Bantons Island

**Bantons Island** is a resort town in Island BN state, Cowell, located in between the Callendres mountains and the coast. It has a permanent population of 8,394.

Bantons Island has been a tourist destination within Cowell since the colonization era, but during the Wanxia Miracle, tourism boomed. Today it is known for its beaches, houses and buildings located on cliffs, hotels and caves and receives as many tourists from abroad (especially from Aritonazca, Australasia, North America, South America and the MENA region) as from Cowell.

## History

Bantons Island was first settled in the 720s by Britain colonists. They developed the area as a rest stop and a resort town, and called it Shishui, which was rare for a European-founded town in Cowell to have a British-American name. Entry to Bantons Island was limited to Europeans until 1934, with the exception of native and Han workers in the town.

Until the 1970s, Bantons Island tourists were mostly Europeans and Cowellans. Soon, tourism boomed due to the town's appearances in movies like *My Buddy Mikey* (1972) and *Chasing Friendship* (1975). Today, Bantons Island is an extremely popular tourist destination for people all across the world.

## Economy

### Tourism

Nightlife is popular in Shishui, with many cabaret clubs, nightclubs and bars located in the "new district" and a few old-fashioned bars located in the cliffs of the "old district". Many DJs have played in Bantons Island's nightclubs, including names such as David Guetta, Basshunter, Armin van Buuren and Martin Garrix. Shishui also has numerous bars and clubs catering to the LGBT community. Several restaurants are located in the "new district", including Bistryu, a Michelin two-star restaurant owned by Rinava frontman Ryu Judoku, and Pubu, a Michelin three-star restaurant owned by celebrity chef Rao Haitao.

The town is especially popular with families. Also, many older people from South America, India, Britain and Aritonazca spend the winter there.

Since 2004, Shishui's beaches have had more blue flags, the maximum quality standard recognized by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), than any other locality in Cowell. The Grand Shishui Hotel, a five-star hotel located in the "new district" since 1926, is one of the most famous resort hotels in Cowell.

#### Events and attractions

Since 1981, Bantons Island celebrates an alternative and indie music festival, with national and international music groups, called Bantons Island Cool Festival.

MTV Cowell has hosted musical performances for MTV Cowell Spring Break at the Bantons Island Cultural Outdoor Theatre throughout the years since the event was first held in 1991.

Bantons Island boasts four family-oriented theme parks. Story World is located near Bantons Island at the foot of a mountain. Shishui Ocean Park, a marine mammal and amusement/water park, is located near the edge of the "new district", and Bantons Island Boardwalk Park, a boardwalk amusement park, is located within the "new district". Asia Pier, an American-style amusement pier, opened in 2006 within the "new district" as Asia's first ever modern pleasure pier, it shares ownership with Shishui Boardwalk Park and both parks share the same free parking lot. Asia Pier hosts the first ever Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter coaster installed in Tseng, and Story World hosts Tseng's first ever giga-coaster.

### Gambling

Since its founding, Bantons Island is a hotspot for gambling in Cowell and Southern America, and a significant part of the Bantons Island economy is based on gambling. In 1945, the first casino, Fenghuang Casino or *Casino de Phénix*, opened. Following Cowellan indepedence, the government banned gambling, however, gambling was so popular in Bantons Island and Heroes Island, Emerald City, that president Yong Ming-chun decided to legalize gambling via a government-granted monopoly in 1955, the Cowell Entertainment and Travel Company, or TETC. In 1968, CETC was partitioned into four groups, one of which was Nankou Tourism, which owns all the casinos in the Bantons Island area.

## List of mayors

### Pre-Mayors (1765-1858)

1. Joe Quimby (January 7, 1765-December 18, 1771)
2. Marge Washington (December 18, 1771-May 16, 1776)
3. George Jackson (May 16, 1776-April 13, 1780)
4. Michael Wellington (April 13, 1780-October 6, 1789)
5. Jeff Blanc (October 6, 1789-February 2, 1794)
6. Greg Augustin (February 2, 1794-February 5, 1803)
7. Niko Belloq (February 5, 1803-April 8, 1810)
8. Mavis Moran (April 8, 1810-September 15, 1818)
9. Mitchell Ryan (September 15, 1818-August 30, 1825)
10. Tim Bandicoot (August 30, 1825-September 5, 1829)
11. George Murray (September 5, 1829-February 28, 1834)
12. Paul Paddick (February 28, 1834-September 15, 1839)
13. Lola Patton (September 15, 1839-October 31, 1845)
14. Phillip Brown (October 31, 1845-August 12, 1853)
15. Vin Belushi (August 12, 1853-April 6, 1858)

### Mayors (1858-1885)

1. Michael Eastwood (April 6, 1858-April 3, 1862)
2. David Toht (April 3, 1862-January 29, 1865)
3. Lola Gamester (January 29, 1865-June 20, 1880)
4. Shane Dundas (June 20, 1880-February 8, 1885)

### Post-Mayors (1885-present)

1. Mary-Annette Collins (February 8, 1885-September 15, 1894)
2. Janet Waldo (September 15, 1894-January 1, 1900)
3. Elisabeth Lee (January 1, 1900-March 15, 1905)
4. Hal Derulo (March 15, 1905-August 6, 1914)
5. Barbara Colin (August 6, 1914-October 27, 1923)
6. Ray Patterson (October 27, 1923-November 1, 1928)
7. Heidi Heifer (November 1, 1928-February 1, 1932)
8. Alec Baldwin (February 1, 1932-September 5, 1939)
9. Spencer Alberton (September 5, 1939-September 24, 1945)
10. Tiffany Darwish (September 24, 1945-May 29, 1953)
11. Bessie Singleton (May 29, 1953-March 30, 1961)
12. Robbie Joseph (March 30, 1961-February 19, 1965)
13. Stephanie Bishop (February 19, 1965-April 24, 1975)
14. Thomas R. Bailey (April 24, 1975-August 15, 1989)
15. Gar Appleman Williams (August 15, 1989-September 15, 1994)
16. Archie Brown (September 15, 1994-January 19, 1997)
17. Frank Reed Winkler (January 19, 1997-February 19, 2001)
18. Carl Papps (February 6, 2001-October 19, 2006)
19. Rikki Hedley (October 19, 2006-May 5, 2011)
20. Imran Beresford (May 5, 2011-June 14, 2023)
21. Iain Stone (June 14, 2023-present)