Pacifica

Pacifica is a sovereign nation in North America. With Columbia as its capital, it is a major port city in the Pacific Ocean. Its territory lies between the Pacific Coast of the United States to the east, Canada to the northeast, the El Kadsreian Islands to the south, and Magisteria to the north.

Etymology
The name Pacifica comes from the term Ferdinand Magellan used when he described the Pacific Ocean (i.e. Pacífico). When translated into English, it means "peaceful sea" in Portugese and Spanish.

Prehistory (to the 1600s)
When the Paleo Indians migrated from Asia, present-day Pacifica was connected with the Americas via a land bridge that went from Alaska. A certain amount of tribes settled in the northern part of the area, which was full of mountains at the time; however, it was not as arable and many tribes moved south to the tips of the island. Not much is known about these early tribes.

Colonial Rule (1623-1908)
See Protectorate of Pacifica for more information

Ektæó Colonial Rule (1623-1823)
Ektæózeruich found itself in the midst of colonisation. Initially, the settlers were meant to colonise a portion of North America west of the Cascades that would include much of present day Alaska, British Columbia, northern California, Idaho, western Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Southwestern Yukon. Due to incorrect coordinates and bad mapping, the Ektæó Gold Coast Company (Ektæó: Compángnij Coste Auoră) found themselves on the coasts of Pacifica Island. Despite this, the people who were sent there strongly believed they were on Vancouver Island and refused to leave Pacifica. New Tæóich (now called Bedford) was the first settlement the Gold Coast Company made a few days later. However, as time passed, the natives of the island were tired of the colony's expansion and a few conflicts occurred from time to time. The colony managed to get the upper hand, and they were pushed northward until they ended up in the mountains. The Ektæó Gold Coast Company changed their name to the Gold Coast Colony in 1623 and it was placed under the rule of the crown. Pacifica was later transferred to the British Empire due to a lack of interest in the island.

British & American Rule (1823-1908)
After the Ektæó government left all their colonial holdings, Pacifica was under disputed rule; while it was officially transferred to the United Kingdom, it only held full control over the northern sections while the more developed southern portion was neglected until the United States claimed it in 1825. Like the Oregon Country, it was placed under joint-occupation as a part of the Columbia District and Pacifica Territory respectfully. This lasted until 1845, when all of Pacifica came under British control as the Protectorate of Pacifica. At this time, many started flocking there even before this occurred, but the island's population increased by as much as 1,700% around this time. The reason behind this large growth was because of the extremely cheap yet fertile land and the gold in the area. Around the 1870s, there was a plan to make Pacifica a province of Canada, but it failed due to a lack of support.

Transition period (1890s-1908)
Independence was starting to become an opportunity when the British Empire increased Pacifica's autonomy to be equal to Canada's, though the protectorate's population was starting to decline slowly. Peaceful gatherings to propose its independence were starting to be commenced as early as 1900. These demands were received with some resentment initially, but a transition into an independent Pacifica commenced. On February 23, 1908, Pacifica's constitution passed in parliament, making the country independent.

First Decades of Independence (1908-1927)
The 1908 elections were marked with about 49 political parties trying to gain power. This was due to a number of occasions where parties fragmented into multiple sections, with some resorting to violence to get rid of another party's dominance. Eventually, Pacifican National Party candidate Francis Burke won with only 35% of the vote; this was a lot considering that most gained less than 2%, some parties were consolidated, and others decided to give up altogether.

Pacifica during the World Wars (1914-1918; 1939-1945)
Pacifica supported the Entente during the First World War. Many troops were sent to the Pacific Theatre, though some went to Europe with Canadian troops.

When Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, they chose the allies despite the slight political turmoil that was going on around that time on whether to declare war on the Axis powers or to be neutral. They never participated entirely until 1941, when the Attack on Pearl Harbor pulled the United States into the war as well.

Population
As of 2022, the current estimated population is at around 62,019,176 people. Racially, Caucasians make up 71% of the population, Blacks at 11%, Asians at around 10%, and Indigenous peoples and other races at 4% each. Hispanics of any race make up around 10% of the population.

Language
English is generally used as a language amongst the majority of Pacificans, though many can speak or understand French as either their native tongue or as a 2nd language. The Ektæó language, despite making a prominent proportion, has diminished over the last few decades.

Education
The school systems in Pacifica are divided between each province, with the exception of the far-northern regions which still have a large indigenous population; in these areas, education is either provided by the national government or by a council. One can also make an exception if a person near one province lives near a school in another one. Public education is free and is required from the age of 4 to the age of 18, though some arrangements can allow a person to graduate when they're 16. Most schools are divided into four segments: preparatory, primary, lower secondary, and secondary. Tertiary education is provided in colleges around the country. The table below will explain how it is divided.

Generally, the school day lasts about 9 hours for the average student attending secondary school and 7.5 for a person attending primary or intermediate school. On average, Pacifican students are in school for 195 days of the school year, with mandatory breaks during all four seasons plus a few other ones scattered around the school year.

School buses in Pacifica are extremely similar to the ones Canadian and American children use while riding to school, though it has not been unheard of for a person to use public transportation. The most popular brands that many contractors and school boards buy are made from Blue Bird, IC Bus, and Thomas Built Buses. The Crown Supercoach and school buses made from Corbeil were also popular, though these companies went defunct years ago.

Climate & Landscape
The climate is generally a bit colder on the western and northern sides of Pacifica than the other regions. The lowest temperature ever recorded was in 1975, at around -91°C (-131.8°F) in Meyer Valley. The hottest was 47°C (117°F) in an unspecified location.

The landscape around Pacifica is filled with valleys, plateaus, valleys, and a few rainforests in the southern part of the country. The northeastern section is near the Juan de Fuca plate boundary and the Ring of Fire, which has caused many earthquakes to arrive in that section.

Television
Out of all the television networks available, none are state-owned; however, publicly funded television stations were once dominated the way of broadcasting. Most television stations work similarly to their American and Canadian counterparts.

Other Information

 * The currency is known as the Pacifican Dollar
 * Type A & B plug sockets are commonly used
 * The average life expectancy is 84.3 for men and 86 for women
 * The drinking age is 19
 * A marriage is only legal if each spouse is at least 18 years old
 * The driving age varies from province to province, but it is between the age of 16 and the age of 18
 * The Columbia Captiol District's driving age is at 18
 * The voting age is 16, though immigrants from any country have to stay in the country for 3 years in order to be allowed to vote
 * Same-sex marriage was decriminalised in 1932, though it was completely legalized in 1967; about 1 in 6.5 people identify themselves with the LGBTQ+ community

Religion
Through the constitution, Pacifica runs as a secular state with religious liberties. Most of the population is made up of atheists, but a large Christian population is still present with many declaring themselves as Protestant. The Roman Catholic denomination is a large minority due to Ektæó colonisation and French Canadian immigrants.

Crime
Pacifica has maintained a reputation for being one of the least crime-ridden countries in the world for several decades, though political violence and corruption has occurred during its early days.