User:NuclearVacuum/Sandbox

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This article is the sandbox subpage for NuclearVacuum. All sections here are only for temporary experiments and or ideas. Some information may be speculative, but under reasonable tensions. All information on here will be removed at one time or another, but not all sections here are permanent (only a few I intend to keep longer than others).


 * User:Mister Sheen/Temp

Featured timelines

 * Great White South:
 * September 2010
 * April 2013


 * New Union:
 * July 2011
 * March 2012

Saved Images
Here are images I found here, and may find use for (rather than uploading new ones).

Saved Links

 * Parliamentary Seating Chart by Hellerick.

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= 1983: Doomsday =


 * BrianD's talkpage

Targets in New York


List Over-killing map Simulator (Another one)


 * Primary




 * Secondary


 * (all south of and west of  to state line)
 * (all south of and west of  to state line)


 * Tertiary



Other Random Ideas For The Hell Of It

 *  &mdash; While likely nothing more than disfigured raccoon carcass which washed up in Long Island, many rumors spread that it was something unnatural (from aliens to a genetic experiment). I find it amusing to think that had this happened ATL that it might be considered a mutated animal from the irradiated lands that were once New England. I would also like to assume that it might become the Outer Land's equivalent to Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Chupacabra (almost a kind of national animal).


 *  and  &mdash; As an atheist, I find screwing around with religion in alternate history to be fun. The Branch Davidians were a religious group which believed that the end times were nearing. David Koresh was a leader who claimed to be the second coming of Jesus Christ. Koresh and his followers gained infamy in, for being held up in their compound and eventually setting their building on fire (or the government did it, wouldn't surprise me either way). Without knowing Koresh's location on Doomsday, I find it rather funny to assume he lives and the noting of the end times coming true and Koresh claiming to be the second coming eventually leads the Davidians to become a growing religious belief (on par to Christianity at its beginnings). Just a random idea, not sure if it already been looked into.




 *  &mdash; This is by far very nostalgic for me. I pretty much grew up near the memorial, and I believe we've passed by it on a regular basis when we lived there. I remember my aunt and parents would take us there all the time, I even remember calling it something like the "Ma Oreo" (childish way to say "memorial"). I've wanted to incorporate this into the timeline for some time, so I'm finally writing it down. Since it wasn't built until the early 1990s, it would not exist as in OTL. Instead it would become a "Doomsday Memorial" built more recently (the 2000s or 2010s maybe). I may still have it located in Farmingville (LI would officially annex all of Brookhaven by the late 2000s), and was built there to symbolize the lives lost but to act as a marker of hope on the farthest border of Long Island (also because of its central location in all of LI). If not than it could be somewhere else on LI.

Power Plants
I recently came to the realization that there exists several other power plants within the Outer Lands, with many having been built prior to Doomsday. Several of them are on Long Island, which leads me to reconsider the place of Shoreham ATL.


 * Power Plant Maps (INTERESTING)


 * Massachusetts (DETAILED)
 * New York (DETAILED)
 * Rhode Island (DETAILED)


 * Conclusion

Taking a quick look, it appears that most of these power plants require oil in order to run, with virtually all of them having low wattage capacity (compared to what Shoreham was designed for). Only Block Island, Long Island, and Martha's Vineyard would have power plants which could survive Doomsday and remain active. Cape Cod's sole power plant would both be damaged by Doomsday and within Plymouth's jurisdiction, while Nantucket was in the dark (at the time). While they could remain in operation, these plants may remain inactive for years, and may only be of little use depending on oil dependencies. Even if powered at full capacity, most plants only produce enough megawatts to power a few hundred homes (with may be diverted to primary buildings like hospitals and utilities). As for other potential power plants I may have missed, they were either more centered (such as garbage plants) or would've been aging by the 1980s (if not well within the electromagnetic range of the nuclear blasts).

The Shoreham plant was designed with over 800 MW in mind, which would help ease the need for oil and allow these other plants (at least on LI) to become less used. Since the government of the Outer Lands is on Block Island, it may be safe to assume a population increase, thereby a bigger demand of energy. An undersea cable would connect LI to BI, thereby extending Shoreham's range. While OLPA would run the utilities in Cape Cod, Plymouth's nuclear plant would provide power to the Cape. An undersea cable may also connect Nantucket to the grid (much like OTL today). Tensions with Plymouth may have cause some to promoted loosening CC/NT's demand on Plymouth (since it could be used in the same manner Russia is doing with its oil in Easter Europe), but the need to has diminished following 2012. Still other projects have been proposed, including wind farms off the coast of Cape Cod and Block Island (not to mention the installation of wind turbines at the Shoreham site).

Billy Joel within Doomsday


A couple of years ago I began an article about Billy Joel. As a big fan, I had many ideas in mind for him within this timeline, but have procrastinated on the article because I feared I was pushing an idea onto him when IRL he would not do so. I envisioned him as a political figure within Long Island and the Outer Lands (maybe even President), but this seems so unlike what I knew of him when I wrote the article. Just like with Valentina Tereshkova, I felt I was only seeing what I wanted to see. But I got to thinking today and decided to take another look at this idea, as well as what I envision him to be within this timeline.

First off, I'm a big fan of Billy Joel (as previously stated). First knowing about him from his role in , I quickly began listening to more of his songs. As I got older and began reading more about him, I came to realize we both have a lot in common. Excluding the fact that we're both Long Islanders, we both enjoy history (in fact I remember reading he initially considered becoming a history teacher), and we both have a fascination for Russia (he even became the first American to tour the Soviet Union in the 1980s). Now that I got these out of the way, on to the critiquing.

I'm unaware of the exact location of Joel on Doomsday (September 1983). His newest album, , had just been released and works were already underway for shooting the music video for "" (which took place in late September 1983 OTL). I'm simply speculating that he would've been at this residence in the, but I'm unaware whether he actually lived there at the time (I know he does now).

Assuming he is in eastern Long Island on Doomsday (which took place in the evening), he would very likely survive Doomsday as the Hamptons are unaffected. Also speculating that he would have a boat (I do know he has a thing for the fishing community of Long Island), I would like to think he would help in the evacuation of Long Islanders during the chaos, and would very likely continue to help by becoming part of the fisherman community. Years after the chaos, he emerges as a community leader and becomes active in politics. Unlike Tereshkova (whose political nature is vague), Joel is a liberal and supports the Democratic Party of the USA. Also given his support for the community, I can see him as a populist. This could lead to him becoming President of the Outer Lands (which is the ultimate prize).

Other than that, I don't have much else in mind. I do have the idea that he still releases the song "" ATL, as its imagery of the fisherman community slowly dying in the Long Island region could very easily turn into a patriotic song of how these men bravely fought to serve the people of the Outer Lands (I even have interest in making this the national anthem for the Outer Lands).

It may also be doubtful Joel meets and marries (who played the uptown girl in his music video for "Uptown Girl"). This would also mean Joel's daughter,, would likely not have been born. With Doomsday right within this juncture of Joel's life, this might mean he continues to have relations with (who "Uptown Girl" was initially written about), but the chaos could also lead to different realities.

I could also see (if the stars are aligned) Joel favoring a diplomatic trip to, thereby becoming the (potentially) first post-American leader to the former USSR (but I'm unaware if this title is currently taken).

OL timeline

 * October 1983 &mdash; The provisional governments of the OL5 are established.


 * December 1983 &mdash; Formal contact between the OL5 are made. Informal contact with Plymouth.


 * January-March 1984 &mdash; Establishment of the Outer Lands as an alliance of states (comparable to NATO). Primarily focuses on military and resource cooperation. invited to join but refuse.


 * May 1984 &mdash; "Provisional Government of Massachusetts at Plymouth" is established. Claims Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket (mostly the former).


 * September 1985 &mdash;


 * October 26, 1985 &mdash; The Outer Lands is reorganized into a loose confederation (comparable to the ). Provincetown formally secedes from Cape Cod to join Plymouth. Election of the first president. Relations go sour with Plymouth. Capital moved to New Shoreham. Formally declares independence from the United States.


 * 1997-1998 &mdash; "Commonwealth of Plymouth" established.


 * June 2001 &mdash; A new constitution is adopted in the Outer Lands. The OL is restructured into a true federation (potentially with more centralization than the US).


 * August 2012 &mdash; Plymouth drops claims to the Outer Lands. Diplomatic relations re-established some time later.

Foreign relations of the OL



 * Current Relations


 * New England pine flag.svg
 * 1983DD Delmarva Flag.jpg
 * Plymouthflag.png
 * Flag of Vermont Republic.svg


 * Likely Relations


 * American Republic Union Flag.png
 * ANZ Union Flag with the golden ratio.svg
 * Flag Proposal 2.png
 * Flag of Brazil.svg
 * Flag of Canada.svg
 * Flag BerthelierInterceltic.jpg
 * Flag of the West Indies Federation.svg
 * Flag of Florida.svg
 * Flag of Mexico.svg
 * Flag of Neonotia (Doomsday).png
 * Flag of Portugal 1983Doomsday.svg
 * Flag of Puerto Rico.svg
 * Flag of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.svg
 * Flag of the Soviet Union.svg
 * Flag of Pennsylvania.svg
 * Flag of Texas.svg


 * Biased Relations


 * Just places I personally like, but not too sure how likely relations would be.


 * Alps flag.jpg
 * Flaggenentwurf 7 Südwestafrika 1914.svg
 * Flag of Egypt.svg
 * 83DD-GFedFlagRoyal.png
 * Flag of Israel.svg
 * 83DD-LondonFlag.png
 * 83DD-MacauFlag.png
 * New Britain Flag 3.png
 * 83DD-NiagaraFallsFlag2.png
 * OuterBanksFlag.png
 * Piedmont Flag.png
 * Sicilian Flag.svg
 * SpainFlagNew.png
 * Flag of Superior.svg
 * 83DD-virginiaflag4.jpg
 * Afrikaner Vryheidsvlag.svg

Boroughs and Towns
Following the attacks on Doomsday, the regional governments which united to form the Outer Lands were as followed.


 * → Cape Cod
 * → Martha's Vineyard
 * → Block Island
 * → Long Island
 * → Long Island

These governments would remain the same and would gradually evolve into the borough governments of today.

With the majority of the OL being from New England, each borough is divided into towns. These towns act similarly to how they worked in pre-Doomsday New England (and to some degree in neighboring Vermont). Long Island would adopt this system, which previously had a similar structure. Given the increased population from OTL (since they were more habitable), Block Island and Nantucket would be divided into more towns (where in OTL they only include one town).

The term "borough" eventually became the designation of the five governments. The names became official in the early 2000s, and may have been in homage to the former boroughs of New York City. Though most see this happening since these governments no longer acted like the counties they once were, yet were not as powerful as the states they once belonged to. Also like the borough of NYC, the names of the OL boroughs differ from their former county names.

Federal Powers
The OL is a federation. The boroughs would have more federal powers than the counties they once formed, but would have less powers than what the US states once had.

Among the departments these boroughs lack would be control over their resources and their borough-wide economies, which are controlled by the federal government. This came about following Doomsday when the regions pooled together their resources and established a sharing system, thereby assuring everybody gained resources their borough may lack. As time has moved on, more departments have been established which is nation-wide (the most noted example being OLPA).

The sovereignties the boroughs do have include electing their own governments and governors, and having most regional say (especially among the towns). Schooling and law enforcement are orchestrated by the boroughs.

Legislature of the OL


The Federal Assembly of the Outer Lands will be a legislature comprised of 30 seats. Half of the seats are distributed among the boroughs equally (three each), while the other half is distributed based on population.

Based on the number of seats, that borough is divided into that number of constituencies, with three being borough-wide.

All representatives are elected to an unlimited amount of six-year terms, with elections being timed so only a third of the seats are up for election every two years.

Potential Political Parties
I currently foresee five political parties being active in the OL. The Democratic and Republican parties still exist and have evolved due to Doomsday. Additional ones are added later on.


 * Democratic Party &mdash;, , ,


 * Federalist Party &mdash;


 * Libertarian party &mdash;, ,


 * Progressive Party &mdash;, , ,


 * Republican Party &mdash;, ,

Presidential ideas

 * (MA)
 * (RI)
 * (RI)
 * (MA)
 * (MA)
 * (MA)
 * (NY)
 * (NY)
 * (NY)
 * (NY)
 * (NY)


 * List


 * 1985 &mdash;
 * 1989
 * 1993 &mdash;
 * 1997
 * 2001 &mdash;
 * 2005
 * 2009 &mdash; (L)
 * 2013
 * 2017

Plymouth's Admission Into the OL
Please note that this is not an actual idea that I'm looking to achieve, but rather a brain teaser I've done to look into how this idea may be viewed ATL.

Plymouth and the OL (respectively) are the only nations to physically border the other. In the years following Doomsday, Plymouth could've been considered the "6th Borough" of the [then non-existent] OL. Even after the OL became officially in the mid 1980s, there was some hope that Plymouth would become part of which (or at least become a close ally).

Instead, Plymouth began initiating a foreign policy focused on reconstituting Massachusetts as an entity, thereby ruining its relations with the OL. The most noted of these relation disasters was Plymouth demand for the return of Cape Cod (and to a lesser extent the Islands), which the majority of Cape Codders opposed. With the exception of Provincetown (which willingly left to join Plymouth), Cape Cod remained closer to its southern neighbors (probably due to the physical land connecting CC and Plymouth having been directly attacked on Doomsday).

It wouldn't be until recently that Plymouth abandoned this foreign policy, relinquished its claims to Cape Cod, and began to re-open itself to the OL. Following this, talks of a potential unification of the two came up.

While Plymouth's criteria for how to unite may differ, the OL's criteria would likely include the following notes.


 * 1) Plymouth would relinquish independence and become an equal borough of the OL (no new nation or constitution would be allowed). Plymouth's economy, foreign relations, and military would be merged into the OL. While some federal rights may differ from the other boroughs, Plymouth would virtually be equal along with the other boroughs.
 * 2) Plymouth may be required to hand over territory which once belonged to Barnstable County (which would be reincorporated into Cape Cod). While the boroughs mostly constitute what once was a single county, it's unsure what will become of Plymouth's direct claims to  and  (most likely to remain unaffected).

Towns
The following includes the towns of the OL. The towns have similar autonomy as the towns of New England OTL. Because of varying populations and regionalism, more towns would exist ATL (mostly in Block Island and Nantucket).


 * Block Island




 * Cape Cod




 * Long Island




 * Martha's Vineyard




 * Nantucket




 * Narragansett




 * Ronkonkoma


 * (maybe)
 * (maybe)
 * (maybe)

Territories of the Outer Lands


I was initially interested in the OL establishing bases in New Jersey (and possibly ), but this would've made me happy.

LG states that the coast of may be open for such settlements, which I'll try to work out here.

According to the timeline and  would be hit. Combined with the attacks on, Newport would be the main clincher for the OL. Any attempt to recolonize this area would be recent, which hopefully gives the area some time to become more habitable. I've used this map as a reference (as well as this one to some degree).

, has the largest farming sector of the state. This very well may mean these settlements were established for farming (where the rest of the OL fails).

Given how recent such a project would be, I doubt the OL would expand that far inland as of now. The towns of and  would've avoided direct strikes but would've been in the "Ring of Fire." Most of and  would've avoided direct strikes and could have some area included in this territory.

would've completely been ground zero and would likely be off the table. The remaining towns of (which had some areas directly hit),, and  would likely not be included in the territory but may in the future.

While Block Island may attempt to claim these territories as part of its territory (following Cape Cod and Long Island gradually reclaiming some of their territory), but I'd prefer it remain separated from BI (due to... water). I may also include, since it was directly attacked (via New London).

I personally would like to name the territory "Narragansett" (after the bay and an original name for Washington County), but since the bay and town would not be significant for this territory it leaves me unsure. I'd prefer not to call it "Rhode Island," or at least leave this as a last resort. The only other name I can think of is naming it after the "Block Island Sound," which can be problematic. Maybe the "Sound Territories"?


 * Possible Names


 * Block Island Sound Territories
 * Narragansett Territories
 * Ninigret Territories
 * Pawcatuck Territories
 * Rhode Island Territories
 * Washington Territories

Ronkonkoma Idea
Not sure how well this idea will work out, but I'll write it out to see if it works.

What should be noted first is that as part of timeline canon, the town of Brookhaven was incorporated into LI recently (not originally part of the provisional government).

In my head, I've left open the idea that Brookhaven and the rest of Suffolk County not yet incorporated would be incorporated into the OL as its own borough some time in the future. But now with the potential that parts of Rhode Island may become a new territory, I may incorporate this LI idea into this.

Rather than expand into Brookhaven alone, this idea would also include the neighboring towns of Islip and Smithtown. These three would be incorporated as a second territory known as Ronkonkoma (named after the lake which borders the three towns).

The only downside is that the new towns would've been harder hit (with the westernmost parts being directly attacked ). My only justifications to this being accepted is that any annexation would happen as of recently (late '00s to early '10s), by which time these areas would be more habitable than at the start. The second reasoning is that parts of the new Rhode Island territory would be very similarly attacked and they should be fine by now. Regardless, the vast majority of this territory's population would be in Brookhaven (which is better off), with some gradual expansion into the more affected areas.

As part of this idea, I'd also have the OL formally claim the remainder of Suffolk and Washington County (the latter to be settled down the line).

Would I Survive Doomsday?
I started this as a thought experiment several years ago, but hit a downturn when my father passed away some time after I started this. As of lately I have taken another look at the destinies of my family in this timeline.

I was born in 1989 (six years after Doomsday) in Western. My parents didn't meet each other until a few years prior.

My father (who I was lucky enough to have asked before his passing) was living in, on Doomsday (along with his girlfriend I wasn't aware of). Amityville would be destroyed as part of the attacks on New York City. While there could've been a very slim chance of him surviving (either by fleeing to eastern Long Island or possibly [some how] catching a ride on a boat), I doubt he would've done this. Knowing my father, he very likely would've just stayed where he was, toast to a good life, and take the inevitable. Or more likely (given the time of night at which Doomsday started in New York), he might have already been passed out. I'd much prefer the former of these scenarios.

To some relief, my mother was living in, on Doomsday. She had moved there a few years prior so as to get away from her [annoying] mother (now that I live with her, I can see why she moved to Canada). She chose Strathroy because her father's family lived there (owning a farm) and her [abusive] boyfriend also was from there. My grandmother and aunt were living in Nassau County at the time, while my uncle was in the Bronx. While Nassau was directly targeted, Strathroy avoided being a target on Doomsday and appeared to have only suffered from minimal fallout from neighboring regions. After discussing this "what if" scenario with her, she mentioned that she wouldn't have returned to New York (even if she could've) and likely would've requested the help and support of her family in the area. She would've left her boyfriend shortly after Doomsday, rather than marrying and divorcing him as in OTL.

So I believe it's safe to say I wouldn't have been born in this timeline. Probably for the best, as I couldn't imagine myself living in this world (for long). My younger brother and sister would've also been erased from history. Excluding my grandfather's family (who I barely know), my mother would be the only person in my immediate family to have survived Doomsday.

BIO
= Russian America =


 * AHC Willardo Romney sworn in as Mexico's president (interesting idea)


 * Redo the Republics of Russia:0:0
 * Presidential and political party suggestions


 * Redo States of the United States:0:0 and territories


 * Reconsider Borealia:0:0


 * Redo States of Polynesia:0:0


 * Redo subdivisions of Japan:0:0


 * Re-examine Germany and Italy


 * Possibly bring back Tahuantinsuyo:0:0
 * Explore Chile without getting Bolivian-Peru territories


 * Rename Queen Charlotte:0:0?


 * Other ideas


 * (Аляскинские авиалинии, Alyaskinskiye avialinii)
 * (Горизонт, Gorizont')
 * Gorizont:0:0
 * Gorizont-Alaskan Airlines (possible combined name like "Aeroflot - Russian Airlines")
 * Горизонт – Аляскинские авиалинии, Gorizont - Alyaskinskiye avialinii)
 * 


 * Chukotka US-Russian Heritage Flag


 * File:Russian_Sloop-of-War_Neva.jpg


 * Links


 * http://www.cherylannestapp.com/fort-ross/
 * http://www.russianwashingtonbaltimore.com/en/node/22629
 * http://newmnflag.com/2008/01/15/flags-of-other-states-in-question/
 * http://zebratigerfish.blogspot.com/2012/06/american-mexican-state-heritage-flags.html

Plains, Trains, and Automobiles

 * A bridge or tunnel connecting Baranof Island (New Archangel) with the rest of the country would have a length around the same as the in Denmark or the.
 * Climate and ice may be an issue.
 * It may be easier to have a connection through Yakutat via the . Though this would mean going close to a glacier.

Olympic games held in Alaska

 * &mdash; (bid)
 * &mdash; (offered)
 * &mdash; (bid)
 * &mdash; (bid)
 * &mdash; (won)


 * Updates


 * Given that Vancouver was a loosing bid in 1976 (being in fourth place) and Whistler was only offered the games after Coloradans voted against hosting the games. Likely just leave this alone.


 * I'm rather surprised that Anchorage not only bid to host the games, but did surprisingly well in almost winning the games in 1992 and 1994 (with talks of future bids for the 2020s). While weak in '92, its bid for the '94 games showed success, winning third place (beating Sofia, Bulgaria). Given that the city would be part of nation that hasn't hosted the games by this point (Noway hosted the games in 1952 and Sweden in 1912), Alaska may win in '94. Anchorage wouldn't exist ATL, so likely it would be either Saint Nicholas (Kenai) or Vasiliysk (Wasilla). The former is more popular IMHO.


 * It is already canon that Vladikaskady (Eugene) hosts the 2010 games. Though I'm now debating whether to have it hosted in New Westminster:0:0 instead (which is OTL Vancouver).

Nuclear power in Alaska

 * (WA)
 * (AK)
 * (WA)
 * (OR)

Design of the Chervonets
The chervonets would depict early explorers and administrators of the Pacific Northwest. While mostly Russians, other explorers (American, British, and Spanish) may also be represented). The reverse would depict a landmark based on the region that person explored.


 * People of interest (year of key explorations)


 * (1740s)
 * (1780s)
 * (1800s)
 * (1790s)
 * (1790s)
 * (1810s)
 * (1810s)


 * List

Alaskan and Russian Antarctica

 * See also: File:All Antarctic Claims past and present.PNG and Expeditions map



With a larger say globally, the Russian Empire would stake a larger say in Antarctica (nothing major, just more than OTL). This will culminate in Russia formalizing their claims by the early 1900s. The Russians would claim the areas discovered and charted by (who was the first European to sight the continent in 1820), which correspond roughly to the same area currently under dispute between Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom (OTL).

After the collapse of the Russian Empire, both Alaska and the Soviet Union claim the territory. Aside from both sides moving to legitimize their claim with surveys and stunts (not to mention the collapse of the USSR), nothing has been done to resolve this dispute (at least between these two).

For the most part, the rest of Antarctica would be the same. The only exceptions would be that Alaska and Russia make claims (in which the Antarctic Peninsula is now disputed by five state), Peter I Island is not claimed by Norway, and the US goes further and claims.


 * Historic notes


 * Prior to the collapse of the Russian Empire, its Antarctic claims were not organized into a territory. The Alaskans and the Soviets would be the first to organize it.


 * "Alaskan Antarctic Territory"


 * Under Alaskan law, their Antarctic territory is an "organized unincorporated oblast." In affect, this makes their Antarctic claim similar to how Guam and Puerto Rico act within the United States (OTL).
 * Under the Alaskan constitution, an oblast is regarded similarly to how they were under the Russian Empire (i.e., a territory).


 * A base within the claim may act as a capital of sorts, though the majority of the territorial governing would be done in Alaska (likely New Archangel).


 * Potential names (aside from the "Alaskan Antarctic Territory") could be "Alexander Land" (based on the historic name of Alexander I Island). I will be ignoring any name based on "Bellingshausen" (due to my other timelines and projects which use the name ).


 * "Soviet/Russian Antarctic Territory"


 * Under the Soviet Union, the territory may likely be administrated as part of the Russian SFSR (i.e., not a union-wide territory, or is at least vague in this respect). Maybe something along the lines of an "autonomous krai" (krai commonly being translated as "territory"). See also .


 * After the collapse, the Russian Federation would take control of the territory. Under Russian law, it may be similar (in comparison) to what and  are to Russia (but considered more a part of Russia). The term "autonomous krai" or "autonomous territory" may remain in affect.

Electoral college of Alaska

 * Flag of Alaska.svg Aleutia:0:0 &mdash; 7
 * Flag of Bering (Russian America).svg Bering:0:0 &mdash; 8
 * Flag of Charlotte (Russian America).svg Charlotte:0:0 &mdash; 11
 * Flag of Columbia (Russian America).svg Columbia:0:0 &mdash; 33
 * Flag of the Far North (Russian America).svg Far North:0:0 &mdash; 6
 * Flag.svg New Archangel:Federal District:0 &mdash; 4
 * Flag of Idaho (Russian America).svg Idaho:0:0 &mdash; 15
 * Flag of Kenai (Russian America).svg Kenai:0:0 &mdash; 19
 * Flag of Kodiak (Russian America).svg Kodiak:0:0 &mdash; 9
 * Flag of New Caledonia (Russian America).svg New Caledonia:0:0 &mdash; 18
 * Flag of New Irkutsk (Russian America).svg New Irkutsk:0:0 &mdash; 8
 * Oregonian New Flag Contest Winner.svg Oregon:0:0 &mdash; 35
 * Flag of Shelikof (Russian America).svg Shelikof:0:0 &mdash; 19
 * Russian Border Guard.svg Sitka:0:0 &mdash; 20
 * California Lone Star Flag 1836.svg Sonoma:0:0 &mdash; 28
 * Flag of Tongass (Russian America).svg Tongass:0:0 &mdash; 11
 * Flag of Vancouver Island.svg Vancouver:0:0 &mdash; 14
 * Flag of Yakutat (Russian America).svg Yakutat:0:0 &mdash; 8
 * Flag of Yukon (Russian America).svg Yukon:0:0 &mdash; 10


 * Flag of Alaska (Russian America).svg Alaska:0:0 &mdash; 283

Expansion of the Russia Federation

 * See also: Russia's territorial comeback and Ukraine splits


 * Note to LG

Not sure what you'll make of this idea, but as always, I do request that you take it easy if this makes no sense. I look forward to your reply.


 * Background

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, there has been several attempts to reunify much of the Soviet Union back together in one form or another. While none of these projections have taken place, to me there appears to be enough opening that reunification may be possible ATL. While no USSR, the most likely reunification would include Russia expanding into former Soviet republics which would support such reunification.


 * Keys


 * becomes President of Russia in 1993. Along with being more "Soviet" in comparison to Yeltsin, Rutskoy has expressed his support for the break-away republics of the former USSR: including the and  (as well as threatening to bomb Tbilisi over the South Ossetia issue during his Vice Presidency OTL). While I can find nothing which states his support for their annexation into Russia, to me this doesn't seem too far off (especially since much of these break-away regions are pro-Russian and wouldn't be viable as independent states without outside help).


 * Belarus' leader has expressed his interest towards a merger of Belarus and Russia. Though as the years moved on, the idea of reunification is gradually loosing support over the idea of a "Eurasian Union." Given Rutskoy's similar political standings towards Lukashenko, a merger before 2000 may be possible.
 * Lukashenko wouldn't want a unification with Russia? From my point of view, the opposite would've been the fact (i.e., Russia isn't willing to reunite while Belarus pushes it, and the time it hasn't happen left Lukashenko to realize how good he has it in an independent nation]). But I suppose something could happen with a civil war right next door.


 * Areas of interest



Other "areas of interest" could include and Manchuria:0:0 (both of which would have sizable Russian populations), and possibly (though very unlikely). Though I personally doubt these two regions should be included, especially since both would likely remain major allies of Russia and establish post-Soviet governments which the Russian residence would likely support (Kazakhstan relocated their capital further north to be closer to the Russian population).


 * WIP timeline


 * 1993 &mdash; Rutskoy becomes President. Russia's neighbors become nervous.


 * ~1995 &mdash; Russia adopts a new constitution that establishes itself as a federation of equal republics. Around the same time, a referendum takes place in Belarus, in which the people vote in favor of integration into Russia. The break-away republics also push for referendums to take place.

Alaskan dialects of the Russian language


The within Alaska:0:0 is divided into several dialects which vary across the nation. In general, Alaskan Russian is partially similar to the dialects spoken in the Russian Far East. As a whole, the dialects combine elements from, , , , , , and the many native Alaskan languages.

The following list is a rough idea, combining vague boundaries and names. I also included how I would envision these dialects to be acted upon the Alaskan people.


 * Aleutian &mdash; Comprised of the islands of Aleutia:0:0, the dialects combines many elements of the . Due in part to its isolation from the rest of the nation, the dialect is often described as being hard to understand (especially by Russian speakers) and is often described as being a creole language. The best example would be how distinctive -speakers are to other English speakers. This dialect may also have its roots with the of OTL.


 * Beringian &mdash; Spoken in Bering:0:0, Shelikof:0:0, and parts of New Irkutsk:0:0; the dialects is mostly centered around the Bering Sea and the river systems which flow to it. Colloquially, this dialects is often described as a "traitorous" and "communist" speech. This is due to this being the core of the Alaskan Socialist Republic:0:0, and can be seen similar to how can be seen in the US.


 * Yukonian &mdash; Spoken in the Far North:0:0, the Yukon:0:0, and the core of New Irkutsk:0:0; the dialect focuses on the Upper Yukon River region. In many cases, the dialect is betrayed as being a "prospector" or "mountain man" dialect. It should also be noted that the growing diversity in the Far North can make this area vague in what dialect it is.


 * Gulf &mdash; Spoken in Kenai:0:0, Kodiak:0:0, southern New Irkutsk:0:0, and possibly parts of Shelikof:0:0; this dialect is the direct decedent of/or is the dialect (which is slowly going extinct OTL). The dialect is often seen as being "religious" in nature (once again comparing it to Southern American English).


 * New Russian &mdash; Spoken in Charlotte:0:0, New Archangel:0:0, New Caledonia:0:0, Sitka:0:0, Tongass:0:0, and Yakutat:0:0; this dialect stretches across New Russia (focusing more on the Alexander Archipelago and coastal mountains). Because of the large immigration from Fenno-Scandinavia, this dialect combines many Scandinavian and Finnish words. For better or worse, this dialect is often described as being political.


 * Columbian &mdash; Spoken in Columbia:0:0 and Vancouver:0:0, this dialect focuses on the northern bank of the Columbia River, the lower Fraser River, and the . English plays a key role in the dialect. It is often described as being the "New Albion" or "Doug" dialect.


 * Oregonian &mdash; Spoken in western Oregon:0:0 (mostly the region).


 * Idahoan &mdash; Spoken across Idaho:0:0 and the Oregon:Oregon Panhandle:0, this dialect focuses on the and upper Columbia River. This dialect may have great influence from the  dialect. It's often betrayed as being "hillbilly" in nature, as well as being the dialect of Alaskan Mormons.


 * Sonoman &mdash; Spoken in Sonoma:0:0. The way I see this dialect would be like asking a Russian to mimic a Californian accent (dude, rad, gnarly, etc.). It's often betrayed as being "hippie" in nature.

= Venusian Haven =

Key missions



 * &mdash; A proposed mission from NASA which would've utilized the and a human habitation module which would've replaced the s (LMs) used during the Manned Moon missions. The first launch window would've happened in 1973, with a flyby and return by 1974.


 * &mdash; A proposed Soviet manned Venus flyby, using similar methods to that of the American idea. The Soviet mission would've launched in 1971, but would've also included a Mars flyby. The TMK-E mission (which would've happened in the 1960s) was a proposed manned landing on Mars, and would've required multiple N1 launches and the construction of an interplanetary "space station" in orbit.

Key dates from OTL
The following is a list of key events from OTL that pertain to Venus and potential ATL events.


 * 1645 &mdash; Italian is the first person to sight the supposed satellite of Venus.


 * 1672 &mdash; Italian/French is the second to note a potential satellite of Venus. He didn't make notes of it until 1686 when he sights the possible satellite again.


 * 1761 &mdash; Russian discovers that Venus has an atmosphere.


 * 1962 &mdash; American  becomes the first man-made object to flyby Venus.


 * 1965 &mdash; Soviet  becomes the first man-made object to impact Venus (i.e., it crashed).


 * 1970 &mdash; Soviet  became the first man-made object to transmit date from the surface of Venus.


 * 1975 &mdash; Soviet  became the first man-made object to orbit Venus, as well as the first lander to return pictures from the planet's surface.


 * 1982 &mdash; Soviet  brought back the first colored images of the Venusian surface. In a curious development, Russian scientists in 2012 announced possible evidence of life on the surface after re-examining the date from Venera 13.


 * 1985 &mdash; Soviet  begins its mission at Venus.


 * 1990 &mdash; American  begins its mission at Venus. Using radar, the mission produces a detailed map of the Venusian surface (despite the thick clouds).


 * 2006 &mdash; European  begins its mission around Venus.


 * 2024' &mdash; Russia plans to launch ', becoming the first Russian mission to Venus since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The mission is believed to follow Magellan and create an updated map of the Venusian surface, and the possibility of a Soviet-styled lander with modern technology.''

Participating nations and organizations

 * http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=3355047&postcount=6
 * http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=270158 (de Gaulle)


 * Notes


 * The UK and Canada don't take part in the formation of ESA (choosing instead to form a Commonwealth-wide effort). With the USSR remaining strong (more details to come), ESA only includes participation from Western Europe (with East Germany being the farthest east it goes [more to come]).


 * Saddam attempts to form a Pan-Arab program, but due to their military buildup and their (most likely successful) nuclear program (but no invasion of Kuwait), only pro-Iraqi Arab states co-operate. These include major efforts from Syria and Libya. Arab Spring would greatly affect this co-operation.


 * The first British landing on Venus would take place around 1998 (roughly). However, a joint Anglo-American settlement was established around 1996. It wasn't until later that the British took over major responsibilities for that settlement (space-wise, that is).

Nations and Settlements on Venus


All of the areas labeled in bold face refer to independent nation states. Countries in parentheses refer to the primary (Earth) nation to control said area. Areas in quotation marks are basic ideas which may or may not become canonized.


 * American Venus


 * Flag.svg "Fortune Bay"
 * (South Africa)
 * Flag.svg Reagan
 * Flag.svg "Tethus"
 * Flag.svg Reagan
 * Flag.svg "Tethus"
 * Flag.svg "Tethus"


 * British (Commonwealth) Venus


 * (Canada)
 * Flag of Australia.svg "New Oceania" (Australia and New Zealand)
 * "Anzia"
 * "Anzland"
 * (Canada)
 * (Canada)


 * Chinese Venus


 * Flag of Albania (1946-1992).svg "New Albania" (Albania)
 * "New Dardania" (alternate name)
 * Flag of North Korea.svg "New Pyongyang" (North Korea)
 * Flag of Tibet.svg "New Tibet"
 * Flag of Tibet.svg "New Tibet"


 * European (Franco-German) Venus


 * Flag of Italy.svg Galileo (Italy)
 * Flag of Italy.svg Galileo (Italy)


 * Iraqi (Arab) Venus




 * Japanese Venus






 * Flag of Yemen.svg Gorbachevsk
 * Bandera del Turquestan.svg New Aral
 * Flag.svg "New Caucasia"
 * (Vietnam)
 * Flag of Poland.svg "New Warsaw" (Poland)
 * (Vietnam)
 * Flag of Poland.svg "New Warsaw" (Poland)

Thoughts for the timeline

 * The is regarded as a failure. Rather than say "it was designed with Venus in mind", simply have the Soviets begin designs for a new rocket design. This "N2" or "Raskat" (a proposed Russian name for the N1 had it worked) would be the answer to the Saturn V.


 * Despite still losing the Moon to the Americans (the  would've also been a failure ATL), the Soviets could possibly still reach the Moon by the 1970s (especially if Venus was still a prime target in the Space Race). was regarded as the likeliest candidate for the first Soviet on the Moon. The name Gerkules ("Hercules") and/or Gerkules-Raskat were potential names for the Soviet Moon missions.


 * The infamous of 1975 possibly might not happen. The "Apollo 18" module may have been used for a proposed Manned Venus Flyby in 1973/74. The USSR may also do a manned flyby a few years later.


 * Given Venus's Earth-like atmosphere (ATL), it would take rockets of enough strength (at least along the lines of the Mercury or Vostok) to escape the planet's atmosphere. Given the complexity of this, it would be very unlikely to send the first men back from Venus without rocket experts and contractors already on the planet. In affect, the first Venus landing would be a one-way trip.


 * The Soviet manned Venus landing mission (personal codename "Vega") would likely happen around the mid 1980s. The mission would be a modified TMK-E station (which was designed for a manned Mars landing OTL). Two missions could possibly take place in the mid to late 1980s.


 * The Americans would follow with a landing in the early 1990s (personal codename "Magellan"). Likely based on a similar design to the Soviet mission.


 * By 2010, China, Europe, and Japan may follow suit and land a colony on Venus. The United Kingdom may go it alone (not too sure about this) and an Iraqi-led Arab mission may be possible (if the cards are played out, though I'm having second thoughts).

Venus



 *  &mdash; 0.723 AU
 * Eccentricity &mdash; 0.0067
 * Orbital period &mdash; 224.701 Earth days
 * Radius &mdash; 6,051.8 km
 * Rotational period &mdash; 34.2 Earth hours


 * Rotational period

Venus (OTL) has a rotational period much longer than its orbital period around the Sun. While there are many theories as to why this is OTL, the fact that Venus would have a large moon ATL would likely help speed up Venus. How much faster is pretty much my own choosing, and I personally would love to avoid the 24-hour mark that is standard on both Earth and Mars. While I initially liked the idea of a shorter day (around 22 hours), I think I'm going to extend it to 34 hours (more specifically 34.2 Earth hours). Why this? In short, this is the reverse of 243 days that makes up a Venusian day OTL.


 * Axial tilt

Venus is unique because it is completely upside down in respect to the rest of the planets. The more noted affect this would have is that it rotates backwards from the respect of Earth. If Venus is the same ATL, than this would be very interesting for people on the planet (though in different ways). It should be noted that for this timeline (and many textbooks), the north pole of Venus would be facing the same part of space that the Earth's south pole faces. So from that, the Sun would still rise in the east and set in the west (not the opposite as you may have read in textbooks).

One of the more interesting things would be that the constellations would look upside down. So those in southern Venus would see northern constellations (like the Big Dipper) while those in northern Venus would see southern constellations (like the Southern Cross).

It should also be noted that the and the s would be on different lines of latitude on Venus. The tropics would be closer to the equator (roughly the 3rd parallel on both sides), while the polar circles would be closer to the poles (roughly around the 87th parallel on both sides). The would no doubt be different from on Earth (the tropics could be named after the constellation which the Sun is located in during the Venusian solstices.


 * Convert Latitude / Longitude in Degrees/Minutes/Seconds to/from Decimal


 * North Pole &mdash; (90)
 * North Polar Circle &mdash; (87.36)
 * Tropic of Sagittarius &mdash; (2.64)
 * Equator &mdash; (0)
 * Tropic of Gemini &mdash; (-2.64)
 * South Polar Circle &mdash; (-87.36)
 * South Pole &mdash; (-90)

Neith



 * Neith, the Moon of Venus, 1672-1892

Unlike OTL, Venus in the Venusian Haven timeline would have a large moon. This would play a key role in the timeline, as such a large moon would help out Venus in many areas to assure it becomes a habitable planet. Since all the references to a Venusian moon (OTL) are from flawed observations, there is no standard for me to work with. This leaves me open to do as a wish (though I will keep in the spirit of these original observations).

Venus's moon is named Neith (pronounced as "neeth" [like "Keith" or "teeth", but with an "N"]), which is named after the of fate. The moon is would slightly be bigger than Earth's moon and would orbit closer to Venus than Earth's moon (completing an orbit roughly every 18 Earth days). From the Venusian sky, Neith would look bigger than the Moon or the Sun from Earth (and slightly bigger than what the Sun would look like on Venus). Much like the Moon, Neith would be barren and full of craters and ancient lava fields.

From Earth, Neith can be seen along with Venus (making Venus look like a double star), though Neith can be best seen when Venus and Earth are closer to each other. This made the moon easy to spot by early astronomers like Galileo. It wouldn't be until the late 19th century that the name "Neith" became accepted as a common name (much like the other satellites of the Solar System).


 * Links


 * http://starryskies.com/The_sky/events/mars/opposition08.html
 * http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2013/07/22/how-cool-nasa-releases-photos-of-earth-taken-from-saturn-mercury/
 * http://cosmoquest.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-83742.html


 * Size


 * http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_did_it_take_to_form_the_moon

I'm thinking of making Neith much smaller than the Moon (more like the half the size). This is to help compensate the moon from being seen by the naked eye, and would make it quite alien in comparison to the Earth.

One theory that could be brought up ATL is that Venus actually formed two small moons early in its existence (much like what happened to the Earth [possibly]), but the inner moon either re-collided with Venus or did merge into what would become Neith. Or simply the debris field wasn't as massive as OTL's Earth-Moon system.

Koshmar

 * Main article:, 


 * System: Solaria (Solar System)
 * Biosphere: Venusiana (Venus)
 * Kingdom: Tereshkovia (Animal-like)
 * Phylum: c/s
 * Class: Pseudokoris (False bug)
 * Order: c/s
 * Family: c/s
 * Genus: c/s
 * Species: incubus

Soviet Union in VH


My overall thoughts on what the Soviet Union would be like in this timeline.


 * Basic


 * With Venus a juicy target, the USSR initiates moves to compete in this "Second Space Race." These include expanding the brought forward during the late 1960s (note: what I foresee is that the reforms are "expanded" beyond what they were OTL [which was virtually ignored]).


 * On January 22, 1969, the on  is successful. After a short power struggle, Premier  becomes the new leader.


 * Kosygin continues in the economic reforms (when in OTL they were abandoned), transforming the USSR into a "" (this makes me think Soviet Yugos, but likely more successful). The does not happen.


 * Kosygin's liberal views on the Eastern Bloc (combined with new economic interests) leads to the gradually end of Soviet occupations in the area. The was already crushed when he took power, but Kosygin does loosen control which allows a rebirth of the movement in both Czechoslovakia and other Eastern Bloc nations. All of these nations follow the USSR in their reforms, meaning communism remains in tact in these nations. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia remain together (due in part to continued Soviet presence and better economies). Germany reunites earlier, while the Warsaw Pact is reformed to be more on par with NATO (also expanding to include Mongolia and Yugoslavia). The  would not be used under Kosygin, meaning their would be no  (Moscow would no doubt continue to fund the communist government there).


 * When he comes to power in the mid 1980s, inherits a different nation. The USSR is economically better, and domestically stable (thanks in part to the national pride in getting to Venus first). Gorbachev's reforms are more successful than OTL, leading to a more open nation.


 * Today, the USSR continues to be a socialist and communist state, but very different from China. The USSR is far more democratic and open. To some degree, the USSR is comparable to the USA today in many areas. The economy is one of the largest in the world (just behind the US). Not to mention one of the largest space programs of the world, and a major player on Venus.


 * Miscellaneous


 * The USSR has evolved into a multi-party, but functions as a de facto two-party state (on par with the USA). These include:
 * &mdash; while still a party, the CPSU has somewhat devolved to promote more  ideas (on par with  OTL).
 * &mdash; initially established to be a "puppet party," the LDPSU evolved to be its own independent party during the 1990s (gaining national support). Despite its extremely nationalist and fascist beginning (which it's remains to this day), the LDPSU has also devolved to more of a  party (more the polar opposite of where the CPSU stands). Comparable to  OTL.


 * The is transferred to  during the 1970s (which becomes the Crimea/Transnistria for Lithuania). The USSR may also have admitted new republics (Chechnya and Tatarstan being the most likely become so).


 * See also


 * Великолитовская Федеративная Республика (ВЛФР)

Ovdan Civilization Idea
For various reasons, I've made the decision to not include any advanced civilizations on Venus today. However, I did leave open the idea that there once existed such a civilization, but for some reason it became extinct. This is what I currently see for such a discovery.


 * Evidence for this civilization was uncovered in late 2012 in (ironically).


 * The civilization likely existed in the Ovda Regio region, likely stretching from the easternmost islands of, northern Teegeeack, and a little further west.


 * This civilization (and the species) became extinct anywhere from a few thousand years ago to as far as a few million years ago. Debates over how this happen range from volcanic activity (such as a or ) or an astronomical event (such as an  or  strike).


 * Based on the evidence, the civilization was likely no more advanced than the (but no further than the ).

Venus Treaty layout

 * Prelude

... the ultimate destiny for Venus is to be placed upon those who call Venus their home (the Venusians)...


 * Articles


 * Land rights/Sovereignty
 * Earth nations can't claim large areas.
 * Claimed territory only extends to settled areas.
 * Earth can't directly govern areas of Venus (no "French Guianas").
 * Venus given autonomy from Earth governments.
 * Venus should be dominated by Venusians (Venusian "Monroe Doctrine").


 * Military activity
 * Earth protects Venus
 * No WMDs in any manner
 * No weapons testing
 * Military activity limited to defensive (coast guards,, etc.).


 * Environment/Power
 * Limits amount of resource extraction on Venus.
 * Limits fossil fuel use.
 * Allows civil nuclear power.
 * Regulates and protects native life.
 * Prevention of the complete contamination of Venus (no "Columbian Exchange").
 * Regulates which Earth species can travel to Venus (mostly humans and a few domesticated animals and plants).


 * Scientific research
 * Freedom for all nations to do research on Venus.
 * Requires all nations to make public all research on Venus.


 * Others
 * Makes the null and void in regards to the Venusian System.
 * Makes Neith under similar conditions as the Moon (see ).
 * Establishes the of the UN.

Venerka: The Venusian Currency

 * Coinage


 * 5 kopeks &mdash;  (copper)
 * 10 kopeks &mdash;  (copper)
 * 25 kopeks &mdash;  (silver)
 * 50 kopeks &mdash;  (silver)
 * 1 venerka &mdash;  (gold)
 * 2 venerkas &mdash;  (gold)


 * Banknotes


 * 5 venerkas &mdash;
 * 10 venerkas &mdash; (Earth)
 * 25 venerkas &mdash; (Venus)
 * 50 venerkas &mdash; (Moon)
 * 100 venerkas &mdash;
 * 200 venerkas &mdash;

The banknotes are orange in color, but each denomination has a distinctive hue to them (similar to what new USDs look like).


 * NOTE TO SELF: The font will also include something distinctive within the background (such as a planet or other celestial object)

Political Views of Valentina Tereshkova


Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova is among the few people who fascinate me both in reality and fiction, as well as being the only person to play an important role in two timelines of mine. Born in 1937, Tereshkova gained world recognition in 1963 for becoming the. Following her historic flight, she was pushed into Soviet politics. Even after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Tereshkova continues to work in politics, currently serving as a MP in the (the lower house of the Russian legislature).

Though when it comes to her political positions, I've only been guessing what they were for the past few years. In fact, it was only recently I confirmed she was a member of (the political party of ), and only a few days ago did I confirm she was an MP of the State Duma (I knew she represented the Yaroslavl Oblast, but I assumed she was in the local legislature). It was only after knowing this that it dawned on me that Tereshkova voted in favor of the recent which passed unopposed in the State Duma (one person abstained, but it wasn't Tereshkova).

As a progressive, this both shocked and upset me to find out. Did I completely get her wrong? How would this affect her place in my two timelines? I began googling this to get more details (reading both English and Russian pages). To my relief and frustration, I could find nothing which states her position on LGBT rights (or anything connecting her to the vote in question). Multiple tags found nothing of use (all virtually showing separate articles the new law and the 50th anniversary of Vostok 6). Though out of all the useless articles (for what I wanted to know), I came across several key facts and quotes which I may be able to combine to get a clearer idea of Tereshkova's political views.

Given her beginnings in the USSR, she was obviously a member of the, but left during Glasnost. Since she took no part in the, I can take from this that she isn't a hardline communist (or a true communist in general). During the 1990s, she attempted to return to politics under two different political parties (both of which she lost). In 1995, she ran under the political party &mdash; a  to  party, supportive of  and the ), and which has merged into United Russia. In 2003, Tereshkova tried again under the  &mdash; a  and  party which has since been merged into the  (which in turn split from the CPRF). Today she's a member of United Russia &mdash; a formerly  party which has become much more  over the past few years.

I also came across she wishes to work for the people of the Yaroslavl Oblast. I was also shocked to come across that she holds nostalgia for the Soviet Union, quoting "it is a deep personal tragedy for me that it collapsed." She also adds this to her support for Vladimir Putin on the grounds that he's working to "make Russia a great country again." It should also be added that she continues to hold a love of space. I know she supports international cooperation in space exploration and even stated that she'd be willing to go on a one way trip to Mars (this coming around 2010).

From these, I believe I can conclude that (at the least) Tereshkova is a and  with both  and  tendencies. She is also and a "Russian patriot" (see also  and ). Also given her place in many political parties of varying ideologies, I can also conclude that she's a to those political parties and people who support Russia and her ideals (which also suggest she manipulative to a degree). Given her support for the people she represents (combined with her "Soviet Hero" status), I'd also say she's a to some extent.

These give me some relief on her recent votes in Russia, suggesting to me that she only favored these laws due to likely support from the people of Yaroslavl (know Russia's support for LGBT rights is currently low) and she follows the party platform in support of Putin. To me, this seems more likely than she is homophobic but keeps it secret enough to have no mention of it.

With these new pieces of information, how will she play out in New Union and Venusian Haven?


 * New Union &mdash; With the USSR surviving, combined with the growth both Gorbachev and Zhukov see during their administrations, I can see Tereshkova remaining loyal to the left-wing and Gorbachev's reforms (becoming a member of the ). With national support, Tereshkova becomes President of the USSR in 2005, paving the way of continued Soviet patriotism, growth, and the expansion of the Soviet space program.


 * Venusian Haven &mdash; With the USSR nowhere in danger of collapsing (not to mention she's now on Venus), I'd suspect she'd remain in the CPSU (moving to the CPNK upon its formation). She's pushed into leadership in 2001, and would push New Kamchatka into a "New USSR" (keeping many symbols for the new nation). She'd likely push for more space interests of NK, and the expansion of its economy. With NK in good hands (not to mention her continued place in leadership since 1985), she'd willingly step down in 2007.


 * Other links


 * http://ruptly.tv/vod/view/2091/russia-duma-approve-same-sex-adoption-ban (VIDEO)
 * http://newsland.com/news/detail/id/830585/

Timekeeping on Venus



 * (save for calendar template idea)

Basic information


I've decided that a Venusian sol (day) would comprise of 34.2 hours (am anadrome of Venus' 243 day rotation period of OTL). A Venusian year still consists of 224.701 Earth days. This would mean a Venusian year would comprise of about 5392.8 hours. Divide that by 34.2 and you get 157.68. Round it up and that makes a 158 sols per Venusian year.

Since Earth months are somewhat based on the rotational period of the Moon, a "Venusian month" (a "neith") should be about 18 or so sols. Dividing up 158 sols can easily make up an eight neith year, with six neiths having 20 sols, and two neiths having 19 sols. The number of sols in a Venusian week are currently unimportant as it won't affect the calendar as a whole. I currently favor a five sol week, but this may change to sync up with a Civil calendar.

The first year of the Venus calendar is roughly set at year zero of the (which is non-religious and starts roughly at the beginning of human civilization). This means that calculating the year of Venus via the current Earth years can be done by the following algorithm.


 * $$ey*1.625+10000=vy$$

So as of February 1, 2014 (2014.09) would mean the current year on Venus is 13272 (13272.9), or year 3272 if year zero is synced with the Gregorian calendar. The decimals help to get a rough idea how long the year is. So 13272.9 means that Venus is 9/10 the way through year 13272.

Names of the Venusian "Neiths"
Under the Venusian calendar, the Venusian year is divided into eight "neiths" (the equivalent of months). Given its Soviet origins, the neiths were named by the Russian settlers and correspond the seasonal characteristics of Atla Regio (i.e., New Kamchatka).


 * Прохладень (Prokholaden ' ) &mdash; cool
 * Туманень &mdash; (Tumanen ' ) &mdash; fog
 * Дождьень (Dozhd'yen ' ) &mdash; rain
 * Цветень (Tsveten ' ) &mdash; flower (pollen)
 * Жарень (Zharen ' ) &mdash; hot
 * Ветерень (Veteren ' ) &mdash; wind
 * Фруктень (Frukten ' ) &mdash; fruit
 * Стрекотатьень (Strekotat'yen ' ) &mdash; chirp


 * Links


 * Old Russian Names for the 12 Months
 * Part 1
 * Part 2

New Kamchatkan political years

 * Elections are schedualed to take place every 5 Venusian years (3.08 Earth years).


 * The is elected to serve a 10 Venusian year term (6.1 Earth Years).


 * Delegates of the are elected to serve a 15 Venusian year term (9.2 Earth years). Elections are timed so that a third of the seats are up for election every 5 Venusian years (3.08 Earth years).


 * Bold = President and Supreme Soviet
 * Normal = Supreme Soviet Only
 * Italic = Didn't happen yet


 * Elections
 * 13252 (2001.2)
 * 13257 (2004.3)
 * 13262 (2007.38)
 * 13267 (2010.46)
 * 13272 (2013.5)
 * 13277 (2016.6)

Proof That I Have No Life


The legislative body of is the. The Supreme Soviet is comprises of 150 seats which are divided up among the governorates by their population (the more populous a governorate, the more deputies they send to the Supreme Soviet). Each governorate is divided into several constituencies, whose residence vote in deputies to represent them. Using an system (known as "rating voting" in Russian), seven political parties current hold say within the Supreme Soviet. To simplify, think of the House of Representatives and the many Congressional Districts within the United States.

Here is a map of New Kamchatka's 150 constituencies and the political party which represents them. The cities of Gagaringrad (A), Vladivenera (B), and Korolevsk (C) have multiple constituencies within their city limits. The top-right map shows the governorates by themselves and which political party hold the plurality of constituencies within the governorate. This map has been worked on for the past few weeks, proving that I have no real life.

= Future of Eurasia =

With all the chaos going on in the as part of the, the wave of protests has now moved from the pro-European west (who virtually achieved their goals) to the pro-Russian east. Reaching the point of no return, the people of  with Russia, who have virtually taken over as of March. Now the plot thickens as the (most notably), with other regions across southern Ukraine either doing or considering the same. As part of which, the regionalism of the historic "" (Новороссия, lit. "New Russia") has begun to reemerged.

I have no idea what will emerge out of this conflict, but two scenarios do come up. The most likely (at this point) will be either a decentralized or a federalized Ukraine. Another possibility would be the Balkanization of the Ukraine into (at the least) two nations.

The following is my personal ideas on these scenarios. Please don't take this as me advocating anything, rather me giving my own spin on them.

Novorossia

 * Economy

Much of Novorossia's economy would be centered on agriculture and industry. With Russian support, the region may regain some of its Soviet era prestige. It may continue to use the as its currency (either the Ukrainian or a new one) or adopt the  in some form. It has also been recently announced that the Eurasian Union intends to adopt a single currency by the late 2010s (called the ), which Novorossia may very well participate it.


 * Government

I predict Novorossia would barrow heavily from both Russian and Ukrainian governance. Because of its central location and regional importance, I've chosen to become the capital of Novorossia. Upon independence, Novorossia would move closer to Russia's sphere of influence (which is what the people want), but I predict (and strongly support) that the region would not be annexed by Russia in the same manner as the Crimea. Instead it would act more as a buffer/peripheral state of Russia between them and the EU/NATO. Novorossia would likely join the and eventually take part in the.

Novorossia would likely be politically dominated by the (right wing) and the  (left wing).

The two official languages of Novorossia would be and, with Russian (more or less) being dominant across the nation (similar to Belarus).


 * Name

The name Novorossiya literally translates as "New Russia" and dates back to the 18th century when the region became part of the Russian Empire. Because I'm anal like this, I've decided to anglicize the name to either Novorossia or Novorussia. This is comparable to the historic name "Belorussia" for (lit. "White Russia").

As for an official name, I've decided to use the current trend among the pro-Russian forces and will use the name People's Republic of Novorossia. This is also unique for both Russian and Ukrainian speakers as the likely abbreviation would be NRNR (НРНР), since the Russians and Ukrainians abbreviate conjoined names as their respective parts (NovoRossiya).

The translations for official name would be:


 * Flag of Russia.svg Народная Республика Новороссия
 * Narodnaya Ryespublika Novorossiya


 * Flag of Ukraine.svg Народна Республіка Новоросія
 * Narodna Respublika Novorosiya

Or


 * Flag of Russia.svg Новороссийская Народная Республика
 * Novorossiyskaya Narodnaya Ryespublika


 * Flag of Ukraine.svg Новоросійська Народна Республіка
 * Novorosiyska Narodna Respublika


 * Territories

At the very least, Novorossia would include the following eight of southern Ukraine. These eight oblasts consistently vote similar and are predominantly Russian-speaking.


 * (Dnipropetrovsk)
 * (Kharkiv)
 * (Luhansk)
 * (Mykolaiv)
 * (Odesa)
 * (Zaporizhia)
 * (Odesa)
 * (Zaporizhia)

I'm also leaving open the possibility that the following four oblasts may also be included within Novorossia. Unlike the main eight, these four are more Ukrainian-speaking but to contain many Russian-speakers (you can think of them as being "neutral" linguistically). I also include them because in doing so would eliminate any boundaries between Russia and the rump Ukraine.


 * (Chernihiv)
 * (Kirovohrad)

While unlikely to be considered, I would still REALLY like to see the be included in Novorossia. But given the region's ethnic Russian majority and recent reunification with Russia, the Crimeans may not support this.

If including the oblasts of northeastern Ukraine, it may also be beneficial to include the within northern. While of no real value or importance, this would make administrating the region easier (since the zone is divided between Belarus and the Ukraine), plus I could [possibly] see Kiev be willing to rid themselves of the region and its responsibilities.

While not necessarily open to annexation, I've decided to include and  (both part of ) as areas to be highly effected from Novorossia. Either both may achieve some form of greater independence or could possibly be included within Novorossia.

Novorossian flags
Over the past few weeks I've come across many flags which could be used for Novorossia. Here I will be including those I've found and will be giving my personal thoughts on.

Eurasian Union


The following are my thoughts on the proposed. I love the idea and believe it to help not just benefit Russia but the region as a whole, as well as to act as both a link and rival to China and the European Union. As of recently I only suspected it to include only the former Soviet republics, but I highly believe it will expand beyond this into neighboring states.


 * Member states


 * Flag of Belarus.svg
 * Flag of Kazakhstan.svg
 * Flag of Russia.svg


 * Candidates


 * Flag of Armenia.svg
 * Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg
 * Flag of Tajikistan.svg


 * Likely candidates


 * Flag of Abkhazia.svg 
 * Flag of Azerbaijan.svg
 * Flag of Nagorno-Karabakh.svg 
 * Flag of Gagauzia.svg 
 * Flag of Georgia.svg
 * Flag of Mongolia.svg
 * Flag of South Ossetia.svg 
 * Flag of Transnistria (state).svg 
 * Flag of Turkmenistan.svg
 * Flag of Ukraine.svg
 * Flag of Novorossia by NuclearVacuum.svg 
 * Flag of Uzbekistan.svg


 * Potential additions


 * Flag of Afghanistan.svg
 * Flag of Iran.svg
 * Flag of Iraq.svg
 * Flag of Kurdistan.svg 
 * Flag.svg ""
 * Flag of Jordan.svg
 * Flag of Israel.svg
 * Flag of Lebanon.svg
 * Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg 
 * Flag of Palestine.svg 
 * Flag of Syria.svg
 * [[File:French colonial flag of the Alawite State, or Sanjak of Latakia (northwestern Syria), ca. 1920-1936.svg|23px|border]] 
 * Flag of Kurdistan.svg 
 * Flag of Turkey.svg


 * Likely To Exclude


 * Flag of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.svg
 * Flag of Ukraine.svg


 * Overreaching?


 * Flag of Cuba.svg
 * Flag of New Zealand.svg
 * Flag of Venezuela.svg
 * Flag of Vietnam.svg


 * Main languages


 * : الإتحاد اليوراسي (al-ʾittiḥād al-yūrāsiyy)
 * : Евразийский Союз (Yevraziyskiy Soyuz)
 * : Avrasya Birliği


 * Personal notes


 * Eurasianism &mdash; One can argue that "" could can describe a state which is both/neither fully European and Asian. Russia is the best example both in culture and territory, but other nations could include Iran, Israel, Syria, and Turkey. While "" can be described as a contemporary and historically Russian ideal, it could be broadened to include more (though Russia would likely still dominate).


 * Multipolarism &mdash; In regards to the former Soviet states, Russia would dominate them in virtually all economic levels. Adding larger economies may help, with Iran and Turkey being the second and third largest economies in the region. Similar to the EU being dominated by three economies, this may help ease fears of Russian expansion among new members.


 * Turkey and Pan-Turkism &mdash; It has been suggested that Turkey wishes to establish a union (akin to the EU). Excluding areas in China and Iran, virtually the majority of Turkic peoples living in Russia and the former Soviet Union, with the majority still holding pro-Russian ties. Turkish involvement/membership in the EAU may help be an indirect way to allow such a union to exist. While Turkey is a candidate of the European Union, its currently unclear as to whether or not it will happen any time soon. Also given the many issues happening in Turkey, they may find closer similarities with Russia than the EU at the present. Also adding Turkey would expand the EAU to include any spheres-of-influence Turkey may have (including the Fertile Crescent, much of which is pro-Russian).


 * Israel &mdash; I was shocked to read that Israel is considering moving closer to the EAU, and I believe this would be great for multiple reasons. For one thing, I see Israel as being the closest example to a "Russian setter colony" outside the former USSR, with many Israelis having ancestry in Russia (with many leaders having been born there). Israel is also another fine example of being vague on whether its European or Asian/Middle Eastern. Also given the large amount of influence Russia has among the neighboring governments (mostly Syria), this may help give Israel a feel of security. Though as a whole, Israel's involvement in the EAU may effect Russia's relations with the region as a whole (such as in Iran and Syria).


 * "Internal Divisions" &mdash; With talk in the EU about new nations by means of divisions (i.e., Catalonia, Flanders, Scotland, etc.), as a federalist I would like to see more pros than cons to this in regards to the EAU. I could see the Caucasus regions going for something akin to this (Chechnya, unified Ossetia) and possibly other areas within Russia. Outside Russia, Kurdistan comes to mind.


 * Eurasian Integration &mdash; While I can't completely speak on this, a Eurasian Union as a whole may help further integrate the nations together in potentially positive and negative ways. While in no ways as democratic as Europe or the US, I could see non-democratic states moving closer to democracy due to which. Also having closer economies would help out the poorer regions develop.


 * Altyn &mdash; It has been announced that a single currency (called the Altyn) is likely to happen by the late 2010s. I for one like this idea, and also suggest using the former symbol (₳).

Siberian Independence
While I have mixed feelings about the actual independence of Siberia, the idea of which does show potential for me. The following is just my personal thoughts on the idea and how I would think such a nation should function.

When discussing Siberia, it should be noted that the region is very unique (even for Russia). One of the closest analogs would be to compare Siberia to the Western United States. While initially populated by indigenous peoples, they became settled by Europeans since they were conquered. Compared to the original cores that the settlers came from, Siberia and the "Wild West" are notorious for extreme climate and weather (Siberia = COLD!, Western US = HOT!). Being isolated, both gained a reputation as a land for exiles and outlaws.

You can make a lot of comparisons between Siberia and the Wild West, but there would exist as many differences. For instance, Siberia is also synonymous with the word "big." If it were its own country, Siberia would have an area larger than Canada (thereby replacing Russia as the largest nation in area) and would be easier to compare its size to the Continuous United States (whereas the Wild West barely constitutes half of the US's area). Siberia also has a population similar to that of Canada, with most of the population settled in the south. Unlike California which gained easy access to the rest of the nation by the late 1860s following the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, Siberia remained isolated from Western Russia until the early 1900s when the Trans-Siberian Railroad was completed.

But for this discussion, the one thing these two have in common is an independent mentality and a history of which. It has been brought up several times that California could probably survive on its own (as one of the world's largest economies). In fact, the question on how big California should've been could've also sparked the region not joining the US in the first place (which could've enveloped all the area west of the Rocky Mountains).

Anyway, back to Siberia. The idea of Siberian independence began in the mid 1800s, and probably was influenced by the US in many ways. The Russian Civil War was the only time Siberia gained any independence, but this was short lived to really act as a standard.

If independent, Siberia would [likely] gain the vast majority of Russia's gas and oil wealth. The nation may likely side closer to China and the United States if granted independence. The nation would be demographically diverse, though still dominated by ethnic Russians and the Russian language.

In the long run, I'd much prefer the restructuring of the Russian Federation to be a true federation, thereby allowing the regions of Siberia more leeway to work out any issues they may have.


 * Largest Cities



= New Union =


 * La Nueva Unión (Spanish New Union)


 * as a of
 * Soviet Union Pavilion at Epcot
 * Kaliningrad Disney
 * Red Belt (Русский)
 * Micronesia could be the 51st State (potential expansion)
 * becomes a global search engine similar to Google (though not as popular).


 * Cuban election ideas
 * (Democratic socialist Cuban)
 * (Spanish version says this guy is president??)

Things to do

 * (something to look into).
 * LGBT flag of the Soviet Union (New Union).svg Гей окей!
 * New interplanetary missions (e.g., Saturn, Fobos-Grunt).
 * Have (at least) Armenia and Georgia retain the use of the (which they did prior to 1993). The Baltic States were already moving away, while Moldova would ditch the ruble following reunification with Romania.
 * Have Armenia and Georgia remain part of the (zone 7). Possibly have Mongolia (and maybe Afghanistan) join in?
 * Flag of Quebec.svg
 * Ausflag 2000 a.svg


 * With NATO not expanding into Eastern Europe, NATO as a whole would be more willing to cooperate with the USSR?


 * Make a  within ?
 * "Moravia-Silesia"
 * Change.
 * Change.


 * Partition of Afghanistan for ending the war

Supreme Soviet and Political Parties

 * Communist Party &mdash;, ,


 * Democratic Unity &mdash;, ,


 * Green Party &mdash; ,


 * Party of Regions &mdash;, ,


 * Pirate Party &mdash;


 * Renaissance Party &mdash;


 * Soviet People's Bloc &mdash;, , ,


 * Union of Social Democrats &mdash; ,


 * "Yabloko" &mdash; ,


 * Others



Flags of New Union
{{legend|pink|OTL contemporary flag}} {{legend|lightblue|OTL historic flag}} {{legend|wheat|OTL proposed flag}} {{legend|lightgreen|Personal flag}}

Elections: Spicing Them Up
The new constitution of the Soviet Union came into affect in 1992. The same year, legislative elections are held. A presidential election was held off for a few years so Gorbachev would have time to assure a peaceful transition for the USSR (also because he announced he would not be seeking re-election.

Both presidential and legislative elections are run every five years (though not the same year).


 * 1991 &mdash; Russian President
 * 1992 &mdash; Legislature
 * 1994 &mdash; President
 * 1996 &mdash; Russian President
 * 1997 &mdash; Legislature
 * 1999 &mdash; President
 * 2001 &mdash; Russian President
 * 2002 &mdash; Legislature
 * 2004 &mdash; President
 * 2006 &mdash; Russian President
 * 2007 &mdash; Legislature
 * 2009 &mdash; President
 * 2011 &mdash; Russian President
 * 2012 &mdash; Legislature
 * 2014 &mdash; President

The ironic downside to this new change is that 's term as president will end this year. For the sake of argument, I currently have my eyes on anyone on the left.

2014 Presidential candidates

 * Union of Social Democrats




 * Democratic Unity




 * Communist Party



Presidents of Russia

 * (1991-1996) (Independent)
 * (1996-2006) (CPSU)
 * ?? (2006-2016) (??)

"States" of a Romanian Federation
Following the successful separation of and and  from  in the early 1990s, there no longer exists any reason why Moldova can't reunify with Romania. Reunification takes place in the mid 1990s, with a new constitution and government being adopted for the newly reunified nation. A federation is established with Moldova becoming its own "state", while "Romania Proper" is separated into several new subdivisions.


 * Potential States/Provinces


 * (maybe)




 * /Moldavia (historically known as )


 * (historically known as )


 * Flag of Szekely Land.svg





Soviet COAs 2014



 * 1) Abkhazia &mdash;
 * 2) Alania &mdash;
 * 3) Artsakh &mdash; 
 * 4) Azerbaijan &mdash; 
 * 5) Bashkortostan &mdash;
 * 6) Belarus &mdash; 
 * 7) Buryatia &mdash;
 * 8) Chuvashia &mdash;
 * 9) Circassian &mdash;
 * 10) Cossackia &mdash; ?
 * 11) Crimea &mdash;
 * 12) Dagestan &mdash;
 * 13) Gagauzia &mdash;
 * 14) Kalmykia &mdash;
 * 15) Karakalpakstan &mdash;
 * 16) Karelia &mdash; 
 * 17) Kazakhstan &mdash; 
 * 18) Komia &mdash;
 * 19) Kyrgyzstan &mdash; 
 * 20) Mari El &mdash;
 * 21) Mordovia &mdash;
 * 22) Ossetia &mdash;
 * 23) Russia &mdash; 
 * 24) Tajikistan &mdash; 
 * 25) Tatarstan &mdash;
 * 26) Transnistria &mdash; 
 * 27) Turkmenistan &mdash; 
 * 28) Tuva &mdash;
 * 29) Udmurtia &mdash;
 * 30) Ukraine &mdash; 
 * 31) Uzbekistan &mdash; 
 * 32) Vainakhia &mdash;
 * 33) Yakutia &mdash;

Soviet ruble 2014

 * Old layout (2012)

Denomination ideas

 * Coins


 * 5 kopeks
 * 10 kopeks
 * 25 kopeks
 * 50 kopeks
 * 1 ruble
 * 2 rubles


 * Banknotes


 * 5 rubles
 * 10 rubles
 * 25 rubles
 * 50 rubles
 * 100 rubles
 * 200 rubles
 * 500 rubles
 * 1000 rubles

'Merica
As of right now it has been canonized that in 1998 Puerto Rico. This snowballs into the admission of two states into the US. Puerto Rico and the USVI become the single "State of Puerto Rico," while Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are united to for the "State of Mariana."

However, I've been considering for a while the fate of. Clearly too small to become a viable state, I've been considering the idea that it is annexed/merged into Hawaii (thereby getting the benefits of being within the US). A couple of sites have suggested the same thing.

I feel this to be the best options for the following reasons.


 * 1) There exists proposals to just tack on American Samoa onto a Guam statehood proposal. Hawaii is closer to AS than Guam (or Micronesia in general).
 * 2) Culturally the  and  are, with their languages being very similar.
 * 3) In an ironic twist, the monarchies of Hawaii and Samoa were confederated. This was for a VERY short time, but a historical connection none the less.


 * Links


 * http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=51st_state&oldid=360395097#Other_U.S._territories_or_former_territories
 * http://petervandever.com/2013/03/should-american-samoa-be-a-state/
 * http://www.hawaiiankingdom.org/treaty_samoa.shtml

New Look At Europe


With the continued chaos in the Ukraine OTL, I decided to take another look at what Europe would be like ATL with a continued and strong USSR remaining. While there's no doubt in my mind that the USSR would not risk another Cold War (or worse), I do believe it's influence would still divide Europe between East and West. I've already made mention that NATO would not expand beyond East Germany ATL, but not this same mentality may be expanded to include other fields.


 * European Union

The EU (as we know it) was established in the early 1990s and has expanded since. While the EU and NATO aren't the same thing, there was much concern (especially in Austria and Finland) on whether to join the EU. My new idea would expand on this.

Both Austria and Finland (not to mention Sweden) were neutral nations during the Cold War, and the question of whether the EU would allow them to remain so greatly questioned their admission into the organization. But I would doubt the USSR would oppose their admission, since they had little influence there to begin with. I already have it canon the Norway votes to join, and I may add that Iceland and Switzerland (though a series of votes) gradually join by today.


 * Visegrad Group

The is an organization established between Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. The groups main function was to unify these nations in regards to European and NATO integration. With continued pressure from the USSR, NATO membership is curbed following the region's joint effort to become a Neutral Bloc.

This same declaration may be used against these nations joining the EU for the foreseeable future. Instead, what might be interesting is to see these nations form a "mini-EU" with the eventual hope of it still joining. This would include continued economic integration between these nations (maybe a single currency by today), open borders, a joint military, and a joint foreign policy. In effect, these nations would form a Neutral Bloc with cooperates between both sides and acts as a buffer region between them (pretty much what Russia wanted the Ukraine to be OTL).


 * Baltic States

Unlike the Visegrad Group, I still would see the Baltic States being aggressively anti-Soviet. Pressure from Moscow would prevent these nations from joining NATO, despite this being a primary goal by them. They would also not join the EU (if Poland isn't), but I could foresee these nations being the most likely to join (probably sooner than later). The Scandinavian States would no doubt push for their admission into the EU (much like OTL), but they would be no further along than Turkey is (at the most being candidates).

While somewhat unlikely, I could also see (at least Lithuania) becoming a member of the Visegrad Group (given its historic connections with Poland), but I think they'd prefer unity with the other Baltic States.


 * Balkans

This area might be very interesting for the USSR (at least if LG's previous suggestions could work here). In this scenario Bulgaria and Romania (the later being iffy following unification with Moldova) would re-emerge into Moscow's sphere of influence. These nations remained very close to Russia during the 1990s (Slovakia as well) and this may be expanded to remain so today (especially with EU and NATO membership being unlikely anytime soon). While remaining close, I'm not too sure about these two joining the CSTO (more likely they would remain economically connected). There may also be a push (following unification) to have Romania become a neutral nation, but would remain closer to Moscow.

The former SFR Yugoslavia would remain the same as canon. Slovenia and Croatia are closer to the west and the FRY and Macedonia are closer to the USSR (with Bosnia being a neutral buffer state).

While Slovenia probably could join both NATO and the EU with little opposition from Moscow (no real reason to bother), I'd suspect Croatia's involvement would differ. If Croatia joins NATO, there may be a push for the FRY to join the CSTO (which could no doubt be a domino for the other pro-Moscow nations in the region). Croatia would no doubt look towards EU membership, but I somewhat see this being more problematic (especially in regards to Operation Storm potentially being the worst crime in the region with no attacks on Kosovo and less attacks in Bosnia). At the least they'd be a Turkey-esque candidate today.

I can see Albania moving closer to the FRY, and thereby Moscow.

= Wilt of the Carnation =


 * Angola


 * http://history.stackexchange.com/questions/11228/what-became-of-the-plan-to-partition-angola
 * http://www.africafederation.net/Ovimbundu_Government.htm
 * http://www.africafederation.net/Ovimbundu.htm


 * Mozambique




 * Links


 * http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=2658902&postcount=2

Assembly of the Commonwealth
The legislative body of the will be known as the "Assembly of the Commonwealth" (: Assembleia da Comunidade). Unlike Portugal and its former colonies today, this legislature will be, with both chambers having equal powers (akin to the US Congress). The assembly meets in Lisbon (which is the capital).

The lower house will either be called the "National Assembly" (Assembleia Nacional) or the "Chamber of Deputies" (Câmara dos Deputados) (the name depends on whether or not "National Assembly" is an appropriate name within a federation). This chamber takes into account the population of Portugal and is akin to the House of Representatives in the US. The deputies are democratically elected by the Portuguese people. OTL Portugal uses the for their legislature, but from the little I know about this system I can say it may not be done ATL. Instead, the deputies are elected by the people of a constituency, with these constituencies across the Commonwealth being of roughly equal population. Similar to the Congressional Districts of the US, the more populous the state, the more deputies they send to Lisbon.

The upper house will be called the "Senate" (Senado). Akin to the US Senate, this chamber takes into account equality among the states (i.e., each state gets the same number of senators). Depending on whether the Portuguese (as a whole) would be okay with this, I'm currently tempted to not have these senators not be democratically elected. Instead, they would be appointed by the (democratically elected) state legislatures. Pretty much what the US Senate was prior to the 17th Amendment.

The Prime Minister (who is appointed by the President) will also be the "President of the Senate." Among the deputies of the "National Assembly" will be elected the "President of the 'National Assembly'" [POTNA] (who also represents one of the nation's constituencies). Like Portugal OTL, the POTNA is second in line in the event the President of Portugal can no longer do his/her duties (death/resignation). Both the Prime Minister and the POTNA are affiliated with the majority political party of that house (the PM probably less so).

(The following is a WIP)

= Great White South =


 * A beautiful picture of Halley with the moon in the background.

Ognian

 * http://lingweb.eva.mpg.de/ids/



The "Ognian language" is related to the native languages of and  (primarily  and ). While these two languages are not related, these two would merge in forming the modern day Ognian language.

The following are basic words and etymologies.


 * Quaoar &mdash; "seashore" (in reference to it being at the entrance of the Ellsworth Sea).


 * -арўн (-arwn) &mdash; land (used in country names).


 * ушијенкн (ushyenkn) &mdash; union, federation, confederation


 * Key words


 * Огнарўн (Ognarwn) &mdash;


 * Огана (Ogana) &mdash; Ognia, Ognic


 * Русарўн (Rusarwn) &mdash; Russia


 * Русана (Rusana) &mdash; Russian


 * Ушијенкн Огана (Ushyenkn Ogana) - Ognian Confederation


 * Краннкушарўн (Krannkusharwn) - Kathar, K'athar


 * Краннкушана (Krannkushana) - Katharan, Katharian


 * Ушиеӄўенн (Ushieqwenn) - Chiefdom (territory watched over by a chief)


 * Еӄўенн (Eqwenn) - Chief (leader)

Polynesian

 * http://faroutliers.blogspot.com/2009/04/russian-pacific-colony-of-atuvai-nigau.html


 * "Hukahunga" &mdash; From the looks of it, this word is the combination of the Maori words for "snow" (huka) and "people" (hunga). Based on this search, the placement appears to be wrong. Rather it should be "Hunga Huka" in order to say "snow people." I'm not a particular fan of this name, and would rather use something more... subtle.


 * "Antarctic Maori" &mdash; can be the official term used for all the Polynesian peoples/tribes of Antarctica. Similar to "Cook Islands Maori" or "New Zealand Maori" (the later not really used).


 * Oodavai (Удавай)
 * Note: давай (davai) in Russian means "lets go" (a slight symbolism to "going inland"?).

Governmental Structure of Ognia


I've personally seen Ognia as a kind of "Native American" nation with a unique history. Though its only been recently that I began to consider the governmental structure of Ognia.

Prior to European contact, virtually the whole of the "West Antarctic Archipelago" was under the control of the "Kingdom of Kathar" (I may change the name), which operated as an. A hierarchical system of chiefs would rule from the communal and regional level, with a "Paramount Chief" (PC) ruling the nation as a whole. These regional chiefs would come together in a council (headed by the PC), which would keep and resolve issues and laws. One of the functions of this council would be to elected a new PC upon the death of the incumbent. While the selection is meant to be based on a, the vast majority were those of the "Kathar" clan/ethnic group.

In 1820, European contact began, with the Russian Empire soon to dominate the area. For a combination of reasons, Russia wouldn't conquer the core of the chiefdom (which included the "Island of Kathar" and the "Byrdian Peninsula" (the large island of OTL Antarctic Peninsula is called "Alexandria"). Instead, the rump chiefdom became a protectorate of the Russian Empire (akin to and ). During this period the governmental structure changed little, though with the PC swearing loyalty to the Tsar and the council include several Russian deputies (who focused primarily on Russian interests and rarely participating in regional affairs).

By the 1900s, the internal situation was changing in Kathar, leading to a mini civil war. Russia took the opportunity and formally annexed the territory (establishing the "Kathar Oblast"). This was short lived as the Empire fell several years later, resulting in the conflicts to continue. In the end, three nations emerged in the area, a rump "Chiefdom of Kathar" and two new chiefdoms centered around the two other tribes/ethnic groups. The internal structures of these new nations didn't differ from what had been in place.

With relations getting better and the overall changes across Antarctica, the three nations decided to reunite in the 1930s, this time under the name "United Chiefdom of Ognia." Under this new government, a meritocracy was ensured, though the chief was still selected by the council.

While the "Island of Kathar" had a native majority population, nearby Alexandria (which was colonized by the British and Russians) had a more mixed population (with creoles being dominant). There was initial hope to include the Russian regions of Alexandria, but this wouldn't happen for several decades. It wouldn't be until the early 1970s that Alexandria does, at which point the governmental structure is reorganized to appease all the peoples of the new "Ognian Confederation." The PC would be a co-head of state, still appointed by the "Council of Chiefs," yet would emerge more as a figure head. The second co-HoS and also the HoG would be the President, who is democratically elected by the people (who would act as the de facto leader). A "Council of Deputies" is also established, which will be the civilian legislature of a bicameral "Parliament" (the Council of Chiefs being the second and less powerful house). Additional territory is added to Ognia by the mid 1980s.

The "Council of Deputies" is democratically elected and focuses on laws and virtually all legislative matters of Ognia. The "Council of Chiefs" has less power, and is comprised of the many regional chiefs across the nation. Their main jobs are primarily among themselves and their communities, but are entitled to appoint a fixed number of deputies of the CoD (as well as select a PC upon the death/resignation of the incumbent). Unlike the CoD, the CoCh is only commenced once every few years.

Only existing in the "core region" are the traditional chiefdoms for the three provinces and several communities within them. These are the few non-democratic regions within the nation, but are placed under governmental scrutiny to secure the rights of the people. The chiefs of these selected communities, the three provinces, and PC himself all make up the CoCh.

New South Greenland
Interesting fact, the British discovered the prior to Bellingshausen's voyage in 1820. This is the primary reason that the British eventually claim and colony what is and the islands of the. Similar to OTL (though much earlier), the British merge these regions with the to form a single colony. Eventually the seat of power shifts from the Falklands to Graham Land, but not much happens until the 20th century.

Following, immigration from and  begin to flood this colony/dominion, leading to a similar situation facing the Southwestern US (but on a comparatively larger scale). As the situation begins to change, the dominion becomes a republic.

The current government is based on that of the former dominion, just with the monarchy removed. My guess a president more akin to other parliamentary republics and not comparable to New Devon (which mimics South Africa). The Prime Minister does most of the things (you can tell I have no understanding of official terms).

My initial guess would be that the British settlers DEMAND no bilingualism, meaning English would be the (de facto) sole language of NSG. I don't know of any precedent in which newcomers completely change the language makeup in a manner of decades (except Israel, but that's a different situation all together). Spanish would be a secondary language. Ognian would be comparatively a minority language in the nation (not that I see Yuzhnaya Zemlya having an Ognian-speaking majority anyway).


 * Dates (WIP)


 * 1800s - Colony
 * 1950s - Dominion
 * 1970s/80s - Republic


 * Languages


 * Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  &mdash; Republic of New South Greenland
 * Flag of Spain.svg  &mdash; ''República de Nueva Groenlandia del Sur

Midnight Coast


The Midnight Coast is a governorate of Bellinsgauzenia. Unlike the other governorates, the Midnight Coast was initially a Dutch colony up until the 1830s/40s. Rather than force the Dutch settlers off of the continent, Russia allowed them to stay in the area. The reasoning was primarily to promote the development of the area. The Russians would also encourage non-Russian settling of the area, with both Dutch and Afrikaners moving to the area during the mid 1800s.

Today the governorate retains a distinctive identity compared to the rest of the nation. Those of Dutch decent make up the majority, though the population has been Russified by today.


 * Name


 * : Middernachtkust
 * : Полуночный Берег (Polunochnyy Byeryeg)
 * Полуночнобереговая губерния (Polunochnobyeryegovaya guberniya)
 * Полуночнобереговой (masculine)

Legislature of Bellinsgauzenia
The Continental Assembly (: Континентальное Собрание, Kontinyental'noye Sobraniye) will be the legislative body of. The Continental Assembly will be a bicameral legislature made up of two houses, the [State] Duma and the Senate.

The Duma will be based on population, comparable to that of the US House of Representatives. These deputies are democratically elected by the citizens of Bellinsgauzenia.

The Senate will be based on equality, with each governorate having equal numbers of senators. Unlike the Duma, the Senators are appointed by the governorates themselves (similar to the US Senate prior to the ).

Either one or both houses may also include additional seats which are to represent the non-Bellinsgauzenian Russian subjects of Antarctica. They would either be appointed by Bellinsgauzenia itself or democratically elected by willing votes from these regions outside the nation. Either way, these seats are mostly ceremonial and symbolic.


 * Note

Four of the seats in the Senate are to represent the "lost territories" of Russian Antarctica (Krannkush, New Vestfold, the Ross Dependency, and Yuzhnaya Zemlya). Since they aren't members of Bellinsgauzenia (and thereby can't vote in elections), these seats are appointed by the President. While it was intended for the President to choose Senators based on the wishes of the people living in these regions, this didn't turn out that way. Since the 1940s, the Presidents appointed close allies to these seats (effectively giving the President four votes in the Senate). While these seats are not enough to sway a vote, the notion of which remained.

But under the administration of Svetlana Lopatina (the first post-Cold War President) this practice was changed. Rather than appointing allies, she consulted with the nations which claimed these regions (New Devon, New Zealand, and Ognia) and appointed Senators based on their recommendation. In effect, she appointed members more in line with the governments which claimed these lost territories (giving them a vote). Like mentioned before, these votes can't sway an election, so this gesture was merely symbolic and a moves to improve relations with its neighbors while keeping the status quo.

Lopatina's successors continued this practice, which has now become the de facto way of appointment. New Devon and New Zealand gain one each, while Ognia gets two (since it includes two of these lost territories).

Bellinsgauzenian Political Parties

 * Primary parties


 * Constitution Party (blue) &mdash;, ,.
 * Socially liberal. Fiscally conservative.


 * Progressive Party (red/pink) &mdash;, ,.


 * Minor national parties


 * Continental Party (purple) &mdash;, ,.


 * Green Party (green) &mdash;, ,


 * New National Party (black/brown) &mdash;, , , soft.


 * Regional parties


 * Maori Party (red/black) &mdash;,.
 * Connected with the of New Zealand.


 * "Monarchist Party" (yellow/gold) &mdash;.

Basic Timeline for Bellinsgauzenia (and Region)

 * The following is a basic timeline regarding Bellinsgauzenia's evolution following the collapse of the Russian Empire.


 * 1918 &mdash; Representatives from the six oblasts of Russian Antarctica come together in Novopetrograd in what would become known as the "Continental Assembly." These representatives express their support for the in the  and oppose communism both in Russia and Antarctica. The oblasts request Allied support in Antarctica, allowing foreign troops to enter Russian Antarctica.


 * 1920 &mdash; With Allied troops leaving Russia to communism, the provisional governments of Russian Antarctica officially declare independence form Russia. Fighting continues against communist forces in Antarctica, but to a lesser extent then in Europe. Most in Russian Antarctica request the end of Allied intervention, but the provisional governments are slow to request this (in fear of a communist takeover). The more radical elements of the White Movement begin to emerge in the Continental Assembly and Antarctic fascism begins to rise.


 * 1921 &mdash; Fighting between Allied/Assembly troops and the fascist Nationalists begin in Eastern Antarctica. Around the same time, the Krannkush majority begin to revolt against the Russian minority government in the Krannkush Oblast (the ).


 * 1923 &mdash; The majority of Allied troops have left Eastern Antarctica as Nationalist forces establish control in the Midnight Coast, New Ukraine, and the Lake Vostok area of Oodavai (modern day Upper Oodavai). The Ross Sea coast (including modern day Pakanga and Novopetrograd) and New Vestfold remain under Allied control. In Western Antarctica, the KLA is able to secure control over the oblasts, with some fighting taking place along the Ellsworth Sea and the "provisional safe haven" of "Zemlya Aleksandra".


 * 1925 &mdash; After years of fighting, the "Treaty of Novopetrograd" is ratified by the Allies and many Russo-Krannkush factions of Antarctica. As part of the agreement, the Allied forces would completely vacate the former Russian territories, in exchange a defined border between Russian Antarctica and the British would be established (in the process giving New Vestfold and the Ross Dependency to the British). Within months after Allied troops leave, fighting between the Ognian tribes (Krannkush against others) breaks out into a civil war. In Zemlya Aleksandra, communist forces begin to re-emerge and soon another civil war begins.


 * 1926 &mdash; Unable to establish a connection between the Nationalist East, Zemlya Aleksandra falls to the communist forces (establishing the People's Republic). The rise of a communist state in Antarctica creates a red scare among the nationalist governments of the east. Within the year, the eastern oblasts come together and establish Bellinsgauzenia as a "federation of fascist governorates."


 * 1927 &mdash; The first elections are held in Bellinsgauzenia, with the National Party (which was the only one) retaining control over the new nation. Modernization and militarization takes place. The former Krannkush Oblast eventually breaks up into three independent chiefdoms. The "People's Republic of Zemlya Aleksandra" would solidify communist control.


 * 1930s/40s &mdash; Likely following the chaos in Asia and Europe, Bellinsgauzenia goes to war against Zemlya Aleksandra in an attempt to crush communism (being this timeline's ). In Europe, Bellinsgauzenia expresses their support for the Axis Powers. Bellinsgauzenia also begins to secretly supply pro-Nazi New Swabia so they can fight off British imperialism, but Bellinsgauzenian troops are not deployed. Bellinsgauzenian pressure on Britain would help to secure a peace deal for New Swabia (allowing them to remain independent). Though as part of the deal, Stalin demands Bellinsgauzenia end their assault on Zemlya Aleksandra, which they reluctantly do (seeing more potential in New Swabia).


 * 1950s &mdash; Following the assassination of Boris Kovalenko (combined with the global demise of fascism in general), the National Party looses favor among the people. His successor implements reforms in Bellinsgauzenia. The less radical Constitution Party emerges following the end of the National Party.


 * 1960s/70s &mdash; After decades of containment by the Antarctic nations, the communist government collapses in Zemlya Aleksandra. A civil war soon breaks out between the Euro-Russian minority (supported by Bellinsgauzenia) and the Creole majority (supported by Ognia). At the same time, civil war breaks out in New Swabia, with Bellinsgauzenia initially supporting the fascist government. With the Progressives coming to power in Bellinsgauzenia in 1975, moves to end the wars begin. A democratic government is established in ZA, which eventually unites to form the Ognian Confederation. In New Swabia, democracy also emerges.


 * 1970s/80s &mdash; Under Progressive rule, Bellinsgauzenia becomes more internationalist. With terrorist actions breaking out in New Devon, Bellinsgauzenia becomes a pusher to peacefully resolve the situation (as opposed to outright supporting the violence).


 * 1990s &mdash; Bellinsgauzenia's global influence is expanded following the collapse of the USSR. The is established between Bellinsgauzenia and its continental allies. Its military is greatly expanded. In the later half of the decade, Bellinsgauzenia detonates a nuclear bomb, becoming the only nation in the southern hemisphere to have nuclear weapons.


 * 2007 &mdash; With the global economic recession taking place in Bellinsgauzenia, the Constitution Party wins the presidency for the first time since the 1970s.

Presidents of Bellinsgauzenia

 * N = National Party
 * C = Constitution Party
 * P = Progressive Party


 * 1927 &mdash; Sergei Gavrilov (N)
 * 1931
 * 1935 &mdash; Boris Kovalenko (N) (assassinated) - Leonid Itsov
 * 1939
 * 1943
 * 1947
 * 1951
 * 1955 &mdash; Alexei Yunge (N)
 * 1959 &mdash; Maksim Pogodin (C)
 * 1963 &mdash; Yevgeny Ryakhin (C)
 * 1967
 * 1971 &mdash; Vsevolod Onegin (C)
 * 1975 &mdash; Oleg Bogomolov (P)
 * 1979
 * 1983 &mdash; Sergey Fomin (P)
 * 1987
 * 1991 &mdash; Svetlana Lopatina (P)
 * 1995
 * 1999 &mdash; Dragoslav Brozovic (P)
 * 2003
 * 2007 &mdash; Dorofey Zakharchenko (P)
 * 2011 &mdash; Bronislav Vroom (C)
 * 2015


 * Picture ideas


 * 
 * 

Governorates of Bellinsgauzenia
The area which is now Bellinsgauzenia was initially divided into three oblasts of the Russian Empire. These included the Midnight Coast, New Ukraine, and Yekaterinia. When a population boom takes place in the interior (following the discovery of coal and gold), the new oblast of Oodavai is established.

These three oblasts (now called governorates) unite to form Bellinsgauzenia. As the populations shift across the nation, these governorates are partitioned into smaller governorates.


 * Current idea


 * Italic = Temporary name
 * Губ = Губерния
 * * = Potentially only a territory/krai




 * (Акатупуская губ.)
 * (Буранская губ.)
 * (Нижнеудавайская губ.)
 * (Полуночнобереговая губ.)
 * (Момонинская губ.)
 * (Новоукраинская губ.)
 * (Николаевская губ.)
 * (Пейская губ.)
 * (Рангатиринская губ.)
 * * (Верхнеудавайская губ.)

Etymologies



 * Ideas


 * whenua hou ("new land")


 * Zamorie (Заморье, "trans-ocean") &mdash; don't think getting "whimsical names" will work for Russian. Might as well go simple. Would be used in reference to "Victoria Land" as seen beyond the Ross Sea (from Western Antarctica). This name will be for Yekaterinia/Nikolayev/Pakanga.


 * Zemlya Aleksandra
 * (originally called "Emperor Nicholas II Land")

Concordia



 * Concordia is a, located roughly midway between Mirny (the first national capital), Novopetrograd (the historic Russian capital), and is located well within the geographical center of the nation.


 * The Federal District (Federal Okrug) is roughly the same area as the Federal District of Brazil, the ACT of Australia, and is roughly similar to the area of Downstate New York.


 * Following the US, a diamond-shaped swath of land was partitioned from Momon (then part of the Midnight Coast) and Upper Vaiood. The diamond shape intersects with the per-existing border between the governorates (marking the east and west points) and the part of the [NAME HERE] River (marking the north point).


 * The FD is divided into uyezds (despite not being a governorate).


 * The first settlement of the area was named Zolotovodsk. Concordia would be build nearby (similar to the City of Washington being built near Georgetown). Other settlements created would include Gavrilovsk (named after ).


 * The majority of the FD's population is within Concordia and the northernmost settlements of the FD. The south is predominantly suburbs and farmland.


 * The FD consists of two cities uyezds and the rest is suburban uyezds.

Nuclear Bellinsgauzenia

 * A Bellinsgauzenian nuclear weapons program began in the 1950s, but was placed on hold following the end of military and fascist rule.


 * The program picked back up in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Under "Operation Scraps," Bellinsgauzenia began to sneak Soviet scientists into the country as a means to both keep them employed (so not to sell their knowledge to terrorist groups) and to gove the UGB a technological advantage.


 * Known as the "Vostok Project" (or the "Oodavai Project"), and was centered in southern Bellinsgauzenia.


 * The first detention took place in 1999 and was code named "Armageddon."


 * Following the test, the global response was generally negative but gradually became better. The more serious case was with New Zealand, who recalled their ambassador and threatened to cut off economic and political ties. The crisis was over in less then a year.


 * Civil Nuclear Power


 * With the region having the majority of the continent's coal and much of its oil, my original idea of the UGB being a nuclear majority nation seems false. However, I feel I can reorient this to be better.


 * Unlike in the US/West, the UGB remained pro-nuclear while the rest of the world grew anti-nuclear.


 * Following the Green Movement in the 1980s, the UGB also moves to become more green. Rather than fight new regulations against fossil fuels, many oil companies are encouraged to expand into nuclear power. So beginning in the 1990s, fossil fuel use goes down while nuclear goes up.


 * Today, about 45% of power produced is by fossil fuels, while nuclear produces around 30% (rest by renewable energy).


 * UGB has around 30 operating reactors, with several currently being constructed.


 * The majority of citizens support nuclear power. Following Fukushima, that support shrank to its lowest, but still a majority. The height was during the '90s.


 * The Green Party is anti-nuclear. The most pro-nuclear political party is the Progressive Party.

Russian Antarctica


The Russian Empire establishes six oblasts in Antarctica.


 * Krannkush (Краннкушкая обл.) &mdash; Originally a protectorate of the Russian Empire, the region was formally annexed in the early 1900s. The region is the only area in Antarctica to retain a native majority.


 * Midnight Coast (Полуночнобереговая обл.) &mdash; The region was initially colonized by the Dutch, but became part of Russia following a short war. The oblast had a Dutch and Afrikaner population.


 * New Ukraine (Новоукраинская обл.) &mdash; Parts of this area were under dispute with the United Kingdom (later to become New Vestfold).


 * Vaiood (Вайудская обл.) &mdash; Occupying Lake Vostok and river system, the region was established following the discovery of gold.


 * Yuzhnaya Zemlya (Южноземльская обл.) &mdash; Initially named after (by Bellingshausen). The current name literally means "Southern Land," and was the Russian translation of  (the original name for Antarctica). The region is unique for Russian Antarctica as it consists of a Creole majority (those of mixed Russian and Ognian ancestry), with a unique culture to boot.


 * Zamorie (Заморская обл.) &mdash; The name literally translates as "beyond the sea" (in reference to beyond the Ross Sea) and is in homage to . The region is most noted for its abundance of coal.

Famous Bellinsgauzenians

 * Gennady Yukimura (Геннадий Юкимура) &mdash; Born in Lakadir, Yukimura's grandparents moved to Bellinsgauzenia from Japan.

South Pole
The following is for me to explain how the South Pole will function under the current layout of Antarctica.

Firstly, the South Pole would be a pseudo-independent nation. In which case it hold no sovereignty over its territory and no other nations have formal claims to the territory.

The entity was created in the mid 1950s (a little later than canon). Think of it similarly to the from OTL (i.e., free for all).

The "Antarctic Assembly" is the governing body of the South Pole. It would include representatives from (at the bare minimum) the Antarctic states which gave up territory. Issues are solved with a two-thirds majority vote. A "Director General" is elected from the assembly.

A potential full name for the territory may be the "South Pole Free Territory" (in reference to the ).


 * Flag of the United Kingdom.svg South Pole Free Territory (SPFT)
 * Flag of Russia.svg Южнополярная Свободная Территория (ЮПСТ)

Subdivisions of Antarctica
{{legend|lightblue|Unitary State}} {{legend|lightgreen|Federation}}


 * Notes

The German Empire would administer New Swabia as a colony, which in turn would become a mandate/province of the UK. Because of this unitary organization, New Swabia today would be divided into districts (Kreise).

New Swabia



 * History


 * Colony of New Swabia (1880s-1910s)
 * Mandate of New Swabia (1910s-1939)
 * State of New Swabia (1939-1980s)
 * Republic of New Swabia (1980s-Present)


 * Notes

When New Swabia fought for independence in the 1940s, the Nazi Party of New Swabia (NSPNS) mirrored Hitler's Third Reich as much as they could. With Germany's defeat in World War II, NS required to reform both its government and image to secure their independence and ideology. While still a single-party state, a true parliamentary system is established. A Chancellor runs the nation (not a Fuhrer), and the Reichstag is comprised of members from single-member constituencies. The citizens of New Swabia are entitled to vote in elections, but this is nowhere near as democratic as today.

Rather than deny the Holocaust and risk more war, the NSPNS opts to wash away any anti-Semitic platforms from government and party politics. Though the Jewish population didn't suffer the same fate as those in Europe, governmental segregation and de facto segregation would be implemented under NSPNS rule (think the US or ND to an extent).

Following the in the 1970s-1980s, a truly democratic nation is established. Much of the governmental structures remain the same, but more... democratic.

British Antarctica



 * Colonies


 * Cooksland &mdash; Initially claimed and settled by those from New South Wales, the colony split off later on. Became the core of.


 * Enderby &mdash; The first British colony in Eastern Antarctica, the colony claimed the territory west of the Amery Gulf. Today is the core of Eduarda.


 * Nova Hibernia &mdash; (New Ireland) Along the border with New Swabia. Founding province of.


 * South Virginia &mdash; Named after, this colony was established well inland and to the South Pole. The colony joined , but may have lost some territory to Eduarda (the "Eduardian Panhandle"?).

= 13 Fallen Stars =




 * State ideas for
 * Cimarron
 * Cimarron


 * (colors)
 * Term lengths by state
 * 


 * Have Alaska remain part of Russia, have it get more territory, and divide the area north (Yukon) and south (Alaska).


 * (possibly renamed "Orange Free State") an independent republic with a white majority?


 * Greater New York City land reclamation


 * would be for the American Republics what Association Football is for Europe.

New Netherland: The Empire State

 * Main article: 



The Union of New Netherland will also become an imperial power.


 * "Antarctic Territory"
 * (excluding, , and )
 * (excluding, , and )


 * Micronesia


 * Fiji


 * (joint operation)
 * (protectorate)
 * (protectorate)


 * Union of New Netherland
 * Contiguous New Netherland
 * (excluding )
 * New Netherlander Antilles
 * Curacao
 * (excluding and )
 * Statia
 * (excluding and )
 * Statia
 * (excluding and )
 * Statia
 * Statia


 * Timeline


 * 1861 &mdash; Scandinavian West Indies
 * 1875 &mdash; Dutch West Indies
 * 1881 &mdash; Trouble starts in Spanish Colonies
 * 1883 &mdash; Spanish Colonies bought
 * Marshall Islands?
 * 1884/1885 &mdash; Fiji and Tuvalu annexed
 * 1885/1886 &mdash; Protectorate over Tonga
 * 1892 &mdash; Takeover of islands from new Venezuelan state


 * New Netherlander explorers


 * (maybe)
 * (maybe)


 * (potential)
 * (potential)

Timeline for New Netherland and her Empire

 * Events in italic are not related to New Netherland, but are crucial enough to be mentioned (as of now).


 * October 1787 &mdash; The ends with no agreement, and bitterness towards there being a successful union between the former colonies.


 * November 9, 1787 &mdash; The declares their independence from the United States of America (becoming one of the first states to do so).


 * March 24, 1788 &mdash; The are officially voided, ending the United States of America. The  officially becomes independent.


 * Late 1788 &mdash; Discussions between the begin on whether to form a rump USA between them. Proposed by, the goals of this union were to compete against Virginia and the New England states. The proposed union never materialized, effectively ending by 1790 (after the death of Franklin, and the ongoing war in Vermont).


 * Mid 1789 &mdash; The states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts (which at the time included Aroostook and Maine) sign the Hartford Convention, establishing the . Rhode Island would join in 1790, and Vermont by 1792.


 * Late 1789 &mdash; Due to growing tensions between New York and New England, New York troops enter into Vermont to assert their claim to the region. New England supports and aids the Vermont Republic. The begins.


 * 1790 &mdash; (Vermont War) A battalion lead by (a member of the Mohawk Tribe, and the only Native American to serve a high rank during the American Revolution), lead a successful campaign to push Vermont troops out of modern day Adirondack and Schenectady. In what became known as the Battle of the Hudson, New York was able to keep Vermont (and New England) from gaining access to the Hudson River.


 * 1791 &mdash; Within both New Jersey and New York, two secession movements form around this time:
 * Residents in eastern Long Island (primarily ) establish themselves as the "Long Island Boys." In response to the success in Vermont, the group hoped to gain the independence of Long Island (with prospects of them becoming part of New England). The group only gained support in eastern Long Island (with the west supporting New York). With the conclusion of the war nearing, the group gained little support in New England, and only angered those in New York.
 * While New Jersey remained neutral in the Vermont War, many Jerseyites from the northeast volunteered on behalf of New York. Those in the southwest wanted nothing to do with the war. With rumors that New Jersey would soon enter the war (a rumor which was not true), the state became divided based on . Those in the southwest declared the reestablishment of the long lost province of, going as far to show support in uniting with (which at the time was finalizing its federation with Delaware).


 * Late 1791 &mdash; New England and New York sign the Treaty of Providence, ending the Vermont War. As part of the treaty:
 * New York recognizes the independence of the Vermont Republic. The border between New York and Vermont is finalized, giving New York a 20 mile corridor east of the Hudson River, then using to complete the border.
 * New York agrees to transfer its claims west of the and the  (the ) to New England, in exchange for New England relinquishing any remaining claims to the areas within New York (the  and the  [if it existed by this point]). This makes the 1786  null and void.
 * New England agreed not to support any secession movements within New York (the so called "Long Island Boys").


 * June 26, 1792 &mdash; After months of discussions, New Jersey and New York agree to unite under the temporary "Union of New York and New Jersey." During the conventions to establish a constitution, the following topics are agreed upon:
 * Long Island and West Jersey would be allowed membership in the union (establishing a union of four states).
 * The upstate portion of New York (north of Albany County and west of the Delaware River) would be transferred to the new federal government (creating the "District of Albany"). In part for its lose, it is agreed to have become the capital for the new nation.
 * Border disputes between New York and New Jersey are finalized, with NY agreeing to sell (Staten Island) to New Jersey.
 * The new legislature (the Federal Assembly) would be based on the the proposed plan by (the ), which would give each state equal representation (regardless of size, population, or land ownership).
 * A proposal was made by war hero to reestablish the territory which Great Britain set aside for the Six Nations of the, creating a fifth state for both Iroquois and white settlers. While this proposal was not adopted, the basis of which would reemerge years later.


 * Late 1792 &mdash; All four states ratify the new constitution. Prior to which, the name of the new nation was changed to the (after the  which occupied the same region). The remnants of New Jersey and New York (which both lost territory as part of the new constitution) were renamed East Jersey and Hudson (respectively).


 * November 1792 &mdash; The first presidential elections take place. Former New York Governor (and known anti-federalist) wins in a landslide victory (winning the majority in all four states).


 * 1805 &mdash; The District of Albany is divided into four entities. The Capital District (a diamond-shaped plot of land in which the capital and federal government claims), the Schenectady Territory (the area effectively east of the Susquehanna River), and the Iroquois Territory (the westernmost portion of the nation). Despite its name (and being loosely based on a proposal by Joseph Louis Cook), the Iroquois Territory was only in Iroquois in name, and set aside for primarily white settlers (rather than a joint Iroquois-White state, as proposed by Cook). Despite this, Cook was appointed as the first territorial governor (a post he would hold until his tragic death in 1814). Cook continued to work with the federal government, and convincing many tribes to sell territory to Albany.


 * July 4, 1817 &mdash; Construction begins on the (a canal stretching from the Hudson River (via the Mohawk River) to Lake Erie (via the Niagara River).


 * October 26, 1825 &mdash; The Erie Canal is completed. The construction is seen as a major event in the administration of.


 * 1830 &mdash; The area west of the (mostly part of the  at the time) is admitted as the State of Niagara (the fifth state).


 * 1834 &mdash; The southern-half of the Schenectady Territory is admitted as the State of Schenectady. The remaining portions become the new Adirondack Territory.


 * 1837 &mdash; Revolution breaks out in . After the success of the revolution (and the independence of ) by 1840, many of the exiled Iroquois communities trekked back south to New Netherland (becoming a regional problem in the coming decade).


 * 1845 &mdash; With an increase in the Iroquois population in New Netherland (added with the increased White population along the Erie Canal), the territory demands statehood. Supported by President, statehood was eventually allowed after the agreement to divide the territory. The southern portion would become the new Genessee Territory, and the area north of the Black River was transferred to the Adirondack Territory. The State of Iroquois was admitted later in the year.


 * 1863 &mdash; agrees to sell their colonial possessions in the West Indies (the ) to New Netherland. The purchase becomes one of the major events of the, and is seen as the beginning towards the New Netherlander Colonial Empire.


 * 1876 &mdash; The agree to sell the Dutch West Indies (the ) to New Netherland. The islands are incorporated into the "New Netherlander West Indies," with the capital moving to  years later.


 * 1878 &mdash; offers to sell  (Saint Barts) to New Netherland. The island is incorporated into the New Netherlander West Indies.


 * 1881 &mdash; Tensions between Spain and many of her dominions in the Americas leads to revolutions in many (most noted would be Venezuela).


 * 1883 &mdash; In a radical move in part of the, Spain agrees to sell portions of her empire to New Netherland. The acquired territory includes the (Micronesia [not including the Philippines]), and  . This purchase gives New Netherland a footing in the Pacific and in Africa, leading New Netherland into the  age.


 * 1885 &mdash; New Netherland annexes and the  (Tuvalu).


 * 1886 &mdash; In an agreement with the, the island nation becomes a protectorate of New Netherland.

Timeline for New Netherland and her Empire 2.0

 * November 9, 1787 &mdash; New York declares secession from the Articles of Confederation.


 * March 24, 1788 &mdash; The USA dissolves. New Jersey gains independence.


 * Late 1788 &mdash; Talks for a unification of NJ and NY begin. War delays and alters unification moves.


 * November 1792 &mdash; New Netherland is established. New Jersey divides between east and west. Long Island becomes a state. Richmond County is sold to East Jersey. Upstate NY is given to the new federal government. The rump-NY becomes Hudson.


 * 1801 &mdash; The territories of Iroquois and Schenectady are established. Albany becomes a federal district.


 * 1805 &mdash; Schenectady gains statehood. The rest of the territory becomes the Adirondack Territory and the larger Capital District.


 * 1829 &mdash; Niagara gains statehood (splitting off from the Iroquois Territory).


 * 1836 &mdash; Iroquois gains statehood. The southern part of the territory becomes the Genessee Territory, with portions of the north being merged into the Adirondack Territory.


 * 1857 &mdash; Genessee gains statehood.


 * 1863 &mdash; Virgin Islands purchased.


 * 1872 &mdash; Adirondack gains statehood.


 * 1876 &mdash; Dutch East Indies purchased.


 * 1878 &mdash; St. Barts purchased.


 * 1880 &mdash; Caribbean islands united into the Curazao Territory.


 * 1883 &mdash; Spanish territory is purchased in Africa and the Pacific


 * 1898 &mdash; Bioko, Curazao, Fiji, and Micronesia gain territorial status. Islands off the coast of Venezuela annexed into Curazao.


 * 1900 &mdash; Tonga regains independence as a protectorate.


 * 1901 &mdash; Boundaries in Africa are finalized.


 * 1913 &mdash; NN Antarctic Territory established.


 * 1926 &mdash; African territories are united into the Biafra Territory.


 * 1958 &mdash; Curazao gains statehood. The rest of the territory becomes thee Statia Territory.


 * 1960 &mdash; Statia gains statehood.

Presidents in 13 Fallen Stars
{{legend|pink|Carolina}} {{legend|lightblue|Virginia}} {{legend|lightgreen|New England}} {{legend|lightsalmon|New Netherland}} {{legend|wheat|Pennsylvania}} {{legend|lightgrey|Others}}


 * Notes


 * The is hard to figure out. The patriarch  is from New Jersey, Samuel's son  was born in Ohio because of his father's work, and Prescot's son and grandson ( and ) were born in Massachusetts and Connecticut (respectively). From that, the family can be either New Netherlander, Pennsylvanian, and or New Englander (roughly in order).
 * The family seems to be more New Netherlander than New Englander. This may also be interesting to work into, since Prescot Bush is a suspect in the "failed" against Franklin D. Roosevelt.


 * was the first (and only) President born in California. However, given that both his parents originate from Ohio, and that he and his family were Quakers, I believe it is safe to assume Nixon may have been Pennsylvanian had the cards play right.


 * LG has helped out along

Candidates
With the multitude of nations, many presidential candidates in OTL may have better luck in their nations. Here are a few candidates.


 * Al Gore was born in DC. His father was a Senator from Tennessee, but his family originates from Virginia prior to the Revolutionary War. Likely, his family would probably remain in Virginia. This definitely eliminates the obvious nature of him being the VP of Carolinian-born Bill Clinton.


 * Hillary Clinton's mother would probably be Canadian. Given her troubled life, she may very well leave and comes across Pennsylvanian-born Hugh Rodham. Though the connections towards her being Pennsylvanian is pretty close, as her family tree has Virginian, Tennessean, and English on her father's side.

Other Persons

 * &mdash; likely a n. Family is of French ancestry and hails from Nebraska. His father was a congressmen OTL.


 * &mdash; Born in Alberta, his parents are Cuban and Delawarean. Both is parents eventually worked in the oil industry. While extremely close, I could potentially expect his mother to still do so (since Pennsylvania would be an oil power to an extent). His father could still leave Cuba for a higher education (either Pennsylvania or even "Texas"). Since they traveled (hence living in Alberta), they could travel around here and wind up together. The best case scenario would be he's Pennsylvanian (but very close to call if he'd even exist at all). New Netherland may also be a destination; while Louisiana, Mexico, and Carolina may also be areas of interest.


 * &mdash; possibly going to be a n. His parents were immigrants from Scandinavia. Not 100% sure whether they first arrived in California, but his father worked on the (which would be in California ATL).

Imperial Federation


The was a 19th century proposal to reorganize the  into a. While unsuccessful OTL, such an idea may very well be possible ATL. The following will be an explanation on how this Imperial Federation will function as I understand it.

Internal Structure
From what I've been able to read about the topic, there doesn't appear to be a well defined definition on what the Imperial Federation wanted to be beyond the federalization of the British Empire. Did they wish to form a strong federal government (a la the ) or something more comparable to the contemporary s (the or even the ). My initial expectations were closer to the former, but have gradually been moving towards the latter (due in great part to the input from LG). So the following will be my contemporary interpretation on what the United Britannic Commonwealth would be and how it would function.

The will be a federation of s,, and dependencies (of varying level). The dominions would hold the most power and would be comparable to the US states. The United Kingdom (as we know it) would loose considerable powers and would become an equal dominion. The crown colonies (or simply called colonies) would effectively act as territories (no different from OTL). Unlike OTL where the remaining colonies (mostly islands) fell under the control of either the UK or a dominion, all the colonies of the UC will be under the control of the federal government (though may still be closer to a specific dominion). The United Commonwealth would also include the which would not differ much in relations from OTL.

The British monarchy would still rule as the head of state of the United Commonwealth and would act mostly as a figurehead today (much like OTL). Some dominions and crown colonies may also have their own monarchy, though they are only regional and subordinate to the British monarchy. A single parliament will be the governing body of the UC and will include participation from all the dominions (and possibly the colonies). A single currency (the ) will be used across the United Commonwealth, with the federal government able to implement federal taxes. Freedom of movement is protected among the dominions and colonies. All residence within the United Commonwealth are citizens of the UC and of their respective dominion/colony. In most cases, those within the UC tend to show more identity with their respective region as opposed to being a "Britannic."

While a failure for the United States, the would become an inspiration for the United Commonwealth in the following ways. A single armed force is established and expanded during times of war and shrinking considerably during times of peace. Internal protections (especially during peace) are done by regional armed forces. Foreign policy is considerably weaker federally, with the dominions having more individual say (especially in regards to trade). In comparison to the United States OTL, the dominions are entitled to (and guaranteed) to be sovereign states.

The dominions (which would be large and populous entities) may have an internal practice of decentralization (or federalization in some cases), which give more regional say within a dominion. This especially plays out in Britain; where, , , and are given regional say within the dominion. They same can be said with Australia, Borealia, Canada, India, and indeed all the larger dominions.

Parliament
The Parliament would be the federal legislature of the United Commonwealth. The parliament may be considerably weaker than other national legislatures, leaving many areas open for dominion parliaments. The Parliament would be divided into two houses: the lower house will be called the, while the upper house would either be called the or the. The House of Commons are democratically elected and represent a specific constituency. The remaining house would be appointed by the dominions (either by their governments or independent committees).

The ruling government is headed by a Prime Minister (who will be the main person in charge of the UC besides the monarch). The dominions are headed by a Primer (as opposed to a Prime Minister, similar to Australia and Canada).

A potential issue may come about over the considerable population differences between some of the dominions. In particular that of Britain (likely the largest population among the "white colonies") and India (which has a population about 20 times that of Britain). It has been argued that the British Empire would become the Indian Empire if population was represented equally. Internal migration can only go so far, and dividing India into smaller dominions may help but potentially unlikely. A solution may be to have the house be based on "influence" or something to that effect (giving the British a boost).

Dominions and Colonies
The United Commonwealth is divided into dominions, [crown] colonies, and other areas (with Britain potentially being a different entity if needed). The dominions would be comparable to the US States, while the colonies would be more like territories. Some dominions and colonies would have special status, but would gain similar status within the Britannic Parliament.


 * Dominions


 * Italic = Special dominions (not "settler colonies")


 * 1
 * 1
 * 1)  (Gujarat)
 * 2)  (Great Britain)
 * 3)  (flag idea)
 * 2
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 2
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1


 * 1 = May be united to form a single "West Indies Federation" (the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Trinidad may be excluded).
 * 2 = May remain a colony.


 * Crown Colonies




 * Crown Dependencies


 * 1)  (not sure what it would be classified as)
 * 1)  (not sure what it would be classified as)
 * 1)  (not sure what it would be classified as)
 * 1)  (not sure what it would be classified as)


 * Protectorates (not part of the UC)




 * Potential


 * Dominions
 * (possible crown colony[s])
 * (possible crown colony[s])
 * (possible crown colony[s])


 * Crown Colonies




 * Protectorates


 * Not likely


 * (Canon)
 * (protectorate or independent?)
 * (Palestine)
 * (Canon)
 * (part of Egypt?)
 * (Prussian?)
 * (Canon)
 * (part of Egypt?)
 * (Prussian?)
 * (Prussian?)


 * (still French?)

New infobox for the states of New Netherland

 * Populations are based on OTL, and will be altered to express a larger population and internal migrations.


 * Population


 * 1) Hudson
 * 2) Niagara
 * 3) East Jersey
 * 4) Iroquois
 * 5) Long Island
 * 6) Schenectady
 * 7) West Jersey
 * 8) Genesee
 * 9) Adirondack
 * 10) Curazao
 * 11) Capital District
 * 12) Statia

Louisiana for 13
This will be expanded later, but I found this and need to write it for later research.

With my original idea for Canada likely to be gone soon, I take some comfort that at the very least, my idea would still work for Louisiana (I do hope that is what you meant by "Louisiana would work as a destination, though, for revolutionaries" [I assume you will be reading this, LG]).

In the short, Louisiana wins independence as a French-speaking republic. But with the loss of Canada, and a recent find, I may alter the timeline on when they gain independence. My original idea was around the late 1830s/early '40s (around the same time as the Mackenzie Rebellion in Canada). Now I may be looking towards the late 1810s/early '20s.

My reasoning involves enough lag for fleeing revolutionaries from France to enter Louisiana, it corresponds (more or less) to when the the other Latin American revolutions would be taking place (which all fail here, excluding Carolina's gains in the Floridas).

I also came across someone who may be a potential leader towards independence. was Governor of Louisiana OTL, as well as serving in the French army. His father (who was also a general) was executed by the new Spanish government, and played a minor role during the War of 1812. He might be an interesting figure to look further into.


 * Potential presidents




 * From LG



The American Republics and the British


For a while now, I have been trying to organize what the relationships between the American Republics (the former United States of America) and the British would be like. With the recent addition of Canada as a dominion (from what I had previously), I feel it should be appropriate to lay out my thoughts on the matter.

The obvious two categories would be those who have good relations, and those with bad relations. I have no doubt that by today (and throughout the 20th Century, if not earlier) all the American Republics would have good relations with the contemporary United Commonwealth. This primarily discusses relations in the 18th and 19th Centuries, and how they evolved into what they are today.


 * Carolina


 * Maryland


 * New England


 * New Netherland

I believe that would have strained relations with the British throughout much of the 19th Century. Much of this would come from resentment of British occupation of the New York City region during the Revolutionary War, and a move to establish themselves as a distinctive region (this includes the adoption of "Netherland" in their name).

Though for the most part, much of this anti-British feel would not be centered around them, but one of their biggest allies: New England. Albany's relations with Boston would be highly strained after the Vermont War &mdash; in which New York lost Vermont and their claims to the disputed Northwestern Territory. While the British had no real part in the Vermont War, the British would gain much of the blame (especially since NN's claim to the NWT did end up being British in the end).

New Netherland's growing power within North America would eventually lead to better relations. After the completion of the Erie Canal and the failed revolt in Canada; the British looked to have good relations with New Netherland for economic and security reasons.

Relations would begin to get positive by the 1880s. New Netherland money and industry is used to help build up British North America (including the first Transcontinental Railway from Canada to Colombia). New Netherland's growing global power and their own moves towards imperialism gained little opposition form the British, leading to territorial compromises.

Today, New Netherland and the United Commonwealth are the two dominant powers in the Americas.


 * Pennsylvania


 * Virginia

Asia at it stands in 13
This is just a quick bullet point on what is pretty much going to become canon in Asia. Stuff in italic face represent topics I am not sure about (not necessarily canon).


 * The will expand to include , , and.
 * Parts Manchuria (the and a land connection to Korea) go to Japan.
 * Not sure whether Russia would only include all of, or simply (which was the only parts within Russia's sphere of influence).


 * The wi include, the , , and parts of Manchuria (see above).


 * will become a dominion of the.
 * Hong Kong would also expand about 20 miles inland.


 * will be incorporated into the.


 * will gain independence.
 * Not sure whether it would include or only a smaller area.


 * will regain complete sovereignty and independence from the European spheres of influence as a republic.


 * ,, , , and parts of will be divided between , , and the.
 * France and Portugal retain their claims, and all are incorporated into that nation.
 * is divided into several dominions and crown colonies within the United Commonwealth.


 * and southern (to be renamed "") will gain independence as republics. Portions of northern Pakistan are merged into Afghanistan (which will most likely remain a monarchy).


 * will remain a, and will be incorporated into the Netherlands as "Ceylon."


 * The will remain a protectorate of the United Commonwealth.


 * will be divided up into several Dutch countries (dominions) and two sultanates.


 * will remain Portuguese, and will be incorporated into the kingdom.


 * will gain independence.


 * Both the British and Dutch claims on will gain independence and unite into a single nation.
 * Not sure whether they would become a republic.


 * and will remain independent monarchies under the names of "Persia" and "Siam" (respectively).


 * The British claims in are incorporated into the United Commonwealth.
 * The emirates of the, , and are incorporated as crown colonies.
 * Not completely sure about, and .

Wars in 13

 * Defined


 * (1789-1791)
 * French Revolt (1789-1792)
 * Haitian Revolution (1791-1800s)
 * (1795-1797)
 * First Latin American Revolutions (1800s)
 * Fifth Anglo-Dutch War (1800s)
 * Louisianan Revolution (1810s)
 * West Florida Revolution (1810s)
 * Rebellions of 1837 (1837-1838)
 * "Revolutions of 1848" (1840s)
 * (1861-1863)
 * Second Latin American Revolutions (1880s-1890s)
 * Venezuela War (1890s)
 * Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)
 * Chinese Revolution (1911)
 * Liberia War (1980s)


 * Potential

Portugal in 13



 * "States"




 * (may exclude )
 * (see )
 * (see )
 * (see )
 * (see )
 * (see )
 * (see )
 * (see )


 * Potential names


 * Portuguese Commonwealth/Community &mdash; originally used on this timeline, and also found here and here
 * (see also ).
 * Comunidade Portuguesa
 * Lusitanic Commonwealth
 * Comunidade Lusitânica
 *  Kingdom of Portugal.


 * Naming rationalizing

The term "Lusitania" (and all which relates to it) tends to be in common use for Portugal and other areas of the former Portuguese Empire. With that, it doesn't seem that odd for the empire to rename itself upon becoming an imperial federation under the Britannic-lines. In comparison:


 * "Batavia" (the Netherlands) was once used, but was more used by the pro-French puppet government during the Napoleonic Wars. Also in contemporary comparison, the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dutch is called Nederlanden ("Netherlands") while the European nation itself is called Nederland ("Netherland").


 * "Britannia" in many cases may be used in the United Commonwealth.


 * "Gaul" for France doesn't appear to be in any use (with the exception of Charles de Gaulle).


 * JUST REMEMBER FOR LATER

http://althistory.wikia.com/wiki/French_Union_%28Twilight_of_a_New_Era%29

Overview
Much like what the United States adopted OTL, New Netherland would establish an electoral collage as the means of electing a president. The only noticeable difference is that each state (despite their population) has the same number of delegates. This would go back to how the legislature of New Netherland would be established, in which all the states are equal (following the Articles of Confederation and the New Jersey Plan).

Under the current set-up, each state receives 27 electoral votes, with the Capital District (Albany) receiving three. Every state (if not the majority) use the "winner-take-all" stategy, in which a candidate needs only to win half of the popular vote and one to receive all the electoral votes of that state. In effect, the candidate to win the majority of states wins the election. It is a crazy idea that suffers the flaws of OTL (including gerrymandering, Red/Blue states, and the possibility of the popular vote not matching with the electoral vote). Because of this system, it encouraged the admission of an odd number of states (to prevent a tie in the electoral collage).


 * Maroon (Progressive) states


 * Hudson
 * Niagara


 * Teal (Liberty) states


 * Iroquois
 * West Jersey


 * Swing states


 * East Jersey
 * Genesee

Trenton Pact: New Netherland's SOI
The idea of the "Trenton Pact" (a working name) was to be 's answer to the "Concord Pact" (which was an alliance between the British and New England) and the "Marseille Pact" (an alliance between France and Spain). It should be noted that these two pacts are no longer canon, so this reasoning for the Trenton Pact is out-of-date. Despite this, I still see some potential for the Trenton Pact to form out of New Netherland's imperial expansion, as well as New Netherland's answer to the Commonwealth of Nations.



This organization would combine elements of OTL "" and the "," while under the guise of 's. I could also see 's notion of the playing out in this organization. As a simplified of looking at this, think New Netherland forming an alliance between several American nations to both protect them from outside forces (particularly European domination) while securing New Netherland's interests in the Western Hemisphere. I may be stretching out the details, but it's a simple way of looking at it.

As its name suggests, the Trenton Pact would initially be an alliance between New Netherland and its allies among the American Republics (Pennsylvania and Virginia). Other members would join in later on. As to what kind of organization this would be, I have no real idea. I currently see parallels with the ; in which some cultural, economic, political, and military organizations are unified (though still dominated by New Netherland). I would say it could be similar to the, but I don't completely see this. Though the thoughts of a and  (?) do get my interest. In fact, I could see this organization establishing something akin to the, in which New Netherland wishes to expand its influence into the markets which it itself does not have in abundance (such as agriculture, coal, oil, steal, etc.). Military cooperation could likely follow (to both protect NN's interests and to keep European imperialism out). Who knows how far this could get by today.

Member States

 * Founding Members States




 * Likely Member States




 * Possible Member States


 * The following are not independent nations (canon), but I may change this later on.




 * Protectorates


 * (Virginia)
 * (New Netherland)


 * Unlikely Member States


 * The following states I have doubts about joining.




 * CALIFORNIA LOVE?


 * ''I'm leaving open the possibility that California becomes its own great power.



New Netherland Goes Swiss?


From the beginning, I've wanted to incorporate the as a basis of 's government. My initial understanding of the New Jersey Plan was to have a legislature in which all states were represented equally (a la the ). But to my initial frustration, the proposed plan included many more talking points which I did not understand (leading me to mostly ignore them). As my understanding began to improve, so did my curiosity on the expansion of these points within New Netherland.

The main talking point I'm focusing on is the proposal that would've had the United States adopt a collegial body to act as a collective (instead of a single presidency as what is currently in place). This system of government is known as a (or a collegial system), and made more confusing when the only contemporary user of this system is. To my amazement, several other nations had (at one point) used this system; including, the (to some extent), , and. But the key sticking point for me was that of all places, utilized this system of governance under the 1776 state constitution.

In conclusion, I can see many pros for incorporating this system into the timeline, with most of the cons relating to how alien this system sounds to me. The following sections will discuss and explore how I will envision New Netherland will function under this system.

Executive Branch
The executive branch of New Netherland will be dominated by an "executive council" &mdash; a collegial body which collectively acts as the. The number of councilors serving in such a body vary depending on the national examples: with Switzerland having, Uruguay having , and Pennsylvania having. As of now, I support having five serving for New Netherland.

The five councilors would also head one of five governmental departments, which would be comparable to a (not a constituency as I previously thought). Unlike most nations which establish new cabinets if needed, these executive departments would expand their responsibilities (similar to Switzerland). The five departments I have in mind include:


 * "Defense"
 * "Finance"
 * "Foreign Affairs"
 * "Justice"
 * "Interior" ( and more)

Despite these departments, each member of the council will be equal amongst each other. Among the five councilors will be selected a  president and vice president to lead the council and who will serve this position for about a year (with all councilors to serve this position at least one during their term in office).

As proposed in the New Jersey Plan, the councilors would only be allowed to serve a single term in office (barred from serving in the council afterwards). With members of the legislature holding a term of three-years, councilors would likely hold a longer time of six-years. The elections for councilors would be timed so about half are up for election every three years. Councilors were originally appointed by the legislature, but this has since changed so councilors are democratically elected. Under both systems, an is used based on the number of seats each state (and now territory) has. Since each state has the same number of votes, it boils down to who wins the most states.

Unlike what was initially hoped under the, the executive branch (not to mention the ) is constitutionally weaker in New Netherland than the legislative branch. This effectively makes New Netherland a compared to the  the United States established. Despite these hurtles, the executive council has somewhat evolved to give themselves more powers, which have been expanded upon since the council became democratically elected.

One of the constitutionally written duties of the councilors would be to appoint justices to the "supreme tribunal" (i.e., the ). Members of the council can constitutionally be removed from office only under the approval of all state legislatures (making impeachment either rare or non-existent). The council collectively may act as the, but this power is effectively under the responsibility of the legislature (similar to other parliamentary republics).

Councilors receive a fixed annual salary and are entitled to immunity during their term in office. Similar to what evolved in Switzerland, councilors don't receive as many luxuries as do other world leaders (this stemming from the New Jersey Plan's goal of making a weaker executive branch). Councilors aren't entitled to a residency during their term in office and are not under constant protection and supervision (though they are entitled to request such protections when needed).

Legislative Branch


The legislative branch of New Netherland will be dominated by a Congress. As proposed by the New Jersey Plan, Congress will consist a single chamber where each state is granted equal say. Depending on specific legislation, member of Congress would either be required to vote as single states (a la the ) or would be able to vote individually (a la the ).

Unlike what was proposed under the New Jersey Plan, members of congress would be democratically elected (not appointed by state legislatures). Each state is divided single-member (called "congressional districts"), each with an equal population as the others within said state. Because each state is allowed equal representation, this has lead to the quirk that congressmen from the most populous state represent more people than would their colleague from the least populous state.

Each member of congress would be elected to serve a three-year term in office, with no term limits. Elections are held every three years, with all seats in congress up for election (just as with the ). Among the elected members of congress would be elected a speaker who would have the title of "President of the Congress" (or simply called the President). The president would be New Netherland's equivalent to a (whose title sounds too... European for me) and would effectively become the nation's de facto leader.

The president would be elected by the members of congress and would almost always be the leader of the ruling coalition or political party (as with other parliamentary systems). Some political parties (if not all) may have adopted a "primary system" where registered party members may select who they wish to lead their political party and (in the process) who would become the president in the even their party gains the government. Unlike the executive council or other members of congress, the president would receive a residency during his time in the presidency (the ). The president is entitled to appoint members to congressional cabinet (i.e., a ) who will work alongside the president (similar to the ).

New Political Parties

 * {{legend|brown|Farmers' Party &mdash;, }}


 * {{legend|green|Green Party &mdash;, }}


 * {{legend|teal|Liberty Party &mdash;, , }}


 * {{legend|purple|Long House Party &mdash;, }}


 * {{legend|orange|National Party (Know Nothings) &mdash; (Know Nothings) &mdash;, , , , }}


 * {{legend|black|People's Party &mdash;, , , , }}


 * {{legend|maroon|Progressive Party (Bull Moose) &mdash;, , }}


 * {{legend|grey|Reform Party &mdash;, , , , , , }}


 * {{legend|gold|Unity Party &mdash;, }}


 * Congressional Makeup (Current)


 * 430 congresspersons
 * 35 per state
 * 7 per territory and the Capital District
 * 3 for


 * Progressive Party


 * Leadership Ideas


 * Farmers' Party
 * Green Party
 * Liberty Party &mdash;
 * Long House Party &mdash; ?, ?
 * National Party &mdash;
 * People's Party &mdash;
 * Progressive Party &mdash;
 * Reform Party
 * Unity Party &mdash;

Politics by the States

 * Adirondack


 * Bioko


 * Capital District


 * Curazao


 * East Jersey


 * Fiji


 * Galapagos


 * Genessee


 * Hudson (New York)


 * Iroquois


 * Long Island

would likely be a Progressive haven, with the People's Party not too far behind. Suffolk may remain a conservative haven to this day, with the Liberty Party and the Unity Party holding much say. Queens (which would continue to include Nassau) would likely be a mix. All in all, I'd suspect LI to be considered a Swing State to some degree.


 * Micronesia


 * Niagara


 * Roosevelt

While likely to not be very active politically, the Antarctic territory would still be allowed representation in Congress. Given the environmental aspects and the desire to make a profit, I'd guess the Green Party and the Unity Party may hold dominance here (excluding the two major parties).


 * Schenectady (Saratoga)


 * Statia


 * West Jersey

Governments of Other Nations
With using the  as the basis for their government, this has also made my wonder what governments would be chosen in the remaining  and beyond. This will be my take on which structures these nations will take.

In OTL, it was the which form the main basis of government for the United States. The plan was very popular outside New Jersey and New York, and likely would be the basis for other nations. Given its namesake, I feel confident that would adopt this plan in full; as would, , and. Carolina and Pennsylvania (being federations) would be the only nations which would be able to follow the Virginia Plan as closely as possible. Under this plan, the nation is headed by a singular head of state (called a President), with a bicameral legislature with both houses proportioned by population. The upper house (Senate) would be appointed by the regions themselves and not elected by the people.

New England may be very unique compared to the other American Republics. Massachusetts was a populous state almost on par with Virginia, with the remaining states having low populations. Because of which, Massachusetts would've favored the Virginia Plan, while other (especially Connecticut) would've favored the New Jersey Plan. Ironically, New England may have the right atmosphere to adopt the (or Connecticut Plan) for their governmental structure. The compromise became what the United States adopted and continues to use today. Headed by a singular president and a bicameral legislature with a population-based lower house and an equal upper house. The only other nation which may have adopted the Connecticut Compromise would be Pennsylvania (likely pushed by Delaware). However, with the area of OTL Pennsylvania being divided into multiple states with (potentially) similar populations to that of Delaware, the Delawareans may be more accepting of using the Virginia Plan.

Speaking of Pennsylvania, they would very likely keep the if New Netherland adopts one. It may be restructured following the adoption of a new constitution, but would likely remain the same in many ways. The only other nation which may adopt a directorial system may be New England, but any such system would not be on par with it's southern neighbors. In OTL, New Hampshire and (similarly) Massachusetts (see ) have something similar to a directorial system to this day, and this system may be adopted nationwide. Under this "New England system," an executive council is selected to assist the President in many areas, but works separately from his cabinet. These councilors represent a specific district within the nation (something like congressional districts) and would be democratically elected by the residence of those districts. These districts would have equal populations and may cross state lines, but that's for another day.

Given their proximity and lack of any noteworthy alternatives, I suspect that and  would adopt a system comparable to that of Carolina (with some elements from the French revolutionaries). Cuba and Puerto Rico (if the later becomes independent, which it might) would likely follow a similar path.

The members of the United Commonwealth would no doubt follow that of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realm. Given good relations with New England, they may adopt some elements from them (particularly the Connecticut Compromise).

The Latin Republics may follow a similar path as OTL, though with more connections to that of Spain. As of right now (though still a WIP), California would adopt a unicameral legislature based on population (similar to that of Venezuela).

Departments of the College

 * "Defense" &mdash; defense, war, homeland security, veterans affairs
 * "Finance" &mdash; economy, treasury, trade, customs, commerce
 * "Foreign Affairs" &mdash; state
 * "Interior" &mdash; interior, labor, health, housing, transportation, communications, education
 * "Justice" &mdash; attorney general, policing


 * Candidates


 * Defense
 * Finance
 * Foreign Affairs
 * Interior
 * Justice
 * Interior
 * Justice
 * Interior
 * Justice
 * Justice
 * Justice

About the Territories of New Netherland

 * (Equatorial Guinea)


 * New Netherland purchases the territory from Spain in the 1880s. While the islands of and  would've been under control early on, the mainland regions of  would remain unorganized for much of the territory's early period. Much of the territory's economy is based on the agricultural sector (producing, , etc.), with the majority of this taking place on Bioko Island. Especially following the Great Depression, a wave of New Netherlanders moved to the territory in hopes for work, helping to increase the population.


 * Today, the populations of Annobon and Bioko have New Netherlander majorities (mostly whites). Rio Muni continues to have a native majority, though the coast has an extensive white minority (with urbanization projects taking place).


 * (Fiji and Tuvalu)


 * The territory includes the main and the  (Tuvalu). The territory also included, but these islands later became a protectorate. The population would retain a native majority, though with a larger white minority. Since the English would not claim the islands, I'm not too sure how large the  population would be (if at all).


 * (Galapagos Islands)


 * Purchased from Ecuador, the territory's initial goal was to act as a station for ships coming from and going to the . With no native population to speak of, New Netherlanders would be free to populate the islands. But due to the islands ecology and scientific importance, the government has limited the amount of expansion on the islands.


 * (Guam, Nauru, and the TTPI)


 * The islands would retain a native majority, with a large white minority (mostly centered in Guam).


 * (Antarctica)


 * Unlike OTL, Antarctica would be colonized and exploited, though it would be nothing like in Great White South. According to the following links, New Netherland's territory would include oil in the Amery Ice Shelf region. Mineral deposits of , , , , and can be found within the territory (perhaps even some  and ). Much of the early activity would've focused on  and.


 * In order to exploit these resources, a more permanent population would have to be established. The territory contains several "oases" within the territory, the largest of which is the . Given this areas central location and proximity to the oil regions, this area would likely become the economic and political center of the territory. It might also be interesting to see how the continent could be to be more habitable for the people living there.


 * It should be highly noted that while I sound enthusiastic about the prospects of this territory, it could only go so far. Any exploiting projects would be limited to how far technology can work in the Antarctic climate, and any population would likely be limited to those who work on these projects (not including scientists and those who truly like the cold). At the maximum, I don't think the population would surpass a few thousand people.

How Carolina Works
The following will be my personal attempt to work out how racial segregation would continue to shape the today. Chalk this up to either me being a New Yorker and growing up in the 1990s or me just being a (mostly) decent human being, but the concept of continued segregation blows my mind and is very troubling for me to work on. Because of which I hope to focus more on as many positives as there could exist in this scenario.



The first thing to note is that Carolina would continue to have slavery well beyond the 1860s. A domestic abolitionist movement would be limited, while international pressure can only go so far during this time period. I predict that slavery will end sometime between the 1890s and 1930s. A working scenario I have is that gradually diminishes for Carolina economy following the 1860s. begins to cooperate with the northern republics (especially ) and the British begin to move cotton production into Egypt and India. Combined with the rise of new technologies, cotton and the use of slave labor becomes less needed every passing year. The final nail in the coffin would be the infestation of the around the 1910s, which further destroys cotton productions for Carolina, with slavery coming to an end in the later half of the decade.

Though slavery is abolished on its own in Carolina, racism would still be ingrained in the Carolinian psyche. Much like OTL, the states adopt which virtually keep all Afro-Carolinians no better off than when they were slaves. They have no freedoms (treated as second-class citizens) and are expected to work or are criminalized (to put it bluntly). would become common in Carolina (like it was in the US OTL) and would expand to include both Blacks and poor Whites (these Whites would even make up the sharecropping majority in some states). These White sharecroppers would eventually form a solidarity with the Blacks, and both would form the core of a populist movement in Carolina. As the economy worsens (a ) and a lack of innovation in the nation, men like emerge as into the national spotlight. While it may be a stretch for Carolina, I would like to assume that these populists would also work to improve the lives of Afro-Carolinians. A compromise to this would be to implement a policy of (which is what we know as the ). This policy may be implemented nationally or remain local (with some areas even going as far to declare equality for all). and Tennessee seem to be the most likely states to go in this direction.



Regardless of what policy is chosen, I'd still predict that the of Afro-Carolinians would still take place. If the Carolinian mentality is this strong, I doubt they'd oppose an exodus (not like this is East Germany or anything). I can see large Afro-Carolinian diaspora living in British North America (Acadia and Canada), the Caribbean (British West Indies, ), Statia), (which would have a larger  population),, and the remaining American Republics ( and  especially).

While I doubt this would play a significant role in this timeline, I'd like to suspect that would play some role in Carolina policy. The biggest idea of which would propose the establishment of a Black-dominated nation where Carolina once was (the ). This idea would play out as the ultimate goal for hard core nationalist and as a rallying cry for white supremacists).

Dutch "Cape Colony"


With no Napoleonic Wars, the would get to keep their colony in the. Because of this, southern Africa would be completely different from OTL. The more noticeable difference is that there exists two territories in what is OTL South Africa. The Dutch keep the Cape Colony, while the British take. The British would also expand northwards into "Transvaal" (possibly named "Rhodesia") and the wealth it has.

The Dutch too would expand to their north into OTL Namibia. Those who do the colonization of this region would be the Boers. Unlike OTL, the Boers migrate away from Cape Town to secure farmland and to remain isolated (as opposed to getting away from British rule). They settle in the lower Orange River region (as opposed to the upper and Transvaal regions).

Similar to OTL, the "Cape Colony" would be populated by European settlers (known as ) and those of mixed decent. I'd also suspect that these groups would make up the majority of the region's population (making it more a unique region for Africa). Unlike OTL, the doesn't exist as a separate language. Instead would continue to be recognized (with Afrikaans being a unique dialect).

Independence?


Not too sure how well this will work out, but I see potential in the "Cape Colony" gaining independence as a republic by today.

The reasoning I have for this would be that the region gains independence around the same time as South Africa OTL (1950s). Those pushing for independence are those descended from the Boers in the north (who develop an independent mentality) and partially by those in Cape Town (similar to OTL). Much like OTL, I feel the people of the region would compare themselves more to the independent republics of the Americas than being a dominion of the Netherlands.

If independence is reached, I may rename the region the "Orange Free State" (in reference to the Orange River) and the political infrastructure is relocated to the north (a compromise capital).

I'd also suspect some form of being implemented in this region (regardless of independence), but the path this region takes (dominion of independence) would likely decide on whether Apartheid remains or is phased-out over time. With this as the case, I can see being a decent ally for the OFS (both being isolated and domestically questionable).

Counties of Virginia
When I became the caretaker of this timeline, many (including myself) assumed that Virginia would become a federation of states or (at the least) divided into states (much like that of its neighbors). But as the timeline began to be sorted out, it's become apparent that Virginia would actually be a with little difference between OTL Virginia. In a somewhat annoying way this does make sense, as Virginia (not to mention Maryland) would be the only colony/state which would go it alone, whereas the others would unite into regional nations (which would require federations). So the story should end here, with Virginia continued to be divided into counties and divided into much more of them with a larger area. But with this comes more confusion.

The first bit of confusion is that Virginia is unique within the United States for virtually allowing all its major cities to become independent from its surrounding county. Today there includes 38 independent cities of Virginia (along with 95 standard counties). This is one of the more confusing aspects of Virginia, and only makes it more frustrating to contemplate the inclusion of more cities from Kentucky et al.



I decided to do some research on this topic, but it leaves me with more questions than answers. The first tidbit was that these independent cities didn't become official until after the Civil War, but many had de facto independence since colonial times. The only reasonable answer I could find to explain why the independent cities came to be following the Civil War was (to keep things simple) because of Virginia's loss in the war. The explanation tells that Virginia supported rural communities and unincorporated the cities to allow these communities to not be sucked into these growing cities.

This explanation seems to be the best reason for me, but from a contemporary standpoint doesn't seem to fit. Most of the arguments against independent cities state that the rural areas have remained "too" rural, and lack many infrastructural necessities which the independent cities have more of. Pretty much that the rural and urban areas would make the county as a whole much better off. Combined with the fact that this only came about following their loss in the Civil War, I feel relieved to say that I will keep these cities included in their counties for this timeline.

But with one issue solved, another rises. This second issue is that both Kentucky and Virginia (Not to mention many Southern States) are notorious for having numerous small counties (both having about 100 counties each). This is a nightmare for a map maker like me, so I had to dig deeper to make myself satisfied. The best explanation I got for this phenomenon is ruralism once again. Having smaller counties was seen as a way to have average people feel more connected with their state. In particular, the argument states that having smaller counties would allow average people to be within a days travel (at the time) from the county seat.

Unlike independent cities, this explanation sits pretty well for me, and makes Virginia more uniquely Virginian. But this still makes the map making side very uneasy, especially since the counties north of the Ohio River would have to be redrawn to include this mentality (not to mention eliminating the borders of OTL). One idea I could do to solve this would be to eliminate the counties as the first-class subdivision and create something larger (like states or provinces which would still be part of a unitary state). But given the ruralism aspect and that Virginia was already dividing Kentucky into counties by the POD, I think this wouldn't sit well. I may establish larger regions which would play some role in Virginia by today, but they would not be a real subdivision (more like the ).

The only downside to having +300 counties is that there doesn't exist a real comparison from OTL. Texas is an okay comparison, but it has far less counties and a larger area than ATL Virginia. To some relief, I did stumble upon and its. Virginia would be twice the size of Uganda, but (2*2=4) and we get somewhere around Virginia's county number.

So as of now, the Commonwealth of Virginia will be a unitary state comprised of +300 counties. These counties are small and very local. These counties are divided into towns and cities. Many counties are included into larger regions, which only act as larger bodies to keep the counties connected with the national government in Richmond.

General Assembly of Virginia
The legislative body of the will be the. Following Virginia's independence, I feel the General Assembly (as well as the constitution) will be restructured. I feel it should be safe to assume that the would become the basis of the General Assembly. Under the Virginia Plan, the legislature is divided into two chambers, both proportioned based on population. The two chambers will be known as the House of Delegates and the Senate. Unlike the United States, Virginia would remain a. While subordinate to the national government, the counties will also act as constituencies under this plan.



The House of Delegates (lower house) will mimic the. Based on their population, each county will receive a set number of votes to send to the House (though each county may be entitled to at least one). Delegates to the House are democratically elected by the citizens living within those counties. The counties with multiple seats may be further divided into smaller constituencies to allow more regionalism, or the citizens of each county may vote on multiple delegates (I currently prefer the former). Each delegate is elected to serve a two-year term with no term limits. The House will be lead by a Speaker, who is elected among the delegates and is usually the leader of the governing party.

The Senate (upper house) will also be based on population (as opposed to equality as with the ). As with the House, each county will receive a set number of votes to send to the Senate, though the Senate will consist of far fewer seats than the House. Unlike the House or the US Senate, Virginian Senators are appointed (similar to what the US Senate was like prior to the adoption of the ). Since the counties hold no federal power, the county governments would not appoint Senators. Instead, it would be county officials (those who have a high standing within said county) who nominate candidates for the Senate, and are confirmed by the House. Each Senator is appointed to serve a six-year term with no term limits. The Senate will be lead by the Vice President of Virginia (to be known as the President of the Senate), regardless of party affiliation.

Given the likely political makeup of Virginia, I predict that the House of Delegates will fluctuate between conservative and liberal governments (potentially the opposite of which party the President is in), while the Senate may remain solidly conservative due to regional conservatism. (who would likely be Virginian) may be a member of the General Assembly to this day.

Russian Antarctica Idea
Not too sure this will work out (I want it to so thereby it won't). I would like to see the make a claim to Antarctica. Because... Russia (also the fact they discovered the continent). I was considering for a while that the best option for Russia would be to claim since the area is unclaimed (OTL), but it was assumed the the British would snatch it up.

In hopes of having this idea be possible, here is a potential timeline idea for a Russian Antarctic claim as it may play out.

Following British and New Netherlander claims to the continent, Russia begins to do the same. With no WWI or Revolution, it would be easy enough to do it. Russia lays claim to (for the most part) Alexander I Land, Peter I Island, and a chunk of the continent which would no doubt overlap some of the British claims.

As time moves on and the boundaries become standard, a treaty between the Brits and the Russians ends these disputes. In exchange for relinquishing claims to the area east of the 80th meridian (OTL BAT), the Russians would be able to expand westward to include all of Marie Byrd Land (with a small territory added to the Ross Dependency).

Russian Names for the American Republics
Because I'm bored and because I can.


 * &mdash; Каролинская Конфедерация
 * Karolina &mdash; Karolinskaya Konfyedyeratsiya


 * &mdash; Свободное Государство Мэриленд
 * Merilyend &mdash; Svobodnoye Gosudarstvo Merilyend


 * &mdash; Соединённые Штаты Новой Англии (С.Ш.Н.А.)
 * Novaya Angliya &mdash; Soyedinyonnyye Shtaty Novoy Anglii (S.Sh.N.A.)


 * &mdash; Соединённые Штаты Новых Нидерландов (С.Ш.Н.Н.)
 * Novyye Nidyerlandy &mdash; Soyedinyonnyye Shtaty Novykh Nidyerlandov (S.Sh.N.N.)


 * &mdash; Содружество Пенсильвании
 * Pensil'vaniya &mdash; Sodruzhyestvo Pensil'vanii


 * &mdash; Содружество Виргинии
 * Virginiya &mdash; Sodruzhyestvo Virginii

A Couple of Ideas to Work Out

 * By today, the is reorganized into a federation of equal members.


 * If not the governorates, than larger entities will be created which unifies several governorates together. These larger entities will be called "krais."


 * Without the famines and world wars of the 20th century, there may exist the possibility that the Russian people witness a population boom compared to OTL. The Russian Empire would have a larger population overall (though nowhere as large as the United Commonwealth).


 * Siberia could be much more developed than OTL, both in population and infrastructure. Dalny (or possibly "New Dalny") would become the Los Angeles of the Russian Empire.

Krais of the Russian Empire
As I currently have in mind, the would decentralize (or federalize) their territories by today, allowing the regions more autonomy. Rather than the governorates and oblasts having this power, a larger entity will be established which would combine these areas together. These areas will be known as krais, and would've evolved from the (also called ) which existed during the Russian Empire.

These krais would be structured similarly to the dominions of the. A will be appointed to act as the head of state and the vice-regal of that krai (pretty much what existed prior). The majority of the issues within these krais are done by means of a democratic legislature, headed by a premier.


 * General Ideas

The following are krai ideas which I believe are self-explanatory.


 * Alaska &mdash; and possibly parts of  and the.


 * Baltic &mdash; Much of and . (ru)


 * Poland &mdash; and possibly some (if not all) of.


 * Vague Ideas

The following are vague ideas which will have to be sorted out (just getting them out in the open).


 * Amur (or Primorie) &mdash;, the , , and parts of and.


 * Astrakhan &mdash; and more.


 * Baikal &mdash;, , and.


 * Bessarabia &mdash; and parts of the  (may be included in Novorossia).


 * Belorussia (or Belarus) &mdash; Much of.


 * Ciscaucasia (or Cossackia) &mdash; Southwestern (the Russian Caucasus).


 * East Turkestan (or Uyghuristan) &mdash; (see ).


 * Kamchatka &mdash;, , , and northern.


 * Kazan (or Tatarstan) &mdash; and more (see ).


 * Latvia &mdash; Much of (see ).


 * Malorossia (or Little Russia) &mdash;, , and much of northeastern (see ).


 * Manchuria &mdash; Northeastern (see ).


 * Mongolia &mdash; and possibly  and.


 * Novgorod (or Ingria) &mdash;, , and much of northwestern.


 * Novorossia &mdash; Southern and possibly the  (see ).


 * Pomorie (or Goluborossia) &mdash;, , , , and some more (see ).


 * Ruthenia &mdash; Western (see ).


 * Steppe &mdash; and northeastern.


 * Tobol (or Yugra) &mdash;, , and.


 * Transcaucasia (or Greater Armenia) &mdash;, , , and parts of and.


 * Velikorossia (or Muscovy) &mdash;, , and much of central (see ).


 * West Turkestan (or Turkestan) &mdash;, , , and (see ).


 * Yakutia (or Sakha) &mdash;.


 * Yenisei &mdash;.