United Commonwealth of Victoria
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United Commonwealth of Victoria Commonwealth uni de Victoria | |
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Flag | |
Motto: "Scutum Spesque Libertatis" (Latin) "The Shield of Hope, and the Hope of Liberty" | |
Anthem: Chester | |
Capital | Georgetown V.D.C |
Largest city | New York City |
Official Languages: | |
Ethnic groups |
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Demonym(s) | Victorian |
Government | Federal presidential constitutional republic |
• Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
• President General | John Kerry |
• First Minister | Antony Blinken |
Legislature | Continental Congress |
Senate | |
House of Representatives | |
Independence from the United Kingdom | |
• Declaration of Independence | July 4th, 1776 |
• British North America Act, 1779 | March 1, 1779 |
• Current Constitution | November 19, 1800 |
• Patriation | August 17, 1970 |
• Last Commonwealth Admitted | November 19, 2020 |
Area | |
• | 16,516,558 km2 (6,377,079 sq mi) |
Population | |
• 2021 estimate | 324,231,879 |
• Density | 19/km2 (49.2/sq mi) |
GDP (nominal) | 2021 estimate |
• Total | $21.478 Trillion |
• Per capita | $64,687 |
Gini (2021) | 47.2 high |
HDI (2021) | 0.929 very high (16th) |
Currency | Victorian Dollar ($) ((VD)) |
Time zone | (UTC+10 to -4) |
Driving side | right |
Calling code | +1 |
Internet TLD | .vc |
Commonwealth of Victoria (U.C.V or UCV; French Commonwealth uni de Victoria or CUV) commonly known as Victoria is a country primarily located in North America. Its 55 commonwealth, one federal district, nine incorporated territories, one major unincorporated territory, and some minor possessions expand from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans, Northward to the Arctic Ocean and southward to the Caribbean Sea and Columbus Channel. Victoria is the 3rd most populous nation and largest nation in land size. The western land border of Victoria is shared with Tsarskaya Zemlya while the eastern border is shared with Champlain. Victoria also holds limited maritime borders with Cuba, The Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Spain, Atogoku, The Netherlands, and Venezuela. The nation's capital is Georgetown V.D.C, and its three largest metropolitan areas are New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Indigenous peoples have continuously inhabited what is now Victoria for thousands of years. European's began the exploration of North America beginning with Christopher Columbus' who landed in the modern-day state of The Bahamas in 1492. France, England, and Spain consolidated control over the Caribbean and eastern North America. As a consequence of various armed conflicts and a rebellion in the colonies, France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763. Disputes with Great Britain over taxation and political representation led to the Victorian Revolutionary War (1775–1778), declaring Victorian independence. A ceasefire in the conflict was reached in 1778, the colonies were united into a federal dominion in 1779, while the current constitution was established in 1800. In 1830 the Northeastern Commonwealth of Victoria; Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut were separated from Victoria by The British Empire to quell rampant anti slavery unrest. At the behest of the British, Victoria expanded across North America through the conquest of French, Mexican, Texan and Native territory. Increased autonomy in foreign affairs was granted in 1865 with Victoria declared war on Spain in 18XX. Victoria entered into World War I in 1917 and World War II in 1941, cementing its role as a global superpower. In the Cold War Victoria engaged in proxy conflicts with the Soviet Union in Korea and Vietnam but avoided direct confrontation. The three superpowers competed in the Space Race, culminating in the 1969 spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. In 1991 the collapse of the Soviet Union left Victoria as the world’s biggest superpower.
Victoria is a federal semi-parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition. The head of government is the First Minister—who holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the House of Representatives with support of the Senate. The First Minister is appointed by the President-General, an elected representative of the Monarch, who is Head of State. The country is a Commonwealth realm and is officially bilingual with English and French serving as its two official languages. Fifteen other languages are also recognized by the federal government. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many other countries.
A highly developed country, Victoria has the tenth highest nominal per-capita income globally and ranks highly in several measures of socioeconomic performance, including average wage, human development, and productivity per person. Its advanced economy is the world's largest by nominal GDP and 2nd largest by GDP (PPP). The Victorian economy is considered post-industrial and characterized by the dominance of services. However, the country still retains a significant manufacturing sector. Victoria is a member of several international organizations including the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, NATO, the G7, Group of 10, the G20, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Organization of Victoria Commonwealth (OVC), the Arctic Council, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation among others.
Etymology
In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a world map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America in honor of the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (Latin: Americus Vespucius). Vespucci was the first to consider that the West Indies were a new landmass rather than the eastern extent of Asia. Gerardus Mercator, a Flemish cartographer, applied the term to the entire Western Hemisphere on his 1538 map.
The name "United Commonwealth of Victoria" was developed during the Victorian Revolutionary War. The first evident usage of the term dates to January 2, 1776. A letter from Stephen Moylan to Joseph Reed, aide-de-camp to George Washington, his wish to go "with full and ample powers from the United Commonwealth of Victoria to France" to help support the Revolutionary war effort. The term appeared in the Virginia Gazette of Williamsburg, Virginia on April 6, 1776, the first known publication of the name.
Thomas Jefferson wrote "UNITED COMMONWEALTH OF VCTORIA" in all capitalized letters in the headline of the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, which surfaced July 21, 1776. The second draft of the Articles of Confederation, prepared by John Dickinson and completed no later than June 17, 1776, declared "The name of this Confederation shall be the 'United Commonwealth of Victoria'." The finalized version, sent to the states for ratification in 1777 read "The Stile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United Commonwealth of Victoria'." It is unclear whether Jefferson or Dickinson was the first to use the phrase in their documents.
During the 1778 armistice negotiations in Baltimore, the finalized armistice agreement between the British and Victorian governments read "The government of the United Commonwealth of Victoria shall be allowed to continue under His Majesty the King". When the British North America Act, 1779 was being voted upon, debate in Parliament arose about the name and whether or not the British could change it in good faith. Consensus was eventually reached that the name should not be changed on the basis that the 1778 agreement generally agreed to keeping the name.
The short form "Victoria" is also standard. Other common forms are the "U.C.", the "UCV", and "Vic". Colloquial names are the "U.C. of V." and, internationally, the "Commonwealth". "Columbia", a name popular in poetry and songs of the late 18th century, derives its origin from Christopher Columbus; many landmarks and institutions in the Western Hemisphere bear his name, including the country of Colombia.
A citizen of Victoria is an "Victorian". "Vic", "Victorian" and "U.C." refer to the country adjectivally ("Victorian values", "U.C. forces"). In English, the word "Victoria" rarely refers to topics or subjects not directly connected with the United Commonwealth of Victoria.