Lower Columbia

Lower Columbia

Flag of Lower Columbia
Motto: All things in moderation - except for faith
[1]
Region	Catlandatopia
Capital	Kendall
Official Language(s)	Columbian English
Leader	His Majesty King Zachary
Population	276 million as of November 26, 2006
Currency	coulomb
NS Sunset XML

The Constitutional Monarchy of Lower Columbia is a growing nation located primarily along the Columbia River, near the Pacific Ocean. It is also a member of the Catlandatopia region and a signatory of the Anti-Communist Treaty Organization.

Geography

The heartland of Lower Columbia lies, unsurprisingly, along the lower portion of the Columbia River, from about the middle of the river's famous gorge west to the Pacific Ocean. The country also includes a large portion of the Cascade Range, the entirety of the Snake River Valley, the coastal areas surrounding Puget Sound, the arid regions east of the Cascades, and part of the Canadian Great Plains.

Climatic conditions vary depending on what part of the country one is in. West of the Cascades, it is mostly a temperate rainforest, with high annual rainfall, thick vegetation, warm summers and cool winters. Further east, conditions more closely resemble a steppe climate, with lower annual rainfall and a wider range of temperatures.

The most common natural hazards in the nation include volcanic eruptions (the active volcanos of Mount Hood, Mount Rainier, and Mount Saint Helens all lie within the Lower Columbian heartland), earthquakes, and flooding. Less common are severe storms and tsunamis.

History

Pre-Founding

Beginning about 120 years before the proclamation of Lower Columbian self-rule, in the mid-twentieth century, the Columbia River Valley experienced an influx of persecuted Christians, mostly from Europe and East Asia, who sought safety in the area. They increased the populations of existing cities, but also founded many settlements of their own, including the country's current largest city, Nyhaven (in 1585). This wave of immigration continued for decades; as it continued, the secular natives became increasingly concerned. Tensions between the established population and the newcomers became more and more strained, although there are few recorded instances of hostility dating from this time.

In 1662, three years before sovereignty was proclaimed, the more than five million inhabitants of the river valley agreed that it was time to govern themselves. They chose a strong, seemingly natural-born leader, known today simply as Edward, to be their first king. Edward accepted, although he did not much like the concept of wielding absolute power. Soon afetr his coronation at Olympia, he sought individuals across the region who were willing to assist him in the fledgling government. After three years, they convened in Nyhaven with the intent of drafting a complete constitution. Over the spring and summer of 1665, they developed what is now the current form of Lower Columbian national government, with King Edward presiding over, though not actually voting in, the national Parliament. They also agreed that no existing city should be chosen as the new national capital, and selected a low-lying plain several miles west of Nyhaven as the site for the new capital of Kendall. For the first fifteen years of the city's construction, they agreed that Parliament and the king would rule from Nyhaven, and then move to Kendall.

On September 30, the first parliamentary elections were held nationwide; the following day, the results were announced and the first national government was proclaimed. Since then, October 1 has been celebrated as Proclamation Day, the effective date of independence for Lower Columbia.

First Century of Sovereignty

The first priority of many citizens of the new nation was reshaping its demographics according to their own preferences. By this time, most of the population was both Christian and conservative; the more liberal denizens were then ill-liked. Several people took it upon themselves to travel the nation recommending a rather revolutionary course of action: purify the land in the name of God and the King. Their message did not fall on deaf ears; in fact, they garnered widespread support for the concept of "purification".

In 1669, in a national referendum, an overwhelming majority of the population voted in favor of a ten-year program to expel liberals and homosexuals from Lower Columbia. This was no blank slate for widespread terror and genocide, however; rather than engage in a liberal witch-hunt, the members of Parliament who drafted the referendum placed strict limits on who could be considered for expulsion from the country and when the use of force was permissible. The greatest use of force committed in the course of the Purification campaign was the razing of Portland; it was widely agreed that the city was too far-gone to remain as it was, so once all willing citizens had departed, the fledgling military and a number of volunteers destroyed the old city in the summer of 1672. New Portland was established shortly thereafter, not far down the Willamette River from the former downtown center of Portland.

The campaign was concluded in 1679 - just in time for the national government to move to Kendall. The remainder of King Edward's rule was uneventful. He was, however, widely mourned following his death in 1696. His son was then crowned in the new National Cathedral, making him King David I. The main focus of his reign was territorial expansion: he twice led campaigns to extend the borders of the country, first up the Snake River (1708-15) and subsequently along the Pacific coast (1724-33), as far as the present-day Californian border. Unfortunately, at the conclusion of the Pacific Coast Campaign, the king, who led the military forces in person, suffered from a wound which proved fatal.

David I's successor, King Charles, was quite content to maintain the status quo during his 26 years in power. He presided over the first few Parliaments dominated by the Libertarians. His son Michael I, however, is much more widely remembered, though not as fondly. Following his accession in 1759, little was seen of him. He focused on his enigmatic expansion to the royal palace, with its strange architecture and high towers, while delegating many of his royal responsibilities to his staff. Furthermore, he presided over the first Progressive-dominated Parliament, which is infamous for creating Lower Columbia's first economic crisis with its rise in taxes and anti-business legislature.

The people became more alarmed when news of this crisis was first publicized. They overwhelmingly voted Conservative in the next parliamentary election, held in 1763. That Parliament exiled Michael I, elected Theodore to replace him as king, and repealed the anti-business laws, all in the same year.

Second Century of Sovereignty

Like David I before him, King Theodore focused on expanding Lower Columbia's borders, this time pushing eastwards to the Continental Divide in the 1770s and 1780s. The new land, rich in resources, helped the economy recover some of the energy it had lost under King Michael I. Theodore is best remembered, however, for opening Lower Columbia to foreign nations; previous kings starting with Edward had adopted an isolationistic policy in order to safeguard the country in its early years, but King Theodore judged this to no longer be necessary. His first diplomatic and trade missions to other Catlandatopian nations were conducted in the early 1770s, before the start of his military campaigns.

After his death in 1732, his son John was crowned. King John presided over a second progressivization period, much like that which Michael I had encouraged. John, however, sought to stop or at least slow the process; unfortunately, Parliament often disregarded his admonitions. After the nation's GDP per capita reached its historically lowest level, though, citizens recognized what he had been warning about and voted for a Conservative-Libertarian coalition government in the 1804 elections. Within two years, the economy was well on its way to unprecedented levels of prosperity.

Unlike John, who had been a pacifist, his successor King David II favored territorial gains. Since Michael I had established a rival kingdom at Upper Columbia after his exile, the new king sought to eliminate this potential threat. First, however, he wanted to eliminate much of the governmental burden that previous kings had created. Two years after his coronation, in 1832, he inspired Parliament to drastically reduce government spending and the bureaucracy, resulting in the smallest government in state history. Twelve years later, he led the Lower Columbian military over the border with Upper Columbia, by the shores of Lake Charles (which was formed by the Grand Coulee Dam). After another twelve years, in 1855, Upper Columbia was no more, its territory absorbed into Lower Columbia.

Third Century of Sovereignty

In 1865, David II's son Andrew came to the throne. He was a highly reclusive king, and many feared he would be similar to Michael I. However, this turned out not to be the case. Sixteen years later, however, everyone was at a loss to explain King Andrew's sudden disappearance. With no better option, Parliament voted to replace him with King Tristan, thus beginning the third and current royal dynasty. Tristan was somewhat more fanatical than his predecessors; this, coupled with his desire to bring "greater glory" to the nation, led him to invade and conquer the previously-untouched region north of the Lower Columbian heartland, the coast of Puget Sound and the city of Vancouver, at the turn of the 20th century. These areas harbored many liberals, some descendants of those who had been expelled during the Purification some two centuries earlier. As such, a second purification campaign was needed and implemented in the new territories.

King Tristan's successor, Michael II, was crowned in 1911 and is, by far, the most famous and beloved king in Lower Columbia's history. For much of his reign, he led a major campaign to improve the nation's cultural facilities and bolster a sense of a national culture and identity. He often spoke of Lower Columbia as a chosen nation, situated in the Pacific Northwest by God for a special purpose. In pursuit of this purpose, he expanded international relations, both within and beyond Catlandatopia. He also made the first international arms purchases, beginning a trade relation with the Dominion of DMG. Furthermore, he used some of those weapons to expand into the Great Plains which had previously belonged to Alberta.

Demographics

Race/Ethnicity

• 66% European
  • 26% Scandinavian/Germanic
  • 19% French
  • 13% British/Irish
  • 8% Spanish/Italian/Greek
• 13% East Asian
  • 6% Japanese
  • 4% Korean
  • 3% Chinese
• 9% Jewish
• 8% African
• 3% Middle-Eastern/Arab
• 1% Native Columbian

Religion

• 85% Christian
  • 30% Protestant
  • 23% Catholic
  • 19% Pentecostal/Charismatic
  • 9% Orthodox
  • 4% Non-denominational
• 8% Jewish
• 1% Mormon
• 6% None/other/decline to state

Government

Organization

The head of state in Lower Columbia is the king. His main duty is to preside over Parliament, making him equivalent to its speaker. He does not vote in parliamentary sessions, though he can participate in debates. He also has the power to either sign bills into law or veto them. The position is hereditary and for life; however, Parliament can vote to exile the king and elect a new one if they feel it necessary for the benefit of the country. The king does not belong to any political party. To date, there have been 12 kings, with King Zachary being the 12th.

Parliament is the national, unicameral legislative body, whose members are directly elected by citizens over the age of 21 who participate in the biennial elections. MPs are limited to a maximum of five terms total, though they need not be consecutive. They each can belong to one of the country's three political parties, which are described below; or they can choose to be independent. Parliament can override a royal veto with a 2/3 majority vote. There are currently 500 MPs: 271 Conservatives, 186 Libertarians, and 43 Progressives. A political party must have a simple majority of parliamentary seats to claim a mandate to govern.

Political Parties

Lower Columbian voters and members of Parliament can either be independent or belong to one of three political parties. Despite their names, all parties are rather conservative; the approximate centers of their political stances are given relative to the Political Compass. In addition, each party is traditionally associated with a color, which serves as its nickname in everyday speech.

Conservative Party
Political Compass center: Economic Right +8, Social Authoritarian +5
The Conservatives, associated with green, have held parliamentary power the most in Lower Columbia's history. Their stronghold and common affiliations are with the national heartland and Puget Sound. They are most often identified as war-hawks, since they support territorial expansion and increased defense spending.

Libertarian Party
Political Compass center: Economic Right +7, Social Libertarian -1
After the Conservatives, the Libertarians have had a madate to govern most often. They are frequently identified with the eastern regions and Vancouver. They are known as the Blue Party.

Progressive Party
Political Compass center: Economic Right +2, Social Authoritarian +1
The red Progressives are the least popular party in Lower Columbia, as the few times they have been in power have generally resulted in economic downturns. They are most popular in the mountains and the south.

National Ministries

The national government is also divided into several ministries or departments, each of which focuses on a particular aspect of governance. Their ministers form the king's Advisory Council, with which he meets frequently. The specific ministries and their heads are listed below, in order of significance.

Ministry of Religion

• Rev. Viktor de Blasis

Ministry of Commerce

• Ambrose Fulham

Ministry of Justice

• Judge Hon. Louis Pellini

Ministry of Defense

• John Retcliffe

Ministry of the Treasury

• Peter Hakamoto

Ministry of State

• Erik Kessler

Ministry of Transportation

• Adam Pauolopoulos

Ministry of Education

• Prof. Marie Cansoir

Ministry of Health

• Dr. Helga Erikssen

Ministry of Agriculture

• Vittorio Romano, PhD.

International Relations

Embassies

At present, besides its allies in Catlandatopia and ACTO, Lower Columbia maintains an embassy in The Phoenix Milita. As part of a recent embassy expansion program, the country also has embassies in Alexandrian Ptolemais and Kedalfax, with those countries also maintaining embassies in Kendall's embassy district.

Trade

The Constitutional Monarchy currently exports its excess titanium and textiles to the Kingdom of Krataerbech in exchange for Krataerian hydrogen and aerospace designs.