Union State

The Union State (UNS or U.N.S), officially the Union State of Northwestern Talamor, is a country located in northwestern Talamor on the east bank of the River of Ravens and north of the Aephyr Mountains made up of 38 states, 1 Federal district, and 4 territories. It has the second-largest economy on the continent of Talamor following behind Barenia and also the third-largest country in the world by territorial land mass. The Union State also has the largest surface area of water on Talamor due to its vast amount of lakes and frozen water. Despite this large amount of land, the nation is home to 40,723,831 million people which is considered below average when compared to its colossal southern neighbor or any of the larger nations. The Union State borders Barenia to the south and XXX to the east along the River of Ravens and the Big Bull Autonomous State, it shares maritime borders with Barenia and Votharheim to its west. Unlike most other nations in Talamor, the Union State is immensely more authoritarian compared to the surrounding practicing an extreme form of  and having a semi-dictatorial imperial  that rules for an unlimited amount of time as there are no term limits, though elections are held every 8 years. It's is Huxley, named after the famed father of the nation and first president former George Huxley of the Saessish Royal Navy. However, the largest city in the Union State is 5-Point City which is a massive trade and financial hub located in the state of Huroton.

The Union State began its life as a colony of Saesland before the Saessish Civil War. In 16XX a large Saessish expedition by Michael Flemming would be dispatched under the orders of King Robert IV to establish a colony in Talamor via diplomacy or force. When the fleet arrived off the northwestern coast of Talamor, the native Talamorian states along the coast were in the midst of the 5th Great Northwestern War. The Saessish Fleet exploited the conflict by joining one side and gaining land from the losing side before attacking and subjugating the victors while they were still exhausted from the war. Following the conquering of the native Talamorian states, a colony was established in their former territories. The fleet dropped off a garrison force and immigrants began migrating to the new Talamor colony while Michael Flemming returned home a hero. Following the burning of the Saessish Royal Fleet during the civil war to avoid it being captured by Reformed Kaurissemite rebels, George Huxley would be in charge of one of the last fleets that managed to escape. Huxley's fleet loaded up any remaining loyalist Orthodox Kaurissemites he could find and left for the Talamor colony. Huxley would allegedly be guided by an incredibly bright star to Talamor only to find out that over the course of the Saessish Civil War, the Talamor colony had split up into 8 different states following the loss of communication between the royal government and the colony. Using his authority Huxley convinced all the states to unite into a singular nation after much convincing and killing off those in power who opposed his idea, the Union State was founded as a republic with the Kaurissine City Agreement. In the election for the first president Huxley would win in a landslide and rule until his death in 16XX.

Years later, the Opportunist Rush began as plentiful natural resources are discovered in the young country's lands, quickly overcrowding the nation with and forcing it to expand north and east into native lands via both war and diplomacy in 1734 to care efficiently for its rapidly growing population stopping west of the River of Ravens and the Big Bull Tribal Lands under the orders of then-president Lyon Baker. Over the next few years, the Union State would attempt to appease its subjugated peoples by dealing with minor rebellions until eventually giving full rights and citizenship to the natives under its rule, this would make many staunch extreme conservatives who believed the Union State was a nation for whites only, furious. The reforms would kickstart a civil war lasting from 1829 to 1838 with the rebels losing to the government and loyalists finally ending resistance from both natives and extreme conservatives. Following the civil war, the Second Opportunist Rush would begin in 1852 with the political instability in Sundemarck, many chose to immigrate to the Union State given large amounts of free land in the west of the country offered by the government for cheap prices.

By the 20th century, the Union State was quickly becoming a trade hub and an informal but close ally to its southern neighbor, Barenia, aiding it during the Qohak War via lending leases and letting even whole military units for Barenia in its defense. In the aftermath of the war, the Union State would join the Coalition of Talamor as a founding member aiding the reconstruction of the shattered continent. Even though part of the coalition the Union State still maintains its currency, the Union Star that is to the Barenian dollar's value. During the Great Serrataran War it would join as a part of Beranian forces with its troops serving for much of the war after entering it from 19XX to the end, the Union State also aided all its allies via lend-lease firearms, uniforms, equipment, and vehicles. After the war ended the Union State would help found the Tavaric Treaty Organization remaining as a member of the alliance to the modern day and an essential contributor to it. The Union State would be active in most TTO interventions during the post Great Serrataran War era such as the Kaurissmas war and its violent conflict in the state of Big Bull from the 1960s to 2001 against the Big Bull nationalist paramilitary organization known as the Big Bull Liberation Army, made up of dozens of smaller paramilitary groups that came together, in a period known as The Troubles as they began to terrorize the state and even outside like with the Union State Embassy Hostage crisis in Buena Vista at its height in 1984.

As of 2023, the Union State is as mentioned before part of the COT and TTO, both as a founding member and major contributor. It also is a part of the jointly managed Talamor Aerospace defence Command (TAC) with the other member being Barenia which monitors the airspace of Talamor for any potential airborne threats. It shares close relations with Barenia and all other TTO member states with various trade agreements, non-aggression pacts, mutual defense treaties, and cooperation agreements signed between the Union State and its allies. For other nations outside of the TTO, the Union State has less than favorable relations with some nations, Fengjiang for a multitude of different reasons on the moral and cultural level, in a poll conducted in 2020 on which nation Northwesternites hate the most, 69% of responses named Fengjiang as the most hated nation in the Union State. Outside of the superpower alliance blocs, the Union State is a member of the World Trade Federation and the Atomic Ban Convention being designated a state with an unweaponized atomic program and atomic capability.

Etymology
Unlike other nations that have a name with much significance, the Union State has its name because it is a Union of multiple different states forming 1 singular state when the 8 original states came together to form the nation. Despite calls to give the land which the Saessish settled on a better name, Robert V did not give such a name to the Talamor Colony allegedly finding no name great enough to name the colony before the Saessish Civil War. Before its expansion into the north and west, the official name was the Union State of the West Coast as the nation stretched along the west coast of Talamor above Barenia only. The name it has now, the Union State of Northwestern Talamor was only made official in 1785 by the Name Change Referendum after a lengthy discussion between the president and congress as the nation had come to encompass the northwest of Talamor.

Early History/Prehistory
Like all nations on Talamor, Paleo-Talamorans first reached what is the modern-day Union State migrating from Ozara crossing through modern-day Barenia after crossing the Duhur land bridge from the Hadban Plateau within the Sinsal Mountains on Rhodin at least 12,000 years ago with some surviving people groups able to trace their heritage culturally directly to modern-day tribes around the Sinsal Mountains still. Before that, it is unknown if there were other archaic human species inhabiting Talamor being a subject of great argument by historians and paleontologists as there is evidence to both suggest and disprove the existence of archaic humans in at least the modern-day Union State. Over time these people spread all over Talamor diversifying into many different native tribes being somewhat coherent with the rest of the world's technological advancements such as and.

Crusaders????
No more history, blame kaz destroyer of union state history 4 times over :whyohgodwhy:

Government and Politics
De jure the Union State is a federal republic made up of 38 states, 1 Federal district, and 4 territories. But the Union State is considered by many to be a described as an "authoritarian regime" on the  barring a score of 4.63. The reason for this is because of commonplace election rigging, presidents often bypass bureaucracy via corruption or strong-arming and even embezzlement from presidents to a point that experts believe the Union State government cannot function without these things lest it collapses. But despite this, the Union State has a long history of using authoritative dictatorial powers for social services, infrastructure projects, pensions for veterans and the elderly, education subsidies, and the preservation of freedom of speech. It is noted that several aspects of the government are also surprisingly resistant to corruption such as law enforcement and the military helping to balance Indexes. It is unknown how the Union State has not descended into political greed yet, theories range from northwesternite cultural beliefs to the Union State having a shadow government secretly controlling everything. Its unorthodox system of government lies in the Union State Civil War where President Alfred Hower who had overseen the Union State through the course of its civil war took control of not only the defeated rebelling state governments but loyal state governments too alongside most of the federal government via a system of strong-arming corruption built on the common northwesternite belief in consequentialism becoming the first imperial president of the Union State. Before presidents were limited in power but still could rule for long periods, now presidents had more power and could rule for extremely long times provided they were popular enough not to be overthrown, assassinated, or impeached by Congress. The Union State government runs off on several documents, the most notable including the Kaurissine City Agreement, Union State Bill of Rights, Legislature of Northwesternite Citizen Rights, and the Bill of Presidential Powers. As of 2023, a single party dominates the Union State government, the Prosperity Party. It was originally a coalition of dominant authoritarian center-left populist parties during the 1900s that merged recently in 2003. The coalition had ruled the Union State since parties were introduced in the late 1700s. But opposition parties do exist such as the Red Rose Party and the Conservacrat Party but are in the minority gaining little traction. Radical ideas such as communism have never been popular in the Union State throughout its history, the only incident involving a radical party was the Rankin Hill Siege perpetrated by the now defunct and illegal Union State Fengist Party.

The Union State Parliament is divided between the Senate and House of Commons, each state has 2 senators representing it who are elected by the populace of the state they represent every 8 years coinciding with presidential elections. The House of Commons has a similar system but instead of representing states they represent electoral districts and are elected by the populace of said electoral district they reside in every 8 years too. Proposed Bills are put together and drafted up by the House of Commons and then sent up to the Union State Senate where bills are amended or rejected before making their way to the president for final approval although this process is ignored usually as the nature of the Union State government guarantees that the president dictates what passes and fails.

The Union State Bank is the central bank of the country. Financial planning is carried out by the minister of finance and minister of innovation, science, and industry who discuss with the president of the Union State on matters relating to financial planning and economic policy development using the Union State Agency for National Statistics. The Union State Bank is authorized to issue currency in the form of Union State Bank Notes or Union State Star Cents.

The ideology of the Union State
Many have tried to describe the ideology of the Union State with a wide range of answers based on fact and myth from democratic socialism to even Trigonism with a human face. Its unique system of government when compared to the rest of Talamor has bewildered even its own government officials who also give a somewhat consistent yet wide range of answers of what the Union State's political system actually is. The most common answer is it has its own special unique system and ideology no other nation has in the entirety of Tellurus dubbed Howerism, named after President Alfred Hower who started the tradition of the Union State having an imperial presidency. On the political compass, it is around the center authoritarian left although it has some right-wing elements implemented into the ideology as well such as holding family values through welfare. Howerism combines multiple aspects of different ideologies into one including, authoritarian democracy, social democracy, liberal nationalism, left populism, and progressive conservatism to name a few.

Outside of the Union State, Howerism is considered a fringe ideology usually regarded as an extremist or radical ideology for its implementation of corruption and strong-arming to achieve goals. The only place with significant support for Howerism is the nations east of the Union State due to its influence. As mentioned before Howerism is named after President Alfred Hower, former president of the Union State during its civil war. The idea for it came after Union State Civil War which had amongst many other things devastated the internal structure of the Union State government. In the aftermath of the conservative states rebelling against the Union State and over the course of the civil war, President Alfred Hower gained considerable power over the entire Union State government from the upper and lower houses to even loyalist state governments becoming its first "dictator" in a sense under the pretense of the country literally tearing itself apart between 2 different sides. He managed to keep the Union State afloat during the war ultimately leading to a government victory.

By the end of the civil war, it was impossible for any state to rebel ever again due to the Union State's new governmental system. After the war Alfred Hower easily won reelection and continued using his expansive powers not to win a war but to rebuild the country and improve the lives of northwesternites even looking far into the future beyond his death creating a political machine that to this day rules the Union State transcending his bloodline even as Alfred Hower would die in office childless in 18XX..

Foreign Relations
The Union State is considered to be a on the global stage with a tendency to pursue  solutions. Its international policies and relations have been shaped largely through events such as the cold war and coalitions such as the TTO and COT. As such it is aligned heavily with Barenian and by proxy Arsytian political blocs while opposing Fengese supremacy of the world with a couple of exceptions mostly related to cultural relations, despite this, the Union State also pursues a goal of working towards world peace hence its involvement in the Milima war as a part of the ABC coalition forces working alongside its rivals. It is also a member of the WTF helping ensure trade is as free as it can be in the tripolar world. Due to its geographical location and cultural ties, it has exceedingly well relations with several nations such as Barenia and Saesland.

The Union State is also heavily invested in the humanitarian aid sector having a long history of helping other nations rebuild after war or natural disasters and having an extensive foreign aid policy. Almost all affairs related to international affairs are handled jointly by the President, Congress, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (headed by a Minister of Foreign Affairs). But because of the nature of the Union State government, usually, all affairs are under the president's command with the ministry there to carry out his orders and congress to approve of them. As a nation founded partially for religious reasons alongside the events transpiring during the Saessish Civil War, the Union State or at least the Orthodox Kaurissemite Church of the Union State is de facto the successor to the Saessish Orthodox Kaurissemite Church until its unbanning in Saesland in 19XX. As such it has religious ties especially with the Holy See.

Military
The Union State National Military like all Tavaric Treaty Organization member states standardized to the TTO standard, it follows closely to the Barenian military model taking inspiration from it. In addition to TTO standards, it also adheres to the Coalition of Talamor's standardization regulations as a founding member of the organization. The Union State National military is under the direct control of the president who is its commander-in-chief appointing its leaders like the minister of defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff. In total, there are 5 branches, the Union State Army, Union State Navy, Union State Air Force, Union State Coast Guard, and Union State National Guard alongside 3 sub-branches which are the Union Rangers, Marine Corps and, Digital Force managed by the navy, air force and army respectively. Out of 2 of the 5 branches, the army, navy, and airforce are managed by the Department of Defense and are headquartered in Fort Hill while the last 2 are managed by the Department of Homeland Security also based in Fort Hill. Attached to ground forces or acting independently is the Union State Special Forces Command (UNSSOFCOM) and Union State Intelligence Branch. It mainly gets its equipment from Barenia, Saesland, Avalonia, and Arstyia while having its own major arms industry due to civilian firearm laws already establishing a strong foundation for the Union State. As of 2023, all branches reported a total of XXX,XXX personnel within their ranks and 6 million fit to serve. Military service in the Union State is voluntary though limited conscription may be implemented in times of war. Currently, as of 2019, the Union State government is debating on whether to inject women into the conscription system in place during a war. Women are allowed to volunteer in the Union State military in both combat and non-combat roles. In Addition to military personnel, 100,000 civilians and military contractors are hired by the Department of Defense. The Union State spends around an estimated ✭XX Billion Stars, X% of its GDP, every year on the Department of Defense which the department appropriates to the different branches according to needs and situations. This makes the Union State the XXth highest spender of GDP on the military worldwide behind X and above X. In addition to conventional capabilities, the Union State can develop operating a total of 21  throughout the nation though it chooses not to pursue a nuclear arsenal.

Being a part of the TTO means that the Union State has participated in its numerous interventions and wars, mainly the Kaurissmas War and Milima War as part of TTO forces with the added period of unrest during the Troubles from the late 1960s to 2001. During these conflicts, the Union State military was noted for being extremely professional but it is still unknown how it will perform during an actual full-scale war with the GOCE with estimates ranging from extremely well to below average. Despite the estimate, the Union State military has combat experience from past conflicts to draw upon, even if they are becoming increasingly outdated as time goes on. Major battles involving the Union State were the Second Battle of Area A7BR during the Kaurissmas War and the Battle of the overpass during the Troubles.

The Union State military finds its roots in the original settlers that came to Talamor in the aftermath of the Saessish Civil War, all sorts of people came to the western shores of Talamor including soldiers and veterans that previously served Saesland and fought during the civil war who formed the first militias. These militias were similar to the modern-day Union State National Guard and were divided up between the original states and towns rarely venturing outside of the local area near the town. After the Kaurissine City Agreement the states pooled together resources to create a formal army while the navy would be created during the Opportunist Rush with 6 converted merchant vessels being the first ships of the Union State Navy followed by shortly after, 2 Frigates. The air force would only come about during Qohak War as aircraft became viable for warfare, reportedly several Union State soldiers who volunteered in the Barenian Army became aviators and returned with sufficient experience plus training allowing the Union State to form their own air force that was a branch of the army becoming its own separate branch after the Great Serrataran War.

Army
The Union State Army is the main ground force of the Union State serving as the land fighting force of the nation. It is the largest branch of the whole Union State National military and is modeled to the TTO standard which in turn is based on the Barenian army. It operates a large number of vehicles using a mechanized and armored doctrine. The Union State army in wartime can assume control of the national guard to supplement its already active service military forces alongside raising limited conscription of able-bodied male civilians that are fit to serve. As of 2022, the army has a total number of 185,000 personnel. The Union State Army is the land fighting force of the Union State and thus it has participated in every single war the nation has taken part in barring small maritime disputes and conflicts prior to its founding. It is organized to the TTO standard structure going from a fireteam to an army group.

The Union State Army finds its roots in the original state that served as both a military and police force for the first settlements managed by local governments instead of having 1 singular chain of command like now. After the Kaurissine City Agreement, the militias were formally organized into the Union State national militia, which would become the modern-day Union State National Guard. As the Union State needed more land and resources to support its rapidly growing population, a formal army would be created from the Union State national militia becoming the Union State Army. The Union State army would see its first engagement against the Squiod Tribe in the great plains to the east, the first initial battles would be devastating losses for the young and inexperienced Union State Army. General Harrington would step up and reform the army into an anti-guerilla force learning from the mistakes of his predecessor, and the Union State army would become highly effective. Tactics pioneered during the expansion period are still used to this day.

During the Union State civil war, the military was split between units that hailed from conservative states and those from progressive states. were present exclusively on the side of the progressives with native tribal warriors fighting alongside loyalist Union State troops. In the Qohak war, while not a part of the war officially, many citizens volunteered to fight for Barenia. Whole units were allowed to join the Barenian army, during the war several Union State soldiers became aviators in the fledging Barenian Air Force. When the war ended these aviators brought home the necessary skills and whole planes to form an air wing. This would become the Union State Air Force but up until the aftermath of the Great Serrataran War, it would be a part of the army.

Following the Great Serrataran War in which the Union State took part. The army would undergo a massive reorganizing to the new TTO standard in the 1950s as a founding member of the alliance. It has stayed the same with minor changes since then with 7 active divisions broken up into different brigades, regiments, companies, and groups plus an additional training center. Unlike normal TTO standards, Union State's regiments are named differently being somewhat descendants of named regiments from before the Union State joined the TTO. For example in the Union State 2nd Division, 34 Northwesternite Brigade Group, there is a light infantry regiment named the Lamb's Fusiliers, a heavy infantry regiment. Further, these units are divided into corps in terms of their role such as the Union State Armoured Corps or Union Sate Scout Corps. Its leading equipment suppliers are from the Union State branch of Masón Arms, Barenia, Arsytia, Saesland, and Avalonia.

Union Rangers
The Union Rangers are a sub-component of the Union State Army jointly managed with the Union State Forest Service made up entirely of reverse volunteers. 5,000 men strong, they are the military presence where it would be impractical to have the regular military force or even the forest service present being responsible for remote, isolated, and sparsely-populated regions of the Union State such as its far northern territories, northern coast including Final Frontier and Lyret Bay. As the military presence in the far north, the Union Rangers regularly conduct operations against illegal poaching activities in cooperation with the Union State forest service and local police forces. They also conduct routine surveillance of the far north, sovereignty patrols (SOVPATS), and most importantly inspections to the Talamor Aerospace defence Command (TAC)'s artic early warning radar systems. When regular Union State army units are in the far north, the Union Rangers act as guides and wilderness survival experts making sure all is well with the regular army while in the far north.

Due to their role, the Union Rangers have been issued the same equipment mostly since their founding in 1931 which was a mixture of Qohak War era Union State cold weather army gear modified for the frigid far northern climate still specially produced for the rangers to this day and police equipment (mostly sourced from federal police working within the northern territories). Their service rifle is the venerable U3 modified to the A4 variant though there are talks to give the rangers either U4, U6, or even U7 rifles that are still kept in storage after being retired by the army. For training all members undergo a condensed version of the Union State's basic military training before going to the forest ranger academy to take a condensed version of the training there, following their completion of training they are subject to 12 days of training every year. The Union Rangers has a youth branch as the Union State's Society of Scouts does not have any scout groups operating in some regions where the rangers are active. The rangers are divided up into patrol groups that are part of a Union State division having their headquarters at the division headquarters itself.

Navy
The Union State Navy is the naval force of the Union State, it is unique in the sense that the entire navy is integrated into the Barenian Navy Structure unlike other branches of the Union State's military which in turn has a heavy presence in the Union State having multiple naval stations. As of 2023, the Union State Navy's combat fleet consists of 2 aircraft carriers, 1 cruiser, 3 destroyers, 18 frigates, 8 submarines, 4 offshore patrol ships, 3 Amphibious transport docks, and 14 coastal defense vessels. It also maintains a large auxiliary and support ship containing tugboats, replenishment vessels, ranging vessels, tenders, and fireboats. The Union State Navy does not operate fleets, instead, all ships are a part of either the Barenian 2nd North Artic Fleet or Barenian 7th Fleet stationed in Final Point and 5-Point City respectively. The eastern coast of the Union State including Lyret Bay is protected entirely by Barenia having a small naval presence in Inaru and the jointly managed Talamor Aerospace defence Command (TAC).

The Union State Navy started out its life as a fleet of small repurposed vessels that brought the first settlers to Talamor. As the Union State grew over the course of the Opportunist Rushs and its expansion, the navy received proper funding to begin creating its own purpose-built fleet starting with the Union-class Frigates in 17XX. Its first action would be against a Ferdamen-Inuwat war fleet along the coast of modern-day Oak Shore and Final Frontier. During the Union State Civil War the navy, like the Saessish Royal Navy during the Saessish Civil War, mostly supported the government but most notably the 2nd and 5th Fleets defected to the conservative side ultimately being fragmented and destroyed by their larger counterparts over the course of the war. Its first real engagement against another equal power was during the Great Serrataran War against the Sundish Navy after being pooled in with the Barenian Navy in 19XX as part of their forces arriving in Hatar.

Most ships within the Union State Navy are purchased from other countries, mostly being former Barenian or Saessish ships. The only outlier is the UNSS THY KINGDOM COME formerly a helicopter cruiser operated by the Avalonian Navy. Some domestic designs exist, mostly produced by the Union Submarine Company (USC), the largest shipbuilding company which is owned by the government that contrary to its name produces more than just submarines usually in partnerships with foreign shipbuilding companies as the Union State lacks enough larger shipyards to produce these ships resulting in the USC just outfitting the hulls with sophisticated equipment instead. They are responsible for the Shingleton Class destroyers, Alfred Class submarines, and many smaller non-combat surface vessels the Union State uses. The Union State has trusted no other company to make its ships other than those the USC works with as it usually absorbs and purchases smaller northwesternite shipbuilding companies.

As of 2022, the Union State government is considering retiring either its only cruiser, UNSS THY KINGDOM COME, or its light carrier UNSS St. Reagan to reduce costs due to both ships reaching their estimated maximum lifetime soon causing many maintenance issues to occur. Unfortunately, both ships are too well known by the public culturally in the Union State Navy both being part of the iconic 3 ships (UNSS Huxley, UNSS St. Reagan, and, UNSS THY KINGDOM COME). There are multiple potential decisions being proposed including turning 1 into a museum ship, a ceremonial ship, or replacement with another ship instead of straight-up scrapping either ship as it would be a major blow to President Jason Pease's approval ratings to do so. There is also the problem of the Union State's navy being based around those 3 ships within its contingent within the Barenian 7th Fleet.

Union State Special Operations Command (UNSSOFCOM)
The Union State Special Operations Command (UNSSOFCOM) consists of several Special Forces groups spread out amongst the Union State's branches. It could be considered its own branch of the military given the way it is structured and acts but instead is considered to be a command of the Union State National Military. All 3 main branches of the Union State, the Army, Navy, and Air Force have Special Forces groups working within the command. The UNSSOFCOM is one of the most secretive groups in the Union State government as most information is classified and not available to the public. As such there is no way to determine the real scope of the command and what is its true nature. Only a few pictures and small leaks have given insight into what the classified part of the UNSSOFCOM is. The most public part of the UNSSOFCOM is the Army's Special Operation Forces which serve as a poster child for the Union State's military. The command de jure should be under the command of Brigadier General Van George Langley but there is evidence to suggest and even prove that he is serving as a yes man for the president of the Union State giving him a personal elite task force able to operate outside and inside of the Union State to handle high-risk secretive matters such as the Large Walkman Scandal during the Troubles in 1981.

Law Enforcement and crime
in the Union State is described as having been 'heavily militarized' since the 1980s, it is controlled jointly between the Ministry of Homeland Security and either a, , or entirely by the Department of Homeland Security. As of 2022, there are 8,000 police agencies from the local to the federal level that exists in the Union State. Aside from normal police departments, state police provide broader services deriving their authority from the government, and federal agencies with different special tasks and purposes exist such as the Union State Mounted Police and the Bureau of Un-Northwesternite Activities protecting things such as civil rights, national security and enforcing federal court rulings and laws. Most trials both civil and criminal go through state courts but appeals and certain designated crimes go to the federal court level. As mentioned before the Union State's system of law enforcement is 'heavily militarized' due to The Troubles and the Rankin Siege, since the 1980s Union State officers have had access to military-level equipment such as armored cars and fully automatic firearms. As of 2020, the Union State has an rate of X per 100,000 people. Compared to other countries the Union State is considered below average compared to other high-income countries despite loose gun laws. The Union State is Xth in terms of documented incarceration rate in the world with a total of 37,854 adult offenders in custody recorded. Prisons in the Union State are divided between state and federal prisons. Despite most nations having abolished capital punishment, capital punishment in the Union State is mandated both on the state and federal levels being constitutionally protected with attempts to make capital punishment illegal shut down quickly. Approximately around 500 to 1000 prisoners are executed every year in the Union State for various crimes via and. For certain special cases or crimes, other forms of execution may be used such as execution by AA cannon,, or being beaten to death.

Due to the cultural differences between the Union State and other nations, acts of are often called out by foreign parties rather than citizens of the Union State, usually individuals online and news stations with political leanings will call upon justice to be enacted for so-called victims. Often northwesternites do not see any error in their style of militarized law enforcement as it is viewed as necessary to maintain law and order in the country while others outside of the country see many problems. However, the Union State government has been noted to be tightening its grip on the police force while avoiding demilitarization via means such as stricter training regiments at police academies and actively pursuing police misconduct increasingly via funding to police training or watchdog units.

But, the Union State's law enforcement is still more corrupt than its counterparts, in fact, abuse of power is common but usually it is higher-up government officials doing this and not criminals or other police to excuse criminal activities. An example of how law enforcement in the Union State uses corruption and abuse of power for good is the recent Operation Mercy's Wish which happened following the Reign Park Incident, targeting religious cults around the country and arresting cult leaders by planting evidence or conducting illegal searches. Evidence also suggests that the president himself Jason Pease, high-ranking members of the Prosperity Party, and several religious organizations strong-armed law enforcement agencies into conducting Operation Mercy's Wish which ultimately benefited communities and victims. Even the famed watchdog units let illegal activities conducted by law enforcement slide when it is ultimately for good only stepping in if a large number of citizens complain, the federal government orders them to or it is deemed wrong.

Forest Service
Within the Union State there are multiple for conserving the natural beauty or history of the Union State, despite crossing state boundaries the main form of law enforcement and general service providers within national parks is the Union State Forest Service which carries out, , fire watching, guidance, navigation, wildlife education, and protecting. They are controlled by the Department of Parks and Wildlife which is a part of the Ministry of Homeland Security. Within national parks, state laws are in effect but the forest service enforces such laws despite being a federal entity separate from state, city, and county governments. MacArthur National Park is the only exception to this case as it crosses the border between the Union State and Barenia, a common system of law has been established between the Barenian Forest Service Agency and Union State Forest Service as regularly both rangers and ordinary people cross between the border whether unknowingly or knowingly.

The forest service started after the Union State adopted Barenia's national parks system in 1931 following integration policies with the Coalition of Talamor. Initially, state governments would manage these parks before realizing the task was too much to handle given the remote scale of the designated parks. Parks in territories had no management at all due to their status as territories. Eventually, the federal government stepped in in 1933, giving the task of creating a specialized force to protect the Union State's wildlife and national parks to the Ministry of Homeland Security. In turn, the Ministry of Homeland Security created the Department of Parks and Wildlife which also was given the task of managing activities such as and. The forest service would prove itself during its quick reaction in combating the Gallager Fire in 1948 alongside its counterparts in Barenia as the fire spread across the border.

Today the forest service maintains a web of, , game wardens, research personnel, wildlife experts, guides, and volunteers spread out around the country's many national parks. It cooperates with local and federal police frequently to stop larger crimes from happening such as and has one of the largest educational outreach programs in the world with frequent interaction between the Union State Society of Scouts and the forest service. Recently as of 2021, the forest service has found success in conducting what has been dubbed a 'wasp genocide' killing off millions of invasive by simply using  and guns within national parks to destroy said wasp nests.

Transportation
The Union State operates an extensive motorway system extending to even the most northern parts of the country, mostly built from the 1910s to 1950s with several significant expansions, particularly to the northern territories, over the next few decades. In 1973 it was rebuilt and reworked with the help of Barenia to the COT standard and to also allow for the fast movement of troops throughout the country. Today these motorways are operated by the Redort Star Roads, a Union State state-owned company that is privately operated. In 2004 there were XXX,XXX km of serviceable roads in the Union State. A total of 23,278,000 passenger cars and 3,978,000 goods vehicles are on the motorway network. Due to the Union State's large rural population spread out around its country, the Union State relies on a large trucking industry and bus coaches to reach small towns and villages having a higher number than normal nations. Despite its mountainous nature, the Union State's railway system is one of the best in the COT designated simply as the Northwestern Talamor Rail System. The system is part of the wider COT's highspeed railway system that connects COT nations internally and across borders stemming from Barenia. TrianUniona, a subsidiary of Union State Railways which itself is owned partially by the Union State government, is the main operator of high-speed inter-city lines and local regional lines. Union State Railways in 2015 reported a total of 19,280 km of railway in the Union State, of which 16,529 km is electrified. There are several rail border crossings, 6 are into Barenia while the remaining 3 are towards the east either through the Big Bull Autonomous States or the River of Ravens. Despite the prevalence of bus coaches in the Union State when traveling between small towns or villages in the rural Union State, regional rail is still more popular than coaches. The Union State's rail system is considered to be a marvel of engineering, particularly in areas with mountainous coasts and the Aephyr mountains as train lines were built regardless of geographic features to ensure the quickest means of transport.

The Union State is Xth in the world in terms of passengers by air transport in the world with a large number of both domestic and international airports. Northgate International Airport serving 5-Point City and the nearby states and cities is the largest airport in the Union State. It also serves as a hub into the Union State and most importantly for the majority of northern Talamor with flights to the artic and even Moslit present. Its national carrier is Union State Airways which is the largest airline of the Union State by size and passengers carried with international flights from and into the country particularly from Barenia, Saesland, Arsytia, Avalonia, and Zigala. Several other airlines operate within the Union State mainly serving the smaller airports of northern Talamor. Despite Union Airways being one of the biggest airlines operating in the Union State, it is not as influential as FeatherCrown Airways which operates flights all over the north artic operating from its hub in Dellermont, Last Frontier.

Several ports exist in the Union State mainly serving as trade ports, military naval bases for both the Union State and Barenian Navy, or both. The ports serve as an alternative to Barenian ports for the shorter distance when traveling to northern Hatar or the far northern Arctic not to mention the cheaper costs of operation not to mention the large numbers of maple syrup that the Union State exports. The largest port in the artic exists in the Union State on the shoreline of Lyret Bay which is the main hub for all artic activities involving the maritime.

Education
The Ministry of Education manages education at all levels in the Union State and can be divided into 4 sectors, public, international, private schools, and homeschooling. Religious schools used to be considered a sector but were repealed in 1822 and then further banned in 1921 in an effort to promote a secular society. Since the 2013 Student Protests, the Union State presidential administrations of Alan Reaching Eagle and the recently elected Jason Pease have been trying to improve the education system rapidly to improve student morale and mental health immensely for the better. All students in the Union State are guaranteed 4 months of holiday broken up into a 3-month summer break and 4 weeks' worth of term breaks. This number is not inclusive of public holidays which are mandated by the federal government, state governments such as Wilhelmstadt may also have state-mandated public holidays imposed on all forms of work which includes schools.

The Union State is unique as it treats and classifies students as an occupation and thus is entitled to most rights as workers do, while there is no form of pay given it is a school and it is money that is given into schools hence why they are entitled to most rights, students have the right not to be given work over a holiday without proper compensation or form student unions without any blockade. Despite being on Talamor, the education system used is based on the Saessish rather than the Barenian one after being designed by Saessish-educated individuals shortly after the formation of the Union State itself. Many foreigners come to the Union State to study from either 2nd or 3rd world countries mostly because they weren't able to enter the most prestigious academies such as *INSERT BARENIAN HARVARD HERE* or did not have the material wealth to do so.

In a study conducted in 2019, the nation as a whole ranked high as one of the most educated countries in the world with the highest number of adults completing tertiary education. Over 50% of adults in the Union State have a college or university degree. Around 5.3 percent of the Union State's GDP is spent on education surmounting to B$ XXX,XXX,XXX Billion as of 2013 with an emphasis on tertiary education. The federal government has a mandatory education age range of 6 to 16 contributing to an adult literacy rate of 99 percent. On the global scale Union State children and teens perform above average according to a survey conducted in 2015 ranking incredibly in subjects such as mathematics, science, and reading when compared to their global counterparts.

The following list is the levels of education present in the Union State's education system.
 * : Parents in the Union State may send their children to preschool to attain an early childhood education before the mandatory education age kicks in. It is the only level in the Union State's education system to only be present in the private sector as no government preschools exist in the Union State due to it not being part of the mandatory education ages or higher education.
 * : By law, all children are to begin education at 6 years old whether they have had early childhood education or not prior. Primary school in the Union State lasts until they are 12 years old going from when they are 6 to 12 years old. At the end of primary 6 students will have to take the PLE (Primary school Leaving Exam) to be posted to their future secondary school.
 * : Following the completion of PLE, students are placed in secondary schools and stream based on their results. Secondary school lasts from 13 to 16 years old depending on their stream. To leave secondary school and be posted to a tertiary institution, students will have to complete the SLE (Secondary school Leaving Exam) at the end of their secondary 4 year.
 * : Depending on the results of the student's SLE, the student may have the option of enrolling in multiple different schools such as polytechnics or trade schools. Alternatively, since mandatory education does not apply anymore the student may begin working. Usually after attaining a diploma students begin working however some move on to the next level of education.
 * : Often a university is the highest form of education one can achieve in the Union State, this can be completed at either a local university or a foreign university if such a student qualifies to do so. Universities operating in the Union State are only present in the international (due to their inherently international nature accepting both northwesternites and foreign students) and private.

Population
As of the year 2022, the Union State Census Agency records a population of 40,723,831 residents making it the Xth most populous country on Tellurus and Xth on Talamor. The population is mostly centered around the original states and its cities with 5-Point City having 8,621,640 residents alone, other notable large population centers include Huxley, Stillwater, Shingleton, New Avalonia, Potatofield, Eirchgraben and Kaurissine City. It is noted that the Union State has an above-average with 2.2 children per woman when compared to other nations its size. Most Union State citizens, particularly of White and New Heritage ethnicity, can trace their heritage back to either those that arrived to escape the aftermath of the Saessish Civil War and/or those that arrived during the Opportunist Rush from Avalonia and Sundemarck. Whites form the largest ethnic group in the Union State being of Saessish, Avalonian, Sundish or any other "white" descent making up 54% of the population. They are followed in second place by Old Plains the native Talamorian peoples that inhabit the east of the Union State mostly consisting of 24% of the population. New Heritage are the third largest group in the Union State made up of people of mixed decent from any combination of ethnic groups, people of New Heritage ethnicity mostly inhabit the area around the River of Ravens and make up 11% of the population. Old Northerners are the fourth largest group of the natives (including the Vortharian-Talamorian natives in Last Frontier) that inhabit the Union State's cold northern states and territories being just 7% of the population. The last group are those not part of any of the mentioned ethnic groups placed together into the others category making up 3% only, they are mostly immigrants from other countries or refugees that seek a new life in the Union State.

Languages
The Union State has Saessish as its official language. All government scriptures are mandated by federal law under the Union State Federal Language Standardization Act to be written in Saessish, however, in various states such as Découverte Bay and the Big Bill Autonomous State where a large percentage of the population speaks another language other than Saessish, it is common to have the second most majority-spoken language displayed alongside Saessish. The use of Old Sundish is also present in the government, especially in law-related matters with. All government schools and private schools to a lesser degree are mandated by law to teach Saessish and a secondary language (usually the second most spoken language in the state).

Immigrants coming into the Union State are required under Union State naturalization requirements to at least speak basic Saessish. The only exception is with those immigrating to Découverte Bay with the requirement being either speaking basic Saessish or Avalonian as the state was granted special language status in 1967. Multiple but not all states have recognized several native languages and creoles at the state and indigenous levels. Despite the majority of the population speaking Northwesternite Sundish in the state of Willhelmstadt, it has not been granted special language status like Découverte Bay was, the Union State government cited that Northwesternite Sundish is a completely different dialect when compared to Modern Sundish.

As of 2020, the Union State Census Agency reported a some 34,287,163 million (out of the Union State's 40,723,831 million population) spoke only Saessish at home. More than 3 million spoke Avalonian at home making it the second most commonly used language in the Union State. Other languages spoken at home include the Old Plains languages, the Old Northern language group, Northwesternite Sundish, and West Bank Creole.

The most widely taught foreign languages in the Union State, in terms of enrollment numbers from kindergarten up until undergraduate education are Ponterosan, Modern Sundish, and Arsytian. Other languages commonly taught include Old Sundish, Bosoyan, and Rhaetian. It is noted however that individuals may choose to take on language classes in the private field for commonly spoken languages or more niche ones, upon completion of these private classes the individual is issued a certificate of completion.

Health
The public healthcare system in the Union State is regarded as one of the best in the world and is regarded as 'world class'. As a social democracy, the Union State government heavily subsidizes almost all health-related matters and services making costs negligible with a system of universal healthcare having many different government-funded aid programs. The Union State has a long history of health-related subsidies dating back to the years following the civil war as many wounded soldiers returned home needing care for their injuries which they could not afford. Many different aid programs exist which were created for the government to care for the poor including the Universal Health Cards System and Union Eldercare.

The Union State spends X% of its GDP on healthcare, one of the highest in the world in terms of per capita spending and as a percentage of GDP. As such its facilities and infrastructure are considered state-of-the-art and modern. As a result of its, a significant proportion of the population does not carry. Most health insurance is provided by employers with employment packages. Despite the highly regarded healthcare system, the Union State is not considered a major contributor to medical innovation usually being grouped up with its southern neighbor. It is reported that for Union State men was 81.07 years and 84.94 years for women having an average life expectancy of 83.02 years.

As of 2017,, , , , and were the largest causes of medical-related death in the Union State. ,, , , and are the largest contributors to years lost to disability. The most harmful are  as the Union State has a higher percentage of its population smoking than its peers,, and. The Union State has some of the lowest levels of teenage pregnancy and abortion rates as a result of youth outreach programs by the government.

The Union State Ministry of Health manages almost all healthcare-related matters having a minister of health elected by the president every time either the incumbent minister of health dies or resigns. Alternatively, a newly elected president may fire the minister of health from the old administration and instate his own new minister of health. The ministry of health has extensive public outreach programs including the aforementioned youth outreach programs and elderly outreach programs.

Culture and society
Northwesternites have been traditionally characterized as people that are compassionate, caring, welcoming, and extremely nationalistic of their own nation. They have an undying belief in "the ends justify the means" also known as, this is shown in their government system is an authoritarian imperial presidency that pursues morally just goals via immoral means such as corruption and strongarming. As a result, northwesternites are also known to be extremely just fighting for justice as they see fit most of the time for what is right whether it be for common small disputes or on a government scale such as the rejection of Fengese corporations in the Union State due to moral reasons even if it sets the nation back economically. This shows on a global scale as well with Union State donations to charities making up 12% of total global donations in 2021 as well as the Union State is a champion for human rights though this is disputed due to their laws on capital punishment. Despite not being as diverse as Barenia to its south, it still exerts a major cultural influence on a global scale, especially via media and food. Northwesternites have an undying belief in social equality, property rights, strong leaders, strong governments, and equality under the law.

Aside from those categorized in the native ethnic groups, the Union State's culture is a part of the Hatarian culture group derived from mainly Saessish, Avalonian and Sundish immigrants or refugees that originally settled in the Union State. Other influences come from native cultures which are most common in the eastern half of the country. Despite the great difference in ethnic groups and races relating to race has been next to nonexistent since the Union State Civil War though social inequality relating to wealth still does persist more than race does. Northwesternites enjoy high social mobility in comparison to other countries valuing socioeconomic achievement as a result of the high level of social mobility the Union State has.

In the modern day, the Union State has been regarded as a "beacon of progressivism" being permissive to ideas surrounding LGBT rights and more contemporary ideas despite a heavy religious background. LGBT rights in the Union State include protection from discrimination and recognition of LGBT marriages. Public perception has changed immensely since the 1970s from a more conservative viewing point to a progressive one now. The only exception to the acceptance of contemporary ideas is in the arts and fashion with trends suggesting the Union State is unlikely to advance in such fields to the standards as other countries are as of now being described as "stuck in the 1930s".

The Union State has several public holidays and cultural traditions that are exclusive to its nation only. The most notable holidays exclusive to the Union State are the Festival of the Shining Star taking place at a date range of 1st to 12th 2 where people gather to commemorate the star that allegedly first brought the first settlers to Talamor appearing in the night sky which only appears at that set time every year, the Festival of Ice which takes place on the 8th of 12 where people spend the whole day making sometimes elaborate ice sculptures and snowmen to commemorate the coming of Kaurissmas and the Moonlight flower dance which is a festival combining native and Hatarian cultural traditions where young people try to find love via dancing and established couples to celebrate their relationships.

Literature and visual arts
Literature originating from the Union State has been considered a minor contributor to the greater Hatar culture group of and. As current trends suggest literature from its southern neighbor Barenia and Avalonia are the most popular rather than those originating from the Union State itself. However there have been a few that have managed to break the status quo of literature in the Union State, writers such as Quincy Goodall, Marshall Capone, Titus Long Dong, and Ashley Marie Davidson have helped produced some of the most famous works originating from the Union State. Some works that are seen with great importance to literature in the Union State are Quincy Goodall's The Old Lie (1813), Marshall's Trenches of hell (1950), and Ashley's Silent Ice (1924) and Love in Kaurissine City (1926). Despite all being considered of great importance to literature in the Union State, these works have next to no global influence carving out small niche followings in Barenia and are only widely known in the borders of the Union State.

In comparison to Union State literature, visual arts in the Union State is widely known for its unorthodox trends and styles. The Union State is considered the capital of art that was most prevalent in the early 1900s such as and  attracting many tourists to its unique art galleries, whole buildings have been constructed in the 21st century in the style of art deco according to these trends as modernism has begun to lose popularity in the Union State. These buildings now dominate the skyline as a beacon of the Union State's architectural scene influencing buildings of similar style to be constructed outside the nation even. Foreign styles have become popular too in the Union State, despite the cultural rejection of Fengjiang, the youth in particular have begun to adopt the style of Zigalese animated cartoons and Rukan Comics both of which in turn were heavily inspired by Fengese cartoons called.

The reason for this sudden shift to past art styles unlike other nations that have seen a revolution in art styles embracing contemporary art is a widely argued topic among experts. The most commonly accepted theory is a collective burnout of modern art styles causing a boom of older art styles which are viewed with reverence and respect in the Union State being described as 'reactionary in terms of art'. and art in the Union State are viewed as confusing and lazy causing much conflict between artists hailing from the Union State and other countries with more normal art scenes.

Video Games
The video game industry in the Union State is considered to be one of the biggest and fastest growing in the world although no major consoles originate from the Union State. The largest gaming platforms are either computers or from Fengjiang or Barenia using the standardized established console systems. The first major titles that originated from the Union State were from the developer System Works Entertainment founded in 1992 by ex-developers working at various Barenian video game development studios. System Works Entertainment would create the first world-recognized popular video game originating from the Union State, Guilty Link, in 1996. This would begin the Union State's video game industry as inspired by the success of System Works Entertainment, smaller studios would be founded alongside single-man developers creating their own games. To this day the video game industry is made up of mostly small independent developers or small studios aided by major publishing companies. Larger studios exist such as the aforementioned System Works Entertainment, Raid Camp, Alyx Interactive, and Guild Quest Games.

As of 2022, the Union State has begun to see what can be described as a 'golden age in gaming' with a shocking number of titles hailed as the greatest video games of all time. Experts point to the over-exploitation of iconic big Barenian franchises causing player dissatisfaction and increasingly easy access to game development software with game engines available via a simple search on the web. Combined with the nature of the video game industry in the Union State, video games developed by a single man driven by passion garner much international critical acclaim as seen in 2016 when Stardew Stream was released after development by a single man named Eric Hover for over 6 years straight. When compared to games with million-dollar budgets, Stardew Stream was superior in its genre and almost perfect in every way winning numerous international awards. To this day Stardew Stream is the most critically acclaimed game originating from the Union State and one of the most in the entire world.

Other best-selling and popular include To Ersa, Trenches, Hatar Truck Simulator 2, Project Z, Project Fireteam, and The Hubert Parable which are all made by developers from or game studios from the Union State. It is estimated that around 100,000 people are employed directly and indirectly by the video game industry being a major employer of people around the Union State throughout its territory. Though the number of those employed by the video game industry is expected to increase as it increases in size and the game development software becomes more advanced and accessible. The national compensation for direct workers is ✭XX billion or an average wage of ✭XXX,XXX.

Food
When the first settlers arrived in the Union State, they discovered Marqi farms that had been left abandoned. These farms contained new crops such as, , and. More was discovered through trade with other natives and eventually The settlers alongside later immigrants also brought foods they had known from Hatar too such as, , and resulting in the creation of northwesternite cuisine. Traditional foods are often present during national holidays such as the Festival of the Shining Star. Being in close proximity to Barenia, the Union State was a premier location for the quickly expanding fast food business in the 1950s to 60s into the international market. The first foreign location of several franchises was in the Union State resulting in the Union State by proxy helping springboard the fast-food industry as a result.

The Union State has multiple national dishes separated into traditional dishes derived from the original immigrants that came to the Union State and native dishes, the most prominent being, , spiced , , Union Crunch Wraps, Vegemite Mayple Sandwiches and. Prominent native dishes include potato bread, dried smoked salmon, bison steak, fried jollof rice, and roast turkey. For drinks, the most popular drinks that northwesternites consume other than water are, , , and. A great influence on the Union State's cuisine comes in the form of Barenia which for decades has influenced the nation culturally, especially in the post great war period.

Cuisines from other countries have been brought into the Union State via immigration and the COT's free immigration in recent years which resulting in several foreign cuisines becoming rapidly popular such as Barenian, Saessish, modern Hatarian Sundish, Ozaran, Zigalese, and Santineglian. As a result of this, several dishes from foreign cuisine have been invented in the Union State such as the Eggplant Pizza (a much hated yet popular pizza option throughout the world), BGC Pizza, and Mexas Roll.

Sports
The most popular sports in the Union State as of 2020 are, , , , , , and auto racing. Sports have been a significant part of Union State history starting well before the Union State existed and the first exiles from Saesland arrived in Talamor. It was believed the Marqi had areas for their equivalent to sport today with several preserved playing fields throughout the country's west. These are presumed to be for sports from what little that could be found was similar to soccer. Surfing is another popular sport of native tradition being introduced to the Union State by Barenians who adapted it from native peoples on the east coast predating the founding of the Union State. Several somewhat popular sports originate from the Union State, such as Lacrosse and wheelchair football while northwesternites aided in the invention of baseball and basketball. Great achievements are memorialized in the Union State Sports Hall of Fame while the St. Aurthur Michael Award is given away to the most accomplished Union State athlete annually. The professional sports market in the Union State is estimated to be worth ✭XX Billion as of 2017 and is expected to grow heavily in the next coming years.

The most popular sports in the Union State are auto racing and ice hockey. The largest groups for motorsport racing are Rally, GT3, GT2, and stock auto racing. Large tournaments such as the World Rally Championship, GT World Challenge, Premier GT3 League, GT2 Talamor Series, and TASCAR gain massive attraction in the Union State every year. The Union State National Auto Racing Team is one of the most successful and decorated in the world, likewise, the Union State National Mens Ice Hockey Team is also one of the best in the world with the sport being fairly accessible even all year round in the northern areas of the country. It is currently tied with the Arsytian Mens Workers Ice Hockey Team top ranking internationally forming a friendly rivalry between the 2 teams while the Union State Womens Ice Hockey Team is uncontested throughout the world having top rank for the past 8 years.

The Union State shares many sports leagues with the rest of Talamor via the COT's integrated sports organizations system such as the aforementioned Premier GT3 League, GT2 Talamor Series, and TASCAR alongside other notable leagues such as Major League Baseball and Major League Hockey. The nation has been host to several international sports events such as the 1976 Summer Tellurus games in New Avalonia, and the 1988 and 2010 Winter Tellurus games in Stillwater and Inaru respectively.