Imperial

Imperial (: El Imperio) is a province in the southwestern region of Sierra. Imperial is the 17th largest and 20th most populous of the 23 provinces in Sierra. The capital of Imperial is, while the largest city is. The province is roughly divided in half by the. The province to the west of the river is considered a part of the Southwest Corridor and the California region, while the province to the east is considered a part of southeastern Sierra and the Arizona region. Imperial shares borders with the Inland Empire and Maricopa to the north, Laguna to the west, Maricopa and Sonora to the east, and Pacífico Norte to the south.

Prior to European exploration and colonization, Imperial sustained a significant population of various Native Sierran tribes including the and the. In the 17th century, Imperial was claimed by Spain, and became an integral part of. The area remained largely undisturbed under Spanish, and then Mexican control. After the Mexican-American War, Imperial became part of the independent California Republic, and was a constituent part of the States of Laguna and Maricopa. In the late 19th century, Imperial experienced a population boom as a comprehensive irrigation system developed. In 1907, Parliament partitioned Eastern Laguna and Southern Maricopa to create the new province of Imperial.

Imperial is situated primarily in the but features varied topography. The province is straddled with several major mountain ranges including the and, along with large valleys such as the. It is home to most of Sierra's largest lake, the. Although Imperial is a landlocked, desert province, the Colorado River and the aqueducts built around it has allowed the province to support a large agricultural sector. The valleys along the river produce one of the world's most economically productive agricultural areas, and are crucial to the province's local economy. Thanks to the river, a significant portion of the land are. Many areas along the river are protected by the federal and provincial government, and have large, thriving ecosystems, some harboring millions of members of migratory bird species across North America each year. It is one of the world's leading producers in, , , , and. It is also one of the top producers in various species of grass, which is essential for sustaining the nation's dairy and livestock industries. Imperial is home to the largest Anglo-American aquaculture farm for catfish and other species west of the.

Imperial produces over two-thirds of the vegetables and fruits consumed in Anglo-America during the winters, giving the province the nickname, the "Winter Garden". Agriculture remains the primary source of economic activity in the province, with secondary industries in tourism, geothermal energy, chemical manufacturing, and mining. In recent years, thanks to intensive restoration efforts to the Salton Sea, the province has experienced a recent boom in real estate development and economic opportunities in an increasingly globalizing world. The province is culturally close to its neighbors, the Pacíficos, and has the second-highest proportion of Hispanics among all PSAs after Sonora. Nonetheless, Imperial features an increasingly diversified ethnic markup, including non-Hispanic whites, Asian Sierrans, African Sierrans, and Native Sierrans.

Etymology
The name "Imperial" derives from the that is located in the western region of the province, and where the capital,, is located. The valley itself received its name from the, a subsidiary of the , that was based in the area. The company was responsible for much of the agricultural development of Imperial and the Colorado Desert during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Officially, as defined by the Constitution of Imperial, Imperial is known as the "Province of Imperial", and its citizens as "Imperials".

Historically, Imperial was simply known as "Colorado", in reference to the major river which flowed through the desert and drained from the delta into the. While there was small-scale settlements along the river south of the area in the Sierran territory of Pacífico Norte, development in modern-day Imperial west of the river was minimal. East of the river however, the area was home to several settlements which were built along the, a major route for Anglo-Americans traveling to and fro Sierra. The area became associated with the name, "Yuma", after one of its major settlements, and was substantially developed by the time it was incorporated into the new province of Imperial. Two of Imperial's counties, Colorado and Yuma, carry on these legacies, and are situated roughly where the names were applied respectively. When the province was originally established, its full and complete name was to be the "Province of Imperial Valley, the Colorado, and Yuma", but was the latter two historical names were dropped by 1929 as it was deemed "cumbersome" by provincial legislators and voters.

Geography
Imperial has a total area of 10,001 sq mi (25,902 km$2$), making it slightly larger than the island nation of and the UC territory, and slightly smaller than the countries of  and. Imperial is situated in the southern central portion of federal Sierra, and is divided between the California and Arizona mega-regions along the Colorado River. The province shares borders with the Inland Empire and Maricopa to the north, Maricopa and Sonora to the east, Pacífico Norte to the south, and Laguna to the west. It is the 17th largest province in Sierra. The western half of Imperial consists of and the, with a significant portion of this area falling into the  region. Much of the region is below sea level, especially around the where the  is also located. The Salton Sea is Sierra's second largest lake, after the in the. There are several mountain ranges in the region, the largest of which are the which are due northeast of the Salton Sea. The mountains run in a northwest-southeast orientation and serves as the northeastern boundary of the, a large active tectonic spanning much of western Imperial. The famous lies west of the Chocolate Mountains, and southeast of the Salton Sea. The region is prone to frequent due to its location along the boundary between the  and the  along the  and the. The eastern half of Imperial is dominated by the and is considerably rockier, and more topographically varied than the western side. The region is noted for its alternating series of mountain ranges and valleys, as well as isolated mountains in otherwise uniformly low-lying areas, known as. Notable mountain ranges in this section of the province include the and the.

Climate
Generally, Imperial has a (: BWh), characterized by hot, dry, and sunny weather year-round. The climate is a result of several factors, including the, a persistent year-round , which occurs due to the province's location within the subtropics (roughly 33° N), as well as its location within the western, continental portion of the North American continent (along the eastern ocean basin of the Pacific). Because of its inland position, the area does not benefit from the that most of Western Sierra experiences. Some precipitation occurs during the wintertime when the subtropical high shifts southward towards Los Pacíficos, and a comes towards the area, bringing moisture. In eastern Imperial, the region gets additional rainfall during the late summer, usually between July and mid-September, from the. The monsoon is the result of a shift in prevailing winds along the which brings moisture to the otherwise dry area.

Flora
Despite being predominantly dry desert, Imperial is home to over 2,000 native plant species, and the Colorado River Delta remains an ecological hotspot. The plant life in Imperial have adapted to not only survive but flourish in the Sonoran Desert, and is sustained by the desert's biannual precipitation patterns. The desert alone is home to more plant species than any other desert in the world.

Various notable species live in Imperial including the world famous (Carnegiea gigantea), which is commonly found in eastern Imperial. Other cacti that grow in the province include the spiny (Cylindropuntia spp.),  (Opuntia basilaris),  (Echinocereus spp.),  (Ferocactus wislizeni),  (Opuntia spp.),  (Peniocereus spp.), and  (Stenocereus thurberi).

In addition to species from the cacti family, there are members of the, , , and other families. Seasonally, during the early spring, a large assortment of bloom across the desert floor. The is particularly famous for its annual wildflower fields, and are made possible by late winter precipitation. Wildflowers include the (Abronia villosa),  (Geraea canescens), and  (Oenothera spp.). Across the valleys, Imperial hosts a number of native bush species including the (Larrea tridentata),  (Ambrosia dumosa), the  (Psorothamnus fremontii), and  (Ephedra spp.).