Shasta

Shasta is the northwesternmost province of Sierra, located along the western coast of North America on the. Composed of 7 counties, Shasta is home to 984,221 people spread over 27,607 square miles, making it the 14th most populous and 3rd largest province of Sierra. The capital of Shasta is Apfelhain, which is the principal city of the Apfelhain-Mondsichelhafen metropolitan area, while the largest city is. Admitted into the Kingdom on November 28, 1858, it is the 9th province in order of admission to Sierra. It is the only second-level administrative region to have as one of its official languages.

Shasta borders Rainier to the north, Washumko to the east, Plumas to the south, and the Pacific to the west. It is officially a part of the Sierran Pacific Northwest region, although it is sometimes considered an extended part of the Styxie due to historical and political connections. During the Sierran Civil War, Shasta formed an integral part of the self-declared Second California Republic. Its heavily German-influenced culture, progressive politics, and relative geographical separation from most of Sierra has made the province particularly unique amongst the Kingdom.

Shasta is an environmentally and geographically diverse province typical of the northern fringes of Sierra which can be divided into two unique geographic areas. The eastern portion of the province possesses the southernmost edges of the and is covered by both s and fields of short grasses on top of hilly highlands and in mountain valleys. The western portion of the province in mainly covered in hills and highlands and is almost completely made up of dense forests. The world-renowned s of Sierra, which draw tens of thousands of visitors every year, are located on Shasta's Pacific coast.

Prior to European discovery and exploration of Sierra, Shasta was mainly inhabited by a diverse group of Amerindians that included the, the , the , and the. The natives' way of life was left undisturbed for about a century longer than their southern counterparts further down in present-day Plumas. The first recorded European presence in Shasta was an accidental landing by a Spanish crew, who were part of the, near in 1775. By the 19th century, the Russians had begun colonization of northern Sierra through the establishment of active seafaring and sea lion hunting along Shasta's coast. Small parties of New Hollander colonists also explored parts of southern Shasta in their expansion northward, averting Spanish detection. Although Shasta was nominally claimed by New Spain and later, its successor Mexico, it did not see any significant development or attention until California gained independence as a republic in 1848. Shasta's population grew exponentially during and after the, and was a top destination for German-speaking Americans traveling along the. It was initially administered as part of the larger state of Plumas, but it eventually gained provincehood in 1877 under Sierra following a partition passed by Parliament.

Shasta was occupied by the self-declared California Republic during the Sierran Civil War, before pro-government forces regained control over the area shortly before the war's end in 1877. During Sierra's economic boom during the late 19th-century, Shasta experienced the rise in boom towns as thousands of immigrants came for the province's budding mining and lumber industries. The development of the transcontinental railroad system and telegraph network substantially boosted the province's unprecedented population growth in the region, which saw the population approaching well over 100,000 by 1900. During and between both world wars, Shasta's manufacturing industries became a crucial component to the province's continued growth. It was also at the forefront of the Sierran Cultural Revolution, home to a disproportionately high percentage of Sierran Hapas. Deeply involved in progressive politics, the Hapas allied with the province's majority German-speaking population, who were predominantly liberal-minded. In the present-day, Shasta remains the most socially liberal province in the Kingdom, being the first to have legalized same-sex marriage and recreational marijuana in 2002 and 2004 respectively, and among the first to adopt reforms working towards socialized medicine and education. It has also been a hotspot for far-left extremism and eco-terrorism, which was especially problematic during the 1970s and 1980s, when the province faced arson-related attacks, hostage crises, and bombings.

Etymology
The name Shasta traces its origins back to the, an indigenous Amerindian tribe found in northern Shasta and southern Oregon in Rainier. The Shasta originally inhabited the and numbered as much as 2,000 individuals prior to contact with the Europeans. This origin has been anachronistically applied to the name. The province however, was actually named after (which was named after the Shasta tribe), the highest mountain in the province and the fifth highest in Sierra. , a leader of a brigade, is widely credited with giving the mountain the name (originally as Sasty or Sastise, in honor of the previously mentioned Amerindian tribe). However, Ogden was referring to the nearby, which was several miles due north of Mount Shasta. The name Shasta formally transferred from Mount McLoughlin to Mount Shasta in 1841 when the dispatched an expedition team in Upper California. A party of researchers, under the command of traveled from, Oregon towards  along the , where they made sight and note of Mount Shasta. The mountain's notability and prominence eventually loaned its name to refer the entire previously unexplored region of northern California. When Shasta became a province in Sierra, it was officially named the Province of Shasta. Its German spelling is Schasta.

Nicknames
The official provincial nickname is "The Redwood Province", which appears on its vehicle registration plates, government websites, welcome signs, and tourism advertisements. The nickname is a reference to its famous, which are uniquely endemic to the coastal forests of northern Sierra and southern Rainier. The redwood is also the province's official tree. The , also known as the giant redwood, are found along the western slopes of, and have been a symbol of endearment and pride for the province. The nickname was formally chosen by the Shasta Provincial Legislature on September 9, 1956. Presiding governor Richard D. Calhoun remarked, "The beautiful redwood is a remarkable, striking creation of God. One cannot help but only stand in awe and amazement at the domineering majesty when one looks up at one of them."

The "Free Love Province" is the second most common nickname for Shasta, with it first emerging during the 1970s from residents and non-residents to describe the province's general attitudes towards sexuality and relationships. The province has been long noted for its gay-friendly and progressive politics. It was at the forefront of the early LGBT rights movement in Sierra and voters embraced the principles of. Hippie communities and love communes were common in Shasta during the Sexual Revolution, and some of Sierra's first gay pride parades were held in the province. It became the second province after San Francisco in 2004 in making same-sex marriages legal. It is home to some of Anglo-America's largest LGBTQ+ communities and is also home to a significant subculture of BDSM enthusiasts.

Other nicknames for the province include "The Outdoorsman's Province", "The Forested Province", "The German Province", "The Pioneer Province", and "The Indian Province".

Its official provincial motto is  Salus Populi Suprema Est Lex, which in means "The welfare of the people is the supreme law".

Geography
Shasta is the northwesternmost province in Sierra. It borders the Rainian state of to the north, which follows a generally straight path that runs west-to-east. To the east is Washumko, with the border between the two provinces following the. To the south is Plumas, which roughly follows the. The forms the western boundary of Shasta. With an area of 27,607 square mile (71,501 km$2$), Shasta is larger than and, while it is smaller than. It is the 6th largest province in Sierra. Shasta's highest point is, at 14,179 ft (4,322 m), and its lowest point is the sea level of the Pacific Ocean at the Shasta coast. Shasta's two largest rivers are the and the, which both flow east-to-west, with the former emptying into the Pacific Ocean and the latter flowing into the  and.

It is a Pacific Northwest province and is generally considered a part of the Styxie. It has been historically associated with republicanism because it became a constituent state of the breakaway Second California Republic during the Sierran Civil War and was home to a large voting bloc of Democratic-Republican voters, including German farmers.

Topography and terrain
Topographically, Shasta's terrain is rugged and mountainous. Its landscape has one of the largest areas of undisturbed or minimally exploited natural areas in Sierra. For instance, the features over 2.2 million square acres of federally protected land. Western Shasta is dominated by the and the, which extends into Southern Rainier. Nearly two-thirds of Shasta's population lives to the west of the Klamath Mountains, while the mountains themselves are sparsely populated due to its highly variable topography. The highest peak in the Klamath Mountains is at 9,025 feet (2,751 m). The and Klamath River are the two major sources of water found in this section of the province. The transnational in Shasta divides the province in half and includes the province's tallest peak,. , at 10,457 ft (3,187 m), forms the southern terminus of the mountain range near the Shasta–Plumas border. The mountains are part of the and include both volcanically active and dormant peaks. Like much of the Cascades, the mountains' peaks are usually snowcapped year-round. Its supply of snow is replenished during the fall and winter due to strong prevailing originating from the Pacific that allow for substantial precipitation along its western slopes due to. The region has an abundance of ravines, canyons, rivers, and lakes pocketing the range. Southern Central Shasta includes the northernmost section of, which is known as the. The from the Klamath Mountains feeds the valley's flat and fertile soil with a steady stream of melted snow, which leads further south into Central Sierra.

Eastern Shasta is dominated by the, a relatively flat about 4,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level. The plateau is cushioned between the Sierra Nevada to the west and the to the east (which straddles the northeastern corner of the province). Small portions of the are also in eastern Shasta. The southeastern portion of Shasta, including the Adams' Panhandle, contains, , and virtually all of their watershed. The Adams' Panhandle includes the Great Basin areas east of the Sierra Nevada and west of the Shasta–Washumko border, running along the Long Valley Creek River for the majority of its length.

Climate
Shasta has a, which is further divided into three subtypes based on location and altitude. Coastal Shasta experiences significantly cooler and more uniform temperatures due to an known as. Further inland, areas west of the Sierra Nevada experiences a with drier and hotter summers seen prevalent through western Sierra. Higher altitudes receive substantially more precipitation, cool summers, and mild winters known as the. These areas are heavily influenced by the nearby hot-summer Mediterranean areas and the Pacific Ocean, and have wintertime temperatures just low enough to allow snowfall. The highest altitudes have an.

The Sierra Nevada has a profound effect on precipitation and climate in Shasta. As a result of its geography, it is the one of the wettest places in all of Sierra and its watershed is the largest source of water for the country. It casts a large that leaves Eastern Shasta drier and lower in humidity year-round when compared to Western Shasta. The transmontane, inland sections of Eastern Shasta experience a hybrid climate of Mediterranean and. Although the region is generally semi-arid and experiences warm to hot summers, freezing temperatures have been observed in every month of the year, and cool nights can occur during even the hottest summer days.

Flora and fauna
Shasta supports a highly diverse assortment of wildlife and plants, some of which are only endemic to the region. Around 60 percent of the province is forested, mostly west of the Cascades, with 40 percent of this land protected as federal or provincial land. The province is divided into several s, each formed through a combination of local geography, altitude, and climate. Large forests of coniferous and redwood trees can be found along the western slopes of the mountain range. Common tree species includes the, , , , , , , and many species of. Other trees include the and, which are unique to the province and neighboring areas. Over two million acres of can be found in the northwestern corner of the province. Shasta's forest floors support an array of flowering plants, mosses, grasses, and fungi such as swordferns, tulips, tiger lilies, barrenworts, and huckleberries.

Terrestrial mammals native to Shasta include the, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and. Historical species that once inhabited Shasta include the  and. These two species were once common throughout the province, but were hunted for sport and fur during the California Gold Rush. The last known grizzly in Shasta was recorded in 1921, several years before its population in all of Sierra was completely decimated. Recently, there has been interest in reintroducing a small population of grizzly bears in the province.

Shasta's wide range in geography supports various ecoregions, which are able to sustain a variety of avian species including s, s, s, s, s, s, and other birds. Shasta is also home to hundreds of species of aquatic life including, , s, es, s, , , and. There are also dozens of amphibian and reptilian species known to inhabit the province, including several species of s.

Shasta has several provincial parks and five national parks. Among them include, , , , , , and. There are a total of 45 federally and provincially protected areas in Shasta, totaling some 2.5 million square acres of forests, grasslands, wetlands, lakes, caves, beaches, and mountains.

Pre-Sierran period
The original inhabitants of Shasta was a significant Amerindian population that included, , , , , and tribes. The culturally and linguistically diverse groups lived in Shasta for thousands of years. Since European exploration and settlement was limited to south of modern-day Plumas during the Spanish and Mexican colonial periods, Shasta's indigenous populations largely eluded outside contact until the mid-19th century. Nonetheless, Shasta was a de jure territory of Spain and later Mexico, the former of which claimed the area for itself and the latter which later inherited the claims. There were limited excursions to Shasta by the New Hollander colonists and Russians who settled nearby. Tribal contact with outsiders increased substantially in the years preceding the Mexican-American War and the. After California gained its independence, Shasta was incorporated as a part of the state of Plumas, which later reorganized as the province of Plumas when California transitioned into Sierra in 1858. Anglo-American exploration of Shasta was first conducted by American explorer John C. Frémont (future Sierran prime minister). Frémont entered modern-day Shasta through Modoc County in 1846 from Plumas.

Interaction between Shasta's indigenous peoples and Anglo-American newcomers shifted from cautious curiosity to open, widespread hostilities. The Sierran-Indian Wars, which started during the Gold Rush, continued for decades until its conclusion in the 1880s. The war consisted of constant raids organized by both sides against each others' settlements, and skirmishes that erupted over accidental encounters or misunderstandings. After the Compact of Indian Friendship was signed in 1887, Shasta's tribes were one of the first Amerindian groups to benefit from the reservation system, with the federal government allocated over 6,000 square miles (mostly in Eastern Shasta) for such groups in the province alone.

Settlement of the region was much slower compared to its neighbors to the south. Shasta remained largely rural and uninhabited during the 19th century. Development was limited and focused near mining sites and forested areas, which provided employment to miners, loggers, and fur trappers. Agricultural work began in the Sacramento Valley, though was generally in nature. Despite its sluggish development, the province proved to be an ideal location for Anglo-American emigrants from the Midwest and American Northeast. Located near the, groups of Germans and Scandinavians had the choice between settling in Rainier further north, or Shasta and the rest of Sierra. The first major Anglo-American settlement based off of the Oregon Trail migratory waves was in the city of.

Early provincehood
After the conclusion of the Sierran Civil War, Parliament granted provincial status to Shasta as part of a concessionary deal with the Republicans for greater representation in the Senate. More than half of Plumas was partitioned in order to create Shasta, although much of this territory was never substantially inhabited by Plumas' Dutch-speaking citizens. Shasta was administered by moderate Democratic-Republican loyalists who took control over the new provincial government in the 1877 provisional elections. The city of Redding was chosen as the province's first capital and seat of government, and was the location where the Shasta Provincial Legislature convened for the first time.