Founded by: Anders Sondag (1799)
Population (2015 census): 100,329
Located on Meridona's southern peninsula, Oliviana is the island's 5th largest city. It was reachable on by boat until a road to Alasdairo was built in 1867. This isolation lead to a unique culture in Oliviana and throughout the southern peninsula.
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| Oliviana waterfront |
History
The city was founded by Dutchman Anders Sondag in 1799, who hoped to attract new settlers to the undeveloped southern tip of the island. The name Oliviana is in tribute to Sondag's wife, Olivia. Prior to the completion of Silvanus Road in 1867, which connected the southern peninsula to Alasdairo, the region was a lawless void, referred to simply as "The Bottom". During this time, unemployment was estimated to be over 50%, with normally working-class citizens turning to lives of crime.
With the completion of Silvanus Road, the Meridonan government established a food processing district in the northern end of the city. The Kitchen, as it became known, provided steady-paying jobs to the region, greatly reducing the high crime rates. The Kitchen has since expanded into the neighboring community of Hanahope, and is responsible for the majority of the island's food processing and packaging.
In 1962, a young con man by the name of Shepherd Fink arrived to Oliviana with over $1 million that he had amassed on his various cons throughout the world. Over the course of 25 years, Fink built a tourism empire along Oliviana's waterfront and essentially ruled the city. When word of Fink's past crimes was brought to light, he quickly sold off properties to a few close friends and left town. Fink was never heard from again until his death in 2006, when it was revealed he had been living in the small fishing village of El Vesta under the alias of Thomas Parker.
