Overview

Royal Cascadia is a country located in the Northwest portion of North America founded from the former Columbia District/Oregon Country which was co-administered by the United States and the United Kingdom via the Hudson's Bay Company. After achieving formal Dominion status within the Commonwealth, Royal Cascadia eventually achieved full independence as the constitutional monarchy that we see today after the population voted against confederation as a province within Canada in a national referendum.

The country is governed via a modified Westminster-style parliamentary system with a separate head of state and head of government. The monarch, formerly the same hereditary monarch shared with Canada, the United Kingdom, and other Commonwealth countries, is now elected and must be unanimously chosen by the House of Elders and approved by the Chief Minister, who serves as the head of government. The Royal-Elect of Royal Cascadia is a mostly ceremonial role, but can dissolve governments and call for new elections and gives royal assent to bills passed by parliament.

Although Royal Cascadia maintains good relations with the neighboring nations of Deseret territory, the California Republic, Canada, Alyaska respublika, and the United States of America, it has still had its share of geopolitical tensions. There is an historic and ongoing border dispute with Deseret over the Twin Falls region between the Cascadian city of Boise and the Deseretian cities of Pocatello and Salt Lake City. The area had been historically settled by Mormon settlers from Deseret even though the territory belonged to Royal Cascadia. The region then seceded mid-century, claiming closer cultural and geographical ties to Deseret, and came under temporary nominal control of Deseret before the Cascadian military forcefully took back control of the region and suppressed the rebellion. There has been tense peace in the area for about 20 years now. Deseret being a former territory of and current protectorate in free association with the United States has also kept a chill on the relationship of these two countries. California is a strong ally on many fronts, though their allowance of US naval vessels in Californian navy bases and waters has drawn criticism from Royal Cascadia who would like to see more military cooperation between California, Royal Cascadia, and Alyaska. Canada is a close friend and ally due to their shared British history and status within the Commonwealth and they serve as a further buffer both physically and politically from the United States. Alyaska, though now a capitalist state with a culture very different from Royal Cascadia's, is nonetheless still very closely aligned with Royal Cascadia due to many joint security and economic interests. The relationship with the United States is chilly, but cordial, due to the US's military expansion, neocolonialism, and imperialistic control of other regions in the world, poor human rights record domestically, and former attempts to undermine Royal Cascadia's socialist government with clandestine support of extreme libertarian and pro-capitalist groups with the country and material support of the Twin Falls rebellion.

The population is regarded as one of the most diverse in the world, with a large population of French-Canadians, First Nations (including Salish, Yakama, Haida Gwaii, Tulalip, Chehalis, Tlingit, Suquamish, and Chinook), British and other European groups (Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Russian), as well as major Asian population groups (Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Cambodian). Immigration is high and the country as a whole is quite cosmopolitan, being an outwardly focused trading economy. Due to recent Pacific Rim trade initiatives, primary sources of new immigrants are from Mexico, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand.

Although there is no official language, the traditional language of government is English and a plurality of Cascadians speak English as their first language. Besides English, formally designated national languages include French, Russian, numerous indigenous languages, and the lingua franca of Chinook Wawa. There are also large Spanish and Japanese speaking populations. Most citizens are fluent in multiple languages and all students are required to study at least one national language besides their native tongue.

The capital city is Victoria (800k) located on Vancouver Island. Other major metropolitan areas in order of population include Alki (3.5 mil), New Westminster (2.7 mil), Newport (2 mil), Fort Vancouver/Oregon City (1.5 mil), Nisqually (700k), Boise (700k), Spokane (600k), Chemeketa (400k), Umpqua (350k), and Kelowna (250k).