Challenge:Californian Superpower

Is there any way california could be one of the most powerful nations in the world?

Not Really, it could be a significant power (being the 8th largest Economy in the world gets you places), but a Superpower? The Answer is no. People tend to underestimate the meaning of the word "Superpower".
 
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It already would be if the federal government didn't keep us down. JK, but seriously if independent California would be a regional power at the very least and could very well be a key player in Latin America and the Pacific.
 
Yes, if it gets all of Las Californias, which is all of the US west of the Rio Grande and south of Oregon. And then annexes Alaska and a bunch Pacific islands. It could do reasonably well spending all that gold on local improvements. The real problem is finding a reason why the US wouldn't gobble it up.
 
Yes, if it gets all of Las Californias, which is all of the US west of the Rio Grande and south of Oregon. And then annexes Alaska and a bunch Pacific islands. It could do reasonably well spending all that gold on local improvements. The real problem is finding a reason why the US wouldn't gobble it up.

Pretty much. An independent California (as we know it) will always be overshadowed by the US (as we know it). To get a California that's more than just another Canada, you'd have to both drastically increase California's influence, and drastically reduce America's influence. The problem is, to reduce America's influence, you'd need to Balkanize it. And to increase California's influence, you'd probably end up with some sort of Aztlan type thing... California, Texas, and everything in between. And at that point, is it still really California?
 
Well it already is the 8th largest economy in OTL. That is pretty good.

9th actually nowadays and when you consider the 10th and 11th largest are Russia and Spain (and the closest in population) - hardly a world bestriding superpower. Plus a massive fraction of Californias wealth and power is being Americas doorway to the pacific, if its independent that growth will go elsewhere.
 
Bigger California

If California not the UK got Oregon and Washington. It could include Nevada or more of the west. An alience with China or Japan? Some of northern Mexico ?
 
Need to define California, nu? Do we mean PODs only after the place became known as California? Do we mean an English-speaking state? Or can it be Spanish-speaking? Or Japanese? Or Chinese? What sort of geographic limits can we set to it? As Solomaxwell says, if it's everything west of the Continental Divide and North of OTL Mexico, can you really call it California anymore?

Bruce
 
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