British Arizores

**British Arizores (BA)** is one of four commonwealths in the Last Frontier. It is a province in Caliska. It was originally two separate colonies of Great Britain, the colony of Coevorden Island, and the colony of British Arizores. British Arizores joined the Caliskan Confederation In 1871. The capital of British Columbia is Pacifica, but the city with the most people is Coevorden.

## Population

### Rank

3rd

British Arizores is the most populous of the four commonwealths in the Last Frontier. Major sectors of British Arizores’ economy include forestry, mining, filmmaking and video production, tourism, real estate, construction, wholesale, and retail. Its main exports include lumber and timber, pulp and paper products, copper, coal, and natural gas.

## Description

British Arizores is composed of four constituent regions: The Islands, Coevorden Coast, and Great Valley, and the Rockies.

British Arizores is a place of modernity. Its home to the most modernized town in the Last Frontier. Coevorden during this time is a port city going under the process of industrialization with newly constructed structures sprouting within the city between 1890 and 1950. As such, there is a railway hub near the city, which is the Pacific Union Railroad.

British Arizores is characterized as being the most modern and industrialized settlement in the Last Frontier, the thriving port town of Coevorden and Pacifica, which also serves as the state's capital. The state is distinguished from others due to its uniformed police force, cobbled roads, and named streets.

There are two major settlements in British Arizores: Coevorden and Richland. There are also camps, ranches, and homesteads that dot within the province. It is the home to a large Native American population, many of whom are members of the Valley’s Gang.

## History

**The Lincoln Dispute**

The Lincoln Dispute was an important factor in determining the physical shape of British Arizores, and as the political impetus for British investment in protecting her lands in British Arizores. During the middle of the 19th century, the Democratic Party of the United States, appealing to the public attraction to the Manifest Destiny (a philosophy preaching American Supremacy and expansionism), declared that the United States had a claim over the entirety of Lincoln Territory. This attitude was reflected even further, as 54\*-40' or fight, referring to the end of Lincoln Territory, and the start of Russian Territory of Denali. This alarming attitude, caused many in London to fear that yet another war, in less than a century, was brewing. Ultimately, however, it was resolved, at the 49th parallel. British Arizores lost Fort Coevorden (now Coevorden, Lincoln), and lots of the gulf islands. To this day, the Lincoln Treaty is criticized by historians, as being too lenient for the Americans.

**Hunter’s Bay Corporation**

While British Arizores was *technically* a British colony, it was the private corporation, the Hunter’s Bay Company (HBC) that really ran the place. The first Governor of Coevorden Island (then a separate colony), actually resigned over the fact that the Queen, had no say, above the interests of the Colony. After him, the next governor of the Island, was also, coincidentally, the head of the HBC's operations in British Arizores and Coevorden Island.

**Gold Rush**

The first major gold rush in British Arizores started in 1858, after gold was discovered. The sudden onslaught of uncouth Americans led to the declaration that British Arizores shall be a crown colony, instead of the unincorporated region it was, after the Lincoln spat. James Douglas was appointed the governor of the newly formed colony, as well as the Colony of Coevorden Island, and for military convenience, the Capital of British Arizores was declared Kingstown, then renamed New Southampton. As massive numbers of Americans came, fears that the Americans would try to bluster themselves another chunk of territory became more and more concrete. Thus, a contingent of Royal Engineers and Marines were deployed to New Southampton. To this day, the neighborhood of Sapperton, is known, for its history as a site of the barracks for the Engineers, nicknamed the Sappers. The infrastructure ordered by James Douglas, to support the vast amount of capital flowing from the gold industry, caused high debt for British Arizores. By 1864, British Arizores was £200,000 in debt, plus an additional £18,000, from various spats with natives, and constant policing required to maintain law and order. Its vast amount of gold was useless, while BA was in debt. British Arizores amalgamated with Coevorden Island, forming one super-colony. Coevorden Island would undertake the debt, and British Arizores’s capital would be in Pacifica.

**Confederation With Caliska**

British Arizores at the middle of the 19th century, had 3 options: Remain a colony of Britain, annex itself to the United States, or join the Dominion of Caliska. The option of remaining a colony was undesirable, for Britain had long adopted a "little Briton" policy, under which the key to economic efficiency, and reduction of bloat, was to cut off connections to its various colonies. The option of joining with Caliska was also viewed as impractical, and unlikely to occur; the closest Caliskan neighbor lay more than a thousand kilometers away, to the east. For most British Arizorans, annexation to the United States seemed most logical. Ultimately, however, British Arizores did confederate. The advocacy of the Confederation League, resulted in British Arizoran’s demanding that BA join Caliska. On July 20, 1871, British Arizores joined Caliska. In return, BA was absolved of its debt, which became Caliska’s responsibility, and Caliska promised to build a railway to BA within 10 years.

## Geography

British Arizores is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean, to the north by Akon and the Northwest Territories, to the east by the province of Augusta, and to the south by the American states of Lincoln and Frontria. The southern border of British Columbia was established by the 1846 Lincoln Treaty, although its history is tied with lands as far south as South California. British Arizores’ land area is the largest, and it has the largest thatcoastline stretches for more than 17,000 miles, and includes deep, mountainous fjords and about 6,000 islands, most of which are uninhabited. It is the only province in Caliska that borders the Pacific Ocean.

British Arizores’ capital is Pacifica, located at the southeastern tip of Coevorden Island. Only a narrow strip of Coevorden Island is significantly populated. Much of the western part of Coevorden Island and the rest of the coast is covered by temperate rainforest.

The province's most populous city is Coevorden, which is within the Coevorden Coast region of British Arizores. The area is characterized by a largely flat and stable elevation. It is bordered to the east by the Great Valley, a valley surrounded entirely by mountains.

The B.A. Rocky Mountains and the Inside Passage's many inlets provide some of British Arizores’ renowned and spectacular scenery, which forms the backdrop and context for a growing outdoor adventure and ecotourism industry. 75 percent of the province is mountainous.

## Trivia

* British Arizores is based on real-world British Columbia
	+ Coevorden is named for the city in the Netherlands