Western Union

The Western Union is a pan-continental political, economic and military union consisting of eleven member states established in 2014 by Snowiny and Terra Federation under the name Circular Powers, and it has since expanded to include ten more sovereign nations - Amataria (which has withdrawn as of February 2019), Margate, Acadia, Caseusopolis, Tropicalis, Duck Island, Candvia, Dragonstone, Finipines and the Emperorlands. The Union is the largest trading bloc in the Antarctic in terms of land area and number of countries covered, with common trade and economic legislation, as well as the largest military coalition by personnel numbers in the continent. The capital of the Western Union is seated in Delphi, Acadia, although the construction of a city outside the boundaries of all the member states is currently being planned.

It is a powerful, borderline state-like, entity in Antarctica, functioning almost like a slightly-more centralized confederation, with member states retaining national sovereignty and rights under the Western Union Charter. Member states are very closely integrated with each other, with each member state required to implement legislation passed by the Western Council and Parliament, as well as contribute to the WU budget and the Armed Forces. Customs and border controls have been abolished under the provisions of the Concord Area, and certain member states have entered into a currency union known as the Circumzone. In addition, the structure of the Union ensures relative parity between member states, with each state being given relatively equal rights within the Western Union - for instance, the economically most powerful member Margate would be put on an equal footing with the small Caseusopolis. This aims to strengthen the Union as a collective and promote cooperation, rather than larger nations exerting dominance over the smaller ones.

The Union has helped to usher a period of peace in the post-Frosian War era with its exertion of soft power, and continues to grow in economic, political and military strength today. Member states have the strongest economic growth among Antarctic nations, with a rapid increase in standards of living for Union citizenry as a whole since its inception. The Union also cooperates closely with other supranational coalitions such as The Zeta Connections and The M Triumvirate, and shares a rivalry with the Axle Powers, the two often vying for influence across the continent. The Union continues to grow in its influence and yearns to be the leading force for the inclusion of small countries into the grand scheme of things on the Antarctic stage, as well as the scientific, business and economic center of the continent.

The Circular Defense Treaty
Following the end of the Ed-Snowinn War, in which Ed Island regained its independence from Snowiny in a resounding victory, the Snowinian government realized that the country could not stand on its own two feet just yet. Looking outwards for allies, the Snowinians found them in two nations sympathetic to their cause (or at least, held favorable diplomatic relations with) - the Terra Federation and Rusca. After a series of talks, The Circular Defense Treaty, a short-lived precursor to the Western Union, was signed between the three nations on December 26th, 2013. The treaty reduced trade barriers for minerals and fossil fuels, as well as created a mutual defense pact between the three for a period of five years.

Wanting a more definite and sound agreement, as well as the formation of an actual coalition, the Snowinian government requested for further negotiations. Less than two weeks later, the leaders of the three nations met again to discuss this issue, but further integration and cooperation was halted when Ruscan president Dmitri Smirnof refused to let Rusca join a coalition. Tense negotiations and talks over the following weeks would be fruitless, and the Treaty remained the only agreement binding the three nations together.

Creation of the Circular Powers
Following the breakdown of negotiations between Snowiny, the Terra Federation and Rusca on a more formal alliance, the former two set off on their own, opening negotiations of their own to form the present day Western Union, which culminated in the Treaty of Dolphinas, establishing a customs union and military alliance known as the Circular Powers. The treaty, while of little national significance to many other countries, irked Shops Island, Munijoch and the Culldrome Isles, which in retaliation formed the Axle Powers. The Western Union today holds a somewhat friendly, if not sometimes antagonistic, rivalry with the Powers.

What started as an ambitious project to unite Snowiny, UTR and Rusca into an international coalition, turned into a pact between only two nations. While disregarded by the international community at the time as yet another frivolous Snowinian project, the Snowinians and Terrans pushed on, contacting other nations to join the Circular Powers. The coalition struck gold when it reached an agreement to induct Margate into the Union on March 30th, 2014. Margate was an economic giant on the Antarctic stage, and their induction boosted the coalition's relevance internationally. The Margatians had suffered a year of humiliation in 2013, having unsuccessfully tried to annex many small nations via a second phase of the onerepublic program, as well as having experienced a breakoff of a rogue state, the High Empire of Nexon, and decided to join, in a change of strategy to grow in relevance on the Antarctic stage. The signing and ratification of the Treaty of Dolphinas by Amataria two weeks later sent shock waves through the international community, for it was the first time the isolationist country had signed such a treaty. The induction of these two countries further propelled the Circular Powers forward, and barely a day after the induction of Margate, their unity was to be tested - in war.

Involvement in the Frosian War
Main Article: Puffalian-Western War

A terrorist attack on the Benneton Towers in Winsburg, Snowiny triggered a crackdown on nationalist groups and terror organizations within the four nations, with the leaders of each nation pledging to collectively wipe out these groups. The Frosian War had been raging on in the East Antarctic for over a month by the time of Margate's induction into the Circular Powers - and a second theatre would be opened up in Snowiny as Puffalia lent their support to these groups and declared war on the Circular Powers. A lack of coordination, as well as debilitating terrorist attacks on military infrastructure would cripple the Circular Union's ability to effectively handle the Puffalian invasion of Snowiny.

The tides were turned when a simultaneous reinforcement of troops from Margate and the Terra Federation, as well as Ruscan entry into the war, allowed for the Circular-Ruscan coalition to swiftly retake the invaded portions of the Snowinian mainland. The gradual withdrawal of Puffalian troops from Snowiny to assist in the unfavourable war situation in the main Frosian Theatre also aided the Circular advance. Subsequent counterattacks by the Axis on Amataria would be repelled quickly, and as the war drew to a close, the Circular Union would redirect their attention to aiding the Culldrome Isles in the Second Culldrome Civil War after a plea for help from Culldrom Supreme Leader Steven Snowen.

A ceasefire was signed in June 15th 2014, a week before Puffalia was finally crushed by the Axle Powers. A symbolic final treaty of white peace was signed between the Circular Power and the Axis after Puffalia's capitulation, although observers commented that there was really no point in it. The Circular Powers would continue the crackdown on nationalist groups and impose a period of martial law in selected regions until the end of the year.

After the war was over, the four nations focused on rebuilding infrastructure in Snowiny and Amataria as well as growing the devastated Snowinian economy. Economic treaties were signed during this period and Margate and the Terra Federation collectively gave 5 billion Margatian dollars to Snowiny and Amataria for the rebuilding process. During this period, the Terran and Margatian militaries went through an overhaul, with Margate alone doubling the number of active troops and equipment over the course of the next year, and the Terra Federation buying newer and more advanced equipment. Economic recovery was swift, and by the end of the year Snowiny's and Amataria's economies had equalled and exceeded pre-war levels.

Reorganization into the Western Union
Following recovery from the war, further integration between member states was mooted. Business and economic policy was, for the first time, aligned between member nations, and trade agreements continued to be signed in various sectors. During the Second Winsburg Conference in April 2015, Acadia and Caseusopolis were admitted into the Union. The conference also marked the formal announcement of the reorganization of the Circular Powers into the Western Union, with supranational legislative, executive and judicial authorities - today seen in the Western Council and Parliament, the Western Commission, and the Western Courts of Justice, with negotiations for such initiatives to promote further integration having begun since the end of the Frosian War. The free movement of creatures between member nations was also approved in an initiative known as the Concord Scheme, and remaining customs were abolished. Agencies to regulate cooperation in various sectors, such as space exploration, were also set up, with Margate and Snowiny becoming involved in the Antarctican-led International Space Station. The Western Union superseded the Circular Powers on May 9th 2015.

A capital city for the Union was eventually decided on in 2016, its location having been left out from the initial reorganisation of the Union owing to disputes between member nations on where it should be. A new district was created in Delphi, Acadia, to house the major institutions of the Union, although certain agencies were established in other cities, with the Western Agriculture and Fisheries Agency being headquarted in Winsburg, and the Union Security and Anti-Terrorism Agency headquartered in Margate City. The Western Union Charter, which spelt out the fundamental aims, policies and institutions that would hold the Union together, was released together with the admission of Tropicalis into the Union on August 26th, 2016, although signing and ratification of the charter was only completed just before the beginning of the 2017 Western Union Congress. The Union also signed its first free trade and military cooperation agreement with another nation, the Seal Islands in the same year.

Unprecedented Growth and Expansion
2017 marked a year of unprecedented economic growth for all member nations with further integration between member nations having been completed. April 1st 2018 saw the largest expansion of the Union, with Duck Island, Candvia, Dragonstone, Finipines and the Emperorlands inducted into the Union. The same year marked the inaugural Western Union Day celebrations, with the Union Parliament having voted to make the day into a public holiday earlier in February.

The Union today is regarded as an economic and political heavyweight on the Antarctic stage, and is internationally renowned for being one of the most influential geopolitical projects of the 21st century. In a world where giants such as Shops Island and the United States of Antarctica continue to rise in power, the Union stands as a symbol of hope, that small nations have a choice not to bend to the will of larger nations so long they come together. Internal politics and crises have, however, threatened the stability of the union on more than one occasion.

The numerous expansions as well as investments in various Western Union economies resulted in the United Provinces losing the substantial amount of power inside the Union that it had prior to the 2018 expansion. The United Provinces used to be the largest economy of the Western Union and hosted the unofficial capital city just a few years back - by now, it had fallen to barely being the third largest economy and it had lost its status as the political, economic and business center of the Union (resulting in the Winsburg Framework being published by the government). The United Provinces stood to gain on international prestige and soft power, however.

Present Day
Throughout 2018, disillusionment with the state of affairs inside the Western Union gradually started to grow in all member states. The Emperor Crisis that spring resulted in huge damage being done to the relations between the United States of Antarctica and the Western Union, something which Margatian and Tropicalian leaders remarked was "completely unnecessary". It would take months before relations between the WU and the USA were restored, and this was finalized by December 2018, when Acadia restored friendly relations with the United States of Antarctica thanks to Donal Tenorio's trade deal, and by March 2019, when the Western and Antarctican representatives signed a document declaring "a state of goodwill and friendship that exists between our the two powers".

The disillusionment with the state of affairs continued into the second half of 2018 and it reached its highest extent in December, during the Achadia Crisis, the worst crisis to face the Western Union in its history (although it was not an internal Western Union crisis). The Achadia Crisis shook Acadian confidence in the Western Union, and the Attempted Assassination of Lavender resulted in an attempt by Shops Island and its allies to isolate three Western Union members - Acadia and Duck Island, whose two penguins were involved in the attempt on Lavender's life, and Candvia, a Western Union member state that frequently stood up to Shops in times when everybody was afraid to do so. That same month, Amataria declared its intention to leave the Western Union, something that had been simmering under the surface for months before.

Amataria's exit from the Western Union was finalized in February 2019 after three months of rocky negotiations that were incredibly lengthy and had major behind-the-curtain Shopper intervention. Amataria exited with a treaty protecting the rights of Amatarian nationals inside the Western Union after their exit, and relations with the entire Western Union were gradually improved for months after incredibly tense negotiations that tore them apart. Amataria's exit provoked the question - will the Western Union fall apart? This question was often asked by Lavender, who had clearly expressed anti-Western Union sentiment before, and Lavender was rebuked for the question and his intentions were condemned by Western leaders such as Simon McClark and Brant Esser, who said the Western Union "was not falling apart" and "was in fact stronger than ever". Furthermore, they claimed Amataria never felt particularly enthusiastic about the Western Union, meaning their exit isn't as much as a surprise as "our enemies", as Esser called them, are trying to make it sound.

In late February 2019, the Finipines announced their intention to host a second annual Western Union Economic and Business Forum to succeed the one from 2018. The same month, the Western Union approved legislation allowing the capital to be moved from Delphi, Acadia to the Southern Captagone Island in Candvia, a much more secure and more stable location where a planned community would be built. Construction on this community started as early as the beginning of March 2019. Also approved was the Western Union Constitution, which is set to take effect at an unknown date in the near future.

Future
In the 2020s the Western Union remains one of the foremost economic powers in Antarctica. The fall of Shops Island in 2026, however, resulted in a major disturbance to the balance of power around the world. The Western Union attempted to fill the vacuum of Shops Island by giving economic aid to the states that came out of Shops Island, particularly the Shops Union states, whose independence the Western Union strove to protect from potential foreign invaders. The Western Union suffered a major economic downturn as a result of the fall of Shops Island, as did most countries around the world, and this fueled the rise of anti-Western Union parties, particularly far left and far right parties, and the Western Union, in the late 2020s and the 2030s, faced its worst crisis to date.

The closer integration of the Western Union countries was brought to a halt by nationalist governments across nearly the entire union. Margate very nearly pulled out from the Union in the late 2030s, but it never did so. Munijoch became the 13th member of the Western Union after a long period of negotiations following the disbandment of the Axle Powers as a result of Shops Island's collapse. The Western Union slowly but very efficiently achieved economic recovery throughout the 2030s, and an strong anti-Western Union feeling prevailed even into the 2040s, despite the full recovery, as blaming the Western Union for all sorts of things has become normal for populist politicians to do.

Economy
The Western Union combined has the largest economy in Antarctica, and is the world's foremost economic leader. It is one of the world's largest exporters and importers of goods. Several member states have joined a monetary union known as the circumzone which uses the circum (₵) as a single currency (the states have also been joined by Andèra, a non-member of the Western Union). Dozens of the world's most important corporations are headquartered in the Western Union, and among them are highly powerful companies such as Agrocorp and Veggie Emporium. The Western Union has established a single market across the territory of all its member states representing 137,600,000 citizens. The Western Union's economy is highly integrated on the world stage and is vital to the continent's economic stability.

Companies


Many trans-national corporations (TNCs), easily numbering the thousands and many of them key to the stability of the Antarctic economy, are based in or have significant operations in Western Union member states. The number of major international corporations in the Western Union works greatly to the Western Union's advantage and the Western Union uses this as a negotiating chip during trading disputes. The Western Union often gets very involved in company disputes and is known to interact with corporations and their CEOs on a regular basis.

Conglomerates within the Union include the Acadian Investment Corporation, Agrocorp, Kenestral Holdings and Omega Inc. Agrocorp is primarily a retail joint-stock company founded by Filip Mikulec in 1985 in the Snowinian city of Dolphinas, with subsidiaries such as the Margate-based ColdFoods, that produces frozen products such as frozen pizzas, fruit, vegetables, fish and pastries, bought over in 2014. Kenestral Holdings, a state-linked corporation based in Margate City, fully or partially owns a multitude of companies specialising in financial and transport services, including the Commercial Bank of Margate (CBM) and Margate Airlines. Omega Inc, founded in Amataria, specialises in robot design and production, and owns various manufacturing companies, including the Mek City-based WarmFoods. Omega Inc additionally has a rivalry with the smaller robot manufacturing-centric A Corp. The state owned Acadian Investment Corporation, based in Delphi, Acadia, owns Air Acadia and Acadian Petroleum, which also owns some oil refineries in the United States of Antarctica and Candvia.

Dew's Point is a Finipino corporation that is one of the largest medical superpowers in Antarctica and produces vaccines, antibiotics, medical equipment and largely prosthetics. The largest cheese-producing corporation in the entire Western Union is Caseuston, a large multinational company headquartered in Caseusopolis, that has several offices across the Western Union. Cocomore is the largest milk-producing country in Antarctica and it has a minor rivalry with Caseuston as that company is also involved in milk production. Retail corporations include Circo, the largest supermarket chain in the Union, based in Pontilex, Candvia, and Occidental, another major supermarket chain in the Western Union, headquartered in Delphi, Acadia. SPAM and Cheap Store are two of the larger store chains within the Union, and are headquartered in Duck Island. Vehicle manufacturing companies of note include Gemilang Indusries, which produces environmentally friendly public transit and heavy vehicles, based in Nexon City, as well as QuackCar, based in Duck Island. Duck Island additionally hosts 3 major bus building companies, the biggest of which is BUS, and exports these vehicles to Western member states at discounted rates.

Currency
A unified single currency for the Western Union, the circum (₵), was proposed at the Acadia summit in April 2017. The proposal passed provided all nations have a right to retain their current currencies as well or not use the new currency at all. The currency is still being worked on in details and was a major topic discussed at the summit in Lagois City. In May 2018, several nations, such as the United Provinces, Candvia and the Emperorlands, have announced they would adopt the circum by the end of the month or in early June. Several other nations have, however, stated they are not yet ready to adopt the circum yet and asked for a 12-month delay for the decision, among those nations are Tropicalis and Margate. The circum is also open to being adopted by countries not part of the Western Union, such as Andèra, which adopted the circum as the sole legal tender in late 2018.

On 20 May 2018, the United Provinces officially became the first country in the world to adopt the circum as the sole official currency. This was welcomed by cheers and joy in the capital city of Winsburg, where celebrations occurred in the Old Town on Snowiny Square. President McClark announced that the path of the United Provinces is a path of further integration into the Western Union and further cementing the alliance between the twelve nations. He also stated he hopes other nations would join in on adopting the Western Union and stated the importance of having a common currency - Candvia subsequently announced they would adopt the circum on 26 May, which they did. Finipines, Acadia and Dragonstone all adopted the circum on 30 May. After several months of negotiations, on 16 May 2019, the Emperorlands adopted the circum.

Countries that have the circum as their official currency are said to be part of the circumzone. The circum is managed by the Acadia-based Western Union Central Bank (WUCB) and the Circumsystem (composed of the central banks of the circumzone countries).

Metals and Minerals
Snowiny, Margate and the Terra Federation are the primary exporters of iron-ore and copper ore within the Western Union, with the other member nations lacking such resources. This allowed for the acceleration of the 2014 Margatian Rearmament Program and the renewal of Amataria's robot-based military, and today continues to play a key role in the building up of new weapons and defenses. Other metals are mined, but in a much smaller quantity - for instance Snowiny possesses several nickel and uranium mines.

Minerals were lacking across the coalition, contrary to those of the Axle Powers. Gold, which Snowiny had been exporting since the 1900s, have begun to run out and so only small deposits of gold, silver, platinum and diamonds are found in Snowiny's mines, and even then, the valuable minerals are located very deep, making it even harder to extract the minerals. These minerals are therefore only about 1-3% less the price of those exported from outside nations. Platinum and diamonds are also mined in Nexon, Margate and Tropicalis.

Oil, Gas and Coal


Margate and Candvia have been blessed with the abundance of oil and natural gas within their territories. Many oil and gas rigs have been constructed off the coasts of Nexon, Lauson, North Bank and the Oil Archipelago, part of which is owned by Shops Island, and, in the case of Candvia, in the Captagones and Maiores island archipelagos. The export of oil and natural gas prices in the other nations dropped significantly, except for Margate and Tropicalis, both of whom place more emphasis on green energy. There are currently talks on the creation of a natural gas pipeline that will supply Antarctica with natural gas from the rich deposits in the Oil Archipelago, similar to the Trans-Antarctic Pipeline.

Coal mines are widespread in the Terra Federation, and they supply coal to the industries in Snowiny, Margate and Amataria. However the Union is seeking to have a greener future, and more industries are now using natural gas converted to electricity, with the exception of Candvia, which continues to rely on oil and gas exports and stated they reject the Union's green future plans for Candvia.

Caseusopolis and Acadia has little to no natural resources for export or use, hence they rely on the other nations for these resources. Electricity derived from oil, gas and coal amount to less than 0.5% of Tropicalis' needs and hence the Tropicalians have no need for such resources.

Timber and Sand
Margate has a small furniture industry which produces high quality wooden goods. This wood used to be imported from Calada and Freezeland, as the nation has a trade pact with them, but the Terra Federation's abundance of forest and lower shipping costs has made the nation less reliant on wood from Calada and Freezeland. This has made the Margatian furniture industry's profits increase twofold. The nation that has benefited the most, though, is Snowiny, where a new furniture industry is expected to exceed that of Margate's by 2019. However, Margate's aggressive reforestation program and annexation of several small nearby islands with high-quality timber means that Margate will soon emerge as an exporter of timber in the Western Union as well. Tropicalis has also benefited from the importation of cheaper wood products which meets environmental standards.

Sand is especially important in reclamation of land, so as to build new ports. Margate has been relying on sand from Hindonesie and Malesia for reclamation since it's independence in 1965, but the Batavians has since banned the export of sand to Margate. Malesia has imposed high tariffs and a limited quota of sand, forcing Margate to use it's limited stockpile. The Terra Federation has plenty of sand-based hills, and has exported them to Margate, Tropicalis and Snowiny for reclamation purposes. In exchange, Margate helped to build and expand ports in both nations. The three nations are also contemplating digging up sand from the sea bed in international waters, although this would be a rather large undertaking. Caseusopolis and Acadia, both being small island nations with rapid development also obtain and use these materials for reclamation purposes

Agriculture


The Western Union is primarily industry-oriented, although the most agricultural country in the Union is the United Provinces. Various measures have been taken to increase agricultural output and to make the Western Union nations the leading nations in the world in agriculture. This led to the establishment of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It is one of the long lasting policies of the Western Union. The policy has the objectives of increasing agricultural production, providing certainty in food supplies, ensuring a high quality of life for farmers, stabilizing markets, and ensuring reasonable prices for consumers. However, the policy's price controls and market interventions led to considerable overproduction. This policy has been criticized for under-cutting farmers outside the Union. Supporters of the CAP argue that the economic support which it gives to farmers provides them with a reasonable standard of living.



The most agriculturally developed nations in the Western Union are undoubtedly Candvia and the Western Union, especially Candvia, the top grape producing nation in the Union and one of the top grape producing nations in the whole world as well. The main exporter of cream soda in the Western Union is indeed Candvia, and most of it is exported to nations such as Acadia, Duck Island and the Finipines. Acadia and Caseusopolis have the weakest agriculture economic sectors in the Western Union, with Acadia until quite recently being completely reliant on greenhouses and so-called vertical gardens for the production of food. Caseusopolis, on the other hand, has nearly no agriculture at all and is heavily dependent on agricultural exports from other Western Union nations.

Weapons and Technology
Margate plays the largest role in this sector - its collaboration and multitude of research projects with ally Ed Island has allowed it grow its military research sector and produce new types of weapons - although they remain of an inferior quality to the technologically superior Ed Islandians. Technology-sharing is frequent, especially from Margate to other Western Union nations. The largest manufacturer of firearms and artillery is Carstava, however, headquartered in Doriath, Kanowa, United Provinces.

With the lack of a home-grown military industrial complex in every member nation initially, trade in this field was practically non-existent. However, after the Puffalian-Western War, Margate and the Terra Federation each developed such complexes, and while weapons produced by them still remain a minority within the Western Union's combined militaries, it continues to grow at a steady pace. It is predicted that Margatian and Terran-built weapons and weapon systems will account for 50% of equipment within the Western Union by 2027 at current rates.

On average, the union as a whole has a fairly decent level of technology with technology such as internet accessibility, radio and modern-day transport and vehicles being commonplace. Countries such as the Emperorlands have developed efficient water-based technology, ubiquitous throughout the country and found within their architecture and everyday lives. Robotic technology and other mechanical items are regularly manufactured by Amataria, which also uses its machinery as infantry for its military. Electronic devices such as computers are often exported by the Finipines while holographic technology and solar panels are developed and exported by Tropicalis.

Member States
Current member states of the Western Union and the dates they joined.


 * NewUnitedProvincesFlag.png United Provinces (joined 5 January 2014) - founding state of the Western Union. Most engaged and most evolved. Third largest economy, behind Tropicalis and Margate. One of the most pro-WU nations. Has great influence on the international stage as a result of increasing involvement and rapid democratization during Simon McClark's presidency. One of the three core members.
 * Terra Federation flag.PNG Terra Federation (joined 5 January 2014) - founding state of the Western Union. Least engaged and furthest away from all the other members, leading to debates about a possible exit from the Western Union. The nation is very divided on this because the Western Union is Terra Federation's only real connection on the international stage.
 * MAI.png Margate (joined 30 March 2014) - the wealthiest member state of the Western Union and one of the most powerful economically and militarily. The financial center of the Western Union. One of the three core members.
 * AcadiaFlag.png Acadia (joined 26 April 2015) - a small country located just off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Capital city of the Western Union; most WU institutions are seated there and summits occur there regularly.
 * Cheeese.png Caseusopolis (joined 26 April 2015) - a small, isolated country on the other side of the continent.
 * Tropicalis Flag.png Tropicalis (joined 28 August 2016) - the second wealthiest country in the Western Union with high standards of living and good economic development. One of the three core members.
 * CandviaFlag.png Candvia (joined 1 April 2018, became candidate on 18 February 2018) - a country with very high standards of living, good natural resources and good economic growth and development, with an average-sized GDP and rather weak armed and naval forces.
 * DuckNewFlag.png Duck Island (joined 1 April 2018, became candidate on 21 October 2017) - a country with a rather poor economy, but with a sizeable army and navy and close relations with some member states.
 * DragonstoneFlag.png Dragonstone (joined 1 April 2018, became candidate on 19 February 2018) - a small, technologically outdated member state located west of the Ninja Archipelago. Has very close relations with Acadia.
 * EmpNewFlag.png Emperorlands (joined 1 April 2018, became candidate on 21 February 2018) - an underwater country which for a long time has been quite isolated from most countries in Antarctica.
 * FelipenasFlag.png Finipines (joined 1 April 2018, became candidate on 20 February 2018) - a country in Asiapelago with high crime rates and an average economy, but is located very close to some of the biggest financial centers of Antarctica.

Official Candidates
Official candidates that may or may not have begun negotiations to enter the Western Union.

None currently.

Former Members
Nations that were once part of the Western Union, but have since left or have been expelled from the union.


 * Amataria Flag.png Amataria (joined 20 April 2014, left 18 February 2019) - a rather isolated member state located in the Asiapelago. Average economy. Left the Western Union in 2019 to be more closely aligned with Munijoch and the Axle Powers.

Western Council
The Western Council serves as an upper house of a Western legislative branch. It consists of delegates from across the Western Union who convene four times a year in Acadia to deliberate and table primarily the Union budget, the unified foreign policy and propose amendments to the structure of the Union. The Council has the power to reject or accept legislation or proposals put forth by the Commission or the Parliament, but usually accepts them, with veto power typically vested in the Western Parliament.

Each nation sends 7 representatives each, with 5 from the party forming the government and 2 from an opposition party or a reputable non-governmental organisation, and is officially non-partisan. The presidency of the Council is held not by an individual, but the representing team from each country, and rotates between member states every 6 months.

Western Parliament


The Western Parliament is the lower chamber of the Legislature. Consisting of 700 Members of Western Parliament (MWPs) elected every 4 years, with member states having a set number of MWPs proportionate to its population, the Parliament enacts legislation (which must later be approved by the Commission and Council) or votes to accept or reject proposals put forth by the Commission with a simple majority. The Parliament is generally seen as being the more dominant half of the legislative branch, in spite of the fact that budgetary and foreign policy issues are delegated to the Council - mostly due to the fact that the lower house meets more frequently and as such passes more legislation, the fact that member nations can be summoned before the Parliament to explain controversial decisions made, and the fact that the Commission is held accountable to the Parliament, and the Parliament can at any time, dissolve the Commission and call for fresh elections.

First elections were held on September 7, 2016, with a 64.2% turnout amongst member nations. Following the admission of 5 new member states into the Union, Parliament was dissolved and seats reallocated by population, with new elections being held on May 15th, 2018. Unlike in the Council, representatives from member nations do not sit together as a collective - instead they sit with their respective Western Parliament coalitions/voting blocs, although within individual voting blocs MWPs from the same nation are seated close together. There are 9 major voting coalitions within the parliament, namely:


 * 1) [WSCA] Western Socialist Alliance (far-left)
 * 2) [LDAW] Liberal Democratic Alliance of the Western Union (left)
 * 3) [WGUC] Western Green Unity Coalition (center-left)
 * 4) [AWLD] Alliance of Western Liberals and Democrats (center)
 * 5) [WPPG] Western Union People's Party Group (center-right)
 * 6) [WCNR] Western Union Conservatives and Reformists (center-right)
 * 7) [UFDD] Union of Freedom and Direct Democracy (right)
 * 8) [WNFC] Western National Freedom Coalition (far-right)
 * 9) [INDP] Independents

Currently, the Parliament is arranged: 142 WCR, 136 WPP, 104 AWLD, 94 AWG, 72 PASD, 57 N-I, 40 UFDD, 30 UNF, 25 AWW. This is how each nation individually arranged them:


 * 1) Caseusopolis: WPP 9, WCR 2, PASD 2, AWLD 1
 * 2) Acadia: WCR 12, UFDD 9, AWG 8, AWLD 7, WPP 6
 * 3) Terra Federation: AWG 32, PASD 12, N-I 11, AWLD 10, AWW 8, WPP 7, WCR 6, UFDD 3, UNF 2
 * 4) United Provinces: WCR 31, WPP 25, AWLD 21, PASD 12, UFDD 10, N-I 7, UNF 6, AWG 5, AWW 2
 * 5) Margate: WCR 53, WPP 48, AWLD 40, PASD 19, AWG 16, N-I 10, UFDD 2, UNF 1, AWW 0
 * 6) Tropicalis: WCR 38, WPP 41, AWG 33, PASD 27, AWLD 25, N-I 29, UFDD 16, AWW 15, UNF 21

Requirements to Join
See also: Future Enlargement of the Western Union

To join the Union;


 * 1) Applicant nation must be willing to use military force against external parties attacking one of the members of the Union.
 * 2) Applicant nation must be willing to side with its member states in all situations except if affected member nation is the aggressor.
 * 3) Applicant nation must be willing to enforce a "peace policy"; no invasion of other nations unless provoked.
 * 4) Applicant nation must be considered democratic, or in the process of enacting reforms to do so. Nations are not allowed to suppress peaceful protests, introduce or continue media censorship, and restrict the freedoms of its peoples, except on national security grounds for a period of up to 120 days, subject to the approval of the Western Council.
 * 5) Applicant nation must be recognized internationally as a sovereign nation and be a member of the United Antarctic Nations
 * 6) Applicant nation must be willing to allow for free movement of goods and citizens of Western Union origin.

As an addition, each applicant nation (candidate) will have to go through a series of negotiations involving 15 chapters. The candidacy of the nation is then voted on by all member states of the Western Union, all of which have to approve in order for the nation to be able to sign a Treaty of Accession.

Foreign Policy
The Western Union's combined foreign policy is to establish a world where freedom, liberty, prosperity, happiness and justice rule, which will be done by abiding to the following principles;


 * 1) Keeping to international rule of law, tribunals and resolutions, and pushing other nations to abide by such rules.
 * 2) Respecting all forms of government and leaders whilst also encouraging democratic reforms in non-democratic nations.
 * 3) Being a role model to other nations in maintaining the five core values of freedom, liberty, prosperity, citizen happiness and justice.
 * 4) Defending the five core values in other nations where they are threatened; a) if by the government, through economic sanctions and international pressure, b) if by external forces through economic and military aid. The Antarctic War on Terrorism is an example of Western intervention to maintain these core values.

Additionally, the Western Union has the right to manage its foreign policy as if it were a sovereign nation (though the will of the member states together, of course, is above the will of the Western Union). The foreign minister of the Western Union is the High Representative of the Western Union for Foreign Affairs, or simply High Representative, who, as of May 2018, is Laura Filicana. The Western Union Commission is in charge of the foreign policy.

The Western Union has a right to form trade deals with another nation as if it were a state equal to that nation, and the Commission has a right to prevent member states from forming a trade deal, though the member states have the power to override that move.

Leaving the Western Union
Leaving the Western Union is a painstaking process that takes a lot of work and a lot of time. The exiting process takes a long time, even longer than the entry time, due to a massive amount of things that need to be changed that cannot be changed or agreed upon in just one day - if a nation just immediately decided to leave it would crash their economy and adversely harm relations with Western Union members.

That is why the Western Union has agreed if a nation wants to leave they can trigger the Exit Article that allows to opt out of any new Western Union laws and begin talks to exit the Western Union - which includes discussing a new trade agreement, discussing relations after leaving the Western Union, discussing which Western Union laws should remain implemented in the exiting country once it leaves and which shouldn't, discussing where do military forces stationed in the country go and where WU institutions located in exiting country go, as well as more.

The Western Union significantly booms all its member states' GDPs, economies and opens up a whole new free trade market for them. Leaving the Western Union would severely hurt the economy of the nation that joined the Union, greatly reduce their GDP, harm their armed forces, ruin relations with the Western Union member nations and reduce their reputation and power because of the size, wealth, interconnection and power of the Western Union.

Ideologies
The main ideology of the Circular Powers and all its countries is freedom. The goal of the Circular Powers is to establish a world where everyone has the freedom to express themselves, and where penguins can follow the pursuit of happiness. Circular Powers has a long series of democratic laws that support freedom for everyone, no matter what their gender and species. The Margate City Convention in March 2015 gave legal protection to all penguins; regardless of who they are, what they are, and how they look like.

All penguins also have the right to vote, and the Council is currently having a debate over passing the Puffle Protection Act and the Puffle Citizenship Act. The Puffle Citizenship Act caused large controversy in the council, with many stating giving puffles citizenship makes no sense, but many agreed to the Puffle Protection Act, mostly the Circular Liberals and Circular Socialist Party.

Western Union Charter
See main article: Western Union Charter

Laws
All laws must be agreed upon by all members. Every member has a right to veto any decision within the Western Union. They also have an opt-out option - they can opt-out of any new law within a 7 day period since it was passed. New members that just got in do not have that option for laws passed before their entrance into the union.

Citizen Perks
The Western Union gives a lot of perks to all citizens of its member states. These are some of them:


 * 1) Easier travel between the member states
 * 2) International (between Western Union nations) plane and ship tickets are 30% cheaper for all Western Union citizens
 * 3) Citizens can work and live in any of the 12 member states
 * 4) Easier to conduct business between the member states
 * 5) A more powerful passport that could grant you easier access to nearly every country
 * 6) Easier to create a business and make it grow as a result of Western Union policies

Concord Area
There are no borders between member states of the Western Union and people traveling between the member states do not have to present their passports to airport authorities. The Western Union has completely open borders and this makes traveling between Western Union states exactly the same as traveling inside a single country. The Union's external borders are strictly enforced, however, primarily on the request of countries such as Margate. Nations also reserve the right to close their borders indefinitely provided that their countries are in a state of emergency.

Culture
The Western Union has 12 member states, each with their own unique cultures, traditions and beliefs that made them what they are. The cultures of the United Provinces, Acadia, Dragonstone and Candvia have been primarily influenced by Ninja Archipelago cultures, Tropicalis primarily by Candvian and Castillan cultures, Margate, Finipines and Amataria by the Asiapelago cultures, Terra Federation and Caseusopolis by the culture of UnitedTerra and a country like Duck Island has been rather isolated and left to its own devices. The cultural diversity is what makes the Western Union so unique and special - they're all very distinct yet they all remain so united.

Culture is one of the top concerns of the Western Union. Every 3 months (January - April - July - October), a Western Union Capital of Culture is chosen by the Western Union Commission, the current holder, since 1 July, being Maybila City in the Finipines. The point is to assist cultural development in the selected city and to promote that city as a cultural destination. The Western Union has even more programmes, such as the Western Union Youth Orchestra and Western Month of Culture.

Symbols
The flag of the Western Union is a horizontal white-light blue-white flag with 7 stars in the center, meant to symbolize the unity of the Western Union (7 stars because at the time of adoption, there were 7 members in the Union). The Western Union's anthem is Ode to Joy, whose lyrics were written in June 2018 by a famous Finipino poet. The lyrics are:

Unity, cooperation Of all nationalities Let’s rejoice in celebration In all our diversities Fly our banner over our blue skies Under Seven Stars that won’t fall Join us in our congregation Western Union, one for all

In all our diversities encourages nations to join in celebration in all the diversities that make them so great. Under Seven Stars that won't fall means the Western Union and the ideal of unity and happiness will never fall. Western Union, one for all signalizes that the Western Union is a union for everybody.

Media


Media freedom is a right guaranteed by Article Three of the Western Union Charter as one of the core values that all member states have to abide by. Not all member states are thought to have always, at all points, satisfied this value: most notably, until very recently, the country of Acadia suppressed the free press - the Acadian government liberalized and allowed the press to report freely on events in the country under the threat of being suspended from the Western Union, and today Acadia allows the free press, despite the government at times still challenging their right.

All the main public broadcasters in the Western Union are united into one single organization called the Western Broadcasting Union. Membership is for media organizations whose countries are part of a country within the Western Union. Most WBU broadcasters have group deals to carry major sporting events and various championships that take place among Western Union member nations. Another annually recurring event which is broadcast across the Western Union through the WBU is the Winsburg New Year's Concert, at which various works of classical music by many composers from around Antarctica are performed. Its headquarters are in a recently-finished building in Lagois City, Tropicalis and its president is Miguel Ángel Agramonte, a journalist from the Finipines.



One of the biggest media organizations in the entire Western Union is Westernews, owned and financed by the Western Union itself and headquartered in Ventides, Candvia. It is available in every single country in the Western Union and has strictly independent content and a policy of covering all sides of every issue. Westernews often hosts debates between Western Union politicians and politicians from the individual member states as well. Westernews often comes at odds with national governments as well - most notably the Acadian government because of its coverage of the Delphi Riots and the Achadia Crisis, although the United Provinces government was often critical of it too and it was accused of being biased against the United Provinces, which is considered to be one of the most powerful member states in the Union.

Criticism
Within the Western Union, member nations are not afraid to speak their minds on regional affairs, both externally and internally. Thanks to the somewhat noticeable sway in regards to influence, some WU members, such as Margate and UP, are capable of leading other countries to condemn the actions of other countries. Such condemnations hold no boundaries; they can occur both in the Union and outside it. From its start, the Western Union has not criticized a tremendous amount of countries, but there is certainly a handful that have been.

Acadian FRU Exit
In June 2016, Acadia held a referendum to decide their membership in the Free Republic Union, whether to "leave" the Union or "remain" in it. The "remain" side won by a slim margin. However, the Acadian Congress voted to leave the FRU in November 2016 after Megg won the US Presidency, ignoring the earlier referendum. Though the move wasn't condemned by fellow Western Union members, it was highly frowned upon, and was considered by some to be a "violation of democracy".

The Western Union was lambasted by many governments for not having issued a harsher response to Acadia's move, with US vice president Happyface saying that "it is strange how during the negotiations a country has to be smooth and clean but when it actually joins the union it can do whatever it want and totally disregard the will of its citizens". Simon McClark criticized Happyface's comments, stating that the Western Union had already strongly condemned Acadia's behavior and has called for Acadia to 'return to its senses'.

Marxit Crisis
Further reading: Marxit Crisis

In May of 2017, Margate condemned Acadia for its provocations and threats of war against Dorkugal and, subsequently, the USA, and politely asked the country to cease them, lest the country takes further actions in stopping them. UP and Amataria became involved as well, condemning the nation for it's actions, but to no avail. So, Margate threatened to pull out of the Western Union, thinking that the Union should not be drawn into a needless battle over something that the majority of the nations did not endorse. Fearing a complete collapse, UP arranged talks with Margate and Acadia, and the two countries worked out a deal that allowed Margate to stay and for Acadia to stop provoking the small country.

Encroachment on Expression
Only a month later, in June, it was discovered that the Acadian government has authorized the purposeful censorship of left-wing political ideas, suppressing socialism and advocates for greater social justice. Such an investigation, months in the making, was spearheaded by multiple advocacy groups based in Munijoch and Margate, two bastions for civil rights despite having troubled pasts. Upon receiving the report, Margate released a statement, condemning the nation for denying the basic civil rights, and having Frederick Mueller adding that Brant Esser is "the worst statesman he's ever dealt with." Only an hour later, Simon McClark added his condemnation too, citing that he "stands with Margate in condemning Acadia, since they deserve much much better than what they currently have." Prime Minister Lena Sanders refused to comment on the matter, most likely because she doesn't want to lose support from Conservatives who she is in a coalition government with.

Contrasting the condemnations, Monica LeBen, candidate of UP's Nationalist Party, slammed the countries for condemning Acadia, stating that they shouldn't be "policing other nations in their affairs." Patrick Smith, Foreign Minister of the UP, also joined LeBen's side, condemning the condemnation. Patrick Smith's brother and former president Robert Smith also commented on this matter, making it his first comment on politics after August 2015, saying that the condemnations are unruly and that governments condemning Acadia are seeking hostility and are trying to pick up fights. McClark brushed off his comments at a recent press conference.

Amataria, a country notorious for poor civil rights, rather hypocritically joined the condemnation against Acadia, citing that "while it would be hypocritical for us to champion the call of civil rights while we are deaf to it, a country in such well standing with other democracies should at least behave like one." Since then, there have been talks about Amataria introducing reforms to better the rights of citizens and to escape the corporate madness the country is enveloped in at the moment.

Since then, there have been discussion on how to deal with Acadia's censorship of thought, with some arguing that the best way is to apply sanctions until they give in and let the thoughts express themselves. Others suggest that the international humiliation is bad enough to get them to change. Opinion however, is mostly divided. Regardless, the Western Union has been heavily criticized for its lack of action and lack of resolve on the Acadian problem for an organization that claims to be staunchly defending civil and penguin rights.

On 9 July 2018, the Western Union issued a statement condemning the infringement of penguin rights in Acadia and called for the Acadian government to take steps towards liberalization. The Acadian government rejected this statement, as well as criticized the timing (it was released immediately after the 2018 Pontilex Western Union Summit).

Shops Island
The Western Union and Shops-dominated Axle Powers are known to have a rivalry between them and both organizations often attempt to prove their superiority over one another through sometimes absurd means, such as by contesting for influence over a country and insulting each other's military and economic strengths. There would come times when individual members, especially the United Provinces, would condemn Shopper behavior as well and accuse Shops of things which President Lavender fervently denies.

Great Yowien War
When the Great Yowien War happened, President Robert Smith of Snowiny was quick to pick a side in the conflict. He immediately announced his full support for Shops Island and the Lavender administration and actively tried to get involved in the war by whatever means possible, contrary to the popular will as the majority of the population strongly opposed the Great Yowien War, often displayed by constant protests in front of the Presidential (Royal) Palace, calling for Robert Smith to condemn Shops Island and its actions immediately. Margate, on the other hand, stated they support the Shopper cause but they were not directly involved in the war at all whatsoever.

In 2015, Robert Smith abdicated and Simon McClark assumed the presidency. He was quick to announce that Snowiny (United Provinces) would give citizenship to all Yowien refugees currently situated in his country's territory. He was also quick to announce that Smith made a mistake giving support to the Shopper side in the war.

Happyface's Address
At the end of April 2017, the Vice President of the USA, Happyface141, presented an address to the South Pole Council, calling for international sanctions against Acadia for being a "warmonger" against both Dorkugal and communist nations. While the Western Union were dealing with Acadia in their own right, they were quick to criticize the USA for further stirring the pot with Acadia, asserting that international humiliation isn't the way to coax a country into submission, and that Acadia, while it has been provocative, is by no means meant to be an enemy of the region. Furthermore, they called on the USA to reach peace with Acadia, condemning the actions of the country formally and wishing that there could be more communication between the great power and the former FRU member.

Internal Relations
The relations between the member states of the Western Union have been described as awkwardly complex and incredibly divided, in contrast to what pundits call the supposed 'unanimity' of the Axle Powers. WU critics observe there are rivalries between the member states of the Western Union, including between: 1. Acadia and Margate, 2. Duck Island and Margate, 3. Candvia and the United Provinces. In addition to rivalries between the member states, critics have also observed that the foreign policy of the United Provinces, and partially internal policy as well to an extent, are 'controlled' by Acadia. Some have, as a result of the vast power Acadia has over UP policy decisions, called Acadia the most powerful member of the Western Union despite its small military, small economy, small territory and position right next to the United States of Antarctica, whom Acadia is known for having spats with.

Some have described relations between the member states as completely imbalanced, with far-left and far-right politicians in the United Provinces, Tropicalis, Margate and Candvia believing that their countries effectively serve the poorer countries of the Western Union and basically 'feed them with money while their own citizens are suffering at home'. Monica Le Ben, far-right politician in the United Provinces, singled out the Emperorlands, Finipines, Amataria and Caseusopolis, calling their countries 'impoverished third-world heckholes' and accusing them of taking advantage of the richer countries in the Western Union, 'among others my own', comments which the Finipino president Amor Atienza sharply rebuked, stating that she believes Le Ben's views are 'not official UP policy, nor the view of the UP people' and stating that such inflammatory views 'have no place in the policies of the Western Union nor any of its nations'.

Attitude of the Big Three of the Western Union - Margate, Tropicalis and the United Provinces - towards all the other nations of the Western Union has sometimes been described as condescending and as a holier-than-thou attitude. Some politicians in Candvia have described their attitudes as 'rage-inducingly arrogant' and 'elitist', which anti-Western Union politicians have used to their advantage in order to get elected to power. After such accusations from Candvian politicians, President McClark said he 'would not bow down to hecklers and opportunists', a remark that was interpreted as an insult against Candvians.

Esser denied the existence of a 'big three' in the Western Union, stating that it is a false narrative created by the media in order to divide and eventually disintegrate the Western Union, during a visit the Tropicalian president to Acadia. McClark, upon being confronted about Brant Esser's statements, said that he 'doesn't have time to deal with imaginary issues', and went on to brag about protest made in the Western Union in the first half of 2018.

Polls
1 February 2018

17 May 2018

Military


Previously, there used to be no unified Western Union military. The project to create the Western Union Armed Forces was in the working between May 2017 and June 2018, when the 12 member states finally signed a treaty in the Snowinn capital of Winsburg establishing the armed forces. All nations had agreed to give a minimum 10% of their military to the Western Union Armed Forces, and they would have the option to divide that 10% (decide how much they would give to the land forces, how much to naval forces and how much to air forces). Additionally, all countries reaffirmed their commitments to the Western Union Joint Defense Policy.

Foreign Relations
The Western Union itself has very good relations with other nations, although various nations feel slightly threatened by their ever-growing expansion and increased industrial, military and economic might.


 * Ed Island Flag.png Ed Island - Fair. The two have good relations in general, but as a result of constant disputes and a rivalry with some of the states such as the United Provinces and Acadia the relations between the two have slightly deteriorated.


 * East Pengolia image flag.png East Pengolia - Horrible. East Pengolia criticizes the Western Union and calls it 'an imperialist project' that seeks to 'take away Pengolian sovereignty'. Relations have recently improved between the two as a result of overtures by the United Provinces. However, some of the members still hate East Pengolia.


 * PolarisFlag.png Polaris - Great. Polaris has great relations with the Western Union and commends their pro-democracy and pro-human rights mission. The Western Union is currently working on a draft trade agreement with Polaris, which would have to be approved by the WU Parliament and the Polarian Legislative Congress.


 * USA flag.PNG United States of Antarctica - Fair. The United States of Antarctica feels threatened by the expansion of the Western Union and has demonstrated their disdain for the Western Union during the crisis over Acadia's exit from the Free Republic Union. The United States of Antarctica has constantly threatened the Western Union with higher tariffs on steel and aluminum as a result of its slightly protectionist foreign trade policy and almost completely laissez-faire internal trade policy.


 * ShopsIslandFlag2013.png Shops Island - Fair. Shops Island and the Western Union have a small scale rivalry as the former is part of the Axle Powers alliance, but as a result of an influx of new Western Union members and further integration of the union the Axle Powers became much less relevant to the Western Union and its interests. Relations have relatively stabilized lately between the two, mostly as a result of Shops getting slightly less involved in international politics.

Trivia

 * It is heavily inspired by the European Union.
 * They share a friendly rivalry with the Axle Powers, who are quite powerful militarily but do not cooperate as much politically and economically as the Western Union nations.
 * If a country intends to join the Western Union, they must take this form here.
 * During official ceremonies (such as press conferences, statements, etc.) and over public buildings, the Western Union flag should be displayed alongside the national flag of the country. This is not a strict requirement, however, but members are expected to do it for the sake of unity and symbolism.
 * As of July 2018, there are no borders between the Western Union member nations, meaning anybody can move through all twelve countries as if they were moving through one. This is known as the Concord Area, inspired by the real-life Schengen Area.
 * The judiciary branch of the government of the Western Union is the Western Union Court of Justice, which functions like a regular judiciary in any country except on a Western Union-wide level and is primarily concerned with the Western Union and its members and not private internal affairs of the member states.