Arvant (a corruption of the French term "avant-garde," meaning "vanguard") is both the largest city and capital of the Republic of New Cambria. It is located near the midpoint of New Cambria Island's northern coast, at the mouth of the River Ferne. Originally founded as a temporary settlement for shipwrecked French fur-traders, it evolved into the primary port of entry through which the ancestors of over 90% of New Cambria's current residents passed. Today, the amalgamated Municipality of Arvant is by far the largest of New Cambria's 65 municipalities, with a population of 366,085 living in over a dozen urban, suburban and rural settlements. Arvant is a historical and contemporary cultural centre for the country, as well as a modern centre of education, the arts, administrative function, e