United North American States
The United North American States is a federal republic founded in the aftermath of World War III. The UNAS was formed from a merger of Mexico, Canada, and the remnants of the United States. The union of these three nations was once considered a political impossibility due to cultural differences, but the weakened state of all three nations along with the millions of US refugees spread throughout Mexico and Canada created a situation where uniting was the most favorable option. Despite vocal opposition and a costly civil war, the UNAS has been a beneficial investment for the founding states. The UNAS currently consists of 47 states and 5 territories.
Structure
The UNAS operates on a Federal system of government with powers separated at the national, state, and local levels. Each state is granted a certain degree of autonomy with locally elected governors and state legislatures. The UNAS has three branches of Federal government, based on a fusion of governmental systems from the founding nations.
Executive Branch
The UNAS is led by a President, who acts as head of state and the commander in chief of the UNAS Armed Forces. Each President serves for no more than two five-year terms. The President appoints cabinet secretaries to administer various government agencies and departments, all of which must be approved by Congress. Elections for President are held nationwide every 5 years on the first weekend in November, with a nationwide general election. Votes are counted at the state level in the Electoral Conference of States (ECS) and in a national popular vote (NPV). In order to be elected President, the winner must have a plurality of the national popular vote and a majority of the states’ votes in the ECS. A failure to satisfy both conditions will result in a snap reelection no later than the first weekend in December. States have certain leeway on how to cast their vote, to include ranked or single transferable vote mechanisms, however these will not affect the NPV. In 2191, the UNAS Constitution was amended to grant each state three votes in the ECS, allowing for proportional allocation to better reflect the wishes of the population. States are not obligated to proportionally allocate votes, and many still employ a winner-take-all system for their three votes.Legislative Branch
The UNAS has a tricameral legislature consisting of the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, and the House of Representatives.Senate
The Senate is the highest house of Congress and the final voting body for proposed bills. The Senate also ratifies treaties and confirms federal appointments. Each state of the UNAS elects two senators, for a total of 94 Senators under the current state of the Union.Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies is a national assembly consisting of 300 members. 200 of the Deputies are directly elected, while the remaining 100 Deputies are proportionally appointed based on party affiliation. The Chamber of Deputies is responsible for forming multi-partisan committees for investigation, oversight, and management of federal institutions including the executive branch. The Deputies do not directly vote on bills, but can present committee findings and suggest changes to bills. The Deputies can also propose referenda on bills and laws, which go to a direct public vote if passed by a majority of deputies.House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is the house that proposes and drafts new bills. The House also has the “power of the purse” and the ability to set federal budgets and tax plans with Presidential approval. Each state is given a number of representatives based on a weighted proportional system with approximately one representative per million Americans. There are also three special representatives, bringing the current total to 641 in the House: one representative for permanently abroad/offworld Americans, one for Indigenous American interests, and one for the American territories. Each of the five territories also has a non-voting observer representative. Representative districting is determined by multi-partisan committee and computer algorithm. Because of its size and in order to better serve constituents, the House of Representatives only gathers in Toronto for in person voting and debate one month every quarter. The House of Representatives holds regional sessions for two of the remaining months each quarter, meeting in one of four Regional Houses of Congress: Guadalajara, JC, Amarillo, TX, Victoria, BC, and Toronto, ON. During these sessions, conferences between the regions are held via virtual presence. The final month each quarter is reserved for vacation, campaigning, and meeting with constituents.Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court of America is the highest court in the land, consisting of nine Justices from the three Federal Judicial Regions: East, West, and South. The Justices are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. Each region is entitled to three Justices, so replacements must hail from the same regional court system. Each Region also has a Superior Court, followed by three sub-regional Appellate Courts, and District Courts at each state. Each state also has its own court system separate from the Federal Judiciary.History
World War III
US refugees attempting to cross into Mexico
Canadian Border Security detaining US refugees
Unification
Representatives from the former US, Canada, and Mexico, met in the following years to try to find a solution to their interrelated problems. The idea of joining the three nations was originally dismissed, but gained more traction as time went on. Other nations were slowly recovering while North America remained in crisis. The talks culminated in the formulation of the Trilateral Congress that deliberated for three years, ultimately settling on a merger of the three nations in a way that would preserve cultural and regional autonomy. The formation of the UNAS was officially announced on 21 August 2141. Once the decision was made to unify the nations, the Trilateral Congress led to a constitutional convention that met over the course of the next year to review the Constitutions of the US, Mexico, and Canada, in order to devise a new governing document that would satisfy all parties. The task was daunting, and multiple factions within the Trilateral Congress threatened to withdraw, but ultimately a Constitution was ratified on 06 June 2142. Not all agreed with the decision to join nations. In particular there were many holdouts in the former US that did not approve of changes from their Constitution and the transition to an external government. The years immediately following the bid for unification were marked by small but pervasive localized insurrections that were quashed by the newly formed UNAS military, at the time known as the Provisional Joint American Armed Forces. Many of the troops quelling the rebellion were from Mexico and Canada, which further infuriated those who saw the unification as a hostile takeover. In truth, the former US military was so short staffed, local troops would have had an impossible time managing the rebellion, without even considering the potential defections. The insurgency died down to a low simmer by the end of the 2150s, with only a handful of acts of violence until unrest boiled over more than a century later.Founding TASA
After the Pathfinder Project cleared a swath through orbital debris, the domain of space was once again open to travel and trade. A new space race began as different nations and factions sought to stake their claim in the burgeoning orbital economy. Powerful factions like the Pacific Asia Coalition (PAC) and Confederation of Southern Nations (CNS) were quickly dominating the growing extraterrestrial economy. Anticipating future space conflict, the UNAS and several European allies forged a new alliance to protect their atmospheric, orbital, and extraterrestrial interests in 2179. The newly formed [Transnational Aerospace Security Alliance would draw personnel and resources from all contributing nations for collective defense. As TASA proved its worth in early antipiracy and security efforts in the late 22nd Century, other nations and organizations began to contract TASA to outsource space security. This presented a new revenue stream for the UNAS and other TASA members, leading to military power and strategic space resources becoming one of the UNAS’s main exports. In 2214, the UNAS, along with other TASA members, would engage in a large scale conflict with the PAC in the Pacific War. The war was fought over Pacific territorial claims and orbital control, leading the UNAS to commit naval forces and ground troops as TASA managed the orbital war effort.System Wide War
Total war would rock the Earth again in 2238 with the outbreak of the System Wide War. Miraculously, nuclear weapons saw very limited use, as the scars of the last century’s war were still fresh in humanity’s collective memory. The UNAS initially stayed out of the war, as did TASA, until a surprise PAC attack against TASA’s orbital headquarters drew the alliance into the war. The war mobilization became a national effort for the UNAS, which committed a record number of troops as national industries shifted to supporting the war effort.Strategic Stalemate
The UNAS had fought alongside the CNS as allies during the System Wide War, but the end of the war saw a troubling change in this relationship. The CNS’s brand of hegemonism sought to unite Latin Americans under a singular political and cultural identity, and the Mexican third of the UNAS was the last major holdout. Meanwhile the PAC began to focus on offworld expansion, threatening to develop the biggest cultural hegemony in the solar system. The UNAS joined the growing voices of concern about the rise of hegemonism from the PAC and CNS, and a loose coalition was formed in order to prevent these two factions from threatening smaller nations. Before long, much of humanity fell into three camps, resulting in a tenuous peace fraught with espionage and covert subterfuge as each side tried to gain an upper hand in the three way stalemate. The first break in this peace came as the UNAS challenged Cuba’s claim to Cuba Norte, resulting in a brief but bloody conflict across the nuclear wasteland of the Florida Transpeninsular Exclusion Zone. Cuba called upon the CNS to back up their claim, as did the UNAS with TASA. As the war threatened to spiral into another global conflict, the UNAS reached a tenuous armistice with Cuba that saw compromises by both sides. Cuba would retain control of the southern peninsula and keys, while the UNAS would be allowed to take in any non-Cuban residents of Cuba Norte that wished to give up their homes in exchange for UNAS citizenship. Many refused to leave, however, holding out hope that the UNAS would eventually take back the rest of Florida. Indeed, the UNAS under President Julio Santiago attempted to covertly infiltrate agents and Floridian refugees through the Biscayne Bay in 2256. The landing party was quickly overwhelmed and apprehended, and the Biscayne Bay Incident became an embarrassment for the UNAS. The Cubans would be the ones to threaten peace the next year, covertly building up military resources in anticipation of another conflict with the UNAS. UNAS intelligence uncovered this plot when geospatial intelligence detected attempts to develop a new strategic aerospace base on the peninsula that would have given CNS a massive advantage against the UNAS, and by extension, TASA. The UNAS could not directly respond without potentially sparking a costly war with the CNS, but if CNS was able to fortify Cuba Norte, the prospects of surviving that war would go from improbable to impossible. President Santiago’s administration managed to devise a solution that could stop the military buildup without leading to a direct confrontation. In what would become known as the Great Gulf Convoy, the UNAS Navy began to shuttle hundreds of ships between Naval ports in the Gulf of Mexico and one in Carolina for a myriad of fabricated reasons. The ships would form an almost continuous stream of vessels traveling between Cuba and Cuba Norte, effectively blockading resupply efforts in a non-provocative manner. The bold strategy gave the UNAS a bargaining chip for negotiations to permanently end the buildup on Florida (in exchange for other concessions).Assassination of President Santiago
In 2259, President Santiago was assassinated shortly after his reelection while visiting Amarillo, Texas. The attack was carried out by an illegally modified camera drone with falsified press credentials. Ownership was traced to a disgruntled TASA Marine Corps veteran, Richard Henry Jackson, who had allegedly written a lengthy manifesto against Santiago and his administration. Jackson denied guilt for the crime, but was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Jackson was fatally shot while being transferred out of the courtroom after sentencing. Santiago was quickly seceded by his Vice President, Tracy Jacob Clark. The death of President Santiago traumatized the nation, and marked a turning point in the course of the nation’s history. Santiago’s successor, President T.J. Clark, took a hardline stance on Mexican issues, undoing many of what he perceived as pro-Mexican policies enacted by Santiago. The backlash against Clark came in the form of riots across the southern UNAS, which were met with a heavy handed response from Clark’s government. The CNS also feared that the slow detente that began with Santiago would not continue with Clark, leading them to preemptively increase their military posture in Central America and Cuba Norte. The CNS also ramped up seditious activity and material support for rebellion across the southern UNAS, capitalizing on the organically growing resentment of the UNAS under Clark.War of the Americas
By 2260, tensions in the southern UNAS had risen to the point of violent demonstrations and brutal crackdowns by police and UNAS National Guard troops under the orders of President Clark, who declared a state of emergency in the region. Twenty-one the southern states voted to secede from the UNAS and reform an independent Mexico. Several groups in other parts of the UNAS including the Sovereign Dixie Movement, the Texas Independence Movement, and the New Quebec Party soon followed suit with mixed support among their people. Local politicians either pledged their support for an independent Mexico or were ousted by activists. The federal government imposed martial law as it struggled to retain control of the seceding states. In the chaos, the CNS managed to infiltrate special forces and military advisors into states along the border, quickly raising a Mexican paramilitary guard to contest control of the states against UNAS forces. As the internal turmoil turned into a full blown civil conflict, the CNS’s involvement became apparent, but CNS forces avoided directly confronting UNAS troops. The UNAS had no hope to win in an open conflict with the technologically and numerically superior CNS combined military without TASA support. Without a direct attack on UNAS forces, TASA could do little more than monitor the situation and send their own advisors. On August 2, 2264, an alleged CNS attack on TASA ships monitoring the situation gave TASA justification to get more directly involved. The UNAS’s civil war quickly turned into a broad conflict across the American continents as TASA forces made landfall throughout Mexico, Central America, and the Carribean. Despite TASA’s support, the CNS was able to keep up the pressure through superior technology and a stronger economy. Public opinion in the northern and central UNAS states meanwhile turned against the long and costly war as the UNAS turned to conscription. Widespread anti-war protests, desertions, and even defections among forces in Mexican states meant the UNAS would not be able to continue the war for long. After more than 13 years of fighting, the War of the Americas ended in stalemate. The UNAS negotiated a settlement with the provisional leadership of Federal Mexico that the states to the south of the front lines would be granted independence from the UNAS, while those to the north would remain a part of the UNAS. TASA and CNS likewise entered into an armistice on behalf of their member-clients, establishing a demilitarized zone across the continent, to the south of the UNAS states of Michoacan, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, and Tamaulipas. TASA peacekeepers supplemented UNAS troops on the north side of the DMZ, referred to as the American Joint Security Area, while the CNS provided the same support to local forces along the south side of DMZ to help maintain the peace.Genetic Rights Movement
Concurrent with the War of the Americas, a social dilemma arose in the UNAS over the relations between genetically modified Americans and those with little or no alterations, often referring to themselves as “Naturals”. The UNAS’s merit based employment and educational systems favored those who were genetically modified for better mental and physical performance. In the late 22nd and early 23rd century, only a small percentage of Americans had extensive genetic modifications. By the 2240’s, however, the shortage of jobs and the rise in genetic alterations led to conflict between the two demographic groups. As the majority of the country had no or few alterations, political power was initially in favor of enacting genetic quotas and caps to ensure opportunities would be proportionally available. Under the Genetic Equality Act, census data on the percent of the nation that held genetic alterations was used to determine what percentage of job hires and college admissions could have specific degrees of alterations. With the act, a gene sequence had to be provided alongside a prospective employee’s resume and drug test. An employer’s failure to comply with the Act could result in fines and loss of business licenses. Two of the main complaints against the Genetic Equality Act were based around how the nationwide census data did not accurately reflect the situation across the country. First, genetic alterations were more common with younger Americans, meaning that genetically modified Americans entering the workforce had fewer opportunities. Second, the ratio of genetically altered people was higher in cities than in rural areas. Even when the Act was amended in 2256 to differentiate by state, genetically modified Americans seeking employment in cities had higher competition, while residential areas would almost never hit the cap at all. The aftermath of the Genetic Equality Act led to a rise in undocumented births and urban flight. Genetically modified Americans that moved to insular rural communities in search of work opportunities faced ostracization from the locals. Local activist groups like the Darwinists compiled lists of known genetically altered individuals, allowing sympathetic business owners to refuse service to the outsiders. Eventually, violence between the two groups began to erupt, with vigilante groups like the Order of Natural Knights and God’s Hand carrying out intimidation and terrorist attacks against genetically modified individuals. The influx of violence raised the urgency of pro-genetic activism in the UNAS. Local protests against the GEA and acts of violence eventually culminated in a million strong march on Toronto in 2263. The Genetic Rights Act of 2264 repealed the GEA and allowed citizens to keep their genetic information anonymous. These moves angered anti-Genetic groups, who campaigned against the GRA with renewed fervor. Decades later, the animosity between genetically modified Americans and the Naturals remains a simmering domestic issue.Demography and Population
As of the 2300 census, the estimated population of the UNAS stands at approximately 683,132,000.
Given the history of the three founding nations, ethnic affiliations are often based on prior cultural lines. Canadian-Americans are English speaking Americans from prior provinces of Canada or those who self-identify with Canadian culture. Franco-Americans are descendants of French colonists, particularly in the regions of Quebec and Louisiana. Rio-Americans are those on either side of the Rio Grande with a shared pastoral heritage. Mexican-Americans are those who more directly identify with Mexican culture apart from Rio-Americans. Lastly, Middle-American are those from the former United States, including refugees from World War 3 that have settled in Mexican and Canadian areas but have not assimilated.
Other ethnic affiliations such as African-American, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Native American still exist, but most Americans tend to go by their classification in the above five groups, especially given nebulous racial definitions for people of mixed descent (Though commonplace genetic testing leaves many acutely aware of their ancestral origins) or with artificial genes. Less detailed polls and surveys tend to only offer these five options, Native American, and “other”.
As of the latest census (2300), the UNAS consisted of:
28.28% Mexican American
21.90% Middle American
17.89% Canadian American
15.88% Rio American
2.69% French American
6.84% Indigenous Americans
5.24% Indigenous Mexican
1.60% Native American/First Nations
6.52% Other (First Generation Immigrants/Multiple/Unaffiliated) As genetic modification has grown more commonplace in the last century, the UNAS census has also begun tracking genetic data on an anonymous basis since the 2220’s. The current genetic demographics of the country as of the last census are as follows: 22.51% No Genetic Alterations
56.14% Medically Preventative Alterations
11.77% Cosmetic or Minor Performance Alterations
5.13% Major Performance Alterations
1.59% SynthAd Class Alterations
2.86% Unknown/Other
52.94% Spanish
2.4% French
0.8% Creole
1.54% Other
21.90% Middle American
17.89% Canadian American
15.88% Rio American
2.69% French American
6.84% Indigenous Americans
5.24% Indigenous Mexican
1.60% Native American/First Nations
6.52% Other (First Generation Immigrants/Multiple/Unaffiliated) As genetic modification has grown more commonplace in the last century, the UNAS census has also begun tracking genetic data on an anonymous basis since the 2220’s. The current genetic demographics of the country as of the last census are as follows: 22.51% No Genetic Alterations
56.14% Medically Preventative Alterations
11.77% Cosmetic or Minor Performance Alterations
5.13% Major Performance Alterations
1.59% SynthAd Class Alterations
2.86% Unknown/Other
Language
The UNAS has adopted English, Spanish, and French as its official languages, with English as the primary language of business for Northern states and Spanish for the South. Due to the many US refugee populations scattered throughout the South, English is required on all official signage and documents, though many private institutions do not offer the same. Middle states with a large Rio American population tend to give equal weight to English and Spanish, with a considerable amount of the population being bilingual. The 2300 census reports the following percentages of language fluency among Americans: 57.6% English52.94% Spanish
2.4% French
0.8% Creole
1.54% Other
Territories
The UNAS initially comprised the entirety of the continental US, Canada and Mexico. Notably absent were Puerto Rico and Hawaii, which had both become isolated due to World War III and chose not to realign with the United States. The Canadian Provinces were converted to States, and many US states had to be restructured due to the destruction of state capitals, major cities, and infrastructural hubs during World War III.
See list of current UNAS States
The biggest territorial and environmental challenge for the UNAS is the management of the Nuclear Exclusion Zones created by the devastation of American cities in World War III. In the initial aftermath of the war when UNAS was founded, these regions were labeled completely uninhabitable due to radiation and other toxic contamination. In order to avoid a dangerous land grab of irradiated territories, the UNAS Constitution prohibited states from staking a claim to any exclusion zones that were not already an enclave within their state’s borders. A federal agency, the Bureau of Contaminated Land Management and Reclamation (BCLMR), was formed to administer and safeguard the zones.
As radiation slowly subsided, incursions into the zones became more frequent. The Land Reclamation Act of 2174 was signed into law in order to regulate the legitimate resettlement of cleared exclusion zones on an acre by acre basis. Excluding the enclaved zones, each state would be awarded parts of a zone if they or their citizens were the first to resettle it. This would only apply to resettlement efforts made after the BCLMR declared a section of the zone as ready for resettlement. Citizens could also make a claim to property that they or their ancestors owned before being forced to flee, though the process is slow due to incomplete records.
World War III also left American transportation infrastructure in tatters, as much of the US interstate road and rail system passed through urban hubs that fell within the exclusion zones. The UNAS began a multibillion dollar effort to create bypass routes in order to reconnect America. In some cases, routes could not be feasibly built around the zones, and a path had to be cut through contaminated land. The North American Highway Safety Administration (NAHSA) and the BCLMR designed special covered highway tunnels to allow vehicles to pass through the zones while sheltered from radiation, known as Exclusion Zone Bypass Tunnels (EZBT).
After the War of the Americas, the UNAS and the Federal Republic of Mexico settled on a new border between the two nations. That border quickly became heavily fortified, and a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was established between the two nations. The UNAS side of the border was designated the American Joint Security Area (AJSA). TASA Marine peacekeepers supplemented the UNAS soldiers and National Guardsmen that patrolled the border in order to counter the presence of CNS troops on the other side of the DMZ.
The UNAS also has a disputed border on the Florida Peninsula. The Florida Transpeninsular Exclusion Zone acts as a buffer between the UNAS and Cuba’s northern territory, annexed during the post WWIII chaos. As the radiation recedes from this zone, fears are raised about a renewed attempt to seize parts of this exclusion zone, leading to a renewed conflict between the UNAS and Cuba, spiralling into another widespread war between TASA and the CNS.
Military
After the formation of the UNAS, the Mexican, Canadian, and surviving US armed forces were initially condensed into the Provisional Joint American Armed Forces (PJAAF) on 01 July 2142. Most of the initial changes were administrative, with little difference in the overall force structure apart from a unified chain of command. Changes were made incrementally and gradually over several years to accustom troops to their new circumstances. Uniforms and unit lineages initially remained the same, with the only visual changes being the adoption of the UNAS flag and PJAAF branch insignia. By 2146, the Provisional Joint American Armed Forces had completed their transition to the various UNAS Armed Forces and were disbanded on 31 October 2146.
The UNAS Armed Forces consists of two Air, Sea, and Land components. The Terrestrial Forces of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, oversee their respective domains in war time. The Guard Forces consisting of the National Guard, Air Guard, and Coast Guard, defend the homeland and assist civil services during emergencies. Both the Terrestrial and Guard Forces have active and reserve components in order to ensure sufficient manpower during wartime, while decreasing the footprint of the standing military.
Religion
Though a secular nation with a constitutional separation of church and state, the UNAS is one of the more religious nations on Earth. This is due in no small part to the neo-Catholic majority in the Mexican states, while those in the North tend to be more atheistic or agnostic. The religious demography of the UNAS as of the 2300 census is as follows:
60.70% Christian
6.73% Agnostic
0.97% Muslim
0.82% Nascentist
0.62% Jewish
0.53% Hindu
0.45% Buhddist
0.40% Sikh
0.22% Deo-Humanist
0.04% Baha’i
4.99% Other (Including undisclosed)
- 38.15% neo-Catholic
- 19.33% Protestant
- 0.6% Mormon
- 0.54% Orthodox
- 2.09% Other Christian
6.73% Agnostic
0.97% Muslim
0.82% Nascentist
0.62% Jewish
0.53% Hindu
0.45% Buhddist
0.40% Sikh
0.22% Deo-Humanist
0.04% Baha’i
4.99% Other (Including undisclosed)
E Tribus Unum
Founding Date
2141
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Alternative Names
United America, American States, American Union, North America
ES: Estados Unidos Norteamericanos (EUN)
FR: États-Unis d'Amerique du Nord (EUAN)
Abbr: UNAS
ES: Estados Unidos Norteamericanos (EUN)
FR: États-Unis d'Amerique du Nord (EUAN)
Abbr: UNAS
Demonym
American
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Democracy, Presidential
Power Structure
Federation
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
North American Dollar (NA$)
Legislative Body
The UNAS has a tricameral legislature consisting of the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, and the House of Representatives.
Judicial Body
A Supreme Court consisting of 9 Justices and various lower courts.
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Related Items
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Comments