This is my very first attempt at an AU. I’d like to acknowledge llamaman2, thegrumpykestrel, & whitey_nl. Their AUs of the Channel Islands Federation, the Dominion of Westralia, & the Dominion of Newfoundland & Labrador inspired me to take the leap & attempt my first AU. I’m basing it on the former British colony of West Florida. It’s a what-if look at how things might have turned out had Britain retained a portion of its West Florida colony after 1783. But I’m an absolute novice when it comes to drawings, so please bear with me.
The Dominion of West Florida:
West Florida is a dominion of the British Commonwealth, like Canada, New Zealand, or Australia. It lies along the northern Gulf of Mexico, bordering the US states of Alabama, Georgia & Florida. Its eastern border is formed by the Apalachicola & Chattahoochee rivers, with the western border following the Perdido river. The northern border is the latitude line of 31 degrees. West Florida has a total area of just under 23,000 square kilometres, making it similar in size to Belize, with a population of just over 985,000. A large proportion of the population lives along the coast, particularly in Panama City & the capital Pensacola. West Florida lies in the US Central time zone.
History:
Under the 1763 Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years' War, Spain agreed to cede its Florida territories to Britain. France also ceded much of its Louisiana colony east of the Mississippi River to Britain. From this territory, two provinces were established. East Florida, with its capital in St. Augustine & West Florida, with Pensacola as its capital. West Florida was a strip of land along the Gulf Coast, bounded by the Mississippi River & Lake Pontchartrain in the west, by the 31st parallel to the north & the Apalachicola River to the east. New British settlers arrived, including some from the thirteen colonies, with surveyors mapping much of the landscape & coastline. Attempts were also made to develop relations with the indigenous tribes of the region. The first colonial assembly was established in 1764. Ten years later, West Florida was invited to send delegates to the First Continental Congress, but they declined. Once the American Revolutionary War had broken out, the colonists remained overwhelmingly loyal to the Crown. Spain officially entered the American Revolutionary War in May 1779 & by April 1780, the governor of Spanish Louisiana, Bernardo de Gálvez, had captured all British territory west of the Perdido River, including Baton Rouge & Mobile. Despite the Pensacola garrison surviving a long siege, the 1783 Peace of Paris required Britain to cede all Florida territories west of the Perdido River & east of the Apalachicola River back to Spain. In 1813, British West Florida was invaded by American forces, led by future American president Andrew Jackson, during the War of 1812. However, the terms of the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war in 1815, called for all occupied territory to be returned. The pre-war boundaries between Canada, British West Florida & the United States were to be restored. By the middle of the 19th Century, the colonial population was granted self-government, with the first parliament sitting in 1864, 100 years after the first colonial assembly. West Florida remained a colony until acquiring Dominion status in 1907, becoming a self-governing state of the Empire, relatively autonomous from British rule.
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World War One:
As part of the British Empire, forces were contributed from the 1st West Florida Regiment during World War I. In 1915, West Florida joined Australia, New Zealand & Newfoundland, contributing troops to the Gallipoli campaign. Later in the war, the West Florida Regiment served on the Western Front in France & Belgium, adding Somme & Ypres to their Gallipoli battle honours. It was following their gallant World War One service that the regiment received its “Royal” prefix.
World War Two:
Despite its relatively small size, West Florida’s military once again contributed to British Empire forces during World War Two, mainly contributing naval units to serve alongside British & Canadian allies in the Atlantic. On 3rd September 1939, Britain declared war on Germany, automatically committing India & the Crown colonies. But the 1931 Statute of Westminster had granted autonomy to the Dominions. Australia & New Zealand immediately joined the British declaration, with West Florida & Newfoundland both joining the following day on 4th September. In May 1940, West Florida joined Canada in providing troops to assist with the defence of the British Caribbean colonies. Soldiers of the Royal West Florida Regiment served throughout the war in Bermuda, Jamaica, the Bahamas, British Guiana & Trinidad. Beginning in April 1940, a small number of West Florida ships & crews served in the Atlantic & Mediterranean. This continued until the end of hostilities with Germany in May 1945.
Post-War:
In 1949, West Florida was a founding member of NATO & in July 1950, once again saw itself involved in conflict, this time in Korea. The frigate HMWFS Pensacola was deployed to the peninsula until May 1951, performing escort & shore bombardment duties. Elements of both A & C batteries Royal West Florida Artillery also saw service in Korea. After the Korean War, West Florida’s military would not be involved in another conflict for almost 30 years, as they took no part in the Vietnam War. There would, however, be a brief period of high alert in October 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1982, West Florida openly assisted the UK during their recapture of the Falkland Islands. A RWFN vessel took up station as the West Indies Guard Ship for the duration of the conflict, allowing RN resources to be redeployed to the British task force. As a member of NATO, West Florida often hosts allied forces at their naval facilities in Pensacola, & at their main air base near Panama City. The RWFN conducts regular exercises with RN vessels in the Caribbean whilst they are deployed to Atlantic Patrol Tasking North, & West Florida forces have been regular participants in various United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Governance:
West Florida is a constitutional monarchy that uses a parliamentary system of government with Queen Elizabeth II as monarch, represented by the Governor-General. The bicameral parliament consists of a 15-member Senate (the upper house), & a 35-member House of Assembly (the lower house), & by constitutional convention, the House of Assembly is dominant. The Senate reviews legislation from a less partisan standpoint & the Queen or Governor-General provides royal assent to make bills into law. Senators are appointed by the Governor-General for 5-year terms. Seven senators are nominated by the Prime Minister, & three by the Leader of the Opposition. The remaining five are appointed at the Governor-General’s discretion, & from these five, the Senate elects one to serve as the President of the Senate. Members of the House of Assembly are directly elected, also for 5-year terms. At the beginning of each new parliamentary term after a general election, the House elects a Speaker from amongst their own ranks in a secret ballot. The President of the Senate & the Speaker of the House of Assembly cannot be ministers or parliamentary secretaries. Neither takes part in debate or votes, except to break ties. The Speaker is responsible for maintaining order during debate & may punish members who break the rules, & they are expected to conduct the functions of their office in a neutral manner, even though they are generally a member of the governing party. The Speaker & President also perform other functions such as the administration of Parliament House, in Pensacola, with the assistance of a small staff. They are also responsible for the Parliamentary Protective Service, which provides security to Parliament House with the Royal West Florida Constabulary (RWFC).
Foreign Relations / Foreign Policy:
West Florida maintains good relations with all nations within the Anglosphere, especially Canada, Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand & the UK. West Florida is an active member of the Commonwealth, as well as a founding member of the United Nations & NATO. More recently, West Florida has started developing closer relations with Caribbean & Latin American neighbours to its immediate south. The military has also started working more closely with the Alabama National Guard as part of the US State Partnership Program. While visitor visas are not required by anyone travelling to West Florida for short periods, residency & work permits are required for longer stays.
Economy:
West Florida has a market economy with moderate-to-high GDP per capita & low rate of poverty, with the West Florida pound as the nation’s currency. Farming, forestry, & lumber have historically been important industries to the West Florida economy, along with shipbuilding, & commercial fishing. Import/export shipping from Pensacola & Panama City has grown steadily in importance over the years. Following World War II, the economy was boosted by the expansion of the West Florida military & the growth of tourism & the hospitality industry. To help encourage & maintain tourism, West Florida’s Goods & Services Tax (GST) has been kept low & although corporate taxation is payable, it is still significantly lower than other countries in the region, often encouraging businesses to set up operations in West Florida.
Population:
West Florida had a population of approximately 985,000 at its last census in 2015, with an estimated population of just over 1,000,000 by 2020. The majority of West Floridians are of English, Scottish, or Irish descent, with the largest minorities being Hispanic, Caribbean, Indian, Asian & native American. The UK, Canada, the British Caribbean, & other parts of the Commonwealth have long been West Florida’s main source of immigration. The majority of the population lives along the coast, particularly in Pensacola & Panama City. Other population centres include Fairpoint, Crestview, Ocean City, Valparaiso, Santa Rosa, Queensborough, Kingstown, St. Joseph, & Georgetown.
Transportation:
West Florida has a moderate highway system connecting all major cities & linking up with US interstates to Mobile & Montgomery in Alabama, & Tallahassee in Florida. Many parts of the Commonwealth, such as Australia & New Zealand, drive on the left, as they do in the UK. However, West Florida chose to adopt the Canadian system & drive on the right, simplifying road connections with the US highway system. The country also has a modest railroad network, operated by Florida Gulf Railways (FGR) & used mainly for bulk freight haulage. The main passenger service runs from Pensacola, & terminates just over the border in Chattahoochee, Florida. The ports of Pensacola & Panama City are West Florida’s major sea trading hubs, accounting for a combined annual container volume of around 325,000 TEU & around 6 million tonnes of cargo. Pensacola International is the main commercial & personal travel hub for air travel, with Panama City International being the other main air transport hub.
Geography & Climate:
West Florida has land borders with three US states. Its eastern border with Florida & Georgia is formed by the Apalachicola & Chattahoochee rivers, while its western border with Alabama follows the Perdido river. The deep-water port of Pensacola Bay is formed by the joining of Escambia & East bays which are fed by the Escambia & Blackwater rivers, respectively. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, completed in 1949, is a navigable inland waterway, beginning near the town of Georgetown on St. George Sound & traversing West Florida by means of bays, lagoons, sounds, & man-made channels to Perdido Pass at the border with Alabama. There it joins the US portion of the waterway which continues through Alabama, Mississippi & Louisiana, finally terminating near Brownsville, Texas. The waterway provides a channel with a controlling depth of 3.7 m, designed primarily for barge transportation. The barrier islands of Perdido Key, Ono Island & Santa Rosa Island extend from the western border with Alabama to Choctawhatchee Bay. In the east, St. Vincent & St. George Islands form St. Vincent Sound & Apalachicola Bay, & reach to the border with Florida. The prevalent climate of West Florida is humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa), with an average daily temperature of 21.5° Celsius. In the summer, high temperatures seldom exceed 38° Celsius. Winter low temperatures have been recorded between −1 & 4° Celsius, however, these temperatures normally don’t extend more than a few days at a time. Due to its subtropical climate, West Florida rarely receives measurable snowfall. However, on rare occasions, snowfall may occur in the north of the country. Hurricanes pose a threat each year, particularly from August to October. It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without at least some impact by at least a tropical storm, the worst being Hurricane Ivan in 2004 & Hurricane Michael in 2018.
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Hurricane Ivan 2004:
Ivan made landfall along the West Florida coast, causing damage in & around Pensacola, along the shorelines of Escambia Bay, East Bay, Blackwater Bay, & up to 30km inland. Some key roads were not re-opened until 2005, over a year after the storm hit. In Pensacola, Escambia Bay Bridge was heavily damaged, with a section of the bridge collapsing into the bay. Much of the rebuilding was not complete until after 2007, with recovery efforts made more difficult with the storm surge resulting from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Hurricane Michael 2018:
Michael made landfall near Panama City, causing widespread damage. Several thousand buildings were damaged or destroyed, with the areas two main hospitals both suffering significant damage. The resulting storm surge also caused critical damage to the area’s beaches. Georgetown was flooded & isolated for several days due to blocked & damaged roads. Downed transmitter link towers & power outages resulted in the loss of nearly all television & radio stations in & around Panama City, St. Joseph & Georgetown. Significant structural damage also occurred to St. Andrew Air Force Base, with most hangars fully unroofed & battered by the strong winds. The aircraft at the base remained relatively unscathed & were brought to airworthy condition within a few days. The flight line & drone runway were also damaged. Many facilities on base are still operating from tents & temporary buildings until the reconstruction is complete.
West Florida Broadcasting Corporation:
The West Florida Broadcasting Corporation (WFBC) serves as West Florida’s national public broadcaster for both radio & television. Like the ABC in Australia, the WFBC is modelled on the British BBC. It was formed in 1932 as the West Florida Broadcasting Commission to develop a national radio network to help minimise the growing influence of American radio & to broadcast hurricane warnings along the Gulf Coast. Originally, the two stations based in Pensacola & Panama City, only broadcast for three hours a day featuring a mixture of news & other content from the BBC & local sources. Today, the WFBC provides radio, television, online & mobile services throughout metropolitan & regional West Florida. It operates two local radio stations, in Pensacola & Panama City, along with two national networks, in addition to operating three national television channels. Government funding is supplemented by revenue from commercial advertising on its television & radio broadcasts.
Television broadcasting in West Florida:
Television services officially began in 1958 & besides the national broadcaster WFBC, there is one commercial broadcaster in West Florida & both networks offer free-to-air broadcasting in addition to live television or catch up on demand of previously broadcast content via their webpages & apps. Pay television services are also available via Emerald-TV, who commenced operations in the early 1990s. Internet television is provided by several subscription-based streaming on demand service providers such as Netflix, Disney+, Apple-TV+ & Amazon Prime Video. Most West Floridians have access to at least one U.S. based network affiliate of ABC, NBC, CBS, or FOX, either over-the-air, in areas close to the border, or via pay television providers.
Sport in West Florida:
In terms of spectators & active participants, the two most popular sports in West Florida are baseball & soccer, with professional teams for both sports in Pensacola. The Pensacola Pelicans play at the Double A level in the US minor league baseball system, while the Pensacola Hammerheads play in the USL Championship, the second tier of the US soccer league system. Beach volleyball is popular in West Florida, with men’s & women’s teams both competing professionally. Of the major professional US sporting leagues, Major League Baseball & the National Football League are the most popular among West Florida sports fans, in addition to American college sports, with a particularly strong interest in the South Eastern Conference. Rugby league has been popular in West Florida since the 1980s & the Panama City Privateers play in the South Conference of the semi-professional USARL, competing against teams from Florida, Georgia & the north eastern US. Other sports popular at amateur, school & university level include cricket, softball, netball & American football.
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