Shenandoah

Shenandoahan Commonwealth
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Mountaineers are always free Mountain Home
Anthem: Travels in Shenandoah
Capital	Saint Albans
Official languages	Licanan
Demonym(s)	Shenandoahan
Government	Presidential non-partisan republic
• President	Alyson Price
• Speaker of the Council	Michael Sackler
Establishment
• Ratification of the Allegheny Constitution and the establishment of the Allegheny Confederation	1791
• Breakup of the Allegheny Confederation and the establishment of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth with the ratification of the Commonwealth Charter	1924
Population
• 2020 census	25,022,618
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	393 billion
• Per capita	S15,705
Currency	Greenback (S)
Date format	mm/dd/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+304
Internet TLD	.sc

The Shenandoahan Commonwealth, commonly referred to as Shenandoah and less frequently referred to as The Commonwealth, is a presidential non-partisan republic situated on northern Ordia in Annwynn. It shares a land border with the Copperhead Republic to the south and the nation of Piedmont to the west.

The Shenandoahan Commonwealth is unique among nation's of Annwynn in that it places restriction upon which citizens of the nation recieve the right to vote in elections. Suffrage is extended to any man or woman, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or other life choices, who is the owner of real property, including both land and buildings, within the Shenandoahan Commonwealth, or actively resides in and pays for any rental property, excluding those situated in Special Economic Zones owned and administered by various mining and industrial concerns.

The Shenandoahan Commonwealth is noted for its mountains and rolling hills, its historically significant logging and coal mining industries, and its political and labor history. It is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and hunting.

Geography

A view form atop Norman Rock. The summit is often covered in clouds.

The geography of Shenandoah is almost entirely mountainous, with some plateaus and other notable geographic features. Many of the nation's environs are rich in biodiversity and scenic beauty, a fact appreciated by natives, and likely resulted in the nations unofficial, Almost Heaven, which was first coined by singer/songwriter Alan Anderson in his 1976 song Travels in Shenandoah

The native vegetation for most of the nation was originally mixed hardwood forests comprised of oak, chestnut, maple, beech, and white pine trees, with willow and Tetruin sycamore along the nation's waterways, including within the Copperhead Gorge.

The average elevation of Shenandoah is approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) above sea level. The highest point in the nation is atop Norman Rock, at 4,863 feet (1,482 m). Most of Norman Rock is covered in thick boreal forest comprised of dense spruce trees at altitudes above 4,000 feet. The entirety of Norman Rock is located within Tidewater National Park. Also located in the Tidewater National Park is Copperhead Gorge, a 1,000 feet (300 m) deep canyon carved by the Copperhead River.

The underlying rock strata are sandstone, shale, bituminous coal beds, and limestone laid down in a near-shore environment from sediments derived from mountains. In some areas of the nation, notably northwest of Tidewater Lake, some areas of the nation resemble a coastal swamp environment, some river delta, and some shallow water.

Climate

The climate of Shenandoah is generally a humid subtropical climate with warm to hot, humid summers and chilly winters, increasing in severity with elevation.

Average January temperatures range from around 26 °F (−4 °C) near the Chalice River to 41 °F (5 °C) along sections of the border with the Copperhead Republic. July averages range from 67 °F (19 °C) along the Big Branch River to 76 °F (24 °C) in the western part of the nation. It is cooler in the mountains than in the northwestern sections of the state. The highest recorded temperature in the nation is 112 °F (44 °C) at Teaysport on July 10, 1999 and the lowest recorded temperature in the state is −37 °F (−38 °C) at Spencerton on December 30, 1968.

Annual precipitation ranges from less than 32 inches (810 mm) in the lower eastern section to more than 56 inches (1,400 mm) in higher parts of mountains. Valleys in the central and eastarn part of the nation have lower rainfall because the mountain ridges to the west create a partial rain shadow. Slightly more than half the rainfall occurs from April to September. Dense fogs are common in many valleys of the Kanawha section. Shenandoah is also one of the cloudiest nations in Tetruin, with the cities of Elkins and Beckley ranking 9th and 10th in the respectively for the number of cloudy days per year (over 210). In addition to persistent cloudy skies caused by the damming of moisture by the mountains, Shenandoah also experiences frequent precipitation, with some locations averaging nearly 200 days a year with either rain or snow. Snow usually lasts only a few days in the northeastern sections but may persist for weeks in the higher mountain areas. An average of 34 inches (860 mm) of snow falls annually in Saint Albans, although during the winter of 1996–1997 more than three time that amount fell as several cities in the state established new records for snowfall. Average snowfall in the highlands can range up to 180 inches (4,600 mm) per year.

Government

Executive branch

The leader of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth, titled as the President, is elected every four years and is sworn in during the following January.

A person may serve as president of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth for any number of elected terms, but may only serve two consecutive terms at a time. After a second consecutive term, that person may not run for a third consecutive term. Following the conclusion of the next presidential term, provided the candidate meets all other requirements, they may run for another term. Following the 1962 ratification of Amendment 2-1 to the Commonwealth Charter, a candidate can not serve in any office within the executive branch between consecutive terms, thereby excluding them from serving as the vice president, or the governor of any state within the Commonwealth. They may, however, serve as a member of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature, or as an elected official in any capacity at the municipal level.

Departments

Department	Formed	Secretary
Department of State	1924
Department of the Treasury	1924
Department of Defense	1962
Department of Justice	1924
Department of the Interior	1985
Department of Health	1924
Department of Agriculture	1924
Department of Commerce	1924
Department of Labor	1950
Department of Transportation	1924
Department of Education	1924

Legislative branch

The capital building of Shenandoah, known as Government House, is located in St. Albans.

The Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature is bicameral. It consists of the House of Delegates and the Government Council, both housed in the state capital building in St. Albans, known as Government House. It is a citizen's legislature, meaning that legislative office is not a full-time occupation, but rather a part-time position. Consequently, the legislators often hold a full-time job in their community of residence. Typically, the legislature is in session for 60 days between January and early April. The length of the general session may not go beyond 60 calendar days unless extended by a concurrent resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of each house. During the remainder of the year, monthly interim sessions are held in preparation for the regular session. The President may convene the Legislature for extraordinary sessions. Given the part-time nature of the Commonwealth's legislature, multiple extraordinary sessions are not uncommon.

Bills, excluding revenue bills, and resolutions may originate in either house. Bills must undergo three readings in each house before being sent to the President. Bills cannot contain multiple subjects and do not take effect until 90 days following adjournment, unless specifically approved to take effect immediately by two-thirds of the membership of each house. Bills are drafted by the Office of Legislative Services or legislative staff counsel, reviewed by the sponsor of the bill and submitted for introduction to the clerk of the chamber of which he or she is a member. Bills may also be assigned to committees that make recommendations about a bill in the form of a committee report. The president has the power to veto bills. For budget bills or supplementary appropriations bills, two-thirds of the members elected to each house are required to override the president's veto of a bill or line-item veto. For all other bills, a simple majority of each house is required.

The House of Delegates is the lower house of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature. Delegates are elected for terms of two years. These terms are staggered, meaning that not all seats are up every election, with some elections occurring the same year as presidential elections, and the remainder during midterm elections. The House of Delegates is charged with the passage of federal legislation, known as bills, which, after concurrence by the Government Council, are sent to the president for consideration. The House of Delegates also has exclusive powers: it initiates all revenue bills and has the power to initiate the impeachment of federal officials. The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House, who is elected by the members of the House of Delegates. The vice president is the presiding officer of the House of Delegates, but holds no voting power within the council. In the vice president's absence the Speaker of the House presides.

The Government Council is the upper house of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature, and is comprised of the elected governors of the 9 states that comprise the Shenandoahan Commonwealth. As the upper chamber of Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature, the Government Council has several powers of advice and consent which are unique to it. These include the approval of treaties, and the confirmation of Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, flag officers of the Shenandoahan National Guard, regulatory officials, ambassadors, other federal executive officials and federal uniformed officers. The Government Council speaker is the Speaker of the Council, and is appointed by the president.

Judicial branch

The Supreme Court of the Commonwealth is the highest court in the nation. The Supreme Court of the Commonwealth is the busiest appellate court of its type in the region, owing to the fact that the Shenandoahan Commonwealth has only a single appellate court. The Commonwealth Charter allows for the creation of an intermediate court of appeals, but the Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature has never created one. The Supreme Court of the Commonwealth is made up of five justices, elected in non-partisan elections to 12-year terms.

Suffrage

The Shenandoahan Commonwealth is unique among nation's of Annwynn in that it places restriction upon which citizens of the nation recieve the right to vote in elections.

Article 1 of the 1791 Allegheny Constitution established that any male aged eighteen or older who were the owners of real estate were eligible to vote in national and state elections. The founding figures of the Confederation reasoned that only responsible adult males who were invested in the well-being and development of the nation truly deserved a voice in the shaping of the future. President Ross Byrdie stated in his address to the Confederal Assymbolly in 1990 that "the right to shape the future should not extended to members of society who had not shown an ability or desire to better themselves or usefully contribute to the social and economic development of the nation."

This belief presistat and dominated Alleghanian society throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th century. Following the [[ ]] and the dissolution of the Allegheny Confederation, Article 1 was retained by the Commonwealth Charter of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth. However, just two years after its adoption, Amendment 1-1 was ratified by the Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature and modified Article 1 to extend suffrage to female landowners as well as citizens of both sexes who were renters of property, so long as that property was not situated within special economic zones; general residential areas owned and operated by mining or other industrial concerns. In addition, Amendment 1-1 allowed for land owner within any existing or future marriage sanctioned by the state to designate their spouse as a de jure land owner and thereby extended the right to vote to spouses. Amendment 1-1 would be further modified in 1937 to Amendment 1-3 which required that renters be actively living in or utilizing the aforementioned property.

Amendment 1-2, ratified in 1925, granted a burial plot to members of the Shenandoahan National Guard who met certain conditions, and that possession of the plot was considered acceptable to be granted voting rights. Under the amendment, which itself as been altered several times over the years, enlisted members of the Shenandoahan National Guard who reach the rank of E-5 or higher and serve ten or more years, or any commissioned officer serving at least two four year terms, may receive this burial plot free to charge after separating from the Shenandoahan National Guard under honorable circumstances.

In 1951, Amendment 1-4 was ratified by the Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature, and further modified Article 1 to include members participating in joint ownership of real estate. It stipulated that all parties participating in the joint ownership of the real estate being citizens of the Commonwealth and that at least a third of the partners either actively reside upon the land, or actively utilize the land for commercial or economical purposes. So long as these conditions were met and continued to be satisfied throughout the partnership, all participating members were eligible to vote in elections.

The 1970 Amendment 1-5 modified Article 1 further, placing requirements on the amount of land and allowing for owning real property and not the land upon which the property is situated, to count for voting eligibility. Amendment 1-5 required that landowners own at least 1,788 square feet of land, and that the land must be actively lived on or utilized for some gain by the owner, or at least one third of the owners in the case of joint ownership as stipulated by Amendment 1-4. However, this amendment made specific and sole exception regarding land plot size for the burial plot given to qualifying guardsman upon separation from the Shenandoahan National Guard by Amendment 1-2. Further, Amendment 1-5 allowed for the owners of buildings situated upon land not owned by them to qualify for voting rights, so long as the building is utilized for gainful commercial expenses or is utilized as a dwelling by the owner. Both of these amendments to Article 1 were introduced as a result of outlaw workers rights organizations attempting to circumvent the Commonwealth Charter by exploiting loopholes to allow non-eligible citizens of the Commonwealth to participate in elections through quasi-legal methods.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative regions of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth

The Shenandoahan Commonwealth is divided into 9 states and 590 counties.

Military

Main article: Shenandoahan National Guard

A member of the 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade "Mountaineers" during winter training exercises near Philippi, Oak Hills.

The Shenandoahan National Guard are tasked with guaranteeing the sovereignty and independence of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth, defending its territorial integrity and the constitutional order of the nation as defined by Commonwealth Charter. The President of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and forms military policy with the Department of Defense and Department of Justice, both federal executive departments, acting as the principal organs by which military policy is carried out.

All members of the National Guard are referred to as "guardsman"; regardless of their branch of service.

Although conscription has been used in the past, it has not been used since 1987. The government retains the power to conscript males, and requires that all male citizens and residents residing in the nation between the ages of 18–29 register with the draft board in case the need for conscription arises. The president has the power to enact conscription of up to 10,000 military age males, regardless of the nation being involved in a declared war, but requires legislative approval to conscript further individuals for military service.  

The Shenandoahan National Guard draws its linage from the Armed Forces of the Allegheny Confederation, which was formed in 1791, and dissolved in 1926, giving rise to two independent nations; the Shenandoahan Commonwealth in the north and the Copperhead Republic to the south. Article 9 of the Commonwealth Charter, ratified by the Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature in 1947 established the National Military Establishment, headed by the secretary of defense; and created the Commonwealth Security Council. It was amended by in 1962 by Amendment 9-1, renaming the National Military Establishment to the modern day Department of Defense, and merged the cabinet-level Department of the Army, Department of the Coast Guard, and Department of the Air Guard, into the Department of Defense.

Economy

Taxes

The Shenandoahan Commonwealth's citizens are required to pay yearly income taxes on all earned income, though some workers are exempt from paying income tax. Those required to pay are taxed within five income brackets, which range from 3.0% to 6.5%. The state's consumer sales tax is levied at 6% on most products except for non-prepared foods. Residents and citizens employed by industrial concerns and residing within Special Economic Zones are not required to pay income tax, and purchases made at qualifying company-operated establishments are not required to charge a sales tax.

Property taxes within the nation are collected at the county level, although property tax rates reflect levies for state government. Counties may also impose a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places not located within the city limits of any municipality that levies such a tax. Municipalities may levy license and gross receipts taxes on businesses located within the city limits and a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places in the city. Although the Department of Tax and Revenue plays a major role in the administration of this tax, less than half of one percent of the property tax collected goes to state government. The primary beneficiaries of the property tax are county boards of education. Property taxes are paid to the sheriff of each of the state's counties. Each county and municipality can impose its own rates of property taxation within the limits set by Article 5 of the Commonwealth Charter. The Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature sets forth guidelines for taxation, but the government of each state is responsible for setting the actual rate of taxes, and this rate is used by all county boards of education statewide. However, the total tax rate for county boards of education may differ from county to county because of excess levies.

The Shenandoahan Commonwealth does not impose an inheritance tax.

Largest private employers

Rank	Company

Resources

A line of wind turbines in the Blue Ridge region. Several regions of Shenandoah have begun to utilize wind power to reduce pollution caused by coal-fired power plants.

One of the major resources in Shenandoah economy is coal. According to the Energy Information Administration, Shenandoah is one of the top coal-producer in the world, Shenandoah is located in the heart of the Bradeen Shale Natural Gas Bed. As of 2017, the coal industry accounted for 16% of state employment.

Nearly all the electricity generated in Shenandoah is from coal-fired power plants. Shenandoah produces a surplus of electricity and is a world leader in net interstate electricity exports. Farming is also practiced in Shenandoah, mostly in the states of Oak Hills and Cheaha, but is practiced all over the nation, though the practice is limited in scope because of the mountainous terrain over much of the nation. Shenandoah has the potential to generate 4,952 GWh/year from 1,883 MW of wind power, using 80 meter high wind turbines, or 8,627 GWh/year from 2,772 MW of 100 meter wind turbines, and 60,000 GWh from 40,000 MW of photovoltaics, including 3,810 MW of rooftop photovoltaics.

Tourism

Tidewater Falls, located outside of Tidewater in Cumberland, is one of several tourist actions in the Cumberland region.

Tourism contributed $144.27 billion to the nation's economy and employed 544,400 people in 2010, making it one of the nation's largest industries. Many tourists, especially in the southern mountains, are drawn to the region's notable opportunities for outdoor recreation. Canaan Valley is popular for winter sports, the Copperhead Gorge area draws rock climbers as well as whitewater rafting enthusiasts, and the Monongahela National Forest is popular with hikers, backpackers, hunters, and anglers.

Tidewater National Park, located in Cumberland, is one the most visited national parks in the nation. Centered around Tidewater Falls; a 62-foot (19 m) cascade where the Tidewater River leaves its leisurely course in Canaan Valley and enters rugged Tidewater Canyon through which the Copperhead River flows. Tidewater Falls is among the most photographed venues in the state and appears on calendars, stationery, and advertisements. Tidewater National Park was day-use only until the mid-1950s. However, during the 1950's and early 1960's, the park saw several improvements to buildings and grounds including construction of numerous cabins, a dammed fishing/skating lake, and a 55-room lodge dubbed “Sky Lodge”, as Tidewater National Park is the highest elevation national park in the nation. Annual visitors numbered 540,000 (over 1,000 of them overnighters) in 2016.

The Blue Springs hotel and resort, originally built in 1778, has long been considered a premier hotel, frequented by numerous world leaders, celebrities, personalities and dignitaries from around the nation and the world.