States of the United States of Quentin

Quentinian States
Category	Federated States
Location	United States of Quentin
Number	10
Populations	Largest: Chip Area, 255 million Smallest: Kahoot Area, 9 million
Areas	Largest: Desert Area, 3,938,997km2 Smallest: Kahoot Area, 126,214km2
Governments	State Governments
Further Subdivisions	State Districts

See also: Territories of the United States of Quentin

States of the United States of Quentin are constituent political entities which exist inside of the United States of Quentin, of which there are currently 10. Bound together in political union under the United States of Quentin Constitution, the states each hold governmental jurisdiction over their territories, and there is a sense of shared sovereignty between the states and the federal government, as citizens are citizens of both the USQ and the state in which they reside. State citizenship is flexible, and all states operate under the same federal law, including the fact that all citizens are free to travel anywhere in the nation.

These states are further divided into state districts, which are further subdivisions which make laws, although they operate with much less sovereignty than do states. Each state government operates with directions from its own state constitution, and although each government operates differently, all are grounded in republican principles of balance of power and are based off the model of the federal government.

States are differentiated from Quentinian territories by the fact that all states can devise their own state laws in addition to federal laws, each state has representatives in the House of Bureaucrats, Quentinian House of Representatives, and Presidential Electoral Committee, and has sovereignty, which the territories do not. Unlike other existing federations, the state concept of the USQ is dominated by the idea that the federal government is ultimately supreme, that states only exist for organizational and diversity reasons, and that states only exist as part of the federal government, meaning the federal government can dissolve any at any time, or create any at any time at its discretion. The Department of State, an executive federal department, was created for the sole purpose of enforcing the federal government's superiority over states, and for resolving issues between states.

States generally take care of such matters as education, public health, law enforcement, and transportation, and while the federal government operates programs on all of these subjects, they are on a much broader scale. The number of states has grown from the original four in 1834 to 10, with the last state, Long Beach Island, admitted in 1895. Debate has grown in the USQ over whether the territories of Berlinsavis and/or the Kade Islands should become states, to the point where it has become a major political issue in the country today.

States of the United States of Quentin

Below is a list of the 10 current states of the United States of Quentin, in alphabetical order, with their state flag and dates admitted as states.

State	Date Admitted to Nation	State Flag
Chip Area	1872
Desert Area	January 2nd, 1834
Grassland Area	January 1st, 1834
Kahoot Area	1865
Kumar Area	1883
Long Beach Island	1895
Maxx Area	January 7th, 1834
Multi-Logan State	1867
Snowland	January 1st, 1834
Tantallegara	1845

Possibilities of New States

Main article: Political Issues in the United States of Quentin § Addition of New States

There has been increased discussion about the possibility of new states joining the USQ, especially in the territories of Berlinsavis and/or the Kade Islands, so much so that it has become a major political issue in the nation.

Berlinsavis

Berlinsavis is currently a territory in the USQ, and is the second-most populated territory. The territory has high strategic and economic value to the nation, however, as its proximity to the Zwakazi continent and the Nista Federation of States and its economic output is the highest by far. In the Berlinsavis Statehood Referendum of 2009, the territory voted 65% to remain as a territory, and in the 2015 referendum, the territory voted by 67% to remain a territory, with about 50% voter turnout in each. The upcoming 2021 referendum is expected to decide the outcome of the vote, and turnout is expected to be much higher than the two previous. Main opposition to the statehood has been people of Zwakanav ethnicity, as many see belonging to the USQ as an extension of imperialism and not compatible with their identity. Proponents believe statehood would bring much needed education, infrastructure, healthcare, and democracy to the territory, which is ranked among the most corrupt subdivisions in the USQ.

Kade Islands

The Kade Islands is currently a territory as well, and has the most people out of any territory in the nation. It has low economic value, but high strategic and government value, as the nation has numerous military bases and government infrastructure there. The referendums of 2002, 2008, and 2014 all turned positive results, with an average 68% voter turnout and an average 84% in favor of statehood. The upcoming 2020 referendum is expected to be the deciding factor, as the Kad'dgen Territorial Assembly voted to pass the 2020 Kade Islands Statehood Bill if the referendum turned up in favor of statehood. The bill would formally petition the nation's federal government to become a state.

The Kade Islands have the highest percentage of Quentinian-descended citizens of all the territories in the USQ, meaning natives of the island and descendants of immigrants from other nations are low. The territorial government there has made numerous concessions on military and government installations to the federal government in the past, and the territory's anthem is Liberty in the Noise. Opponents of statehood say that it would threaten the culture of the island, and would threaten the island's policies of natural preservation.

State Name Origins

See also: List of Quentinian State Name Origins

The 10 states of the United States of Quentin have their own names, which were chosen by either a referendum, by the state's government, or by the federal government upon the date of admission to the nation as states. In many cases, the names of states are also the names of the territories which preceded these states, such as the Grassland Territory and the Grassland Area, however that is not always the case. Below is a list of the state name origins of all 10 states:

• Chip Area: From the name of Chip Rodriguez, Secretary of State, who created the Chip Area.

• Desert Area: Received its name from explorers of the Megatridimensional Order who founded the nation, called it desert because of the yellow and red coloring of the tundra, especially that around Desert Rim.

• Grassland Area: Received its name from Megatridimensional explorers, it was named that for its grassy landscape, although the name is not completely accurate, as the GA is extremely hilly.

• Kahoot Area: Received its name from state lawmakers and its government. Kahoot is the Farmine term for the English word cahoots, meaning in partnership with. The term originated because the KA was a part of the Fayet Territory along with Tantallegara.

• Kumar Area: Received its name from one of the first and most powerful families in the state, the Kumar Family, who decided upon the name themselves.

• Long Beach Island: Received its name from the long beaches which it has on its shores, and the fact that it's an island. Named by the federal government.

• Maxx Area: Named by Megatridimensional explorers, who believed the area had the most, or maximum, potential for economic development. Over time the extra letter "x" was added.

• Multi-Logan State: Named by the federal government, it was named for the Logan Dynasty, a powerful group of families which governed the state when it was a territory, as well as 1st President Sam Logan, hence "multi".

• Snowland: Named by Megatridimensional explorers for the frequent snowfall that occurs there.

• Tantallegara: Named by a referendum among the populous, Tantallegara comes from the Pexsakxj language, meaning "to dance maliciously." The word is part of an old Punctinaturalland saying, the nation to which the state used to belong.