Nickname:
"Pacwest"
Capital:
Los Angeles
Population:
78.8 Million
Included states:
Comprising the Pacific coastal states, as well half of the prototypical "West" and "Southwest" states, this country would be quite diverse demographically and politically. California is an obvious powerhouse here, accounting for nearly half the population. This would make my home town of Los Angeles (the largest city in the most populous state) a natural choice for capital. The one oddball here is Minnesota, which is more typically midwestern. It's five million plus population is needed to balance out with the other countries. It is west of the Mississippi river and it borders the Dakotas, so it isn't totally out of place.
Politics:
While at first glance this would seem to be an extremely liberal country, conservative stalwarts like Utah and Arizona would serve to counterbalance the Pacific coastal states somewhat. In all, there are about 20 million people living in classic "red" states in this region. Throw in that California itself is far more moderate than most people realize, so I believe Pacwest could do a good job governing itself but be strongly left of center.
Industry:
There is little question that this would be the most productive of the four new countries. California again dominates the discussion, currently responsible for a huge proportion of the entire United State's agricultural output. Food would be the number one export, but oil (CA, and Alaska in particular) and high-tech would be at or near the top as well. Add in the major tourism dollars from Vegas and Hawai'i, and this country looks like it would be able to keep up with Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
Greatest Strength: Science and higher education
Silicon Valley and Washington are the two unquestioned capitals of the computer technology industry. San Francisco and San Diego are both in top three in the US in biotech (Boston being the third). A fantastic set of universities, lead by Stanford and Berkley, dot the entire region. Consistent with the liberal-leaning politics of Pacwest, it has the potential to be a great agent for advancement in technology and education.
Critical Issue: Immigration
Clearly, immigration from Mexico is an enormous issue for these states already. The creation of a new country would give Pacwest the chance to incorporate these individuals in a more realistic fashion. A one-time amnesty opportunity for people already resident in these states (say, for at least two years) would go a long way to fixing the current illegals issue. Additional immigration will be the first major challenge for Pacwest.
Fun Feature:
Hollywood! Vegas! Movies, TV, gambling, celebrities... Pacwest has all that juicy stuff. Who knows, they might even legalize gambling throughout the country, though I'm sure Vegas would still be king.
Complete state list: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai'i, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
