Western Shops

Western Shops is Shops Island's westernmost mainland state. It is considered by many to be the economic hub of Shops Island, as most Shopper factories and shipping facilities are located in the state. The largest city in Western Shops is Goberna, which also happens to be the capital.

History
Western Shops was the second last state of Shops Island to be incorporated. Early settlers established a little outpost in what is now Brookelas Town. From there, they set out and went inland to create Yuri102212 City, and installed a portal to South Joseon which is now closed.

The Shopper government quickly realized that all wind blows west through Western Shops, and therefore out to sea. Using this fact to their advantage, many factories were built here so smoke and pollution would be blown out to sea. It works very well, and now the entire state is littered with factories. The western coast of the state is also home to most of Shops Island's port facilities, and as such most of the cargo coming to and from mainland Shops Island passes through the state of Western Shops.

In 2013, as Shops Island was undergoing rapid expansion, president Lavender ordered the construction of a new port city on the western coast to facilitate more trade and manufacturing. As a result, Goberna was incorporated. Since then, it has become the capital of Western Shops and an economic powerhouse within the state and the country overall. Soon after Goberna was incorporated, some independent citizens decided to create their own city inside of Goberna proper, much to the chagrin of the state and federal governments.

Government
Like all Shopper states, the president has ultimate authority over decision-making in Western Shops, although much power is deferred to the governor. Much like the president, governors don't necessarily have term limits; for an election to be called, a vote of no confidence must be tabled in the state legislature. This has yet to occur in Western Shops' history.

List of Western Shops' Governors
There are various times when there was no governor for Western Shops. The first true governor of Western Shops (that wasn't appointed during Ben's dictatorship) was Bro. He is the governor once more after an incident.

[1] = During some of June and almost all of July 2012 Bro was severely ill and battling some of the effects of his Nookularix Virus.

Goberna
Goberna is the capital and largest city in Western Shops. It was incorporated in 2013 and was intended to be a centerpiece of the Shopper industrial division. It was named after the king of Castilla, King Carlos Goberna, who was a powerful ally of Shops Island in its formative years. As a result, Castillan culture greatly shaped Goberna, and immigrants from Castilla and Latin Antarctica still flock to the city when they visit or immigrate to Shops Island.

Unfortunately, Goberna was also the target of an attack by Nexon during the Fall of Nexon in late 2013. The city was leveled during the conflict, although it was soon rebuilt and is now more prosperous than ever.

City of Goberna
Annoyed by Goberna's overly-hispanic culture, many Puffish immigrants within the city decided to form their own independent body in 2014. After much revolt and backlash, the City of Goberna was founded and encompasses much of downtown Goberna proper. This small Puffish enclave has become a major annoyance for everyone involved; especially the Shopper government.

Brookelas Town
The area where Brookelas Town is was found in August 2011. When Bro became governor in March 2012, he incorporated and named Brookelas Town for his friend Brook who wanted a town or city named after him. Since all government officials (except the president) are forbidden to name a city after themselves, Bro founded Brookelas Town and declared it the capital of Western Shops, since he and Brook were best friends. In return, Brook incorporated Bro Town in Eastern Shops, where he was serving as governor at the time.

For most of Western Shops' early years, Brookelas Town was the capital of the state. It was replaced as the capital by Goberna as a result of The Shops Industrial Development Policy.

Even though Brookelas Town served as a key location in the formation of the state of Western Shops, it has since become largely neglected by the state and federal governments. It is seen by many as a backwards redneck town with little to offer to the country overall.

Industrial Division
This area was home to many knitters who made clothes for different people on Shops Island. However, Bro took advantage of the almost barren area in March 2012 after he became governor. He "industrialized" the area, and made it known as the factory headquarters on Shops Island due to its barren landscape with plenty of room for factories. It is now home to most of Shops' factories and ports. Goberna was built in the middle of this area in 2013. The City of Goberna was also carved out in 2014.

Yuri102212 City
Yuri102212 City was founded by Yuri102212 in May 2012 due to all of the recent activity in Western Shops. It has received little attention or notoriety over the years, and is only kept alive by its fiercely loyal citizens who do anything they can to encourage business in the small town.

Portal to South Joseon
Back when Western Shops was first incorporated in 2011, scientists from South Joseon decided to build a teleportation device in Western Shops as a gesture of goodwill between the two countries; this would allow for easy travel between Shops Island and South Joseon. The portal operated for over a year, before it was shut down in 2013 due to security concerns.

Trivia

 * Even though Bro is the governor of Western Shops, he doesn't live in the state; his home is located in Bro Town, instead.