Nation Name: Appalachian Confederation
National Flag: [img]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/2261239402/AQT_LOGO.jpg[/img]
Location: Former USA
Land Owned: Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, Eastern Ohio, portions of western Pennsylvania
Population: 1.4 million
Language Spoken: English
National History: Ever since the Scots-Irish settlers first colonized the rugged hinterlands of the North American continent, the hardy men that inhabited the hill country running from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia and the Carolinas up to western Pennsylvania have been a restive and unruly people. They defied the British Crown's demands to remain east of the Proclamation Line of 1763; they rebelled against the rebel government of George Washington after the Revolutionary War, refusing to pay duties on their whiskey. The Appalachian people bore no allegiance to the Confederacy, breaking from Virginia to form the state of West Virginia at the height of the Civil War. And in the 1920s, when the United States outlawed the sale and production of alcohol by constitutional amendment, industrious Appalachian whiskey makers worked by the light of the moonshine to whet the nation's thirst. Appalachia's history is therefore one of resistance to the demands of outsiders.

Appalachia is also a depauperate region. The rugged and mountainous terrain hampered agricultural development of this land, and in the latter half of the 20th century, the region's mining industry died out when demand for coal withered. For decades, Appalachian society was synonymous with abject poverty and backwardsness. As the United States pressed onward into the future, it left Appalachia behind.

And so when nuclear war ravaged the Earth, the Appalachians were largely unscathed. With no worthwhile targets in the region, Russian warheads spared the area. The high mountains and hills shielded the hollers and valleys from the blasts that rattled the surrounding regions, which also served to diminish the effects of windblown fallout.

In the aftermath of the apocalypse, where nuclear detonations and EMPs have ruined much of the energy-producing infrastructure of the nation, Appalachian coal is once again in demand to power the furnaces of North America. And in such hard times, strong drink is needed now more than ever. What little corn that can be grown in the Appalachian lowlands is made into white lightning. With demand for the produce of the Scots-Irish in full swing once again, a modest tax is collected to form a loose government responsible for building and improving transportation infrastructure and providing for a common defense.


Leader: Deputy Eli Snodgrass
Describe the Govt.: The Appalachian Confederation is very much a laissez-faire government. The people of Appalachia are historically independent and skeptical of most government. However, most Appalachians recognize government of some form as a necessary evil. To this end, the numerous autonomous communities elect a Deputy to oversee the construction of infrastructure and security endeavors.
Technological Overview: Minimal technological advancement. Even before the war, Appalachia was known for being relatively backwards.
Military Description: The Appalachian Confederation has no standing military to speak of. This is not to say that the region is defenseless to foreign incursion - firearm ownership in Appalachia is very high even by American standards. Many Appalachians are seasoned hunters, and in the deep hollers where lawmen are few and far between, it is occasionally necessary to take the law into one's own hands.