User:Brant/Bay Republic

The Bay Republic, officially the Republic of Bay Area, is a sovereign nation located on the central eastern coast of Antarctica. Previously part of the United States of Antarctica, the area that consists of Snow Clara County gained independence through a referendum in late 2017. Despite its independence, the Bay Republic is still heavily dependent on the United States of Antarctic for defense, since it is still building its military, and economy to an extent, since the area has little natural resources, and is a Free Republic of the USA.

The country's economy relies on mostly technology, which generates a large part of its GDP, and many technology companies have offices or headquarters in the Bay Republic. This abundance of companies has caused the housing price to rise greatly in the past few years, though the unemployment rate is low and the median household income is high. The capital of the Bay Republic is Snow Jose and its official language is English, though Spanish and Vietnamese are both recognized languages, and are sometimes used on written official documents.

History
The area that now encompasses the Bay Republic was originally under Tropicalian control as part of the Tropicalian colony of Alta Eastshield for a few years, until the Water Kingdom gained control of Snow Jose under Olde Antarctica after Tropicalis relinquished its mainland colonies after the Khanzem War. The Water Kingdom controlled Snow Jose until 1990 when it was given to Puffle'and as part of Colonial Antarctica, and was eventually given to the United States of Antarctica after the Colonial Antarctica War, where it would remain for the next seventeen years.

Snow Jose prospered under the United States of Antarctica, as thousands began to move to the city after the war. Some technological companies began to establish offices or headquarters in the city, and many more began to move to the city to work in the companies. Both the economy and population greatly expanded over the next seventeen years, and Snow Jose became the twelfth largest city in the USA and the fourth largest city in Eastshield by 2017. The economy also caused housing to rise, with Snow Jose having some of the most expensive houses in Antarctica.

In recent years, Snow Jose sought independence from the United States of Antarctica, which was part of one of the many independence movements on the eastern coast of Eastshield that saw a rise in recent years. Many wanted the entirety of the Snow Freezecisco Bay Area to declare independence and become its own country, but the individual counties were divided on the issue and in the end, only the fate of Snow Clara County was put on the ballot. In a referendum in late 2017, in which the options were to stay in the USA, become independent, or rejoin Tropicalis, the public chose to become independent.

After gaining independence, the county, now called the Bay Republic, worked with the Antarctican government to ease the process of transition. Despite being an independent country, the Bay Republic would be a Free Republic and remain dependent on the USA for a number of things, since the county would still need to create a military and other government institutions, and had few natural resources. Soon after gaining independence, most countries around Antarctica chose to recognize the Bay Republic as an independent country.

Government
The government system of the Bay Republic is based off that of Acadia's, with a President as the head of government and a bicameral legislature known as Congress. As head of government, the President has the power to veto laws passed by Congress, appoint judges to the Supreme Court, and is the commander in chief of the armed forces. Meanwhile, Congress consists of a 90 member House of Representatives, the lower house, and a 40 member Senate, the upper house. The Supreme Court consists of 12 justices appointed by the President and approved by both houses of Congress.

Elections for President of the Bay Republic are held every six years, while elections for the House of Representatives and Senate are held every six years and four years, respectively. Supreme Court justices, once appointed, can serve for life or until retirement. Positions in the presidential cabinet are appointed by the president and approved by Congress as well, and serve for the same amount of time as the President. The government operates under the Constitution of the Bay Republic, which was written in 2017 and ratified by a referendum in 2018.

Transportation
The Department of Transportation in the Bay Republic has a close connection with the Land Transport Ministry of Antarctica, and its roads are closely connected by that of the USA's. The Bay Republic has an expansive system of roads that travel over the entire country, along with a system of highways that connects most of the republic together. Run by the BTA, or Bay Transportation Authority, the Lightrail is the main train system in the country, and travels through most of it. There are additional train lines that connect with the USA's train system.

The largest airport in the Bay Republic is the Snow Jose International Airport, located in Snow Jose, the capital, and is the only international airport in the country. There is a smaller airport located in South Snow Jose mainly used for private aircraft making short flights in the area. Despite having sea access and multiple bodies of water, transportation by boat is minimal in the Bay Republic, since most of the bodies of water are small and there is minimal sea access. Recent projects in the bay has made the sea more accessible, however.

Military
Recently founded in late 2017, the Bay Republic Armed Forces consists of the Bay Republic Army, Bay Area Air Force, and a small Bay Republic Navy. Consisting of around 7,000 members, the Bay Republic Armed Forces works closely with the Antarctican armed forces to protect the country, as the Bay Republic Armed Forces are still building itself. The largest branch is the army, which is nearing completion, with the second largest branch being the air force, and the smallest branch being the navy. Most of the armed forces' equipment is donated or bought from the USA.