Let's say we'd terraformed Mars and the surface of the planet eventually looked like in the attached picture, where would you build Mars' capital? And almost more important: What would be its name? Please mark your desired location with a red spot on the map and write the name next to it!

EDIT: Maybe you noticed this map is labeled with "25%" - if anyone is interested in higher resolutions of this, I also have a "50%" and a "100%" version.

Hello! Well, I don't have an exact location that I would prefer, but surely somewhere bordering the large lake (in case the ocean level rises, there'd be a massive flood, so I doubt it would be prudent to place it on the coast). I would call it a completely new, invented name, like Aeslia or Zaidia (sorry if someone invented those words before) or something, to signify a new place with new people and a new beginning. But it will be probably called something very cheesy, like Kingstown or New Washington or New something or name.of.queen.of.England.at.that.timetown. Another nice name would be Liberty city or Unity city. You asked for our opinion; what's yours?

Oh my goodness, I can see my house from here.


Nice image. All we need to do now is divert much of the asteroid belt so the bodies with water and organics slingshot off Jupiter's gravity and hit Mars. Then all that would happen.

I'd locate in near that crater on the right side of the bay in the ocean. Hmmm, maybe I'd call it Flanaganville.

Thanks Floppy, it is a great image. I wish we had a copy without the contour isolines so it could be used as a planet texture.

Where is Olympus Mons on this map? I would build a skying resort there...

Just imagine a 22 km downhill skying course. At the end you'd be going supersonic since on Mars g=3.7m/s^2, h=22000m, so v=\Sqrt{2 g h}=403.5 m/s, which is almost twice the

Hey, Floppy! Check out this great piece of news! I'm going to apply for it.
http://www.euronews.com/2013/05/09/more ... nize-mars/

One big lesson learned from the biosphere, a closed eco system experiment, is the need to test people for compatibility. You cannot put all these people in a tube and expect them to all just get along. There is no avoiding people you cannot get along with.

See part 4 under contents: