Cascadia

Conceived of pre-war as a nation independent from the US and Canada that would be comprised of states belonging to the Cascadia bioregion, the post-war Cascadia can only be said to loosely match pre-war expectations, having lost many of the elements of bioregionalism by necessity. Acting as a neutral ground and transport hub between the American Coalition, Deseret, the Tasman Alliance, and numerous other nation-states, Cascadia carefully navigates international politics to maintain its neutrality and independence.
In the present day, Cascadia encompasses much of pre-war Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, as well as parts of Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Cascadia’s borders extend up to land claimed by the American Coalition, though the Cascadian borders are not clearly delineated from the surrounding regions.
 
==History==
===Pre-War===
Though plans for independent nations in the region that would later become Oregon and Washington have existed since as early as the the 1800s, very little would come of these plans, and the region remained under the firm control of the US and Canadian governments until the Human-Vannai War, owing to the limited popularity of the idea and lack of any motivating factors to incite secession. 
===Human-Vannai War===
Left to flounder as the pre-war governments began to collapse under the weight of the Vannai Puppet attacks, the largest population centers in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia all suffered a great deal of damage, encouraging emigration to safer regions. Though there were signs of resistance in the cities and holdouts in the wilderness, the region that would later become Cascadia was still exceedingly dangerous until the events of the Bright Offensive, where the waves of support from ACC aided local resistance fighters in repelling the Puppets and retaking vital infrastructure.
In the years that followed, Cascadia became a de facto if not de jure nation, with smaller groups of survivors, local city administrations, and resistance organizations in the region cooperating for mutual defence and prosperity. Though no larger national administration formed, a Cascadian identity had begun to propagate through the largely independent regions, laying the seeds for a nation to form further on down the line.
===Post-War===
Following the end of the Human-Vannai war, many refugees that had fled began to return, and reconstruction efforts were intensified. Though independent from any larger suit factions, or nations, the region began to benefit from the increased stability of the American Coalition and ACC, as trade prospered and foreign companies were enlisted to aid in rebuilding housing, transportation, and industry.
By 2018, the expansionist attitudes of the American Coalition had become clear, and fearing that their reliance on Coalition business had rendered them vulnerable to annexation and incorporation, the Cascadian Council was established, first as a representative body to handle external diplomatic affairs, then later in the year as the combined legislative and executive branch of a formalized Cascadian Republic, an act vindicated by the Coalition’s absorption of the Quebec Sovereignty.
Since, Cascadia has formed numerous diplomatic and trade ties to a variety of nations, aiming to maintain their neutrality and independence, though the efficacy of this strategy is yet to be seen.
==Political Governance==
Power resides solely in the hands of the Cascadian Council, a body of an indeterminate number of elected Councillors, each of which represent either a population center (with larger towns and cities having multiple Councillors), sectors of industry, and various other interest groups, with each Councillor being elected by the people they are expected to represent. For example, the Councillor of a town is voted for by the town’s population, whilst the Councillors of an industry are voted for by workers and owners of businesses in that industry. 
This system inherits the lopsided representation granted to industries and interest groups present in the proto-Council of the years during the war, and is met with mixed popularity from the Cascadian citizenry. Votes for Councillors are bi-annual, and changes to the composition of the Council are saved till the end of a Council’s term, and must be voted upon by the people, needing a 66% majority to pass, coming into effect after the next term has passed. Councillors may also be impeached by the people that they are expected to represent at any time, requiring 10% of the people that they’re representing to lodge a complaint to trigger the vote, and a full 66% majority for it to pass.
==Economy==
The Cascadian economy is heavily reliant on trade and transportation, acting as a stable ground on the west coast, and a middleman for trade between various nations, notably acting as one of the only remaining trading partners of the Kantoku Corporation, rebranding Kantoku goods as “Cascadian made” and selling them on for a profit. In addition to this, Cascadia acts as the main door for shipping between the AmC and Tasman Alliance owing to its position on the west coast.
Besides subverting embargos, the Cascadian economy is reliant on agriculture and resource extraction. One of the largest food producers on the west coast, Cascadia helps to feed some of the less independent nations in the US, and provides the AmC with some foodstuffs, notably fish and berries. Logging also represents a major part of the Cascadian economy, with careful controls and regulation to ensure that over-harvesting doesn’t cause long term damage to the environment. The nation also mines and refines various metals and other resources, including coal, gold, and aluminum, which help feed native and American industries.
Prior to the war, Oregon and Washington had a base of high-tech manufacturing, ranging from computer components to jet aircraft, and while much of that was damaged during the war, the formation of Cascadia has allowed many of the damaged facilities to be repaired, and the country is now seeing a growth in aircraft and computer component manufacture and export. 
Though previously unstable, the Cascadian economy is growing in lockstep with the economies of their neighbors, ensuring a low unemployment rate, and one of the highest average wages in North America, giving it disproportionate economic power compared to its size and population.
==Current Policies==
===Military===
Cascadia inherited a small armory of pre-war US and Canadian equipment, though much was lost in the Human-Vannai war, leading them to begin to purchase large quantities of arms from KTK Arms and the Tasman Alliance, though arms purchases still fall short of the amount required to furnish a full sized army. Instead, Cascadia maintains a small but well trained volunteer army, interspersed with loyalist pilots, that defend the nation’s borders from Puppets and bandits. To supplement this force, Cascadia makes the use of a number of mercenary groups and militia forces, including the Phoenix Collective group Lone Tree. In exchange for a substantial annual stipend, these mercenaries are contractually obligated to never act against the interests of Cascadia.
Using their wealth, and influence over local mercenary groups, Cascadia has begun a campaign to attempt to manipulate local politics to maintain the status quo. The Cascadian military, itself made up predominantly of ex-mercenaries, offers their services to nearby smaller nations in exchange for sizable tributes, tariff exemptions, or non-specific favors. 
With a significant portion of the pre-war American nuclear arsenal located within the modern Cascadian borders, it is possible that Cascadia may have gained access to the nuclear warheads. However, given the lack of acknowledgement from the Cascadian Council despite the fact that revealing that information could ensure the nation’s security, it seems unlikely that they possess functional nuclear warheads.
===Economy===
The Cascadian Council has left trade largely unregulated, with low import and export tariffs to help support their position as a major trade hub. The majority of government funding comes from income tax and VAT, both of which are higher than comparable nations, though still bearable. Local industry is regulated more heavily, especially agriculture, fishing, and logging, all of which are subject to significant restriction to ensure long term stability.
The Cascadian Dollar is a gold-backed currency, with a set value of 50 Dollars to a gram, though this is subject to change should the value of gold worldwide fluctuate substantially. Most Cascadian businesses also accept American Coalition and Tasmanian Dollars, and the Central Cascadian Bank offers gold for foreign currency and vice versa.
===Diplomacy===
Cascadia has adopted a doctrine of aggressive neutrality, staunchly refusing to be absorbed into the spheres of any other national or supranational authority, instead leveraging its position as a middleman to maintain its independence and solvency.
Category:PACYOA: TE
Category:TE Nations
Category:North America