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. 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. Its 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 Ward III 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 first towns came together to draft up the nation. The land they occupied was split up and awarded to the towns to manage and rule based on natural features mostly, these towns and territories would become the original 7 states that made up the Union State at its very start. Before its Manifest Destiny 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.

Officially known as the Marqi Archonate, they were the first to develop heavy armor through advanced and as a result, conquered their neighbors via the use of "Talon Slash Tactics" best described as ancient native Talamorian blitzkrieg quickly. Only extreme climates and the threat of its economy collapsing held it back from going further than it already did, from there it turned to and. Its economy mainly relied on trading with traders from Hatar and the Zarahemlan empire at the Qohak river. This system of trading and would be kept up for years as the Marqi enslaved whole generations, small towns, and tribes were kept unchanged and integrated into the empire for the sole purpose of producing slaves that the Marqi would take in raids in exchange for protection and vital resources.

The Marqi Archonate would meet its end after a catastrophic blight that lead to on a mass scale in XXXX. Starvation would become rampant as a result and soon occurred alongside numerous slave rebellions causing an exodus from the region. The land where the Marqi had once stood was believed to have become cursed, no one from the outside dared to enter, and only around after 300 years after being deserted did small nation-states rise up in the lands that used to be of the Marqi. These small nation-states feuded with each after for cultural reasons in an attempt to claim legitimacy over being the true successors to the Marqi often forming webs of alliances that lead to numerous wars including the 5 Great Northwestern Wars which ultimately lead to their fall in 16XX at the hands of the Saesland.

The Talamor colony
The Royal Saessish Talamor colony began as a result of the 16XX Expedition. Under the orders of newly ascended King Ward III, he called upon various experienced Saessish explorers to lead an expedition to Talamor as the previous king and father, Ward II, had established trade with the native Talamorian states along the northwestern coast of Talamor due to the need for goods exclusive to northwestern Talamor such as maple syrup, the previous king of Saesland signed treaties with many of the states but unfortunately, most of the states have begun to either demand more unfair trade agreements or outright cut-off production in preparation for the next northwestern Talamor great war. Tired of trying to find a peaceful diplomatic war, Ward III made it his goal to create a colony in Talamor whether by diplomacy or force to secure these exotic goods and skip the middlemen altogether. But only 1 man wanted to actually lead a fleet, Michael Flemming.

The explorer was not only eager but experienced, he had sailed to Fengjiang to establish deals for tea in the years before numerous times serving Ward III's predecessor diligently. Satisfied with Michael Flemming as the man to lead this great expedition, Ward III sunk in vast amounts of money and resources into the expedition including a large naval fleet with an army fit for invasion.

Saessish Civil War and First Settlers
In 16XX, the Saessish Civil War would begin between Reformed Kaurissemites seeking to turn Saesland into a republic and Orthodox Kaurissemite wanting to keep the old order intact. After X years of bloody conflict between the 2 sides, the Orthodox Kaurissemite government began to lose after the death of the King of Saesland, Ward III, in battle. A council of lords and royals took over as the King did not have any potential heirs to the throne, this council decided to call upon anyone who was an Orthodox Kaurissemite to come and fight against the enemy in a "great crusade". This prompted Republicans who adhered to Orthodox Kaurissem to respond by raising their very own army to aid the royal government believing that it would be weak enough to be overthrown once the civil war was won by them. Unfortunately, the army would be almost destroyed at the Battle of Shitterton. This caused the remaining members of the army to believe that Saesland was lost and that the Reformed Kaurissemites had won and that the only way out was to flee. Despite attempts by the royal government to stop Orthodox Kaurissemites from fleeing, they were too weak and thousands fled. At first, they tried to enter Avalonia but were rejected as the Avalonian government saw the sheer scale of the refugees knowing they could not house even just half of them, other nations similarly followed suit and began a blockade of Saesland to a point the only way refugees could go was east towards the fairly unknown continent of Talamor.

At this time the Saessish Royal Navy, which had largely been tearing itself apart and split between the 2 factions, gathered up any remaining Orthodox Kaurissemite naval loyalists and under the command of Admiral George Huxley loaded up as many people as he could which were mainly widows who had been left behind after their husbands died in battle or Republican Orthodox Kaurissemites onto the ships making up remnants of the Saessish navy before sailing east. The only problem was no one knew where Talamor was as no one could tell if they were heading east or not. For a dozen days Huxley's fleet was lost, several ships were lost and the people aboard began to die for various reasons such as and. Eventually, only 3 ships were left and Huxley almost committed suicide himself but an immensely bright star appeared in the sky. No one knew what it was for but Huxley decided to follow the star to wherever it lead believing Kauriss was guiding them to salvation. It lead them east, to the west coast of Talamor.

The people of the last 3 ships would make landfall and found the first town of the Union State that would become the modern-day city of Shingleton. Most of the people that arrived would stay in Shingleton though others left to find various small villages, the vast majority would fall but some would survive up to this day. Unbeknownst to those in Shingleton, others in the same plight had landed all over the west coast in Talamor including elements of the Orthodox Kaurissemite Republicans. The initial settlements that were created would become the Union State's major cities in the modern day, almost all of the people who had taken refuge in Talamor had been led to its coasts by the star initially with the rest and those arriving after the star had disappeared being to luck or found by other people who had already made it to Talamor. With the settlements established, the need came for a formal government to be created. Admiral Huxley would lead the first meeting of local leaders in a central location, Kaurissine City, in this meeting the Kaurissine City Agreement would be drafted up which established the Union State as a nation, state borders, citizens rights, laws and anything else that made the nation. With the Union State formed, the first election for president began, and Huxley would win in a landslide becoming the first president. He would rule until his death in 16XX being remembered as the father of the Union State. After his death the Union State government built a new city in his honor, a city worthy of being the capital and bearing his name, Huxley.

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 civilian dictatorship described as an "authoritarian regime" on the democracy Index barring a score of 4.63. The reason for this is because of commonplace election rigging, presidents often bypass bureaucracy via corruption or strongarming 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. Since its founding, the civilian dictatorship system has shown to unite and do well for the Union State populace except for 7 incidents (mostly around the civil war era) dubbed "The 7 Pitfalls" in which 7 times did the system lead to the worsening of the Union State. To solve this the Union State populace would either overthrow the presidency or in more modern times impeached by congress which is one of few things the president cannot change. 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 populist parties from the center-right and left during the 1900s that merged in 2003. The coalition had ruled the Union State since parties were introduced in the late 1700s. Opposition parties do exist such as the Red Rose Party and the Conservacrat Party but are in the minority gaining little traction.

The Union State Congress 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 Congress 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 will draft the bill up himself and illegal means it is approved.

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.

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. Several nations have exceedingly good relationships with the Union State such as Barenia and Saesland due for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it is isolated religiously as Rejuvenated Kaurissem is an outlying denomination of the wider Kaurissite faith being present in the Union State and northwesternite diaspora groups.

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.

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 taking inspiration from it. 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 2 sub-branches which are the Marine Corps and Space Force managed by the navy and air force 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. 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 300,000 personnel on active duty, 600,000 on reserve duty, and 6 million fit to serve. Military service in the Union State is voluntary though limited conscription may be implemented in times of war. Women are exempt from said conscription but may volunteer in non-combat roles such as medics or logistical staff with women serving in combat roles being a rarity. However, grants of service may be handed out on special reasons. 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 180,000 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 30 active divisions with 6,000 men. Its leading equipment suppliers are from the Union State branch of the *INSERT BARENIAN COLT HERE* company, Barenia, Arsytia, Saesland, and Avalonia. The Union State uses U8 Rifle as its service rifle, a licensed-built modernized version of the M63 rifle.

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 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, 4 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 Ferdamen 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, tore itself apart on which side to support being its first major battle against an equal force ironically. 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.

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 Service 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.

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 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 {wp|flamethrower|flamethrowers}} and guns within national parks.

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 is the native 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 ethnic group, people of New Heritage ethnicity mostly inhabit the area around the River of Ravens and makeup 11% of the population. Northerners are the fourth largest group of the natives 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 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 and Avalonian 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. Outside of art styles from the early 1900s, other styles of art have gained popularity mainly art derived from and animations that have captured the Union State populace, particularly the youth, this has spawned its own art movement that is related to its inspiration but independent. This style of art has been able to make its way into all forms of major media in the Union State as of 2023 and has no signs of stopping only increasing as time goes on. Though in comparison to the tide of old 1900s art styles, it is minor in the wider art scene in the modern Union State.

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 Escape from Romania, Trenches, Hatar Truck Simulator 2, Project Z, Project Fireteam, and The Hubert Parable which are all made by developers 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 Wrap 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.

In the modern era, globalization has resulted in dishes from the Union State permeating global cuisine mainly in Barenia and Saesland. Likewise, food from other nations has begun to gain traction in the Union State such as and  from Rhaetia.

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.

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, 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 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.