United Republic of Cascadia

Cascadia is a partially-recognized state in western North America that declared its independence from the United States in October 2014 as the United Republic of Cascadia. As of January 2015, the United States refuses to recognize the Republic's governance of the territory, and considers it part of the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington.

Cascadia is situated along the Pacific coast, extending inland as far as the Cascade Mountains. Its capital is Portland and its largest city is Seattle. It is bordered by the U.S. states of California and Nevada to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Canadian province of British Columbia to the North, and the remaining portions of the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon to the east.

Ideological and economic differences between the more populous, wealthier, and culturally cohesive Cascadia region in western Oregon and Washington and the eastern portions of the two states left them divided, both state governments in deadlock. In September 2014, a bi-state constituent assembly convened in Walla Walla, Washington, to create a region-wide solution. The assembly failed in its goal as the delegates from eastern Washington and eastern Oregon withdrew. The remaining delegates declared the independence of Cascadia on October 22, 2014, and took on the task of creating a constitution for the new state, officially named the United Republic of Cascadia. The constitution was published on December 1, 2014, and went into effect on January 1, 2015. It has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 32 UN member states. Cascadia is not a member of the United Nations due to its lack of diplomatic recognition from several countries. It is, however, a member of several international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and International Road and Transport Union.