Laurentia

The Federal Republic of St. Lawrence (République Fédérale du Saint-Laurent in French, more commonly and shortened to St. Lawrence or Saint-Laurent) is a country that is in North America, that is located just near (northern) United States and (southern) Canada. The country's capital city is Norwich and its largest city is Lim Tua Co (both of which are in the Laurentian NCR), the country has a multicultural population, just like its neighboring countries Canada, the United States and Esgatan (which is not a neighboring country of St. Lawrence). Other known neighboring countries of St. Lawrence include Pechalsalavia, Gyrusisistan, the Mushroom Kingdom (although it is a thousand kilometers away from the tip of the country's largest island), the Piedmont and Quad Islands, and the Noobian Islands. St. Lawrence is a member of the United Nations, joining in December 1947, a member of the NATO, joining in 1953, and a member of the Francophonie, joining in 1977.

Etymology
The name St. Lawrence refers to the St. Lawrence River, in which its mouth reaches the country, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

History
''Editor's note: This only tackles about the white man in St. Lawrence. The only known mentioning of the Native Indians here are they went onto a part of St. Lawrence during the Ice Age.''

Discovery and colonization of both the British and French (1498-1759)
When John Cabot, a Genoese navigator working for England, discovered (probably) Cape Breton Island in 1497, he also sailed to what is now the provinces of Chaleur and Oakwood, in St. Lawrence's largest island, Consul Island. The following year (1498), Cabot again returned, this time discovering Baffin Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and also the second largest island of St. Lawrence, Bayer. Before he returned to England and died, he sailed across what is now Oakwood Strait.

In 1519, Max Franklin, an Englishman, sails to what is now the southern part of Trois-Rivières. He then claimed the land for England. A few years later, in 1534, when Jacques Cartier, a Frenchman, before he even discovered Quebec, he sailed to where Cabot sailed in 1498, and discovered two of St. Lawrence's islands on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the islands of Anticosti and the Magdalen Islands. The following year, in 1535, Cartier and his party stayed in the northeastern part of what is now the Laurentian NCR. A few years later, now this time in 1578, Jean Rivard, another Frenchman, claimed most parts of the western Consul Island, and also the islands of Shawinigan, Magdalen, and Anticosti.

Samuel de Champlain, in July 5, 1608, he discovered a part of what is now the province of Pittsburgh, then he went into a part of what is now Folsom. While the French are still discovering other parts of the country, the Englishmen founded a settlement in the present-day city of Murdochville, in 1592, then also in the present-day location of Louisburg province, then also the present-day city of Lim Tua Co, in the Laurentian NCR today (the name of the Anglophone settlement was known as Walvis).

Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve, thus founded the settlement of what is now New Carlisle in 1642, before even founding Montreal in the mainland North American continent. The population in Walvis reached 1,928 in 1659, while New Calais reached 992. Peace between the two settlements happened between 1660 to 1752. An Anglo-Indian war started in 1752, then finally, a full-scale battle between the French and the English, in 1754. The settlement of the French, New Calais, surrendered in 1759. Just like that, (almost all of) the French were fully-driven out of North America in 1763.

The English takes full control (1759-1864)
The English took full control of both the French and English settlements by 1768. Even before that, Norwich, which would-be the future capital, was founded in 1760. The Antwerp Act, an act passed in 1773, united Walvis and New Calais into Antwerp. Many more settlements were founded during this era, and the Brits finally explored (almost) all parts of the country in 1799. Once again, a peaceful era happened, but only for a while.

Americans colonize the country (1838-1868)
Before even Americans explored St. Lawrence, the Brits, in 1811, renamed Antwerp into Laurentia.

In 1838, an American named Tom Argall explored an sailed over the Rivière St. Paul, then he claimed it for the Americans. The Brits were shocked on this, they thought they had explored all parts. The Americans found New Virginia in 1842. New Virginia's population in 1857 is 300,182, while all of St. Lawrence is 829.219 (that includes the earlier-mentioned American colonists in New Virginia). The American Civil War in the mainland started in 1861, then another war between 1863 and 64 between the two nationalities fighting for St. Lawrence. The Americans would thought that they would lose because of the aforementioned Civil War. However, the Americans won the war in 1868. After the ending of the war, the British gave all of St. Lawrence to the Americans thru a treaty.

Americans fully control the country (1868-1947)
This era, for most Laurentians, is the best overall of its history.

The Americans were now the colonizers of the country, and it made another peaceful era, which still goes today. Many milestones happened also on this era. Here are milestones and the changes during this era:

Transportation
At this era, the transportation industry changed. The Pan-Laurentian railway was completed in 1884, and thus the Laurentian National Railway was formed. Cars were introduced in the country in 1904, with the famous Model T of the Ford Motor Company. The first auto show was held in New Carlisle from May 19-24, 1909. Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and many other American vehicle brands were also introduced during the mid-1910s. Other known brands, such as Japan's Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan were introduced in the early 1940s, before the country's independence and the end of World War II. Vehicle registration plates for cars were introduced in 1913.

Politics
Politics in St. Lawrence really changed the country during its colonization by the Americans. The first American governor-general was John Rawlinson, who was appointed by then-president Ulysses S. Grant. He was governor-general from 1868 to 1871, when he was killed by an unnamed former Confederate soldier who settled in the country after the Civil War.

Probably the best era in politics in the country is appointing Laurentian lawyers and politicians, and also giving independence in politics, which was the Laurentian Commonwealth (not the British Commonwealth, but it meant self-government but still with financial help from the Americans). The first Commonwealth president was Dean Worcester, who served the position from 1911 to 1914, and the last Commonwealth president, and also, first president of the country, was Frank Flanders. He served as Commonwealth President from 1943 until the country's independence, in 1947.

Animal Life
Perhaps the best known animal in St. Lawrence is the moose, which is found in almost any place there are lakes and forests. Other common animals of the forest are the black bear, deer, lynx, wolf, mink, otter, muskrat, fox, beaver, and porcupine, among others.

Freshwater and ocean fish are abundant in Laurentian waters. Among the best known is the cod of the Côte-Nord and Pittsburgh provinces, the salmon of the Trois-Rivières, the Laurentian NCR, and the Antwerp provinces, and the wildfowl of the Baltimore Mountains provinces.

Plant life
St. Lawrence has only one general type of natural vegetation—forest. The pattern of vegetation follows the climate.

About one-fourth of the country's land surface is covered with forests. More than half of that area is productive, providing timber used for lumber, pulp, paper, and many wood products. The gigantic Sitka spruce is among the world's tallest trees, which are seen mostly in the southern and central part of the country.

Government
St. Lawrence is a federal republic, just like the United States. The president is the head of state and the chief of the government. The president resides in the Maison des Résidences (Residential House) in Norwich.

The judicial branch of the government interprets the laws and administers justice. Judges of the Supreme and Federal courts of St. Lawrence, and of the Superior, District, and County courts of most of the provinces, are appointed by the President. Under normal conditions, provincial judges handle matters that relate to civil affairs and federal judges rule upon matters of criminal law.

Each province has its own Supreme Court that hears the appeals of those not satisfied with the decision of the lower court. The Supreme Court of St. Lawrence, however, is the highest court in the nation to which civil and criminal cases may be taken. It has a chief justice and eight assistant judges.

The provincial governments are much like of the states of the United States and St. Lawrence's federal government. Governors are elected in provincial elections, and are appointed by the President, and they are the representatives of him. They have a five-year term, but he/she may succeed him/herself.

In general, all Laurentian citizens 18 years and over may vote (voting qualifications for provincial elections may vary). The number of representatives that a province/territory may elect to the House depends upon its population. The Laurentian NCR, Trois-Rivières, Antwerp, with the largest share of the country's population, have the greatest number of representatives in the House of Representatives.

The Senate, or Upper House of Congress, is an appointed body of 72 members, giving nearly equal representation to the four main political regions of St. Lawrence: the LNCR, Trois-Rivières, Antwerp, the Drury Region, the Baltimore Mountains region (which also include the island provinces Westmount, Laval (although the two are in one island), Shawinigan, & Taschereau Island), and the provinces of Consul Island. The senators, who can serve until the age of 80, are elected by the people and are nominated by the president.

Bills must be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and must be signed by the president in order to become law. All bills calling for the spending of public money or the placing of taxes must begin in the House of Representatives.

Demographics
Although St. Lawrence is primarily made up of humans, many other ethnic groups have joined the country in the past years.

Population (by species)
67% of STL is made up of humans, 12% of Toads, and 11% Yoshis. Those are the majority, but around 4% are Koopas, 2% Bob-ombs, 2% Shy Guys and/or Bandits, 1% are Bumpties, and the remaining 1% are Piantas.

Population (by language spoken)
St. Lawrence, just like Canada, is a multicultural country, many foreigners working or studying here, because of the legacy brought by immigration.


 * Majority languages:
 * English (77%)
 * French (13%)
 * Minority:
 * Spanish: 6%
 * Filipino: 0.5%
 * Bahasa Melayu: 0.5%
 * Chinese (either Mandarin or Cantonese): 0.5%
 * Punjabi: 0.5%
 * German: 0.5%
 * Japanese: 0.5%
 * Danish: 0.5%
 * Native Indian: 0.5%

Life Expectancy
The life expectancy in St. Lawrence is 78.3 (male), while it is 81.2 (female).

Provinces
St. Lawrence is divided into 19 provinces and 1 capital region, the Laurentian National Capital Region. All provinces' names are named after North American or European places and cities, while one is named after a known location from the Mario franchise.

Here is the list of provinces (from coast to coast), and its capital:


 * Trois-Rivières: Murdochville
 * Folsom: Stratford
 * Louisburg: Edmonton
 * Antwerp: Berkeley
 * Bridgeport: New Potsdam
 * Baie-Comeau: New Liberty
 * Chaleur: Edison
 * Oakwood: New Richmond
 * New Schefferville: New Schefferville
 * Rosemont: Rivière-du-Loup
 * Westmount: Westmount
 * Laval: New Ottawa
 * Taschereau Island: St. John
 * Shawinigan: Perrot
 * Sarasaland: Byzantine
 * Pittsburgh: Noank
 * Noranda: Côte-Nord

Television
Most of St. Lawrence's TV networks are international counterparts of American TV networks, because of acquisitions and change of affiliation of some local networks and stations in the 80s. However, the total statistics of people owning TV sets are 97%.

For full info about TV in the country, see Television in St. Lawrence.

*= indicates an international counterpart.


 * Central Television Network*
 * NewsWorld*
 * Central Sports Channel*
 * Nickelodeon*
 * Cartoon Network*
 * Disney Channel*
 * Télévision réseau de central*
 * Canal Info*
 * Canal D*
 * Arte*
 * ITV Network*
 * PhiNet*
 * Koopa Troop Television Network*
 * DuMont Television Network*
 * NBC*
 * CBS*
 * ABC*
 * St. Lawrence Programming Television* (ABN stands for American Broadcast Network, fyi)
 * Game Channel*
 * Rainbow Dash Network*
 * HBO*
 * CNN*
 * Sky News*
 * Laurentien Français Télévision
 * Auto Focus Network
 * Racing Sports Network
 * ABS-CBN*
 * TVA
 * MTV*
 * 3sat
 * TV5Monde*
 * FOX*
 * UPN* (UPN means United Paramount Network)
 * MyNetworkTV*
 * The CW*
 * MeTV*
 * Heroes & Icons*
 * Telemundo*
 * Laurentian Public Broadcasting (the PBS of the country)
 * Danmarks Radio (both DR 1 and DR 2)*
 * France 24 (both the English and French feeds)*
 * The National Television*
 * Euronews*
 * MSNBC*
 * Bloomberg*
 * CNBC*
 * Franceinfo (the TV version)*
 * France 2*
 * La 1ère (TV)*
 * RTBF La Une*
 * La 1ère (TV)*
 * RTBF La Une*

Radio
Radio in St. Lawrence have a variety of genres. Car and web radios are the most popular types of radio in the country. In terms of genre, the most popular are news & talk, sports, and adult contemporary music.


 * Central Radio*
 * Radio réseau de central*
 * Bell Radio
 * Radio N24
 * Weigel Radio Network
 * Radio stations owned by either Entercom Communications, iHeartMedia, or Cumulus Media

English

 * Elle
 * Norwich Citizen
 * The Norwich Times
 * Murdochville Journal
 * St. Lawrence Today
 * Westmount Gazette
 * New Liberty Times
 * Top Gear St. Lawrence
 * Cars!
 * Tech Right Now
 * Reader's Digest

French

 * Le Devoir
 * Le Monde
 * Journal de Trois-Rivières
 * Nouvelles Express de Lim Tua Co
 * Le Figaro

The call letters that they use
St. Lawrence, just like its neighbors Canada and the United States, also uses callsign/call letters to identify every radio and television stations in the country. According to the Laurentian Telecommunications Control Bureau (LTCB), these call letters are also used as legal identifications of the stations. They use the prefix S for that. In terms of television stations and what call letter they use, they are just like the United States. For the major stations, they may either use the call letters itself, or with the suffixes "-TV" or "-DT." For low-powered stations, they use the suffixes "-CA" or "-CD" (means a Class A low-powered station) and "-LP" or "-LD" (which means also mean a low-powered or digital low-powered station). For the repeaters/translators, this is the following: the S prefix goes first, then the number of where it is broadcasting, and the rest of the call letters.

Rating System
The rating system of the country is managed by the Laurentian Rating Standards Board. However this only apply to movies, TV, and home videos. For the video games, they have made the ESRB as their official rating for all games in St. Lawrence.

Technological/Other Trends

 * Laurentians drive on the right, just like its neighbors Canada and the United States. Until 1943, they drove on the left side of the road.
 * Standard plugs and sockets used by Laurentians are types A, B, C, and O.
 * Notable Laurentian telecommunications corporations are Creston Mobile, NationTel, among others. However, there are also some American telecommunications companies, such as Sprint Nextel, Sprint, Verizon, and TracFone, international ones such as Telus, Bell Mobility, and Orange.
 * Pay/Cable/Satellite TV providers include Vidéotron, Shapiro Direct, En Direct, Zappolo Cable, and many more. Roku availability also covers St. Lawrence.
 * Television was introduced on July 1960, while color broadcasts were introduced four years later. Currently, the color system for television that St. Lawrence uses is NTSC/PAL.
 * Analog-to-digital switchover was commenced on September 1, 2012. The full analog-to-digital switchover was completed on midnight, January 1, 2021. Digital TV in the country was introduced in 2003.
 * Internet was introduced in St. Lawrence on February 21, 1994. The Internet TLD that they use is .stl.

Education
The constitution of St. Lawrence leaves the task of education to the provincial governments. Kindergartens are available for four and five year olds. Primary education includes the first six grades, and secondary education includes the next six grades (3 junior, 4 senior). In general, primary and secondary education are both available with paying tuitions or for free, and attendance is usually required from ages 6 to 16. There are more than 160 colleges nationwide. One of the largest schools of higher education in St. Lawrence is McGill University, in the capital, Norwich. Other known schools of higher education include the Frank Flanders University in Lim Tua Co, the University of St. Lawrence (has various campuses around the country, but the largest is in Norwich), among others.

Health and Welfare
The Laurentian death rate has decreased steadily during the last few years of the 20th century and the 2000s. The current yearly death rate of between 7 & 8 per 1,000 is among the lowest in the world. Laurentian males born in the early 2010s are expected to live about 73 years, and Laurentian females, about 77 years. Main causes of death in St. Lawrence are the diseases of the heart and arteries; cancer; and respiratory diseases such as TB (tuberculosis), pneumonia, and influenza. Vehicle accidents, suicide and disasters have grown as a cause of death.

The country has a number of programs that provide assistance for the people in need. The federal government gives help to families with young children, to all persons ages 65 and up, and to the unemployed. Other welfare programs, such as those providing assistance to disabled and blind persons, are handled by the provinces and cities, often with federal help.

Gas Stations

 * Sinclair Oil (St. Lawrence)
 * Shell
 * Total
 * Petronas
 * PTT
 * Texaco
 * Esso

Supermarkets/Stores

 * 77 Kids
 * Abercrombie & Fitch
 * Abercrombie Kids
 * Aeon Plus
 * Aerie
 * Aeropostale
 * Aldi
 * American Eagle Outfitters
 * American Girl
 * Armani Exchange
 * Aubireng
 * Banana Republic
 * Ben's Independent Grocers
 * Best Buy
 * Bose
 * Brooks Brothers
 * Brothers
 * Build-A-Bear Workshop
 * Claire's
 * Dick's Sporting Goods
 * Forever 21
 * GameStop
 * Gap
 * Gilly Hicks
 * Guardian Health & Beauty
 * Gucci
 * Hollister
 * Hot Topic
 * JCPenney
 * Justice
 * KB Toys
 * Kmart
 * Kohl's
 * Larry's Auto Store
 * Lego
 * Lipsy London
 * Macy's
 * Michael Kors
 * Next
 * Nike
 * Oakley
 * Old Navy
 * Pink
 * Playmobil
 * P.S. from Aeropostale
 * RadioShack
 * Reebok
 * Samsung
 * Sears
 * Spencer's
 * Sprint Nextel
 * S&R
 * T-Mobile
 * Target
 * Verizon
 * Victoria's Secret
 * Von Maur
 * Walmart
 * Wegmans
 * Zumiez
 * Zumiez

Restaurants/Cafes

 * Applebee's (St. Lawrence)
 * Arby's (St. Lawrence)
 * Auntie Anne's (St. Lawrence)
 * Baskin-Robbins (St. Lawrence)
 * Burger King (St. Lawrence)
 * Dairy Queen (St. Lawrence)
 * Dunkin' Donuts (St. Lawrence)
 * KFC (St. Lawrence)
 * McDonald's (St. Lawrence)
 * Olive Garden (St. Lawrence)
 * Orange Julius (St. Lawrence)
 * Pizza Hut (St. Lawrence)
 * Red Lobster (St. Lawrence)
 * Sbarro (St. Lawrence)
 * Starbucks (St. Lawrence)
 * Subway (St. Lawrence)
 * Taco Bell (St. Lawrence)
 * TGI Fridays (St. Lawrence)
 * Tim Hortons (St. Lawrence)
 * Wendy's (St. Lawrence)