A Brief Overview of the State of Gotham (ca. 1940)
The State of Gotham is a medium-sized state on the east coast of the United States of America. One of the original 13 colonies, Gotham was settled by waves of first Dutch and later British Europeans, displacing substantial local tribes of Native Americans, including the Miagani and the Miskatons, through a mixture of diplomacy, trade, and violence. Prominent local families who can trace their roots back to colonial times include the Arkhams, the Elliotts, the Waynes, the Cobblepots, and the Kanes.
The capital of Gotham is Fingerton, a relatively small city in the north of the state that is dwarfed by Gotham City, the country's largest metropolitan area, and the state's other major city, Arkham, which is located further to the east. The state's geography is dominated by two rivers; the Gotham, which adjoins Fingerton and empties into the sea at Gotham City, and the Miskaton, which passes through Arkham and coastal Dunwich. Three interconnected mountain ranges pass through the state, with the southernmost terminating at Mount Gotham north of Gotham City. It is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, New Syracuse to the north, and Massachusetts and Rhode Island to the east.
Besides Gotham City, Arkham, and Fingerton, much of the state of Gotham is rural, consisting either of river valleys, swamps, or limited stretches of arable land. Most of the population is concentrated in urban areas, a explosive trend that's continued steadily ever since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution; as a bustling, multi-cultural port city and vital trade linchpin for the entire nation, Gotham City is a prime example of this local and national trend. The relatively small number of residents of the so-called "upstate" region, especially those from Arkham, resent the stereotype that everyone from Gotham lives in Gotham City.
Exports of the state include motor vehicles, industrial machines, textiles, and other finished products...
