

## Ports and Ferry

Porto Azul Porto is the largest port in Shmakalaka. Furthermore this port is the most crucial in the sense the it is the importing and exporting capital of Shmakalaka. Without the port, Shmakalaka would not be able to financially function. The port also offers ferry's and cruises which operate around the island and many go through the country. Many of the ferry's go to settlements near Porto Azul such as Miccoli and Viera. With Cooper Jeffery's coral reef being so near the city, tours are common and popular for tourists and visitors.

## Highways

Porto Azul has an effective highway system with low traffic compared to the population of vehicles using the roads. There is highways leading out of the city and towards suburbs. A new highway makes it just a 1:30 hour drive to the city of Miccoli

# Suburbs

Porto Azul has a mixture of different suburbs, some are rich and others are poor. Hellensfield and Dickson are prime examples of the wealthy suburbs and Malenco and Stroval are examples of suburbs which are not so well off. The North is where much of the the poor housing and many of the less well off people live and the South is where you'd find the largest households.