Commonwealth of Susquehanna (1983: Doomsday)

The Commonwealth of Susquehanna, commonly called Susquehanna is a Pennsylvanian survivor nation in the northeast part of the former state. The name Susquehanna comes from the Len'ape word- Sisa'we'hak'hanna, meaning oyster river.

It is the only survivor state in former northeast PA after the union with Hazleton. It is the smallest organized nation in the former state.

Pre-Doomsday
The first major settlements in the Susquehanna River valley were Iroquois tribes constructing villages. They controlled much of the valley and traded plots of land to English traders. William Penn negotiated with the Iroquois to use the land between the Susquehanna and the Delaware Rivers for villages.

Connecticut had settlers in the Wyoming Valley and claimed the area as part of their state. Pennsylvania disputed this, leading to the Pennamite-Yankee Wars, with only three confirmed casualties. In the end, the federal government confirmed Pennsylvanian control over the land.

The river was vital during the coal boom, with rafts carrying the cargo downstream to Harrisburg, Baltimore and other cities to be sold. There was a small canal built in Danville to carry coal and iron to the river.

During World War I and World War II the communities supplies iron to the US Navy for shipbuilding as well as coal. Berwick PA had a plant constructing the M3 Lee light tank, Danville had a plant producing landing gear for the Wildcat fighter plane, and Hazleton had several areas making camouflage for the army.

After the war, the area suffed severe decline in industry and mining as companies moved to China, Mexico and areas with more mineral wealth.

A mine disaster leading to several dozen miners dying and the Susquehanna River flooding several feet underground. This disaster wiped out the little mining left.

By the time Doomsday came around the area was left with some aircraft parts manufacturers, heavy equipment part manufacturing, cloth and carpet manufacturing, a small chemical industry, and services.

Doomsday
On Doomsday, the town was not targeted. It was approximately 40 miles south west of Wilkes Barre/Scranton.

Many of the people in the area were watching the 35th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards when they received news of the war. People panicked and began to flee. The local governments moved police and fire departments out and attempted to contain the situation.

Before many people could flee Wilkes Barre or Scranton, or attempt to escape, the EMP blast struck the entire area, forcing people to flee on foot.

Radiation and fallout luckily missed the town due to wind that was blowing west at the time. The mayor and emergency teams received reports of the war. The town triggered air-raid sirens to evacuate the town. People panicked and attempted to evacuate. The interstate was soon clogged with people attempting to flee the town.

The citizens felt the impact as the bombs struck the cities of Wilkes Barre and Scranton. Many fled to the town fallout shelters or attempted to flee the town.

Post Doomsday
See: History of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna

Aftershock
After Doomsday, much of the population of Berwick, Bloomsburg and a few surrounding communities fled, fearing an explosion at the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station. The communities were spared from a flood of refugees due to similar concerns.

Approximately 10,000 people made it to any of the communities that make up the nation.

By early 1984, the population of Bloomsburg stood at around 4000; Berwick stood at 4500 and surrounding communities were at 10,000 people.

The mayors and town boards met to discuss the situation in October of 1983 to discuss the upcoming winter, food, electricity for the hospital, supplies and defense.

The towns begin to ration food and the Army National Guard unit (contingent of 250 men) begins to regularly patrol the area.

Scout groups sent to the ruins of Wilkes-Barre and Scranton found thousands of bodies on the roads and in the woods surrounding the cities.

Many skeletons in cars and other vehicles were found in a pile up about a mile outside of each respective city. Multiple small aircraft were found, normally surrounded by a burned out patch of land.

Several small aircraft crash-landed at Bloomsburg Municipal Airport and Hazleton Regional Airport. All were put into storage and some are being refurbished as money is made available.

Exploration
By spring, the population of the area had dwindled to less than 15,000 people. A group of civilians wanted to explore surrounding communities. A group of ten soldiers, a medic and 28 armed civilians begin to explore the surrounding communities and found Mount Carmel sacked and burned. The explorers estimated that less than 1200 people lived in the town under barbaric conditions. When the group attempted to enter the town, shots were fired at the group, so they left the area.

Next the explorers went to Elysburg and found the town still functioning, but in need of food and medical supplies. The travelers gave them food and water. The mayor of the town requested a meeting with the Mayor of Bloomsburg to discuss a possible union, although eventually they would separate and join State College.

Danville was found to have approximately 3000 survivors, but most living in poor conditions from the lack of sanitation, due to the sewage plant failing, flooding homes and the streets. By the early 1990's the population would drop even more. The community opted to join Bloomsburg as a temporary measure until contact was restored with the PA state government.

In late 1985 the leaders of the towns realized that there was no aid coming. Sparse reports from a salvaged HAM radio told them that the government had left the nation to go to Mexico, before the power for the radio was cut. Marauders were becoming a serious issue with several raids that heavily damaged Danville and Berwick.

A very basic population count showed approximately 60,000 people were left in Columbia and Montour counties, with over 20,000 having fled. Other population counts show what is now Sullivan County had lost several hundred, although refugees quickly increased those numbers. In modern Luzerne Territory showed over 5000 survivors, although time would slash that number in half.

Records from Hazleton and Wyoming County show that the population jumped to over 40,000 people in modern Wyoming County, although as with others, disease, rioting and starvation would cut nearly 10,000 people over time.

Starvation
One major issue that came to light immediately after Doomsday was food, water and medical care. Most of the stores had been raided immediately as soon as the power was cut. The towns that would form Susquehanna handled the situation in different ways.

Bloomsburg immediately sent police and guards to protect the stores from looters, then rationed the food until springtime, but that led to many deaths anyway, cutting the population down by quite a bit.

It is believed that Danville lost control of the situation and the town collapsed after the power was cut.

All of the stores in Berwick were looted with the police unable to stop it and in some cases, joining in. That led to a severe food shortage, and less than a quarter of the population lived to see the new year.

After a rough winter, the population in the area had plummeted due to starvation, hypothermia and fleeing refugees.

Although the summer was hotter than usual, this prevented flooding from occurring. By 1985, the communities had enough food to support the population and even store food for the winter.

This helped calm the region down after the difficult winter and prepare for years to come.

Decisions
The towns had not formed any government, having each town like a small city-state. Each had farms and a militia for defense, but they were lacking many supplies. Most towns only traded food and occasionally ammunition, but acted independent of one another.

In 1991 several influential members from each community met to discuss the possibility of uniting. After a year long debate, they agreed to hold a referendum to the people.

In late 1993 the mayors and town councils met and put up a referendum for the people.

New Union
Each town voted whether to unify and declare independence from the United States and secede, declare independence as a provisional government, or remain at status quo. The voted were overwhelmingly to form a provisional government.

On July 4th, 1991 the Provisional Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was formed as a successor state to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The towns unified into the previous county structure, with several towns repopulated and redesign several communities provisional county seats until future plans could be organized. The capitol city was voted as Bloomsburg since it had the most infrastructure and was centrally located.

Also, the new government issued eminent domain noticed to the residents of Centralia in 1997 to leave their homes and be resettled in Danville, or be forced out and not be given a new home. All but 12 residents opted to leave voluntarily. The rest were removed by the militia and police.

The communities still had relatively little control over territory between them besides some farms and roadways that were patrolled constantly.

New Year
By the turn of the millennium, the provisional commonwealth had managed to acquire enough food and farms to be self-sufficient and surplus for storage and trade. Many people were curious about the outside world and two expedition groups had been sent out earlier.

On July 28th, 2000; after fighting the fire for two years off and on again, the Centralia mine fire was extinguished, saving a large coal deposit. The only problem was all the remaining diesel fuel was used and the five 1980's fire engines were ruined. On September 1st, 2005 the citizens of Centralia moved back home after reconstruction of the community in the safe sections. It is now the 10th most populated city in the Commonwealth.

Outside Contact
In mid 1999 after eradicating small gangs in the area, an exploration unit of ten men using two pre-Doomsday improvised armored cars, was sent west. They were given a radio unit and rifles. Another team of six were sent south by foot. In early 2000 the southward group had returned, after discovering the nation of Reading. Areas south between the provisional government and Reading was sketchy with warlords and gangs dominating the area.

By late 2000, the second group had returned after discovering State College and North Pennsylvania. These discoveries excited the people that there were other survivor states in the former nation of the USA.

After the success of the two expeditions, three more larger teams were formed in 2003, each with twenty men, and given the few working cars and assorted weapons and food supplies. They were also given orders to scavenge whenever possible. The teams were named Expedition North Expedition South, and Expedition East.

Expedition North headed from Bloomsburg through Columbia County north, and went through State College. Once leaving State College and refueling their vehicles, they entered into unclaimed territory. The team was attacked by a group of raiders and lost one man. They were able to drive off the enemy, but were more wary as they continued.

On August 3rd, 2003 the expedition encountered a group of militiamen from a nation claiming to be from Binghamton, New York. They were taken to the city, and met with the leaders. They stayed in the city until October 12th, discussing trade agreements. But there were no embassies exchanged or anything because of distance. Then the team left for Ithaca, New York after Binghamton radioed ahead. North left in the morning and arrived at Ithaca in the late afternoon after having to abandon one of the cars which died.

Independence
But many were saddened to hear the news in early 2004 that the United States of America in-exile had dissolved in the late 1990's. When this new reached the ears of the Provisional Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government, they officially formed the Commonwealth of Susquehanna, with the namesake being the Susquehanna River, a vital waterway in the nation.

In January of 2005, the provisional government ordered the drafting of a new constitution to replace the US and PA constitution that the provisional nation had been using since its inception.

On September 12, 2005 the government of the Provisional Commonwealth of Pennsylvania officially retired the American Flag and Pennsylvania State Flag and raised the Commonwealth of Susquehanna Flag. It was a yellow flag with a blue vertical bar on either end and the former Pennsylvania State flag emblem emblazoned in the center of the yellow. The provisional governor, vice governor and county commissioner for each represented county signed the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna.

The fledgling nation also recognized State College as the successor state to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Today, though, the American Flag is flown on July 4th, alongside the former Pennsylvanian State Flag and alone on September 23 at half staff to honor the victims of the Third World War and Doomsday. Susquehanna's citizens know the importance of the flag, and the older generation still feel American, but the younger generation have lost that identity.

New Industry
In 2008 after eradicating gangs to the west (With aid, weapons and support from State College), the Commonwealth begin to invest heavily in repairing infrastructure, industry and communications. The first coal mine opened in March of 2009 and the first iron mine in June of the same year.

The Montour Coal Power Plant had been abandoned after Doomsday but, after looking into it, much of the equipment is still there. Work is gaining speed and is expected to start production in the next few years, with full power production by the mid 2020's.

As more money is available the government is slowly repairing what it can in the nation. The first revitalization project was the railroads, with most of them being intact.

Roadways have not reached pre-Doomsday levels of quality, and many are being replaced with gravel and dirt. This should make them easier to maintain and easier for horses and wagons which are more common today.

New Flag
In 2013, the government decided that the old flag no longer represented Susquehanna completely, and decided to hold a contest to replace it. There were four entries into the contest. On June, 2014 the new flag was unveiled and replaced the old flag. A runner up was chosen by the Defense Forces as a replacement for the old flag. It was selected because it will be easier for soldiers to distinguish the flag.

Geography
Susquehanna is bisected by the Susquehanna River. Most of its geography is within the Far East part of the Appalachian mountains, with the majority of the communities in the lower valleys. The area has rich, fertile soil with rolling hills that are heavily wooded.

The area sits over the Utica Shale which is relatively rich in natural gas. Sullivan County, parts of northern Columbia County, and parts of northern Luzerne County are over the Marcellus Shale.

Most of the nation is mountainous with valleys carrying rivers. There are some flatter parts especially in northern Montour County.

Demographics
In the constitution, the government must take a census every five years starting in 2005. The census taken in 2010 shows that there were 26,666 citizens in the Commonwealth. It is estimated that there are 57,102 people in the nation, after the union with Hazleton, using census counts from 2010.

The next census is scheduled for 2015, and results are expected by the start of the year. Most experts believe that the nation will break the 60,000 mark, and maybe even the 65,000 point.

Including territory Susquehanna claims, the nation has an additional population of approximately 3,000 survivors scattered around the rest of Luzerne County and another 500 scattered around the rest of Sullivan County. There is no control over these territories to date.

Currently, the nation has a low population density of people per sq mi. Much of the population resides in the countryside tending farms and livestock. The most densely populated city is Hazleton, with most of Wyoming County's population residing in the capital. It is estimated Susquehanna has a population growth of 3-4% each year.

There has been a boom in immigration from other nations including Canada and State College as businesses take advantage of Susquehanna's low taxes and relatively open trade routes.

Most of the minority groups live in Hazleton, with it being a modern urban city.

English is the most widely spoken language as well as the official language of Susquehanna. German is becoming more common with a fairly high Amish population. There are attempts by the Amish population to add German as another official language. Spanish is a small portion of spoken language, being more common in Hazleton.


 * Racial Makeup
 * 95% White
 * 2% Black
 * 1% Asian
 * 2% Other


 * Ethnic Groups
 * 34% German
 * 21% Polish
 * 17% Irish
 * 12% Italian
 * 7% English
 * 4% Ukrainian
 * 1.7% African American
 * 0.7% Hispanic
 * 0.4% Chinese
 * 0.3% Korean
 * 0.2% Indian
 * 0.1% Vietnamese
 * 1.6% Other

Municipality Classification
Under Susquehanna national law, are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, towns, boroughs, and townships. There is only one example of both city or town in the nation. The most common municipality is township.

There are forty-nine townships, seventeen boroughs, one town, and one city in Susquehanna. None of them go by an official population count, but instead use the pre-Doomsday Pennsylvanian classification. There are talks of reclassifying each type of community. A proposal is 20,001 and up are cities, between 9001 and 20,000 would be towns, boroughs would be in between 1000 and 9000 people, and villages under 999 citizens. Townships would be any other division, that would be larger than a borough or town, but have a smaller population than a city.

Largest Communities
With the massive destruction on Doomsday, most of the largest cities in Pennsylvania were destroyed. The largest cities in the region, Wilkes Barre and Scranton were both directly struck with nuclear bombs although Hazleton was spared. Overall, these are thought to be the ten largest cities in Susquehanna. Hazleton, at the time of Doomsday, was the seventeenth largest city in Pennsylvania. It is the only pre-Doomsday city under Susquehanna's control. Bloomsburg was the only town in Pennsylvania prior to Doomsday and the only one in Susquehanna.

Ten largest Communities in Susquehanna:

Tallest Buildings
Susquehanna is not a nation known for large skyscrapers. All of the buildings are small structures with only a handful towering past 100 feet high. None of the current buildings is considered a skyscraper, but the top four buildings are high rises and the rest are low rise buildings. The list does not include planned construction, towers, or other uninhabited structures.

There are four cooling towers at each of the power plants, which are the four tallest structures.

List of the Ten Tallest Buildings in the Commonwealth Susquehanna

Growing and Future Communities
Bloomsburg and Hazleton are two of the fastest growing communities in Susquehanna. Millville has slowly grown as well, and Danville has an average growth rate comparable to the national average. Bloomsburg, being the capital attracts people moving into Susquehanna due to the smaller community feel, but the better availability for jobs and close location to stores and businesses.

Hazleton will continue to expand and possibly absorb some surrounding communities. West Hazleton is already considered a suburb of the city, and it may be absorbed next year.

There are talks with the city of Nanicoke, although due to the lack of organized government this is difficult. The city has a small population, many who had scattered to the woods after Doomsday, and moved back to the city. No official census has ever been taken of Nanticoke, but the estimated population is approximately 1200 to 1300 people.

It is likely that the city will either be absorbed into Susquhanna or the population relocated. Most of the current population lives on the side furthest away from Wilkes Barre, due to the lack of damage.

Both Wilkes Barre and Scranton were hit by smaller nuclear weapons. Wilkes Barre, hit three minutes after Scranton, took a hit from a 250 kiloton nuclear warhead, which detonated over North End. Some experts in Susquehanna believe that the bomb was suppose to target the downtown, but electromagnetic interference and shockwaves caused the bomb to veer northeast.

Scranton which was struck first, had a 250 kiloton nuclear bomb detonate just north of the downtown. The bomb severely damaged the downtown, flattening most of it, and destroyed most of the outskirts.

Some government officials want to rebuild Wilkes Barre or Scranton, although it is an unrealistic goal. More than likely the two cities will be be abandoned and go back to nature. Currently it is looking like eventually Hazleton will replace Scranton and Wilkes Barre both architecturally and economically.

Overflights of the cities have shown heavy damage, with portions of the Susquehanna forming radioactive lakes in the craters of the nuclear blasts. Radiation levels have dropped below lethal levels as of 2010, but there is an official travel ban on that area. The military has sent small scouting expeditions into the suburb regions.

A handful of survivors live around the ruined cities, but the cities themselves are abandoned. Susquehanna plans on analysing radioactivity in 2020, and want to begin cleanup of the area and salvage by 2050,

Government
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna is a democratic republic, with the government operating under an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch. Surprisingly, the nation never went through a period of authoritarian control. This is primarily due to the communities strong bond prior to Doomsday, the people and government working together, and strong, but civilian oriented law enforcement and militia. The government has a governor as the head of government. The Senate and House of Representatives are the legislative bodies, called the General Assembly, and a Supreme Court as the Judiciary.

Executive Branch
The Governor heads the executive branch wielding much of the power that the former President of the United States would have wielded, including the ability to declare war, sign bills into laws, pardon criminals and other duties. He may serve for two terms of five years each.

The Lieutenant Governor can take over the power of the governor if he becomes incapacitated or dies in office. If the Lieutenant Governor serves over one-half of the term replacing the governor, he is only eligible for one re-election term.

Elections for the seat of Governor are held every five years and the next one is due in 2015.

The current governor is Lou Barletta, who was elected in 2010. Barletta happened to be in the area on that fateful day. He was out visiting a construction site near Bloomsburg. When reports of a nuclear strike came in, they all fled to fallout shelters.

In the late 1990's, Lou Barletta decided to run for office as a representative on the town council of Bloomsburg. After successfully convincing many government officials that forming a successor state to a nonexistent nation was not treason, he became the head of the new legislative body. In 2010, after polls showed his popularity, he ran for and was successfully elected governor.

There are talks of changing the names of the executive branch leadership to the President and Vice President. This would be to show that Susquehanna is a truly independent nation.

Cabinet Departments
There are several Cabinet Departments within the government. The people elect in the Secretaries and the Senate and Courts must approve their inauguration.

List:
 * Attorney General
 * Department of Agriculture, Safety and Commerce
 * Department of Defense
 * Department of Education
 * Department of Infrastructure and Public Development
 * Department of State
 * Department of Treasury

Legislative Branch
The Senate and House of Representatives are the two legislative bodies in the General Assembly.

The Senate is headed by the Lieutenant Governor and retains the same powers as the pre-Doomsday USA and Pennsylvanian Senate, including. There are two seats allotted per county and one for the Luzerne Territory, giving a total of 11 Senators.

They are elected every five years, staggering them so one half of the Senators are up for election each year. There is no term limit.

The House of Representatives is headed by the Speaker of the House the legislative branch of the Commonwealth, with one member per 2000 citizens in each county rounded to the closest number and a minimum of three members. There are 33 members as of 2012. They may serve for up to three consecutive terms of five years. Luzerne County is given two representatives.

Gubernatorial Line of Succession

 * Lieutenant Governor
 * President Pro Tempore
 * Speaker of the House
 * Secretary of State
 * Attorney General
 * Secretary of Defense
 * Secretary of Treasury
 * Secretary of Infrastructure and Public Development
 * Secretary of Agriculture, Safety and Commerce
 * Secretary of Education

Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch is arranged similar to the court system of Pennsylvania, with a bench of three Supreme Court judges, elected by the House of Representatives. They may serve for five years, then be approved by the Senate for another five, after which the people must approve of them and they may serve for an additional fifteen years.

Each county maintains their own county court for domestic disputes, theft, child custody arrangements, robbery, threats, assault, and other such types of cases.

The Commonwealth of Susquehanna Supreme Court handles larger cases, such as murder, armed robbery, terrorism, theft of military equipment, rape, and other types of larger scale crime. The Supreme Court also handles appeals from the county court level.

The nation has abolished the death penalty in most cases in favor of life in prison with hard labor. Life in prison has a different meaning in Susquehanna. There is no possibility of parole and unless found medically ineligible, they are sentenced to hard labor. That includes repairing infrastructure, working in contaminated environments, building roads, bridges and other structures and any other task needed to be performed that is dangerous for most people to do it. The only crime punishable by death is sexual offenses.


 * Judges
 * Thomas Vanaskie (Chief Justice)
 * Joe Torsella
 * Tarah Toohil

Political Parties
The Commonwealth has two major political parties and several smaller minority parties. Unlike pre-Doomsday, minority party candidates stand a better chance of winning positions in the government. Also there is quite a bit of cooperation between the parties.

There are 37,892 voting age citizens in Susquehanna. 35,469 are registered to vote and on average 90% turn out on Election Day.

Interestingly enough, the politicians' salaries are chosen by the people per county, as counties are responsible for their politicians salaries. Lowest salary is $548 to the Senators in Sullivan County and the highest is $1,963 to the Representatives for Columbia County. Most politicians hold other jobs, or own businesses. Many are ordinary citizens.


 * Majority Parties
 * Republican Party: Largest political party, and a continuation of the pre-Doomsday party. They follow a conservative political view believing in free market, small government aid, and low or no corporate taxes. They have 43% of the citizen population who can legally participate in the elections.
 * Democratic Party: Second largest political party, and continuation of the pre-Doomsday party. Follow a liberal standpoint, welfare programs for the poor, high corporate taxes and strong government regulations and laws. 39% of voting age citizens are registered as Democrats.


 * Minority Parties
 * Libertarian Party: This party has 16% of the population, and has seen some growth in recent years. They advocate limited government interference in people's lives, leaving decisions, such as gun ownership and retirement security in the people's hands to prevent corruption and greed.
 * Unionist Party: Follows moderate political views. This party stresses reunification with the United States or a Pennsylvania successor state as soon as possible, citing the small size of the nation, lack of modern infrastructure, small military and the fact that the nation is smaller than many states. There are 1% voting citizens as registered Unionist. The party is shrinking as the younger generations join the Republican, Democratic, or Libertarian parties.
 * Commonwealth Party: This party is seen as the successor to the former Social Democratic USA Party, and criticized as no different than the Soviet Union. Advocates push for free health care, and a strong, nationalized industry. This party is very small with 1% of voting age citizens registered as a Socialist. Some of the younger generation has joined, but it is possible that it will collapse in coming years.

Elections
2005 Commonwealth of Susquehanna National Elections

2010 Commonwealth of Susquehanna National Elections

2015 Commonwealth of Susquehanna National Elections

Susquehanna has had two elections since its foundation in 2005, the 2005 and the 2010 elections. The 2005 elections were the first national elections, with John Gordner (R), the provisional governor, winning reelection. But the Democrats gained a majority in both the House and the Senate. Interestingly enough, all the political parties worked together for the most part.

Due to the difficulty of travel in the country, the elections are held every five years for all federal positions, and as often as counties and towns feel is neccessary. Elections are held the second Saturday in June. Originally, for several years after Doomsday when elections could be held, they were in November, but after the signing of the Constitution, the date was moved to June due to the snow in the winter.

Voters must be 18 years of age at the time of the elections, and be a natural born citizen of Susquehanna, or lived in the United States seventy years prior to Doomsday.

Unlike the former state of Pennsylvania, Susquehanna has open elections. This means that voters can choose anyone from any party for the government, rather than locked into their own party.

The Saguenay War had a large impact on the 2010 elections, with all parties debating over the war.

National Symbols (Italics indicates post Doomsday addition)

 * Animal- White Tail Deer
 * Beverage- Old Forge Beer
 * Fish- Bluegill
 * Flower- Mountain Laurel
 * Game Bird- Turkey
 * Tree- Eastern Hemlock

Political Divisions


Susquehanna is divided politically into counties, territories, and unorganized territory. There are five counties, one federal district, one territory, and two unorganized territories. On October 15th the government agreed to separate Bloomsburg from Columbia County. This means that Berwick is now the capital of Columbia County, and there will be an adjustment to the legislative branch next year.

The primary use of counties is for elections, and for borders of police, fire, and resuce units. For the most part, they serve little political purpose.

The population is at 25% of the pre-Doomsday population in 2010, in all but Sullivan and Wyoming County, as of the 2010 census.

Counties
Counties are the main division in the Commonwealth. They serve as administrative regions similar to states in the former United States. There are five counties in Susquehanna.

Federal District
The Federal District is a separated political entity from the Counties. It is to prevent government officials from favoring one county over another. The district only covers the jurisdiction of the town of Bloomsburg.

Controversy

There are some in the government who want to construct a designated capital city for the Commonwealth so that way it will be outside of any county permanently. This would put an enormous strain on the budget and there are no plans to do so.

The only thing that has been done is surveying a piece of property that could be a possible replacement. There are also some who want to move the capital to Hazleton due to its size and location. Most likely the capital will remain in Bloomsburg for the community's stability and central location.

Territories
There is one territory in Susquehanna. It is currently going through a review process for possible admission by 2015 into the Commonwealth. Territories receive representation in the General Assembly, and are put into the draft, but do not pay taxes, and do not get to vote in the national elections.

Unorganized Territories
Ironically, unorganized territories are legal divisions of Susquehanna. The major difference is, they do not receive any representation in the General Assembly, or the ability to choose their own County Commissioner. The House chooses a Commissioner. Population is not included in the census, although the people are still counted. The people living in the unorganized territories are exempt from the draft, but may not vote. They do not have to pay any taxes either.

Currently Carbon Territory is under military rule until the raiders are mopped up. Although Mahoney has only been around for a year, it has stabilized enough that it will be upgraded to Territory status in June of 2015. Most likely Butler will be upgraded in June of 2016 because it has been reforming and rebuilding.

The unorganized territories have only recently been formed, and are expected to either be incorporated into neighboring counties, or become territories of their own.

Economy
See: Companies in the Commonwealth of Susquehanna

Agriculture
Much of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna's economy is based around agriculture, there being 6,000 estimated workers employed. Many of the products stay within the nation, although there is an increasing amount of exports.

It is by far the most important sector of the economy of Susquehanna.

Agricultural Products
 * Apples
 * Barley
 * Blackberries
 * Cherries
 * Corn
 * Cotton
 * Grapes
 * Peaches
 * Potatoes
 * Rasberries
 * Strawberries
 * Wheat

Manufacturing
There is a small, but growing manufacturing industry. Unlike most nations, factories and industrial centers are scattered around the country, mainly located around rail lines and roadways. One construction company operates, mainly doing work on national infrastructure.

Most of the industry left is light manufacturing, or metal production. There is talks of reopening the former TRW plant and Smith's Machine Works in Danville. Prior to Doomsday, both facilities manufactured mechanical parts.

Smith's produced ball bearings and small metal parts for light and heavy aircraft. TRW manufactured parts for automobiles, including carburetors, valves, pistons, and piston rings.

There are talks with Toledo and North Pennsylvania to reopen TRW and manufacture automotive parts for the Jeep plant at a lower cost. Susquehanna is considering manufacturing parts for the Canadian aerospace industry.

Due to high start up cost, this will most likely not occurs until the 2030's to 2040's.

Susquehanna is also considering reopening Merck. All they need is chemical suppliers and a buyer. The equipment stored there is all mechanical with few electronics. After Doomsday, Susquehanna stripped any useful equipment from the facility.

Industrial and Manufactured Products
 * Carpet
 * Concrete
 * Fertilizer
 * Iron
 * Railroad T-Rails
 * Steel

The Commonwealth is a steel producer in the region with the Danville Steel Mills producing railroad tracks, and other products. Much of the coal is mined in Mount Carmel. Although the facility is operational, it produces a small amount of steel per year, with much of it going to repairing crippled infrastructure from Doomsday. Analysts believe that the Commonwealth will not be up to levels enough to export for several more years.

The mills opened in 2010 after a collaboration came between some engineers from the Commonwealth with the knowledge of the mills operation, money from State College investors, and equipment purchased from North Pennsylvania. The plans to reopen the steel mills had been made in 2001 and much of the time had been waiting for North Pennsylvania to be able to produce the needed machinery.

Geisinger Health System which owns a hospital in Danville, and several outpatient clinics in Berwick, Danville and other communities employs a large majority of the population not in farming.

Another large section is snacks. The Wise Foods Incorporated survived Doomsday, and was repaired in 2011 by several entrepreneurs who also restarted Catawissa Bottling Company in late 2009.

Cabinet Industries, based in Danville produces wooden furniture for the nation, and has recently begun exports.

There are several future plans for the Commonwealth of Susquehanna. The construction of a natural gas processing failility is on its way to completion, using piping and equipment purchased from Canada and the Celtic Union.

To provide power to the government, military, industry, and radio, the government refurbished by hand 50 gas generators that were converted to natural gas. On the former Merck property, there were two generators. They both individually provided 500 MW of power to the factory. The Commonwealth has managed, by stripping apart the other unit, to bring one back on line and placing it in the Danville Steel Mills.

The nation has a low tax rate due to a small government and the lack of major imports and exports. Most businesses employ between ten and 60 employees, although some larger farms employ several hundred seasonally.

Major Employers
 * Bloomsburg Silk Mills
 * Commonwealth of Susquehanna
 * Danville Steelworks
 * Geisinger Health System
 * Hazleton Textile Mills
 * Krum's Orchard
 * Mariano Construction Inc
 * Montour Concrete Manufacturers
 * Red Deer Farm
 * Susquehanna Bank and Finance
 * Weis Markets
 * Wise Foods Incorporated

Exports and Imports
The nation has only recently begun trade with foreign nations, mainly focusing on internal needs and affairs. But with recent private enterprises springing up, exports have become more common.

Importing has been done since contact was made with outside nations. It has picked up in recent years.

Exports
Susquehanna only exported 16 million dollars worth of goods. Most of the money came from foodstuff and corn, with natural gas only bringing in 100,000 USD.


 * 1. Foodstuff
 * 2. Corn
 * 3. Lumber
 * 4. Textiles
 * 5. Coal Husk
 * 6. Maple Syrup
 * 7. Snack Foods
 * 8. Limestone
 * 9. Beverages (Wine, Soda, Beer)
 * 10. Natural Gas

Imports
Susqehanna imports approximately 10 million dollars worth of goods per year. Most of it is gas and fuel products for the few remaining vehicles. All the imports are heavy equipment, raw materials, power, or fuel.


 * 1. Gasoline
 * 2. Refined Natural Gas
 * 3. Military Hardware
 * 4. Heavy Machinery
 * 5. Electricity
 * 6. Raw Materials (i.e: Copper, Steel, Cobalt)
 * 7. Gravel
 * 8. Mining Equipment
 * 9. Farming Equipment
 * 10. Diesel

Gross Domestic Product and Per Capita GDP
Susquehanna has a small economy, with a Gross Domestic Product of approximately 100 million dollars per year. That is at the same level as some pre-Doomsday Pacific island nations. The Per Capita GDP is $1,751.25 per year in each household.

Overall, Susqehanna is a poor nation due to its recent formation, and lack of mm inning and operational manufacturing equipment. It is expected to slowly improve over the next century with aid from surrounding communities and Canada.

Currency
As of 2014, Susquehanna has no national currency, instead relying on old US dollars and State College bills for cash transactions. Most other business is done through barter. There are talks of purchasing custom plates and printing equipment to make their own currency.

This would be under the Department of Treasury, and planned bills would be called Susquehanna dollar. The symbol is designed C-S $. There will be circulation denominations of C-S $1, C-S $2, C-S $5, C-S $10, C-S $20, and C-S $50 bills. The government has three additional bills planned for bank use only. They are C-S $100, C-S $500, and C-S $1000.

The Department of Treasury has facilities in Hazleton that they are adapting as needed.

Natural Resources
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna is lucky enough to have a large deposit of natural resources at its disposal. The major issue in the nation is removing them from the ground. Coal is mined in Schuykill County, Northumberland County, and Columbia County. Iron is mined in Montour and Columbia County. Limestone is quarried in parts of Montour and Columbia County, as well as portions of the Luzerne Territory.

Several experts estimate that Susquehanna has access to as much as 3.1 billion tons of coal are accessible to Susquehanna, and if the nation can gain the rest of Luzerne County, there could be as much as 5.6 billion ton.

Most of the iron left in the area is hard iron ore that is difficult to mine, and only has about 30% recovery rate. The other type is soft iron, which is easier to mine, but much more difficult to find, as most had been removed in the 1870's-1890's during the previous iron boom. It is estimated by the government that there is 20 million tons of soft iron and upwards of 450 million tons of hard iron, although only about a quarter of the hard iron is able to be extracted with the current technology.

There is only limited mining due to the lack of major mining technology. In recent years there has been purchases and imports of equipment from Joy Mining Company. Susquehanna will need to mine approximately 5900 tons of coal per day in the summer and 7000, tons of coal in the winter to keep up with demand. At that rate, the coal will last over 400,000 years.

There is a shortage of oil in the country, with all supplies being imported from North Pennsylvania. But natural gas is in abundance. The government operates one drill in northern Columbia County, and has plans for two more to supply vehicles. Most of the newer vehicles and aircraft operate on natural gas, with oil being used in some older vehicles that cannot be modified.

Iron is processed into steel at the Danville Steel Mills, and is shipped out by rail to Bloomsburg to a storage facility.

There are an assortment of other minerals left, including quartz, salt, clay, gravel, and small quantities of granite.

Agriculture and Food
Immediately following Doomsday, food and drink became of vital importance to the survivors of Doomsday. The police and various other groups defended stores and warehouses to prevent raids by desperate people.

Today, agriculture is the most vital industry for the Commonwealth. It produces all of the food needed in the nation, plus a surplus to trade and sell. In recent years it has begun trade with Virginia and other southern nations for more variety in the availible food crops.

Grains
As in many newly formed nations, people were concerned about the radiation content of soil in eastern Columbia County, so for years following Doomsday, most of the cereal crops grown came from Montour County and western Columbia County. In recent years though, corn crops have been grown in eastern Columbia.

Corn is the most common grain in the Commonwealth. It is sold and consumed in many different forms. The most common following Doomsday was as a porridge or a dish similar to cream of wheat. Today, most of the corn is consumed as bread, muffins, and porridge.

Barley and wheat are the two other cereal crops grown in the nation. Although, unlike corn, it has not rise to pre-Doomsday consumption rates. Wheat bread is too expensive for many people to afford, so it is mainly consumed by the wealthy.

Potatoes
Potatoes was the crop that nearly saved the nation from collapse. As the end of winter came in 1983, food supplies got dangerously low. A man suggested planting potato eyes in decontaminated soil, then after placing them in underground caves, using wood fires to keep them warm. Each bed was pushed out for a bit each day to receive sunlight.

Today, it is widely consumed, mainly baked or mashed. The potato is a relatively cheap food, and many can afford to grow them, and store them in dry cellars.

Wise Foods Incorporated purchases most unconsumed potatoes to use in their potato based products.

Sweet potatoes, also known as yams are grown on two farms in the nation. They are expensive to purchase, but are slowly becoming more popular. Many eat them baked, or boiled.

Fruits
Immediately following Doomsday, many fruits were consumed within days to prevent them from spoiling. Unfortunately, since Doomsday, the only fruits grown in Susquehanna on a large scale are apples, peaches, grapes, tomatoes, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, and raspberries. Pears and blueberries have become scarce, with few of them grown in the nation due to easier crops being grown. Meanwhile, bananas, and other tropical fruits have become unheard of, simply because it is too expensive to purchase them.

Krums Orchard, based in Catawissa, Columbia County is the primary fruit grower, with 500 acres of property. They grow 1/4 of the nation's fruit per year.

Vegetables
As with staple fruits, many vegetables that were easily grown became commonplace at the dinner table.

Today, vegetables such as lettuce, green peppers, hot peppers, dandelions, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower are the only vegetables produced or eaten in the nation.

Most families have a small vegetable patch and a storage cellar to keep them over the winter.

They are one of the cheapest foods, and many large farms in the nation grow them, being the second largest crop behind corn.

Farmers in the nation use natural ways to prevent insects, and animals from eating their crops. Many are transported by wagon to the towns.

Meats
Meat was a vital staple after Doomsday, proving to be a moral booster as well as an excellent source of protein. Much of the meat immediately after Doomsday was chicken, beef (from slaughtered dairy cows), venison, and house pets.

Today, chicken and venison are the primary meats served at a meal. Beef cattle are also raised, but in smaller quantities than prior to Doomsday. Many hunt with bows, and crossbows, so there is a variety of wild game at markets and in the store.

Red deer from the Rolling Hills Red Deer Farm are a vital source of meat to the nation. They keep between 200 and 300 deer at all times. Deer are bred to keep a large population. They graze the grass as well as receive plant scraps from local homes and rotten fruits and vegetables from local farmers.

Milk and Eggs
Milk mainly comes from family owned goats, although there is a small goat milk industry, bottling about 100 bottles per day. There is no more cow milk since all milk cows were slaughtered for food after Doomsday. Most milk farmers have transitioned the cheaper, more efficient goats.

Eggs are common in Susquehanna, being a cheap proteins source for poorer families. Many own one or two egg laying chickens. The Amish are the primary egg producer in Susquehanna.

Honey and Sugar
There are several farms that raise bees in Susquehanna, and collect both honey and bees wax. The honey is packaged either by hand at the farm, stored in wood barrels and sold to companies or exported.

It is common in households due to it being a low cost item.

Sugar is not sold to the public. Catawissa Bottling Company grows sugar beets to use in its soda, as it can be grown year round in a greenhouse, and it is cheaper than importing sugarcane.

Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup is a commodity in Susquehanna, being labor and time intensive to produce. There are small bottlers around the nation, and produce approximately 100 tons per year. Many are sold outside the country, being a major export. There is an import tariff on foreign maple syrup to protect the industry.

Beverages
There are different beverage choices in Susquehanna. Many drink goat milk, which has replaced cow milk. Soda, although popular, is expensive to purchase. The most common drink is a low alcohol content beer produced by Old Forge Brewing Company, as the water is still unsafe in many parts of the nation.

Drinking water is pulled from wells and creeks, but the river is still off limits to both water and fish, due to lingering radioactivity as well as poisonous chemicals release by collapsing industry.

Alcohol
In 2008, Susquehanna lowered the drinking age to 20. The military does allow troops under the legal age to drink small amounts.

There is one brewery and one wine company. They produce almost all of the alcohol the nation consumes, although some wine is imported from North Pennsylvania. Moonshine is still outlawed.

Almost all hard alcohol was wiped out, but a small stockpile is kept at hospitals for surgery as an anesthetic. There are some who want to import moonshine and decriminalize it, but for now, Susquehanna has no plan to do so.

Infrastructure
The infrastructure of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna needs some major repairs in the outer regions of the nation. Currently, the government is undergoing massive revitalization of the national transportation system and quality.

A Canadian analysis of the area compared the current infrastructure comparable to most African nations prior to Doomsday. There are few paved roads, automobiles are rare, and most transportation is by horseback or train.

Roadways
Before Doomsday, the counties that make up the nation were based around Interstate 80, State Route 11, State Route 642, and State Route 54. Unfortunately the asphalt has been deteriorating and there has been work to replace these surfaces with stone.

Immediately after Doomsday, this roads became clogged with abandoned cars, a handful of crashed aircraft, and people's abandoned belongings. There were many animal carcasses that were hit by out of control vehicles that were damaged by the EMP.

Today, Route 11 is the cleanest, most intact roadway, traveling from Danville through Bloomsburg, and past Berwick. The road remains the same as it was before September 25th, although new overpasses have been installed, as well as repairs to retaining walls, and a larger bridge over an expanded Roaring Creek. The military uses the road to send exploration units into Wilkes Barre and Nanticoke.

Interstate 80 has been cleaned up an repaired to an extent, but still is not open for public use outside of the nation. Plans are to finish repairing connections to State College and North Pennsylvania to ease transportation issues. The interstate has been switched from running east to New Jersey to former State Route 93 and runs down past Hazleton to Reading.

State Route 642 west was completely abandoned after Doomsday, from the Montour County line out. Today, where the road meets the Susquehanna-State College border, the border patrol has a small checkpoint set up, with a concrete barrier and old metal gate. It is mainly used by the military, and businesses today, who are in contact with other nations.

Route 54 connects Danville to Washingtonville. Today, the road is down to one side, one lane traffic, due to Interstate 80's overpass collapsing into one of the lanes. There are plans to clear out the damaged area and patch it, opening it to two lanes once again.

There are few automobiles operated in the nation, with the costs being too high. Most are operated by the government with a handful owned by the wealthy population. Many of these vehicles are old models refurbished from pre-Doomsday parts and cars. Some are new, purchased from Toledo, Niagara Falls, or Virginia.

Most vehicles run on either biodiesel or alcohol, due to the ease of conversion and large agricultural stock. A few also run on wood gas. All military vehicles run on a combination of gasoline and alcohol, with a goal of becoming independent of gas by 2030.

Most people use horse and buggy or wagons now due to ease of maintenance. They are also 1/100th as much as a new car would cost and are cheaper to use. There are several horse breeders throughout the nation.

In place of gas stations, there are small stations to get horse feed and water as well as horse shoes. Many have sprung up on main roads between Bloomsburg and Hazleton.

Rail
There are two railroads that run through the Commonwealth. One runs from Danville to Berwick. It was named the North Shore Railroad before Doomsday, but today is named Montour-Luzerne Rail Line.

The second rail line was finished only months before Doomsday, and was not even in operation on September 25th. It was unnamed at the time of Doomsday, and has been expanded to connect with Ringtown, Mainville, then runs to Hazleton, and turns to go to Reading. It has been named Mainville-Schuykill Rail Line.

There are only a pair of trains operational, being former display trains in Knobel's. They were salvaged in the early 2000's and brough to operations in late 2013.

Waterways
The Susquehanna River is the only navigable river in the nation, and is quite important. Trade done with Gettysburg, and some to Reading is done by boat. Roads between the nations are in disrepair and raider attacks are still threatening.

There is a small group of freight boats that operate from Bloomsburg and travel up and down the Susquehanna. Reconnaissance teams from Susquehanna have used the river as a safer way to travel, since the roads north of Susquehanna are overgrown and some are rubble.

Flat bottom boats and small hulled boats are the only waterway vehicles capable of navigating the waters. Since doomsday, the average water height has risen to eight feet from five feet pre-Doomsday. The Army National Guard operates two small hulled patrol boats in the river for security purposes.

All the boats on the river (except the two Army National Guard vessels) are either rowboats or sailboats. There are no motorboats available any more as most were destroyed by the EMP, and the few survivors were stripped for parts to make the two military patrol craft.

Communication
As Doomsday occurred, the Commonwealth lost all forms of communication as the EMP rendered the delicate electronics useless. The government began to immediately work on repairing as many radios as possible. Old radios were pulled from storage and put into use. A handful of modern radios have been acquired from Canada or Superior.

In 2007, the nation completed the installation of telegraph lines throughout the nation. They continued to upgrade and update them. In 2010, the nation began to look into installing telephone lines for connection between the Bloomsburg government and other surviving governments.

By late 2013, telegraph lines were connected with those from Reading and State College, linking Susquehanna to the rest of the world. There are few personal telegraph sets in the nation. Most communities have a public operator which can send messages. If a person receives one, the mail carrier will drop off the message. Average charge is $1.00 to $3.00 per message, depending on the community and the length.

There are three phone lines leaving Susquehanna. One connects the capital with Reading, one, headed west to State College and Franklin, and one goes south to Gettysburg. They are purely for government usage only. Plans are to expand the connections to Canada, Vermont, Niagara Falls, Binghamton, and Ithaca in coming years.

HAM radios are popular with people allowing them to talk with others in different parts of Susquehanna and the world. There are dozens of HAM radio operators in the nation, and the government encourages use of them.

Energy
Immediately after Doomsday, the police and National Guard secured all of the gas, coal, natural gas, and propane supplies to ensure energy for emergency, agriculture and critical services.

Fuel distribution was very limited. Using storage facilities outside of Danville, the government was able to ration fuel until the late 1980's. After that, most of the vehicles were put into storage and other methods of transportation were used. A handful were converted to burn wood gas.

Obtaining energy is a crucial issue for the small nation. Although there are depots of natural gas and coal, there is limited storage and processing facilities for coal, and none for natural gas. In July of 2013, the Commonwealth broke ground in northern Columbia County on a 15 million dollar natural gas processing facility. It is due to be complete by early 2018 and will process 100,000 cubic feet of gas per year. There are also more storage facilities under construction outside of each major community.

Oil reserves are nonexistent in the nation. The government imports small amounts of gasoline and avgas from North Pennsylvania to operate aircraft and non-converted vehicles. Susquehanna is looking to eventually remove the gas powered cars from the nation. There will be a need to continue purchasing of avgas for the Air National Guard and Air Susquehanna to operate.

Currently the nation mines coal only for use within the nation, but has also been considering shipping it out as new deposits are found. All the natural gas is sold to North Pennsylvania for processing, with the return being 50% purified gas, 50% cash and other materials for the government.

Electricity
Prior to Doomsday, there were two power plants in the region that now makes up the Commonwealth of Susquehanna. One was a nuclear power plant which had just gone online completely, and the other was a coal fired facility.

The lone nuclear power plant, named the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, operational in the region before Doomsday. When the EMP struck, the plant went dark and technicians scrambled for an emergency shut down. The diesel generators were repaired enough to keep the uranium in the cooling pools from overheating. Unit 1 had opened in 1977, and Unit 2 had just opened only weeks before Doomsday.

Both were successfully and safely shut down, although large amounts of money ad manpower went into keeping them stable, and the uranium safe. Each reactor had the capability to produce 2700 MW per year. With aid from Delmarva, the Outer Banks, and Canada there are considerations to reopen the plant and export electricity. So far no work has begun, but the government has allotted funds and diesel to keep the two generators operational that cool the fuel rods.

The other power plant was the Montour Power Plant. It was coal fired, and operations ceased after Doomsday. The facility sustained damage from the EMP blast, and is still inoperable today, although repair work is underway. Ten transformers and substations were purchased from Delmarva and installed in mid 2014. Work is partially completed, with much of the outer buildings and equipment repaired, but major repair work and turbine overhaul still needing to be completed.

There are hopes to activate the first turbine by mid 2015, and the other by mid 2024.

Projections show it will generate 1536 MW of electricity, although initial operations will generate half the power for about six months to ensure everything is operating as it should be. Engineers and some certified staff from North Pennsylvania will be assigned to stay in Susquehanna until 2021 to ensure proper staffing and training. Adding that with the 200 MW of the generators at the steel production facilities in Danville, the nation will have 1736 MW of electricity. That will be enough to power the radio stations, industry and the approximately 12,000 households in the nation.

Today, although there are no major power plants or facilities active, the Susquehanna Power and Utilities Company maintains the facility. The nuclear power plant is under direct control of the government which secure the perimeter with a contingent of security officers.

Plans are to first hook up the hospital to the facility for a steady supply, then Bloomsburg. Next will be Hazleton and Danville, then other communities.

Several government agencies, hospitals, and sanitation plants utilize refurbished portable gas generators. They supply enough power to operate basic medical equipment, machines in the sanitation facilities, and government lighting.

Airports
There are two operational civilian airports in the Commonwealth. There is little air traffic, with most being military missions, although civil flights have picked up in recent years.

Hazleton International Airport is the primary airport servicing the Commonwealth. It has a 7500 foot runway, and a second 4300 foot runway. A small grass patch has been cordoned off for helicopter landings. Recently the facility has been modernized using loans from State College, lengthening the one runway, and constructing a second, longer runway, as well as installing a small natural gas generator, making 400 MW of electricity to operate any machines. There is a concrete and glass tower, two newly constructed terminals, new parking, and lights. The main air carrier is Susquehanna Air, but Canada, Vermont, Superior, Kentucky, Niagara Falls, and Toledo have quarterly flights out of the airport.

Bloomsburg Regional Airport is a small airport serving Columbia, Sullivan, and Montour County. The majority of military aircraft are stationed here. Before Doomsday, it was a small, un-towered municipal airport. Recently the runway was extended to 4000 feet. There are several military flights stationed there. It is only served by Susquehanna Air, although Niagara Falls is considering starting quarterly flights to the airport.

Susquehanna Air
There is only one airliner operational, as the demand is low. Susquehanna Air operates its main hub out of the Hazleton International Airport, and a smaller branch from the Bloomsburg Regional Airport. It has a fleet of three aircraft. Mainly the military contracts out the aircraft to carry equipment and supplies for the military.

Susquehanna Air Fleet
 * Two Douglas DC-3
 * One Cessna 210 Centurion

Hubs
 * Hazleton Regional Airport
 * Two Douglas DC-3
 * Bloomsburg Regional Airport
 * One Cessna 210 Centurion

Routes
 * Hazleton-State College-Franklin (Douglas DC-3)
 * Hazleton-Bloomsburg-Saint John's (Douglas DC-3)
 * Bloomsburg-Reading-Gettysburg (Cessna 210 Centurion)

Sanitation
Susquehanna is slowly beginning to improve sanitation especially in the cities and larger towns. Danville, Bloomsburg and Hazleton all have operational waste treatment plants that were salvaged from parts stripped from destroyed facilities.

They are operated with hand generators, and manual labor. The government plans to hook up the facilities to the power plant as soon as possible.

Hazleton and Bloomsburg also have garbage disposal and Danville has a burn pile outside the community.

Most outlying communities rely on wells and outhouses for sanitation. They burn rubbish and reuse food scraps in gardens.

Education
The nation has a mandatory education from grades 1-12, with kindergarten and college optional. The national education system is divided into school district. Military service can be postponed if the student is pursuing higher education.

Although the nation attempts to enforce education to help improve the nation's self sufficiency, only about 57% of the current citizens under the age of 18 actually attended school at some point. There is a 62% graduation rate, and 5% going on to college. The literacy rate, being at 71% is similar to many second-world nations.

Susquehanna maintains all the schools under the Susquehanna Public School System and divides the area up into smaller school districts. To keep a balance between those wanting to re-institute religion into the school system, and those opposed to it, the government made a compromise.

Schools had the ability to choose to allow prayer or not participate. Individual students would not be prevented or forced to participate if choosing to do so.

There are also a handful of private schools, mostly religious. The government regulates them to a certain extent but allows the relative freedom to encourage competition and increase the education strength.

School Districts (Jurisdiction)

 * Berwick School District (Berwick and surrounding townships)
 * Bloomsburg Area School District (Bloomsburg and surrounding townships)
 * Central School District (Southern Columbia County, western Schuylkill County)
 * Danville Area School District (Montour County)
 * Hazleton Area School District (Wyoming County, eastern Schuylkill County)
 * Millville School District (Northern Columbia County)
 * Sullivan County School District (Sullivan County)
 * Montour-Columbia Vocational Technical School (Montour County, Columbia County, Sullivan County)
 * Wyoming-Schuylkill Vocational Technical School (Wyoming County, Schuylkill County)

Private Schools

 * Holy Family Academy (Hazleton, Wyoming County)
 * Saint Columba Elementary School (Bloomsburg, Columbia County)
 * Saint Cyril's Preschool and Kindergarden (Danville, Montour County)
 * Saint Joseph's Elementary School (Danville, Montour County)

Colleges
College in Susquehanna is important because it gives individuals a better chance in career fields and higher pay. The government provides small grants of several hundred dollars to encourage students to continue higher education. There are currently two universities and one college in the Commonwealth.

Susquehanna is seriously considering closing Hazleton and consolidating with Bloomsburg University, which has more modern accommodations and equipment. Also, Bloomsburg has the facilities to support nearly 10,000 students. It will be on the elections for 2015 in June.

Bloomsburg University is located in Bloomsburg, Columbia County. It was founded in 1839 as a teacher's college, and expanded over the years. On Doomsday there were 7428 students on campus. About 5000 fled to look for their families. Today there are 647 students on campus and 84 who walk to college.

Columbia County Community College is a small two year institution located in Berwick, Columbia County as well as a small satellite campus in Wyoming County. It was founded in 1967 as Luzerne County Community College. There are 293 students who attend the college.

Hazleton University is composed of the former Penn State Hazleton campus. It was founded in the 1930's during the Great Depression. There are 584 students on campus.

Medical Care
There is one hospital in the nation. It is based in Danville, Montour County and is responsible for major operations and severe emergency care. It operates two large clinics in Bloomsburg and Hazleton which can provide emergency care. They also run small clinics with two or three nurses in several far out towns.

Medical care is basic with few medications or treatment options for doctors. Many terminally ill patents are sent home to prevent them being a drain on the few supplies left. Susquehanna has a small team at Geisinger hoping to manufacture penicillin in small quantities, and import others from Delmarva and Canada.

Slowly Susquehanna is acquiring new equipment, and getting old equipment repaired. They have also pulled old pre-1960's equipment from storage and refurbished it. In 2010, Reading donated two old Xray machines and an old CAT scanner to the hospital, and in 2013, Geisinger purchased a MRI machine from Canada.

The hospital is non-profit, and has an economic impact of three million dollars on Susquehanna. There is a nine man board who manage the hospital.


 * Geisinger Medical Center (Danville, Montour County)- 600 beds, 20 critical care beds, four operating rooms, two isolation rooms, one MRI machine, one CAT machine, two Xray machines
 * Wyoming Cinic (Hazleton, Wyoming County)- ten beds, four critical care beds
 * Geisinger Bloomsburg Clinic (Bloomsburg, Columbia County)- 50 beds, three critical care beds

Radiation
Radiation poisoning was a severe problem affecting the population. Over 2000 people perished within months of Doomsday from the massive amounts of radiation some received while escaping. There was no treatment for them and most were simply sent home to die, to prevent the few treatments left from running out.

Today, radiation poisoning deaths have dropped to less than ten per year. Euthanasia has been proposed to be legalized, but most religious and civil leaders oppose it.

Flu
The flu is a serious problem for the population in the winter. Geisinger's research department has been working on manufacturing vaccinations for the population, making headway, but it is expected to be another five years until it could be mass produced by another nation.

There is some funding going to constructing a small pharmaceutical plant in Danville or Hazleton to manufacture the vaccines using salvaged equipment from the old Merck Pharmaceutical plant, using centrifuges, and other equipment.

Currently there are about 230 deaths per year from the virus. Susquehanna fights it through pro activism against it.

Commonwealth of Susquehanna Defense Force
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna maintains a small armed forces. Most of the military units were formed post doomsday, with a few pre-Doomsday units training troops after the apocalypse. Military service is volunteer and recruit only, but cash bonuses, better living conditions and free medical care have kept military units at full strength.

Much of the equipment operated by the Commonwealth is Vietnam era weapons and equipment, although there have been some vehicles, weapons and aircraft purchased new.

The total military strength as of 2014 stands at 614 active personnel and 105 reserve personnel.

History
During Doomsday and the nuclear war, the Bloomsburg police and BU campus security formed the backbone of the security forces, guarding the town. They were supported by students in ROTC, and 25 troops from the Bloomsburg Armory. There were several old transport trucks and remaining operational cars and trucks. Fuel was strictly rationed to ensure adequate supplies for the army.

Many of the communities organized their own civilian militias due to their isolated positions. Eventually they were all centralized under the control of military units in Bloomsburg, although the communities maintained some say in deployment.

This militia organization remained until the official formation of the Commonwealth, and on September 14th, 2005 the military was officially named the Commonwealth of Susquehanna National Guard. Originally the Army National Guard operated three Cessna 172's, a Cessna 195, and a Cessna 404 Titan as an air branch of the Army. In 2010, the Air National Guard was formed, and expanded to two combat aircraft, two training aircraft, two transport aircraft, and one VIP aircraft.

Still, until 2012 the National Guard only had one hundred fifty soldiers and over 1000 militia members. Due to the raider attacks and counterattacks, the government requested former Vietnam War veterans to aid training the unorganized ragtag forces into an effective army.

On June 1st, 2012, the National Guard was renamed the Defense Forces, although the individual branches kept the National Guard title. This was due to the evolving role of the armed forces, and the fact that they are unable to project power beyond Pennsylvania without aid from other nations.

Law Enforcement
The nation has two levels of law enforcement, a national level, and community level. The federal government operates the State Police, and communities have either a sheriff or police force.

Police
Law enforcement is mainly taken care of by each individual town. Hazleton has the largest police force with 35 officers. Most larger towns such as Bloomsburg, Danville, and Berwick have a police force of about eight to ten officers. Many smaller communities only have one or two policemen.

Police officers standard sidearm are Glock handguns, or the Browning Hi Power. Each officer is also equipped with a night stick and handcuffs. Each police vehicle is equipped with a Remington Model 870. Nationally there are 90 police officers sworn in, plus five campus security officers at Bloomsburg University, four at Hazleton University, and one at Columbia County Community College.

They are led by the town or borough council as well as the mayor. Officers may not cross jurisdiction of the town, or patrol area, unless given permission. The only exception to this rule is when searching for a fugitive. In this case, they must radio that area's police force, but may continue to give chase.

State Police
The federal government operates two barracks in the nation. The East Barrack has thirty officers, and the West Barrack has twenty officers. It serves a similar purpose as the former United States FBI force. They prosecute national and large scale local crimes. The force also provide support for community law enforcement agencies.

These officers may cross county lines investigating crimes and arresting criminals.


 * Barracks:
 * East Barrack- Luzerne Territory, Schuylkill County, Wyoming County (Headquarters: Hazleton)
 * West Barrack- Columbia County, Montour County, Sullivan County (Headquarters: Bloomsburg)

At the foundation of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna remaining local police stations and some State Police members made up the police force.

State Police forces can be federalized in time of war to act as an auxiliary for the Army National Guard and Military Police.

There are 15 police cars for daily patrol and for transportation to a crime scene. Recently, it is becoming more common for then to go on horseback.

State Police members are each armed with an M-16A1 rifle, a Glock handgun and handcuffs, as well as body armor acquired from Canada, and a scope.

Crime
There is a low crime rate throughout Susquehanna overall, excluding Hazleton. Average minor crime rate is 1.3 per every 1000 people, and major crime is 0.8 per every 1000 people.

Most citizens believe working together and using courts to settle disputes works better than violence.

Hazleton has a higher crime rate, being a city. The average minor crime rate is 5.6 per every 1000 people, and major crime rate is 2.9 per every 1000 people.

Police are cracking down on crimes with all accused getting hard labor and prison time. The main problem is the two gangs operating in Hazleton. Both are based from pre-Doomsday gangs in the area that re-formed after 1983.

A majority of the violence and crime is cause by the gangs. There are two gangs in Susquehanna.

The Latin Kings are a Hispanic gang, with approximately 300 members. Most are in Hazleton, although it is estimated that 50 may be throughout the nation.

The other gang is Gangster Discipline. They are a smaller, African-American gang. There are approximately 170 members in Susquehanna. Most, if not all are believed to be based in Hazleton.

The State Police are cracking down on crime, especially gang related. There are talks of forming a specific task force to deal with them.

Fire Personnel
Fire is mainly provided by a handful of refurbished 1950's fire engines, and one 1930's fire engine salvaged from Knobel's Amusement Park. There are several fire stations in the country. All fire units are volunteer personnel who are unpaid. Unfortunately, many of the vehicles are beginning to develop issues and will need to be replaced.


 * Hazleton Fire Department -
 * Three: 1960's fire engines
 * One: 1950's water tanker
 * Five: Brush Trucks


 * Bloomsburg Fire Department -
 * One: 1950's fire engine
 * One: 1930's fire engine
 * One: 1960's water tanker
 * Two: Modified brush trucks
 * One: Water Rescue fireboat


 * Danville Fire Department -
 * One: 1950's fire engine
 * Two: Modified brush trucks


 * Berwick Fire Department -
 * One: 1950's fire engine
 * One: Pickup truck for firefighting


 * Benton Fire Squadron -
 * Three: Pickup trucks for firefighting

Rescue Personnel
There are four ambulance units in Susquehanna. One is based in Bloomsburg, one in Hazleton, one in Millville, and one in Shenandoah. They utilize a mixture of pre-Doomsday ambulances and modified vehicles.

Rescue Units
 * Bloomsburg Rescue
 * Hazleton Emergency Medical Services
 * Millville Emergency Rescue
 * Shenandoah First Responders

Recreation
Much of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna's history has been reconstruction or repelling raider attacks. But recently there has been some reconstruction of facilities for the people's enjoyment.

The town of Danville hosts the Iron Heritage Festival once a year in the middle of the summer. Organizers restarted the festival in 2012.

Bloomsburg holds the Bloomsburg Fair during the end of September, and several other shows (mainly military shows) throughout the year. The fair has reopened in 2011. Between Doomsday and now, much of the land was used as a temporary military outpost.

Prior to doomsday outside of Bloomsburg and Elysburg, there was a amusement park named Knoebels, which was the largest free amusement park in the nation. After Doomsday, the entire park was abandoned and ignored because people were concentrated on survival, not a theme park that there was no interest in.

In 2013 several wealthy members of the surrounding communities reopened the park to business on the anniversary of Doomsday, holding a minute of silence, and giving people free hand stamps for the rides. This had helped boost the Commonwealth economy as the government opened its borders to allow tourists and other individuals. The park operates its own 1000 KWH generator and 20 man security force. It operates from mid May until the end of September.

Unfortunately, parts are becoming more difficult to obtain, and it may have to eventually close due to aging machinery and equipment.

There are also several museums still in operation throughout the nation, relying on donations and fees from visitors to stay in operation. Susquehanna also maintains Ricketts Glen National Park (Formerly Ricketts Glen State Park) located in northeastern Columbia County, southeastern Sullivan County, and northwestern Luzerne Territory.

Tourism
Recently Susquehanna has opened its borders to tourists and travelers from other nations. Air Susquehanna flies Canadian, Readinger, North Pennsylvanian, and Niagarain vacationers into the nation.

The main draw for tourists to the nation are Knobels, the Bloomsburg Fair, canoeing and trails, and the Rivertown Race Series. Susquehanna restarted the Run for the Diamonds in 2014 after a 31 year hiatus. The race occurs in late November around Thanksgiving. It attracted 978 runners in the first year. 385 were from Susquehanna, 196 were from State College, 207 were from Reading, 91 were from North Pennsylvania, 32 were from Niagara Falls, and the rest were from various other nations.

Because of the raider war there is little tourism, but hopes are once the nation can repair infrastructure there will be an increase. There are approximately 300 Canadians, 700 North Pennsylvanians, 600 State Collegians, 800 Readingers, and 200 Niagarains who visit each year.


 * List of Attractions in Susquehanna
 * Amusement Parks
 * Knoebel's Amusment Resort (Columbia County)
 * Museums
 * Bloomsburg Children's Museum (Bloomsburg, Columbia County)
 * Eckley Miners Village (Hazleton, Wyoming County)
 * General William Montgomery House (Danville, Montour County)
 * National Parks
 * Montour Preserve County Park (Montour County)
 * Ricketts Glen National Park (Columbia and Sullivan County, Luzerne Territory)

Culture
Susquehanna has a diverse culture with a mixture of urban and rural culture. Bloomsburg and Hazleton are seen as the cultural heart of Susquehanna. There is still a small African American culture present in Hazleton, with a handful of celebrations and events held each year.

Danville has a strong history with the iron industry and continues to celebrate the Iron Heritage Festival each summer. This delves into the historical mining and the town as well as modern day industry.

Bloomsbury hosts the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, a regional acting group that was formed prior to Doomsday. They tour the Commonwealth putting on plays in the various communities in the nation. The organization is a nonprofit, but charge small fees to cover travel expenses and new props and costumes.

Music
Susquehanna has a strong music basis with many different singers, bands, and orchestras throughout the Commonwealth. Most are based in either Danville, Bloomsburg, and Hazleton.

The capital hosts the Bloomsburg Orchestra, the last and only group in Susquehanna. It was originally operated by Bloomsburg University, but after it closed soon after Doomsday, people in Bloomsburg restarted it after acquiring the instruments from the university.

This organization is also nonprofit, but charges small admission fees to cover new equipment and travel expenses. They tour the nation and travel to the larger communities, generally playing in community centers, gymnasiums, or other such areas.

Nightlife
Bloomsburg, Hazleton, and Danville all have a vibrant night life. Each community has different restaurants, pubs, bars, and nightclubs that attract a variety of people.

Danville has four restaurants, one pub, and one club that are open until 11PM or later, on the weekends. The community has a majority of the nightlife in the downtown area, but there is a restaraunt next to Route 11, only a few miles outside of the downtown.

Bloomsburg has seven restaurants, three pubs, and two clubs that are open until 11PM or later, on the weekends. All these establishments are located in the downtown area for ease of access.

Hazleton has two restaurants, seven pubs, and four clubs that are open until 11PM or later, on the weekends. Most of the city's entertainment is in the downtown area, with much of the first floor of buildings being clubs, or other such venues.

Sports
Sports have attracted a small group of followers, with football and baseball both being popular. Each high school has a football team, and a baseball team who routinely compete.

The main university, Bloomsburg University, has several sports teams, with football and baseball being the most viewed. The teams only compete against those at Hazleton University and Columbia County Community College.

There are no paid professional teams in any sport, although there is the Susquehanna Football League, as well as the Susquehanna Baseball League. Both are non-profit organizations, where all players, coaches and referees are volunteers. Equipment is purchased by the players or from donations. The football league formed in early 2013, and has completed one season, and are currently in the second season. Games are played in the high school football stadiums. The baseball league has only formed as of spring of 2014. They play on various high school fields and use Bloomsburg University's baseball field for the playoffs.

The primary stadium is the Robert B. Redman Stadium at Bloomsburg University. It has a seating capacity of up to 5000 people, and hosts supporting infrastructure. It is the only college football stadium surviving in Susquehanna. Bloomsburg University uses it to host home football games, as well as the college football championships, and the SFL Super Bowl.

Susquehanna Football League: Susquehanna Baseball League:
 * Berwick Giants
 * Bloomsburg Eagles
 * Danville Steelers (Current Champions)
 * Hazleton Jets (New for the 2014/2015 Season)
 * Nescopeck Patriots (New for the 2014/2015 Season)
 * Berwick Yankees
 * Bloomsburg Nationals
 * Danville Pirates
 * Hazleton Mountaineers
 * Shenandoah Mets

Susquehanna is sending two cross country skiers to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Saint John's Canada. This will be the first Olympics that the nation will participate in as an independent country.

International Relations
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna maintains diplomatic contact with most of Pennsylvanian survival states. It has embassies in State College and Reading and has a diplomat in North Pennsylvania and Gettysburg. Through several of the surrounding nations, the nation has contact with the United States of America, Vermont, Outer Banks, Canada Remainder Provinces, Gettysburg, Virginia, Delmarva, International Falls, Saguenay, Toledo Confederation, Niagara Falls and Kentucky.

The nation has strong ties with the other four Pennsylvania survivor states, Canada, and Superior. The government recognizes State College as the legal political successor to Pennsylvania, but has chosen to remain independent for the time being.

Relations are strong with Canada, the latter providing monetary donations for work on the power plant, stabilizing the nuclear material at the nuclear power plant, arms, and other materials that the Commonwealth cannot supply on its own. Susquehanna also keeps strong ties with Superior, and Virginia, trading food and lumber for weapons, fuel, and raw materials. Relations with Virginia have cooled a bit, since Susquehanna allowed CRUSA to open a chapter.

In recent years, Commonwealth began diplomatic contact with the Toledo Confederation, the Republic of New York, London and to an extent, the Republic of Superior.

On April 25, an application for membership in the United Communities was submitted through State College. Many hope to be accepted by late 2014, and hope that joining this organization will give the small nation new trade partners, increase business, and ease communication, transportation and power grids.

Recently in a poll taken, it was found that 56% of citizens want to join the League of Nations, feeling the stability and contact with other nations will be useful for the Commonwealth. There is still opposition by the Commonwealth Party and some factions in the Republican Party.

On April 2nd, 2012, the Commonwealth of Susquehanna turned over control of eastern Northumberland County to State College, in exchange for recognition of claims in Sullivan County, and Luzerne County.

List of Embassies and Consulates by Nation

 * Canada
 * Consulate (Saint John's)
 * Serves any Canadian Survivor State outside of the Great Lakes Region
 * Gettysburg
 * Embassy (Gettysburg)
 * Serves Delmarva as well
 * Republic of New York
 * Embassy (Ithaca)
 * Serves all of former New York except the Great Lakes Region and all of former New England
 * North Pennsylvania
 * Embassy (Franklin)
 * Serves North Pennsylvania, London, Ontario; Niagara Falls, Kingston, and Norfolk-Hamilton
 * Reading
 * Embassy (Reading)
 * Consulate (Allentown)
 * State College
 * Embassy (State College)
 * Superior
 * Consulate (Stowe)
 * Serves the Republic of Superior, the Republic of Wisconsin and the North American Union
 * Toledo
 * Embassy (Toledo)
 * Serves any Midwestern United States Survivor State
 * Virginia
 * Embassy (Charleston)
 * Serves Virginia, Kentucky, and any Southern United States Survivor State

CRUSA
CRUSA has a small branch in Susquehanna. It was founded in 2010 and has headquarters in Bloomsburg and an office in Hazleton. Membership stands at approximately 200 people.

For the most part the organization is more toned down compared to other branches. It promotes American values and heritage, as well as future unity with the United States. They are a 501 non profit, and the government allows them to operate in a relative free manner, going as far as allowing representatives of CRUSA to speak before the General Assembly.

CRUSA also provides funding to the Unionist Party in an effort to attain their goal. The government tolerates this, but it has been made clear that no outside group has the right to meddle in Susquehanna's domestic or foreign policy.

Saguenay War
Diplomatically, the Saguenay War was a rough patch in the Commonwealth's ties. The nation had strong ties to both Canada and Superior, economically, and militarily, purchasing equipment from Canada, but acquired munitions and camouflage from Superior.

The nation remained neutral, publicly calling for both sides to come to peace, supporting Vermont and a peaceful solution. The government recognized the right for self determination of the people of Quebec, but also stated a unified Canada would lead to a more stable North America. They refused to recognize the Republic of Saint Lawrence, citing the background to its formation, and the lack of support. Bloomsburg left the situation of Saguenay ambiguous, waiting for the outcome of the war to decide on recognition.

When news of the ceasefire and the eventual peace treaty reached the ears of the nation, the governor-elect, Lou Barletta stated - "I pray for a continued peace for our children, grandchildren and future generations, for their sake."

At the elections in June, the Republicans, calling for peace, kept control of the governorship, and won a majority in the Senate over the Democrats, who were more ambivalent to the situation. The Democrats managed to keep majority in the House by slim numbers.

After the war, with the revelation about Superior supporting raiders, and the Canada First Party's role in the assassination, the government strongly condemned them both. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House released a joint statement condemning the two parties for worsening the situation.

After the end of the war, Susquehanna built up its own munitions facility as well as ammo production and camoflague.

American Spring
The American Spring has been a series of protest in 2013 after news of CRUSA reached the ears of some citizens.

Some citizens called for the immediate accession to the United States. Others called for the government to denounce the new United States as traitors. Although there were very small protests on both sides, the majority of citizens had no opinion on the matter, just wanting stability.

The governor said that the distance was unfeasible to attempt to rejoin the United States at the time. Susquhanna has no plans to reunite with the United States. Much of the younger population no longer identify as Americans or but as Susquehannians.

There is a small branch of CRUSA in Susquehanna, mostly funded by locals who want reunification. The government has them listed as a nonprofit organization, and allows them tax breaks. Overall the Susquehanna branch of CRUSA is less radical than others and listen to the government.

Reunification
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna on the status of reunification with the United States or Pennsylvania. Labeled Resolution 29, it outlined conditions that Susquehanna would rejoin either sucessor state. But, this resolution also left open continued independence for the future.

Supporters
Most of the supporters are business owners who want access to the much larger market available to them. Reunification would increase profit, and trade would rapidly pick up.

Others point to the weak state of the Commonwealth. They lack a large military, and have a small economy. Most supporters though want Susquehanna to form an independent state in the United States rather than rejoin Pennsylvania.

Most of the support comes from older generations who grew up with the United States around. They are not opposed to Susquehanna's independence, but want to rejoin America if possible and as soon as possible.

Critics
Many citizens, and more each year oppose reunification, pointing to the APA formation in Canberra rather than any number of surviving states in the United States.

Others point to the nation waiting over two decades before officially sceceding. They believe that the wait was more than sufficient for contact to have been made.

Some are opposed due to a fear that the democratic reforms made, such as wider democratic freedom and an emphasis on citizens rights, will be annulled by the federal government if they were to reunite.

Overall, most of the opposition is from the younger generation who never grew up under the United States. They consider themselves to be Susquehannians, not Americans.

Current Status
As of late 2014, there has been no change in Susquehanna's political status. The government does recognize State College and the United States in the west as official sucessor states.

Officially the government takes no stand on reunification, preferring civilian choice. Unofficially, the population has leaned, since 2007, towards continued independence.

A proposed compromise would be joining the North American Union.

Modern Reaction to Doomsday
Many citizens today are reluctant to rejoin the United States feeling that they have been abandoned, and the younger population no longer associating with it anymore. A poll taken by the newspaper the Press-Enterprise showed that 29% of people support joining the United States of America, 53% oppose it, and 18% would rather join the North American Union.

Slowly, over time as the older population dies off, more of the citizens are opposed to Susquehanna rejoining Pennsylvania or the United States in a political union. Most do support some form of economic or military alliance.

Another poll taken in 2011 showed that 89% of citizens believe that the USSR was responsible for the Third World War, 2% believe the USA/American Provisional Administration was responsible for Doomsday, and 9% believe that it was just a terrible mistake and neither side was solely responsible for the aftermath of Armageddon.

In the Bloomsburg Town Square there is a piece of steel from the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station with a plaque on it saying - ''In memory of the innocent people who died in the unintentional nuclear exchange between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on September 26, 1983. This is another day that shall live in infamy.''

Religion
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna is a secular state, allowing the freedom of religion to its people. The nation has a high percentage of people who are actively participating in a religious group. The predominant groups remaining are Christian and Amish.

The Roman Catholic Church is the most predominant religions in the region with 48% of the population claiming to be Catholic. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Reading and has five major parishes: Saint Joseph's Parish, Danville; Saint Colombia's Parish, Bloomsburg, Christ the Redeemer Parish in Mount Carmel, Immaculate Conception Parish, Berwick, and Holy Rosary Parish in Hazleton.

Another large Christian denomination is Protestant, with 27% of the population. There are four churches in the nation. One in Bloomsburg, one in Danville, one in Mount Carmel, and one in Hazleton.

4% of the population is a mix of Christian faiths.

The Amish Community holds 8% of the population, although many are New Order Amish. They tend to avoid associating with the government. The concentration of their population is in Northern Montour County.

1% of the population claims to be Byzantine Catholic, Jewish or Mennonite - as well as other faiths.

The remaining 7% of the population is atheist or agnostic.

Roman Catholic Church
Immediately following Doomsday, the remaining parishes and local church leaders set to aid those in need following the nuclear war. Most set up soup kitchens, utilizing fresh foods that would spoil in days without proper refrigeration, donated by church members. They also began Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament around the clock at Saint Joseph's Parish, and Saint Columba. The priest and various members of different religious orders went out into the communities to help people with who were still stunned by Doomsday.

After stabilizing the region and a the union of the towns and communities as the Provisional Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Susquehanna, the various religious people realized that there would be no foreseeable contact with the Vatican, and reports from survivors showed that both the Diocese of Harrisburg and the Diocese of Scranton had ceased to exist. In July, 1989 the Emegency Conclave was held.

Emegency Conclave
The surviving church leaders and high personnel called an Emegency Conclave in Bloomsburg, Columbia County, at Saint Columba Parish. It was in response to definite proof that the Diocese of Harrisburg and Scranton were no longer functioning, and that the local church leaders needed guidance in what to do. Some disagreed with the meeting, but overall there was general compliance.


 * Parishes, Individuals and Religous Orders in Attendance:
 * Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish (Berwick, PA)
 * Saint Cyril's and Methodius Parish (Berwick, PA)
 * Saint Joseph's Parish (Berwick, PA)
 * Saint Columba Parish (Bloomsburg, PA)
 * Geisinger Chaplin (Danville, PA)
 * Sisters of Saint Cyril's and Methodius (Danville, PA)
 * Saint Joseph's Parish (Danville, PA)
 * Saint Mary's Parish (Ringtown, PA)

The church leaders decided to temporarily form the Diocese of Bloomsburg, and assigning a conclave of two priests and one nun. There would be no new dogma or religious doctrine put in place until contact was regained with the Holy See, Vatican City (Presumed Destroyed), or any other legitimate representation of the Church in the world.

No bishop was assigned, because the clergy wanted to wait until it was confirmed that both bishops from the Diocese of Scranton and Harrisburg were both dead. There was hope that one had possibly survived the carnage of the war.

In 1992 the church remnant had waited almost a full decade and decided it was long enough, and they needed to move on. On May 1st, 1993 Father Memorella was selected as the temporary bishop. The plan was to operate under the assumption that no new doctorine had been passed and to merge as soon as possible with any surviving church.

On Christmas Day, 2008, contact was made with the authorities in Rio. There were joyous celebrations in the nation as they celebrated the reunion with their brethren in the Southern Hemisphere. Since then, the Diocese of Bloomsburg has dissolved and unified with the Diocese of Reading.

Protestant Faiths
As the Catholic Church was working on salvaging the remaining members of the church, the Protestant faiths all met in Bloomsburg as well, and agreed to consolidate under one leadership. Today, each faith operates independently, but all meet several times a year to discuss doctrine and plans for the next year.

There is very little animosity between the Catholic and Methodist faiths. Many times the churches work together.

There are churches scattered around the nation that have the various faiths. Many towns have more than one due to the many types.

Amish
The Amish have changed relatively little since 1983. Much of this is due to the fact that the leadership survived and their lifestyles. Amish were the least impacted group on Doomsday, and many worked to aid others.

Today they still live like their ancestors did and farm the land. Many crops come from their farms and their produce is some of the best in the nation. Most Amish remain apart from the government, and the government leaves the pre-Doomsday laws in place that the United States and Pennsylvania put in place.

Byzantine Catholic
Byzantine Catholicism is a branch of the Catholic Church that has a small following in Susquehanna, mainly in Schuylkill County. After Doomsday, similar to the Roman Catholic, the few remaining churches met in a conclave in Berwick, Columbia County, to decide what to do. They had lost contact with the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, the priests that met assumed that their leadership had either all died, and formed the Diocese of Shenandoah and Central Pennsyvania.

There are two churches in Susquehanna, one in Shenandoah, and one in Hazleton. They have a small membership, and the current Bishop is Gregor Allen.

Judaism
Judaism was more or less wiped out in the region on Doomsday. There is a very small Jewish population who remain. There is a small synagogue in Bloomsburg, and there is only one rabbi. Susquehanna gives any Jewish soldier an allowance for their dietary restriction.

Mennonite
Similar to the Amish, Mennonites have changed very little since Doomsday. Most continue to follow their elders customs, but are more involved in the government and current affairs.

Newspaper
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna has recently formed several media outlets for people to use. Newspapers were one of the first forms used, being hand typed on old typewriters that had been stored at area high schools from the 60's and 70's. One of the first newspapers to reform was the Morning News in Bloomsburg.

Today the nation has one major newspaper distributor: The Press Enterprise.

The Press Enterprise is the successor to the Morning Press, being renamed in 2004. They operate nationally, providing national and world news, cartoons, advertisements, and coupons for the citizens, along with serving as an announcement bulletin for the government, printing upcoming bills, elections and issues. The paper publishes five days a week. Originally the Danville News operated independently, but after two months became cost prohibitive, and merged with the Morning Press to form the Press Enterprise. The newspaper is distributed in the entire nation through pre-Doomsday newspaper racks and stands.

There is also a newspaper in Wyoming County based out of Hazleton, named the Standard-Speaker. It is published once each week, on Tuesdays. It mainly focuses on news in Wyoming and Schyukill Counties. There are negotiations with the Press Enterprise to buy the paper and turn it into a regional affiliate.

Radio
Soon after Doomsday, many resources went into restarting the radios as they were the most efficient way to get information to the public, because in the news and bulletins, it was already at least one day old.

In 1984, the communities that would form Susquehanna later on banded together and started the Provisional Pennsylvania Broadcasting Company, the predecessor to the Susquehanna Broadcasting Company. The original transmitter was in Bloomsburg, and was constructed from salvaged equipment from Danville and Berwick. It was up and running by late 1986.

Today there is a variety offered through the radio, as it has claimed the market formerly occupied by television. Through aid from Canada and Vermont, Susquehanna has two radio stations in operation as of 2014. They are operated by the Susquehanna Broadcasting Company.

Radio listeners can pick up signals from State College, Reading, Texas, Mexico, North Pennsylvania, and several other regional radio stations with larger transmitters.

Susquehanna Broadcasting Company

 * AM
 * SBC Station One (1570 AM: Susquehanna Broadcast One): This station is the first channel opened by Susquehanna. It was founded in 1986 after some engineers managed to get it operational again. It operates from 7:00 AM until 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM until 10:00 PM, Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday. The station transmits government broadcasts, religious programming and sports.
 * FM
 * SBC Station Two (91.1 FM: Susquehanna Broadcast Two): This station is the second radio channel operated by the Commonwealth. The second to open, with aid from Canada, it began transmission in late 2013. It operates from 7:00 AM until 11:00 PM, Monday to Saturday. It transmits music, government broadcasts, and entertainment.

Television
There are no television stations operated in Susquehanna, although there is some consideration to repair the equipment at the small local TV stations and restart one under Susquehanna Broadcasting Company. The 2015 budget has no funds to work on any repairs, concentrating on infrastructure and communications.

Libraries
There are several libraries in Susquehanna. One is held by Bloomsburg University, one by Hazleton University one by Geisinger, and the rest are in the public domain, owned either by the federal government, or county governments. Each school maintains libraries with between 1000 and 5000 items, as well as 600 to 3000 books.

All libraries are subsidized by the Commonwealth of Susuquehanna, and there are thousands of books stored in Berwick, waiting to be catalogued and sent to the various libraries.

Libraries:
 * Andruss Library - 2.5 million items, 400,000 books (Bloomsburg University, Columbia County)
 * Bloomsburg Public Library - 135,836 items, 36,322 books (Bloomsburg, Columbia County)
 * Geisinger Medical Library - 79,375 items, 58,256 books (Danville, Montour County)
 * Hazleton Area Public Library - 149,423 items, 152,336 books (Hazleton, Wyoming County)
 * Mc Bride Memorial Library - 21,842 items, 35,483 books (Berwick, Columbia County)
 * Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Library - 2689 items, 13,843 books (Hazleton University, Wyoming County)
 * Thomas Beaver Free Library - 59,100 items, 31,500 books (Danville, Montour County)

There is a book sharing program between the libraries to ensure that everyone has access to needed information.

Computers/REMUNDO
REMUNDO does not have a presence in the nation. There are no facilities in the nation to support the infrastructure. It is highly unlikely that there will be any for the far future.

There are only ten computers in the nation, all imported from either Canada or the Celtic Alliance. They are all older models, and with the exception of two owned by Bloomsburg University, they are all either government or military owned.

Overall Conditions
Overall, Susquehanna has a subsistence economy, with 90% of goods and crops that are produced supporting the nation. It has a GDP comparable with pre-Doomsday Niue, and a per-capita GDP comparable with pre-Doomsday Sudan. Much of the economic development comes from aid from Canada, North Pennsylvania, or North Pennsylvania. It is expected in the coming decades the economy will improve, and expand with additional mining of coal, and iron, and drilling for gas.

Manufacturing will increase slightly with cotton being used to make cloth and fabric. Other industries include asphalt and concrete manufacturing, and other industries.

Services have been increasing including medical care, education and banking. These are expected to be the major economic boost to the nation.

It is classified as a developing nation, with a strong enough economy to support itself, but relying on external donations to improve any.