What is Cascadia?

Cascadia is the proposed name for the independent state that would be formed by British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, were these states and province ever to successfully secede from their federal governments in Ottawa and Washington D.C.

Definitions of the region's boundaries vary, but usually include the area between the Cascade Range and the Pacific Ocean, and some part of the Coast Mountains. Other definitions follow the boundaries of existing subnational entities, and usually include the territory of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, while others also include parts of California, Idaho, Alaska and Yukon.

In general, the area in and around the Cascadia region is more commonly referred to as the Pacific Northwest. The area's biomes and ecoregions are distinct from surrounding areas. The resource-rich Salish Sea (or Georgia Basin) is shared between British Columbia and Washington, and the Pacific temperate rain forests, comprising the world's largest temperate rain forest zone, stretch along the coast from Alaska to California. As this vast area has common economic concerns in the primary sector of industry, it is a matter of debate whether the arid rain shadowed areas further east (such as Eastern Washington) should be included. Long united by similar indigenous cultures, Cascadia was once briefly a single political unit: the Oregon Territory - shared by several nations.

The region has since been divided into different political jurisdictions, but Cascadia still retains a sense of self identity. In his book Nine Nations of North America, author Joel Garreau claimed that the Pacific Rim region he called Ecotopia had a different culture from that of what he called The Empty Quarter to the east, and was necessarily different economically as well as ecologically. It must be noted that the concept of "Ecotopia," which is specific in its boundaries, does not identically match that of "Cascadia," which varies in its definition.

The Northwest is home to more than 15 million people, along with diminished but still impressive numbers of salmon, eagles, grizzly bears, killer whales, and wolves. It boasts an economy that generates more than $650 billion worth of goods and services each year, which would place Cascadia in the top 20 economies of the world.

Interesting Information about Cascadia:

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  The idea of Cascadia dates back to when it was united as the Oregon Territories and to Thomas Jefferson, who initially foresaw a great 'Republic of the Pacific' that was to be a trading partner with the United States and carry out their own 'democratic experiment'.
• The 2006 Gross Domestic Product was $618.5 billion, or $40,217 per capita, which would make Cascadia the worlds 18th largest economy, with the 8th highest personal income average internationally.
• States such as Washington receive only 88 cents back for every dollar paid in federal taxes. Aside from world leading technology, business and government innovation, the an independent Pacific Northwest would likely prosper.
• Cascadia would be comprised of 1,384,588 km²  or 534,572 mi² - slightly smaller than the size of Mongolia.
• Seattle alone has an economy a little behind that of Thailand, but larger than Venezuela.
• The bioregion has been termed a 'megaregion' by both the US and Canadian governments - an area in which national boundaries have begun to blur, and interlocking economic systems, cultural traits, shared natural resources and ecosystems, and common transportation systems link population centers together.
• Cascadia has some of the largest stretches of in tact temperate old growth rainforest in the world.