Nil sine numine (Latin) ("Nothing without Providence") | ||||||||
| Capital | Fort Collins | |||||||
| Largest City | Fort Collins-Greeley Metropolitan Area | |||||||
| Other Cities | Greeley, Longmont, Loveland, Thornton | |||||||
| Language | English | |||||||
| Demonym | Coloradan | |||||||
| Legislature | Colorado Legislature | |||||||
| Governor | John Hickenlooper (D) | |||||||
| Lieutenant Governor | Jennifer Arndt (D) | |||||||
| Area | 28,893 sq mi | |||||||
| Population | 985,028 (2020 Census) | |||||||
| Admission | August 1, 1876 (USA) | |||||||
| Currency | Buffalo Dollar | |||||||
| Abbreviations | CO | |||||||
Colorado is a state of the United States of America. While much of the state has been reclaimed by the wilderness after Doomsday, the northern half has grown to become a powerhouse in the new United States, and previously its most populous state until the accession of Oregon. Home to the core university of the new union - Colorado State University, the capital of Fort Collins is currently the largest city in the United States with almost 450,000 people in the Fort Collins-Greeley Metropolitan Area. The state population is estimated to be around 985,000.
History[]
Pre-Doomsday[]
The State of Colorado was the eighth most extensive and the highest in average elevation of the 50 former states of the United States of America. Colorado is one of the western Mountain States. The 30 highest major summits of the Rocky Mountains all rise within Colorado. The human history of Colorado extends back more than 13,000 years. The region that is today Colorado was first inhabited by Native Americans. The Territory of Colorado joined the Union as the 38th State on August 1, 1876. It was nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it was admitted to the Union during the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Doomsday[]
Late afternoon on September 25, 1983 Colorado was hit by the surprise attack of Soviet nuclear missiles. Cheyenne Mountain, home of NORAD headquarters, was hit by "ground bursts" designed to actually cause molecular destruction of surrounding property. It was the hope of the Soviets to destroy the communication hub that ran the defenses of the North American continent. While there was extensive ionization of the atmosphere and physical damage on the surface, the facility far under ground remained intact. This blasts destroyed nearby Colorado Springs, and the entire nearby area. It would be months before the staff within the facility could safely emerge in protective gear.
The extensive US military presence in the state brought disaster as the bases and facilities were prime targets in the attack. The destruction of Buckley Air Force Base meant that of the town of Aurora. The Minuteman missile silos in Colorado's northeastern corner were bombarded with warheads exploding on contact, producing deadly fallout that would spread southeast endangering much of Kansas and beyond. These strikes devastated the cities of Grover, Briggsdale, Fort Morgan, Sedgewick and Sterling. Towns such as Denver, Pueblo, Boulder and Fort Carson, being military towns, were also destroyed. The strike on the Rocky Flats Plant, a nuclear processing facility near Denver, posed an even more deadly threat. The blast was an air burst a mere 1200 feet above the plant, producing a fireball that incinerated the plant and much of the radioactive material within. The Soviet bombs had accomplished what the thousands of protesters could not do -- the plant was now "closed."
Post-Doomsday[]
With most of the major cities targeted and the resulting fallout, the death toll was enormous. The fallout blew in ways that could be unpredictable, and different spots suffered wildly varying levels of damage. Parts of eastern Colorado survived thanks to favorable winds taking fallout south and east over Kansas . Meanwhile, western Colorado became cut-off from the both sides - by the nukes to the east and in the west by the Utah government closing down the Eisenhower tunnel and other passages leading westward, to prevent the perceived lawlessness of the plains from spreading. High in the Rocky Mountains, each valley had to more or less fend for itself.
Lake County and the town of Leadville became an emergency U.S. federal capital between 1984 and 1986. It was chosen for its proximity to NORAD's headquarters under Cheyenne Mountain. President Reagan hoped that an administration there could take advantage of NORAD to begin restoring civil government in the western half of the mainland. But the administration made few lasting gains. With NORAD's facilities beginning to decline, the feds moved to Wyoming at the end of 1986 and effectively merged into its state government. Lake County itself survived but was very isolated from the outside world for many years more.
In the aftermath of Doomsday the towns of Fort Collins and Greeley formed an alliance to secure resources and deal with refugees. The students and faculty from the Colorado State University were a key part in the aftermath, especially those studying to become doctors whose knowledge was applied to taking care of the thousands of wounded streaming out of the Denver area. The loose alliance between Fort Collins and Greeley soon became organized into the Union of Colorado in 1987. Shortly thereafter the Union sent an expedition to help its northern neighbors in the Lakotah War. The Union was one of the five founding states of the restored United States, becoming the new State of Colorado.
The Navajo Nation, which controls parts of the former state's southwestern corner, maintains close ties with the American state. Sports competition between their schools has happened often in recent years.
Expansion[]
In recent times the State of Colorado has begun to take re-settling the rest of the state its top priority. On July 3rd 2010, a group of 300 former refugees from the Denver metro and their families were each given a land grant to establish a new settlement after months of petitioning. After months of clearing out rubble, removing raiders, gathering supplies, and actually moving to the area, the former town of Idaho Springs was officially reorganized as the Town of Goodview, Colorado, on November 5th, 2010. The town population now sits at 377 and is slowly growing since the region has a mild climate and good agricultural opportunities.
Following the reclamation of the northern parts of the state much attention was put into the eastern part of the state, especially areas to the west of the former railroad community of Eads. The former sections of the Pacific Railroad which passed through are now rebuilt, revitalizing Eads and Kiowa County in general.
The Rocky Mountains had always posed a challenge to travel between the east and west parts of the state. However, by 2020, contact had been made with the Western Slope, which had survived doomsday almost completely intact, and furthermore, had been shielded by radiation by the mountains. Although Utah controls a decent portion of the Western Slope, the larger cities of Grand Junction, Montrose, and Delta officially rejoined the state in 2014.
2011 American Spring[]
Following the American Spring of 2011 a surge of American patriotism and renewed national pride was injected into the mainstream population. Much of this was the result from the stand-off between the State of Nebraska and the Republic of Lincoln regarding who had the right to the lands adjacent to the Platte River. The resulting "Great American Scramble" was an attempt at gathering as much territory for each side as possible.
Geography[]
Adjacent States and Nations[]
- East - Kansas
- North - Wyoming
- Northeast - Nebraska
- South - Cimarron
- Southwest - Dinétah
- West - Deseret
Government and Politics[]
Economy[]
Colorado's economy has largely been centered around mining, manufacturing, and farming. Colorado, or more specifically the Fort Collins-Greeley area, is considered to be the manufacturing hub of the United States and is the largest city in the United States. In the western parts of the state coal mining fulfills the energy needs for most of the State, while big cattle ranches in the east feed much of the nation.
Following Doomsday many of the already-depopulated boom towns throughout the state suffered various degrees of abandonment. After the American Spring the Pacific Railroad has caused the southeastern parts of the state to once again flourish in trade coming from the California Republic and the rest of the United States and the North American Union in general.
Higher Education[]
Colorado State University is one of the largest university systems in the United States and served as an important information hub after Doomsday. Several prominent American politicians in both state and federal government graduated from CSU.
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