Plumas

Plumas ( for "feathers"), also known as New Holland (: Nieuw Holland, : Nouvelle-Hollande), is a province in the northwestern region of Sierra. Plumas is the 8th largest and 6th most populous of the 23 provinces of Sierra. The province's capital is Ukiah while the largest city is New Rotterdam. It is ranked 5th in the order of admission into the Kingdom, being admitted on November 28, 1858, the inaugural day of the Kingdom of Sierra. It is the only second-level administrative region in the Kingdom to have as one of its official languages, and one of three PSALTs to include  as one.

Plumas shares borders with Shasta to the north, Washumko and Reno to the east, San Francisco and Tahoe to the south, and the to the west. Although Plumas is officially part of the Pacific Northwest region, it is sometimes considered a part of the Styxie and was historically a constituent state in the Second California Republic during the Sierran Civil War. Geographically diverse and expansive, the province is divided into three main regions: Western Plumas, Central Plumas, and Eastern Plumas. Western Plumas is primarily hilly with minor topographic variations within the. Central Plumas lies within the northern end of the transnational and is flat at sea level, and suitable for farming. Eastern Plumas is dominated by the with steadily rising elevations eastward, reaching over 14,000 feet in some parts.

Numerous indigenous tribes originally inhabited Plumas before the first Dutch settlers arrived in the mid-17th century to establish New Holland. Although Plumas was under de jure control of Spain, the Dutch administered a colonial autonomous government in present-day New Rotterdam, who eschewed Spanish detection by maintaining secrecy of its existence until the late 18th century. After the French overthrew the old Dutch Republic in favor of the, the new Dutch republic ceded New Holland. New Holland came under the administration of the French-Spanish Condominium before Spain gained full control after the. After Mexico gained independence from Spain, New Holland was automatically transferred to Mexican administration. The Dutch colonists were permitted to continue living on the land as Mexican citizens, but were forced to adopt Catholicism and speak Spanish, which angered the predominantly Protestant population. Angered by Mexican attempts to suppress the Dutch way of life, many New Hollanders participated in the Bear Flag Revolt, and the much larger Mexican-American War in 1846, and helped the Anglo-Americans in toppling the Mexican government. Plumas became a state in California after the war ended in 1848. On November 27, 1858, Plumas became a province of Sierra.

Plumas features variable geography and landscapes, with two major mountain ranges straddling either side of the province in a northwest-southeast orientation (the and ), and the  running in between the slopes of these two ranges. Coastal Plumas is studded with low to mid-rolling grassy hills, while Central Plumas' elevation dips to flat, fertile farmland at sea-level, before giving way to deciduous and coniferous forests that cover the steadily rising levels of the Sierra Nevada in Eastern Plumas.

Agriculture, mining, fishing, forestry, chemicals, and tourism are major industries in Plumas. The province also has a rich history in shipbuilding and manufacturing, and these industries continue to play an important, albeit reduced role in the economy. It is the leading producer of, s, s, s, , , and s in the country, and one of the highest producers of these aforementioned crops in the world. Annually, Plumas receives over 9 million unique visitors, mostly from Sierrans in other PSAs, who visit Rotterdam,, , the Town of Juno, and.

Etymology
The name Plumas derives from the Spanish name for, El Rio de las Plumas (The River of the Feathers). The river is a major waterway that runs through most of the province, and was given its name by, , and their company of men when they explored eastern Plumas in 1836 along. When they happened upon one of Sacramento River's tributaries, there was a bed of feathers covering one particular spot near the river. Usage of the name "Plumas" became immensely popular among both English and Spanish-speaking people in the area, and was the name chosen by the California National Legislature when it admitted Plumas as a state. When Plumas was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sierra, it was officially known as the Province of Plumas.

Another commonly used name to refer to Plumas is New Holland to reflect the province's long history of the Dutch who were the first Europeans to inhabit the region, and who has maintained a rich, thriving community in the present-day. New Holland was the name for the Dutch colony established along the Pacific in present-day New Rotterdam, and itself a reference to, a region in the. The official Dutch translation for Plumas is New Holland (Nieuw Holland), although both Nieuw Holland and Plumas are used interchangeably with no clear preference among Sierran Dutch speakers. In addition, the official translation in, another working language within the Plumasonian government, is also New Holland (Nouvelle-Hollande).

Geography
With an area of 22,307 sq mi (59,215 km km$2$), Plumas is slightly larger than and the. It is the eighth largest province in Sierra, and the 10th largest PSA in the Kingdom. Plumas shares borders with five other provinces: Shasta (north), Washumko (east), Reno (east), Tahoe (south), and San Francisco (south). It and Shasta form the Sierran Pacific Northwest, although the province is often culturally and politically grouped alongside the Styxie, a region which includes its southern neighbors.

Topography
The province's topography is mainly divided into three regions: the, , and.

The coastal section of the province is mostly hilly, though few areas exceeding 8,000 ft in elevation. The, alongside the , , and help define the Northern Coastal Ranges that run parallel to the Pacific Ocean. Much of the coast lies within the Coastal Range Physiographic Province, and features various valleys in-between ranges including and, both renowned areas for wine-making. Immediately east of the Coastal Ranges lies the Sacramento Valley. The valley is the northernmost extension of the nationwide-long Central Valley. Situated in the center of the province, Sacramento Valley is an extremely fertile region of grassland and arable soil nestled between the surrounding mountain ranges. Unlike the western and eastern regions of Plumas, central Plumas is almost entirely flat, with few exceptions including the (referred to as the "world's smallest mountain range"). Water derives from both sides of the valley, and feeds into the and its. Eastern Plumas contains the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges, as well as portions of the to the far east. The is moderately varied, although the region as a whole is topologically more consistent than the coastal region. The Sierras were created and formed by continuous and historical glacial movement.

Climate
Like much of Sierra's Californian region, Plumas' climate is generally (: Csa), although in higher elevations, the climate is milder with a. Summers are characterized by high daytime temperatures and little to no precipitation, while winters are milder and wetter, with foggy mornings. Due to the cooling effect of the along the Pacific Ocean, coastal Plumas is significantly cooler than the central inland year-round, and has stabler, consistent temperature gradients.

Overall, Plumas receives some of the highest levels of precipitation in federal Sierra, with some areas averaging rainfalls as high as 28 inches a year. Generally speaking, as temperature cool by increasing elevation, the amount of precipitation in the province increases. A noticeable exists east of the Coastal Ranges within Central Plumas, with the region experiencing wetter conditions as one moves eastward due to the Sierra Nevada. Snowfall does occur, but is generally restricted to high-elevations with altitudes of 7,000 feet and up, with the majority of the province's snowfall occurring in the Sierra Nevada in the east. Certain areas can receive up to 10 feet of snow per year. Snow in the Sierra Nevada is the primary source (aside from subterranean ) and provider for water in Plumas, and the entire country, contributing as much as 70% of the province's water needs. The area, known as the Sierra National Water Project, is crucial to agriculture and other industries, and is carefully supervised by the Plumas Central Water Authority. When occur, retentive measures are laid down in place to limit natural water loss and human consumption.

Flora
Plumas is home to hundreds of species of plants, some of which are unique only to the region. The province is divided into several distinct, and are dependent on location, altitude, and climate. The flora in Plumas are one of the most environmentally sensitive in the Kingdom, and are threatened by, , , and.

Plumas' lower-lying forests within the transition zone include species such as the redwood (') and the giant sequoia ('). Other native trees found in Plumas include the tanbark oak ('), pepperwood ('), sugar pine ('), madrona ('), and the Douglas fir (). The forest floors are home to ferns and flowering plants such as the swordfern ('), barrenwort ('),, , the , , , and.

On higher elevations, the colder climate can sustain specieis including the Jeffrey pine ('), the red fir ('), the foxtail pine ('), the lodgepole pine ('), the sculpted puffball ('), the western redbud ('), and the dwarf. The alpine mountains are also covered with a variety of wildflowers ranging from the Sierra primrose ('), yellow columbine ('), the yarrow ('), blue elderberry, buttercups ('), and the alpine shooting star ().

Fauna
There are many species of terrestrial and marine animals in Plumas, reflecting the biological diversity and richness of the province. Covering a large area of territory, Plumas covers several biotic zones including, subalpine, and alpine. In the province's transition and Canadian zones, there are, , , , , , , , , several species of snakes and , , , , , and. In higher altitudes, species including the coney,, and the exist.

Aquatic life is as equally diverse as Plumas' terrestrial biosphere, and includes numerous species of and. Deep-sea lifeforms that live off the coast of Plumas include, , , and several types of. Along the shores, there are, , and various kinds of shorebirds.

Early history
Numerous Native Sierran tribal groups inhabited the area in what is now known as Plumas. Among the groups which existed within the province's modern boundaries were the, , and. Other groups in the area included the, , and people. It is widely believed, based on archeological findings, that the earliest peoples first arrived and settled in Plumas between 8000 and 5000 BC. The first settlers demonstrated some command in tool-making and art, as evidenced by s found throughout the province.

When the Europeans began exploring Sierra starting in the 16th century, various colonial powers laid claim over Plumas either directly or indirectly from broader claims over the Sierran territory. Among these powers were (as part of ),  (as New Albion), the, and. Although Plumas ultimately fell under the de jure control of Spain, much of Plumas was never formally explored or occupied by the Spanish. Spanish Alta California's accessibility was difficult, and Spanish colonization efforts were primarily concentrated in southern Sierra (mostly in the hands of Jesuit, and later Franciscans and Cordoban priests), leaving northern Sierra, including Plumas, practically free from Spanish presence. As a result of this vacuum, Russia and the Netherlands were able to develop colonies in the region.

New Holland
In 1644, Dutch navigator and colonial administrator landed at the mouth of  with the purpose of establishing a base to defend Dutch trade in the  (VOC) and. Initially naming the base "Fort Rotterdam", Brouwer envisioned a colony which would rival that of Spain's. Both the Netherlands and Spain were at the time. Prior to landing in Fort Rotterdam, Brouwer was appointed Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. Seeking to strengthen Dutch colonial holdings throughout the Pacific, he set sail from and led an expedition which originally included the exploration of the abandoned Spanish town of  in, and the sacking of other Spanish settlements in the region. Brouwer and his men attempted to find gold and establish a colony there, and befriended Manquipillan, the local there. Difficulties quickly arose, and relations with the natives grew awry after Brouwer tried to build a fort there. Finding no gold, Brouwer sent a convoy back to Dutch Brazil. While they sent back an official report of Valdivia and request for reinforcements, Brouwer decided to extend his expedition to include all of the Pacific coastlines of the Americas, and return to his post in the Dutch East Indies. When Brouwer moved near the Mexican coastline, he steered his fleet away from common Spanish trade routes. He recorded several encounters with Spanish galleons but all were without incident, and he reportedly hoisted stolen Spaniard naval ensigns on all of the ships by day to avoid arousing suspicion. He made a brief excursion near present-day Salsipuedes on September 1, 1645, narrowly avoiding detection by the Jesuit priests stationed nearby in Ensenada. Here, Brouwer gathered and restocked their supplies, and departed after two days. Brouwer continued sailing northward for three more weeks, before he landed at Noyo Bay. Confident that the area was free from any Spanish presence, he ordered his men to commence building a fort. In his diary, he wrote, "The land is of rich and astounding quality. Its weather is mild, and its landscape is ideal for settlement," and declared the land in the name of the Dutch King. Brouwer and his men encountered several indigenous tribes including the, the , and the. Overall, the contact was friendly, and gifts were exchanged, starting a longstanding relationship between the Dutch settlers and the indigenous people. Brouwer's men are widely believed to be the first Europeans to come into contact with the northern Native Sierran tribes, and were likely responsible for the decline in native populations shortly thereafter due to. They were also responsible for introducing Old World poultry to the region including chickens and ducks, which they used for meat and eggs in the new settlement.

After spending a few weeks in the area, Brouwer departed from Plumas on a trip to Japan. He left behind 20 of his men whom he entrusted to maintain the colony. The colony was named Brouwershaven in honor of Brouwer, and had seventeen complete buildings, including a church, a granary, and a tannery by 1647. For the first few years, the men struggled to set up the colony. Although they had access to an abundance of raw material, they frequently experienced food shortages. Unaccustomed to the environment, the men relied heavily on sustenance from the local tribes. The men intermarried with indigenous women, and started biracial families which allowed the colony to grow. The first Dutchmen who were not part of Brouwer's expedition to arrive in New Holland were the roughly 450 ethnic Dutch,, , , and slaves who were expelled from the defunct Dutch Brazil. This wave of colonists was crucial in the colony's enlargement and the permanent fixation of the Dutch in the Pacific coast. After their arrival, New Holland continued to receive new colonists until the early 18h century as the Spanish increased their activity in Alta California. By 1700, the population grew to the size of 3,300, and a second town, Roosje, was established. The New Hollanders organized themselves with a government overseen by the Director-General, who was appointed by the Dutch East India Company. Over time, the citizens' Council of Aldermen rose into prominence, superseding the powers of the Director-General.

The colonial scene was vibrant and economically productive. It served as the sole North American hub for the Dutch in the Pacific, and enjoyed a rich shipbuilding industry. The New Hollanders frequently traded with the neighboring Russians to the south of the colony, as well as the Chinese, Japanese, and Han merchants from afar. Contact with the Spaniards was forbidden, and Dutch merchants were advised to steer clear of the Southeastern and Central Pacific Ocean to avoid detection from Spanish trade ships. The Spanish remained oblivious to the presence of New Holland until became New Spain's new visitador (inspector-general), and launched his ambitious plan to revitalize Spain's colonial reaches in the Pacific Northwest. Gálvez wanted to expand development northward of Mexico into the then-underpopulated Alta California, which was at the northern fringes of the vast but overextended New Spanish Empire. To galvanize people within Spain's ruling circles, Gálvez spread rumors that foreign powers would take the supposedly unspoiled land from Spain. Such lands would pose a threat to Spain's existing colonies and dominance in the Americas. After a Spanish ambassador in Russia revealed that planned to build a colonial empire reaching as far south as present-day, Central Valley, Gálvez was granted permission by King  to pursue his plans. The discovery of foreign powers in northern Sierra deeply alarmed Spanish authorities, and prompted the Spanish crown to commission expeditionary voyages along the Pacific Northwest throughout the late 18th century. Spain confirmed the existence of New Holland in a 1769 expedition, but the Spanish chose not to militarily engage it. Within less than two decades however, as Spain began aggressively colonizing southern Alta California with its missions, Spain eventually assumed control over the Dutch holdings. In 1795, the took over the Netherlands, and became a  of France. In the, one of the Dutch lands the Netherlands ceded was New Holland. The French, who were on good terms with the Spanish, placed New Holland under the French-Spanish Condominium, which operated in the Channel Islands, thus signaling the first time Spain had direct control over the "hidden" colony. New Holland's time within the Condominium was short-lived. In 1802, the was signed, and France absolved all territorial rights to the Condominium, thereby effectively giving the Spanish full control over New Holland and the Channels.

Now under Spanish rule, the Spanish government allowed the New Hollanders to continue living freely as citizens under certain conditions. New Hollanders were not permitted to establish any settlements south of their existing territorial extent, and were required to render complete allegiance to the Spanish Crown. The Board of Alderman was also subject to the oversight of the Condominium Governor, and ultimately, the viceroy of New Spain. Although the Spanish allowed the New Hollanders to continue practicing their own legal system and courts, they were required to comply with Spanish land law. In practice, Spain gave major, formal land concessions to the New Hollanders in the region, allowing some families and individuals to own large stakes as far east as the Sierra Nevada.

In 1821, Mexico gained from Spain, and assumed control over all of Alta California, as well as New Holland. As a republic, Mexico organized itself into constituent states but Alta California and New Holland was not considered one of such states. For New Holland, its obvious cultural, ethnic, and linguistic differences, as well as its long distance from the capital, prevented it from being considered a state. Instead, it was organized as a territory. Unlike the Spanish government, the Mexican government sought to ultimately expel the colonists, or assimilate them into Alta California. Mexico was fearful that New Holland would one day declare its own independence, signaling the vulnerability of the already weak and battered state to other powers including Spain and the United States. Starting in 1825, the Mexican Congress passed a series of laws to limit many aspects of Dutch life in New Holland, including the requirement for schools to teach students solely in Spanish.

Californian period
As more Anglo-Americans and British settlers arrived in Alta California, including New Holland, the Mexican government tightened its grip on the far-flung territory, much to the ire to the local Dutch and new settlers alike. Eventually, both the New Hollanders and Anglo-Americans joined forces in gaining independence from the Mexican state. Following reports that had gained its independence from Mexico, New Hollanders and Anglo-Americans formed an army to expel the Mexicans and Californios from the region. In June 1846, a group of settlers seized a military garrison in, today known as the Bear Flag Revolt, and declared all of California as an independent republic. The declaration coincided with the Mexican-American War, which started about a month earlier, between the United States and Mexico over the. The two events coalesced into one as the United States pledged support for the Californians, and extended the conflict to the Great Basin, Sonoran Desert, and the Southland.

New Hollanders played an instrumental role in securing California's independence as many residents joined the war effort. After California gained its independence, nearly a third of delegates to the 1848 Californian Constitutional Convention hailed from New Holland. New Holland was officially organized as the State of Plumas, and was for a while, Plumas was the Republic's most populous state.

In 1849, gold was discovered in the neighboring state of Sacramento in. As news spread, it triggered a as tens of thousands of people from across the world came to California. Plumas was one of such states that attracted gold prospectors. The arrival of international prospectors boosted the economy of Plumas, and the introduction of the newly found gold strengthened it even further.

Provincehood
On November 28, 1858, the California Republic was officially reorganized as the Kingdom of Sierra following its adoption of the Constitution of 1858. The Constitution was the result of a year-and-a-half long process over the future of the country as it struggled with debt, corruption, and inefficiency. The newly established Parliament convened and admitted Plumas on the same day as Sierra's creation. Plumas was the 5th province to be admitted to the Kingdom.

Plumas was initially the Kingdom's most populous province, although by 1865, San Francisco had surpassed it. Nonetheless, constituents from Plumas remained one of the Kingdom's most influential forces, and served as one of the early bases for the Royalists. Plumas was one of the first provinces to receive major funding and improvement to its public utilities and services, and was one of the Kingdom's most agriculturally productive regions. As transcontinental railroads were being constructed, Plumas continued to experience new immigrants from the rest of Anglo-America, who mostly settled in Central and Eastern Plumas. In order to defend its linguistic and cultural heritage, the Plumas government officially declared Dutch as its working language.

In the years preceding the Civil War, the Anglo-American settlers in Central Plumas became galvanized by the Royalists' coastal and business-oriented policies. Financially damaged by the ministries of Bachelor, Sr. and Trist, the Anglophone Plumasonians rallied behind republicanism, whilst the Dutch backed monarchism. These differences were the source of much hostility between the two groups, which included ethnic-related conflicts and disputes over land use and property rights, especially in gold mining areas. By the 1870s, Plumas had grown so volatile that both sides had established over 40 separate "clubs" composed of armed members. There have been numerous documented gunfights and fistfights between the Dutch and English speakers prior to the Civil War, leading some historians to dub the phenomenon as the "Little Civil War".

Demographics
The Sierra Royal Bureau of Census estimates that the population of Plumas was 5,892,111 on October 16, 2016. The 2010 census officially recorded a population of 5,800,666, indicating a population increase by 91,445 or roughly 1.58%. This includes a of 58,421 since the year 2010 (that is 102,749 births minus 44,328 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 21,473 into the province. Immigration from outside the Kingdom of Sierra resulted in a net increase of 32,229, and migration within the country resulted in a net decrease of 16,528. According to the 2010 census, of the people residing in Plumas, 72.5% were born in Plumas, 19.2% were born in another Sierran PSA or territory, 2.2% were born abroad to Sierran parent(s), and 5.75% were foreign-born.

There are 79 cities or municipality-level settlements in Plumas. The largest and most populous city in Plumas is the province's capital, New Rotterdam. The smallest city in Plumas is. Nearly two-thirds of Plumas' residents live in either the New Rotterdam metropolitan area, or the Plumasonian section of the Greater Sacramento metropolitan region.

Racial and ancestral makeup
According to the Sierra Royal Bureau of Census, the 2010 racial makeup of the Province of Plumas was as follows according to self-identification.


 * White Sierran – 74.4%
 * Asian Sierran/Pacific Islander – 12.9%
 * Black or African Sierran – 2.5%
 * Multiracial Sierran - 7.2%
 * Native Sierran/American Indian – 1.4%
 * Some other race – 1.6%

Overview
As defined by the Constitution of Plumas, the government of Plumas has three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The executive branch consists of several popularly elected offices and appointed officials, with the Governor as the chief executive and head of the government. The Queen is represented in Plumas by Her Majesty's Lord Superintendent, a viceregal noble, who serves as the nominal head of state. Legislative functions are handled by two bodies: the Plumas Provincial Assembly and the Plumas Central Water Authority. The former is responsible for creating and passing general legislation, while the latter is responsible for establishing regulations and oversight over the province's waterways and bodies of water, as well as providing meteorology evaluations, and flood prevention services. The judiciary is composed of the Supreme Court of Plumas and its inferior courts.

Although the Constitution of Plumas names the Lord Superintendent of Plumas as the nominal and titular head of the Plumasonian government, the viceroyal prerogatives given to them is exercised through the governor, a civilian. The Governor of Plumas serves as the chief executive of the province and has the authority to exercise the powers given to them by the Constitution of Plumas. The governor and the lieutenant-governor are both elected on the same ticket, and serve four-year terms. Like other provinces in the Styxie, the governor may not serve more than two consecutive terms, and may not serve more than four terms in their lifetimes. The governor oversees the executive branch, which includes the offices of the Secretary of Education, Provincial Treasurer, Provincial Auditor, Provincial Comptroller, and the Provincial Attorney-General. In addition, the governor works with the Plumas Provincial Legislature and the Supreme Court of Plumas to govern the province. All bills must receive viceregal assent from the Lord Superintendent, who generally allows the governor to assent in their name. The governor is able to nominate leaders for executive bodies and courts (with confirmation by the Provincial Senate), and remove any leaders from nearly all provincial departments, commissions, and boards at-will. From time to time, the Governor can call for a special session in the Legislature, and set the legislative agenda, especially if their party is in majority rule. The governor can also issue pardons, reprieves, and commutations. In addition, the governor functions as the commander-in-chief of the provincial National Guard, and Royal Reserve. During times of crisis or emergencies, the governor can assume nearly full command over the province's defenses, logistics, and resources.