Cascadia

### Languages

English, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Chinese, Punjabi, Basque

### Borders

California, Western Prairie Republic, Russia, Front Range, Arctic Federation, Deseret

### Religion

State secularism

**Cascadia**, officially the **Cascadian Federal Republic**, is a country in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It borders California to the south, Russia to the north, the Arctic Federation to the northeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Deseret to the southeast, and the Western Prairie Republic and Front Range to the east. Its capital, Hermiston, lies around the center of the country. The country has a diverse number of landscapes, with rainforests west of the Cascade Range, high desert to the east, and a great number of mountain ranges. The population centers are around Portland, Vancouver, and Seattle, which are in the western part of the country. Boise is the largest city east of the Cascade Range.

## Etymology

The name "Cascadia" stems from the Cascade Mountains, which run from southern British Columbia to northern California through Oregon and Washington.

## History

### Pre-Columbian Era

Many different indigenous tribes lived in the present-day lands of Cascadia for over millennia. The Haida and Tlingit people lived throughout British Columbia, while tribes such as the Chinook, Tillamook, and Coast Salish lived on the coasts of Washington and Oregon. The Nez Perce and Paiute tribes were the primary tribes in the eastern parts of Washington and Oregon and in Idaho.

### European Exploration

In 1579, privateer Francis Drake sailed up the Pacific coast of North America, where he may have gone as far as Oregon before returning south. Around 1592, a Greek captain sailing for Spain, Juan de Fuca, sailed up north towards what would be the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Washington and Vancouver Island. The Russian Empire sent Danish explorer Vitus Bering to explore the Pacific Northwest in the early 1740s. They would establish Fort Ross in California as a result of the expedition. Spanish expeditions in the 1770s would explore as far north to Haida Gwaii in the northern coast of British Columbia and on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. An English mariner, James Cook, would explore Nootka Sound in Vancouver Island in 1778.

During the 1790s, the Nootka Crisis ensued after sovereignty claims around territory and trade were disputed among Spain, Great Britain, the United States, and the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation. Spanish seizure of some British merchant ships caused an escalation to near war between Spain and France against Britain and the Dutch Republic. The Nootka Conventions of 1790-1795 peacefully resolved disputes among all parties.

From 1792 to 1794, British explorer George Vancouver mapped out the Pacific Northwest on behalf of Great Britain. Many places in Cascadia are named in his honor, such as the city of Vancouver, Fort Vancouver, and Vancouver Island.

### Continental Exploration

Explorers Alexander Mackenzie and Simon Fraser mapped out the land of British Columbia in the 1800s, being commissioned by the North West Company with a team of Voyageurs. The Lewis and Clark expedition commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson largely mapped out Washington, Oregon, and Idaho under the command of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. It is worth noting that both the British and the Americans established forts and cities throughout the area, such as Fort Vancouver, Fort Langley, and Oregon City.

### Boundary Disputes

Cascadia has had a history of disputes during the colonial period. The Russians had disputed with the British over land claims overlapping with Russian America, although they were largely resolved with boundaries being drawn between both Russian and British colonial possessions. The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 outlined the boundaries of where New Spain and the United States were at. As a result, the United States settled the Pacific Northwest along with the British, which caused a border dispute over which nation had jurisdiction over the land. The area was called the *Columbia District* by the British and *Oregon Country* by the Americans. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 resolved the border disputes, outlining the boundary at the 49th parallel.

### Under Canadian and American Governance

#### Oregon

Oregon became a state in 1859, being the 33rd to be admitted to the Union. During the American Civil War, they were on the side of the Union, one of two western Union states, the other being California. The state experienced rapid growth during the 1880s, where Portland became the largest city due to its location as a lumber industrial powerhouse. At the turn of the century, Portland became one of the most dangerous port cities in the country, known for its widespread racketeering. During World War II, six civilians were killed by a Japanese balloon bomb that exploded on Gearheart Mountain near Bly. They remained the only people on American soil whose deaths were attributed to an enemy balloon bomb explosion during World War II. An industrial boom was fueled by the construction of the Bonneville Dam and the construction of Liberty ships during the Second World War. The state was particularly affected by the 1973 oil crisis. During the Superpower Wars, Oregon was not a target for Russian or Chinese troops, which largely contributed to a massive influx of people from California and Arizona. The Battle of Portland in 2032 was a small battle which became a defining moment for an independent Cascadia against the SCO.

#### Washington

Washington became a state in 1889, being the 42nd to be admitted to the Union. During the early 20th century, Seattle became a primary port for trade with Alaska and developed a shipbuilding industry. Heavy industry increased in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bremerton during both world wars. The Boeing Company became an icon of the area, where they established aircraft manufactories and later their future headquarters. Washington was a pioneer in diversity with the African American population, where their wages were above the national average and the state having its first black representative in its state legislature in 1950. Abortion was legal in Washington, one of four states that had legal abortion prior to Roe v. Wade in 1973. On May 18th, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted and scorched a great 20km portion of forest around it as it blew the top of the mountain off. The eruption killed around 58 people, and ash made fall as far as Portland, Oregon. During the Superpower Wars, Seattle was the primary target for Russian invasions on the Pacific Front. Although largely repelled, Seattle suffered heavy damage from bombing and around two-thirds of the population would flee to either Portland or Spokane. Following the war, Boeing Company, in accordance with other major American defense companies, liquidated and formed smaller defense companies that would not be affected by the SCO's seizure of the American treasury. Boeing Company would eventually become four different companies based throughout Cascadia.

#### British Columbia

British Columbia became a province in 1871, being the 6th to join the Confederation. During the 1880s, the population grew as a result of the growth in the mining, agricultural, fishing, and forestry sectors. 1885 marked the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway and it boosted the provincial economy. Laborers from Europe, China, Japan, and India immigrated to the province following the completion of the Port of Vancouver, which was a boost to the provincial economy. The growth of the non-European population in the province sparked anger and resentment amongst the Europeans against the Asians and restrictions were placed on immigration coming from Asia. During World War I, 55,000 troops were sent to Europe from British Columbia as part of the Canadian contingency. Following World War I, the United States passed prohibition laws against alcohol use, in which Canada then became a hotbed for cross-border alcohol smuggling. British Columbia was one of the provinces that were largely involved in the smuggling. The provincial economy fell into economic destitution during the Great Depression, but rebound following the end of the Second World War. The province's location sparked relations with East Asia and South Asia, which largely spurred animosity between different ethnic groups from those areas. Japanese Canadians were forcibly sent to internment camps in the Interior during World War II. On February 13, 1950, an American Convair B-36B crashed in northern British Columbia after jettisoning a Mark IV atomic bomb. This was the first such nuclear weapon loss in history. The provincial economy boomed during the 1960s and 1970s. Vancouver was home to the 2010 Winter Olympics. During the Superpower Wars, Russian and Chinese intelligence found British Columbia to be of importance to the war effort, and invasion plans were underway as Canadian Army regiments moved to coastal positions to defend the province. The Russians were able to break through the north while the Chinese were repelled from entering the Lower Mainland by joint Canadian and American defending forces. The Russian-Chinese invasion was pushed back, but both Canada and the United States had suffered heavy attrition following the war that led to the Treaty of Minsk being signed.

#### Idaho

Idaho became a state in 1890, being the 43rd to be admitted to the Union. The statehood was followed by a tumultuous process, where the capital was moved from Lewiston to Boise, the disenfranchisement of Mormon polygamists, and the possibility of being split by Washington and Nevada. The state's economy was largely defined by agriculture and was one of the hardest hit states in the Pacific Northwest by the Great Depression. During the Superpower Wars, Much of the state was not invaded or bombed with the exception of Gowen Air Base in Boise. Aside from that, the state had no value to the Russians or Chinese, so the state was left alone. The US military had operations in the state, but it was used as a passage point from the Midwest to reinforce troops in Washington and Oregon. Following the Treaty of Minsk, Idaho was briefly its own nation before joining Cascadia reluctantly. Following its joining with Cascadia, many right-wing politicians and those affiliated with the Russian government moved to the Western Prairie Republic.

### Post-Superpower Wars

The governments of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia convened at the Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, where they would sign the Federation Articles to form the Cascadian Federal Republic on April 20th, 2033. The capital was agreed to be in Bellingham, but was later moved to Hermiston when Idaho joined the federation later in September. The country stood out as being a strong, independent, and progressive nation that rose from the ashes of the former United States, who would stand against foreign influence and value the idea of democracy against fascism. In 2034, Russian and Chinese government sympathizers were expelled during the Expulsion Crisis, and a government formed based on the Portuguese semi-presidential model. During the Nonplus Era, the economy was badly diminished during the Superpower Wars, so economic recovery was of utmost importance to the government. The Cascadian government passed a series of laws and policies under the Willamette Doctrine, which outlined rapid production of consumer goods, motor parts, semiconductors, aircraft parts, etc. The doctrine encouraged exports to other nations that were once part of the United States. The economy redeveloped itself from an Anglo-Saxon to a Social Market model and as a result of filling demands of other nations, the Cascadian economy would skyrocket. The companies that succeeded Boeing: Cascadian Aviation, Pendleton Aerospace, Republic Aircraft, and Fraser River Company, each had deviated from its roots as the former company and started diversifying themselves as different defense manufacturing companies. Many Cascadian politicians wanted to prevent lobbying and the dominance of defense companies, so they modeled the government's relationships with those companies similarly to how Germany used to have contracts with different defense companies. The population of the urban areas in Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, and Boise grew exponentially, which welcomed more people who were fleeing their home nations in fear of the rise of fascism. Outside of these areas, cities like Spokane, Medford, Eugene, and Prince Rupert had also grew in population due to opportunities of jobs that were available there. During the economic recovery, the old Interstates and provincial highways were refurbished and more were paved in rural areas to connect the defense network. The network became the Freeways for Defense System, which connected major cities throughout the country. Following the economic boom, the former Untied States dollar was replaced by the Cascadian merken, which followed the establishment of the Federal Bank in Hermiston in 2038. Barriers were set up on the Russian border in the north, although it gradually increased when California was reformed as a fascist state, along with the Western Prairie Republic. The countries who have an open border with Cascadia are the Front Range and Deseret. When Deseret plunged into a fundamentalist civil war in 2041, Cascadia rushed to the aid of the Reformist faction alongside the Front Range, who sought to progress the human rights and civil system of the country to reflect a more accepting view of minorities and to introduce more labor rights. California rushed to aid the Fundamentalist faction, but it was to no avail. Cascadia during the civil war had revolutionized new weaponry and military vehicles to better help against the Californian T-14 Armata tanks that were sent to Deseret. This brought the introduction of the BT-20 battle tank, which revolutionized the new battlefield that would be fought between inter-American nations. Following the Reformist victory in 2043, Cascadia and the Front Range funded the reconstructions of the war-torn nation, which guaranteed a defense pact between the three nations known as the Salt Lake Pact. Cascadia's capability in developing new weapons made them a threat to future SCO influence, in which Russia and China would view the country as an adversary even though the Cascadian foreign policy was largely neutral.

## Government and Politics

### Government Structure

The Cascadian government is based on the Portuguese semi-presidential model, having a multi-party democracy with a non-executive president that serves as the head of state with some executive powers and a prime minister that serves as the head of government. Cascadia is a federation based similarly on the systems of the former United States and to an extent, Canada. Separation of powers is present between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The cabinet appointed by the President is subject to a vote of no confidence by both houses of the Federal Congress. The legislative branch's power is primarily used to create legislation and to keep the executive branch's power in check. The Constitution and democratic institutions are highly followed by most politicians and voting is run by an independent body. Furthermore, voter turnout is extremely high and it ranks high democratically. The President is popularly elected to a four-year term, while senators are elected for a three-year term, and representatives for a two-year term. The government functions as a multi-party democracy and has elements of a parliamentary system, where coalitions can be formed to gain control of the Federal Congress. The Federal Congress is bicameral, housing the Senate (upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (lower chamber). Seats in both houses are apportioned to states based on population. Senators must have experience being a representative in the House of Representatives.

### Sub-National Entities

Cascadia is divided into eleven states and one federal capital district. British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington were each divided into three separate entities, while Idaho was divided into two. The federal capital district houses the federal capital, Hermiston, which was from land from both Washington and Oregon. States are further divided into counties, which are then divided into municipalities and unincorporated areas. Each state and the federal capital district holds a certain number of seats in both chambers of the Federal Congress.

### Politics

Most institutions are based in Hermiston, with regional branches centered in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, and Boise. The domestic intelligence and security organization is known as the Federal Intelligence Agency. For international espionage and intelligence, the National Intelligence Service exists for that purpose. Police agencies are centered around state police organizations, city police agencies, federal police, and military police. All police officers are trained federally, where they are trained at the Federal Academy of Law Enforcement in the Hermiston suburb of Stanfield. Hermiston itself has a police force, known as the District Police. Civil society exists within the largest cities of Cascadia. There is a heavy emphasis on fire control, with fire departments having a huge budget to monitor the country's large forests. The National Health Agency is the supreme authority for medical and health regulations. The largest medical centers exist within Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, and Boise. There is no strong lobbying in the federal government since the practice was outlawed in 2034 in the Federation Articles.

## Foreign Relations

Cascadia has strong relations with the Front Range, Deseret, and the Southwest Federation, as they all contribute to each other's economies and militaries. The Salt Lake Pact is a defense organization between Cascadia, the Front Range, and Deseret, which holds military exercises and defends against foreign invaders. The Southwest Federation would join as a limited ally in 2047. Other warm economic relations of Cascadia include the Arctic Federation, Ontario, Talbot, the Great Lakes, Switzerland, Mexico, the Great Lakes Federation, East Timor, and Chesapeake. Relations with the SCO in general are cold, often strained especially since Cascadia itself is seen as a sore thumb against Russian and Chinese imperialism. California is often seen as Cascadia's greatest adversary and polar opposite with regards to politics and government. Both nations are constantly on high alert when it comes to close calls of war. Border clashes are often common with each other.

## Military

Cascadia's military is known as the Cascadian Armed Forces, with branches existing as the Land Forces, Navy, Aerial Forces, Marine Corps, National Guard, Military Police, Coast Guard, and the Aerospace Forces. Nearly all technology and weaponry is domestically produced, with some imports being from Mexico, the Front Range, and the Southwest Federation. Exports are often sent to members of the Salt Lake Pact, the Arctic Federation, Ireland, East Timor, Mexico, and Switzerland. The Armed Forces are known for their innovation, which pioneered in creating a hybrid-electric Main Battle Tank known as the BT-20, and the fully-enclosed military helmet known as the Hephaestus. They are a significant regional force within the Pacific Coast of North America and all citizens are required to serve for 2 years in the Armed Forces. There is an estimated 4,600,000 personnel serving across the different branches of the Armed Forces.