San Joaquin

San Joaquin symbols
	The Flag of San Joaquin
	The Seal of San Joaquin
Living insignia
Amphibian	Western toad
Bird	Cooper's hawk
Flower	Rose of Sharon
Mammal	Grizzly/black bear
Reptile	Gilbert's skink
Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Big Green Pop
Colors	Green, white, yellow, black
Firearm	Colt Dragoon Revolver
Food	Veal corn soup
Gemstone	Amethyst
Motto	Our traditions will not (never) die
Poem	"Sweet is Homecoming"
Ship	HRHS San Joaquin
Slogan	Walk arm and arm along the River of Styx
Song	"By and By, Arm and Arm Along the Banks of San Joaquin"
Sport	Auto racing
Provincial route marker
	Part of a series on the provinces, states, areas, and territories of Sierra

Province of San Joaquin (en)
San Joaquín (es)
Saint Joachim (fr)
San Joaquin (tn)
圣华金 (zh)
Tỉnh San Gioakim (vn)
샌요아킴 (kr)
サン・ヨアキム州 (ja)
Sankt Joachim (de)
Province of San Joaquin (en); San Joaquín (es); Saint Joachim (fr); San Joaquin (tn); 圣华金 (zh); Tỉnh San Gioakim (vn); 샌요아킴 (kr); サン・ヨアキム州 (ja); Sankt Joachim (de)
	— Province of Sierra —
Flag	Seal
	Nickname(s): ; The Republican Province, The Heartland,; The Heart of the Styxie, The Industry Province
	Motto(s): ; Our traditions will not (never) die (official); Walk arm in arm along the River of Styx (unofficial)
	Provincial song(s): ; "By and By, Arm and Arm; Along the Banks of San Joaquin"
	Map of San Joaquin
Official language(s)	8 languages English* ; Spanish* ; Chinese* ; Tondolese* ; Vietnamese* ; Korean* ; Japanese* ; German* ; *Nationally recognized languages
Demonym	San Joaquinian(s)
Capital; (and largest city)	Bernheim
Area	Ranked 12th
• Total	16,075 sq mi ; (41,634 km2)
Population	Ranked 5th
• Total	2,785,443 (2010)
• Density	173.28/sq mi (66.90/km2); Ranked TBD
Elevation
• Highest point	White Mountain Peak; 14,252 ft (4,334 m)
• Lowest point	sea level
Admission to the Union	November 28, 1858 (3rd)
Lord Superintendent	Gary O'Brien
Governor	Elaine Chao (R)
Lieutenant Governor	Gordon Errinwright (R)
Legislature	San Joaquin Provincial Legislature
• Upper house	Provincial Senate
• Lower house	House of Assembly
K.S. Senators	Nathan Ross (DR); Karen Strong (DR); Josiah Davis (DR)
K.S. House delegation	11 commoners; 8 Democratic-Republicans; 3 Royalists
Time zone	Pacific Time Zone ; UTC –8/UTC –7
Abbreviations	SJ, KS-SJ, Joa.
	Category • Topics ;

San Joaquin, officially the Province of San Joaquin, is a province in the northwestern central region of Sierra. The name of the province derives from the Spanish word for Saint Joachim. San Joaquin is the 12th largest and 5th most populous province of the 23 in Sierra. The capital and largest city of San Joaquin, Bernheim, has a population of 323,227. It is bordered by Tahoe, Reno, and Eureka to the north; Clark to the east; Santa Clara and Central Valley to the south; and San Francisco Bay to the west with maritime borders with San Francisco. San Joaquin was the first of the four provinces to unilaterally secede from the Kingdom of Sierra, and joining the Second California Republic on April 13, 1874, provoking the Sierran Civil War. The province was restored to the Kingdom on November 11, 1877. San Joaquin remains a stronghold for republicanism and is known as the The Republican Province, The Heartland, The Heart of the Styxie, and The Industry Province.

Located within the Styxie, San Joaquin is a province divided into three distinct regions: Western, Central, and Eastern San Joaquin. Western San Joaquin is flat, with much of it lying within the valley of the province's namesake, while central San Joaquin is accentuated by the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and eastern San Joaquin an alternation of hills and valleys in the Great Basin. The province includes one of Northern Sierra's most important water sources: the Hetch Hetchy and the northern part of the internationally renowned Yosemite National Park.

San Joaquin was originally inhabited by many of several native Indian tribes. Although there is extensive history of the indigenous people prior to European settlement in the province, much of it was not recorded. The earliest known inhabitants in the region has been dated as far back as 10,000 years ago. The earliest peoples were hunter-gatherer societies with no experience with metals but nonetheless made elaborate crafts and artifacts. Inter-tribe relations were generally amicable with different peoples interacting and cooperating, rather than engaging in warfare as other tribes had done elsewhere.

Although the Spanish began exploring the area by the early 19th century, there was little development or interest in San Joaquin short of established land grants to wealthy Spaniard soldiers and settlers. When Mexico gained independence from Spain, it continued the Spanish system of the ranchos and divided present-day western San Joaquin into 15 land grants. During California's war for independence, San Joaquin played a major role in the conflict as more than half of California's volunteer militiamen came from the province. Under the California Republic, San Joaquin was administered as a state. San Joaquin was subsequently converted into a province when the Kingdom of Sierra was established in 1858. During the Sierran Civil War, San Joaquin was the first province to secede and was the administrative center of the Second California Republic from 1874 to 1877. After the defeat of the Republicans, San Joaquin was readmitted into the Kingdom and was briefly placed under military leadership. From the Civil War until Great War I, San Joaquin experienced significant economic hardship due to its significant reliance on agriculture. Following Great War II, the economy of San Joaquin shifted heavily towards manufacturing and industrial production, and later diversified to the services sector, although it remains one of the least affluent provinces in the Kingdom. It has seen sporadic periods of unrest, such as The Disturbances during the 1970s and Styxie conflict during the 2010s.

Similar to the rest of the Styxie, San Joaquin is comparatively more ethnically homogeneous than the Kingdom as a whole, with white Sierrans accounting for over 70% of San Joaquinians. Most residents are the direct descendants of immigrants from Brazoria and the former United States, who arrived during various time periods. Most of the population is concentrated in the western portion of the province, with the most developed land and infrastructure surrounding the Bernheim–Oakalona–Plainsfield metropolitan area.

San Joaquin's modern economy is an important component to the national economy. It is home to Bernheim, the Kingdom's principal manufacturing and industrial centers, and is home to a large agricultural sector. Seven of the Kingdom's largest corporations are based in San Joaquin, and the province serves as a crucial link between Northern and Southern Sierra. It leads in many industries, particularly steel, automobiles, electronics, and energy.

Etymology

The name of the province is derived from the valley and river of the same name, which are located in the western half of the province. The name originated from Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga who named one of the river's tributaries while searching for a new site to establish a mission east of Mission San José, after Saint Joachim, the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The name was first officially adopted to describe the province when the State of San Joaquin was created under the California Republic. San Joaquin's flag is the Cross of Saint Joachim, a green cross overlaid across a white background, referencing to the saint. Citizens of San Joaquin are officially known as Joaquinans but are colloquially referred to as Styxers, a term reflecting the province's location within the larger Styxie region.

Although the official pronunciation for San Joaquin is the Spanish form, /ˈsæn wɑːˈkiːn/, locals typically pronounce the name in the Styxer dialect, rendering the name as either /ˈsæn jɔːˈkɪn/ or /ˈhwaɪ jɔːˈkɪn/, with the former more prominent in eastern San Joaquin, and the latter in western San Joaquin, especially in the Bernheim–Oakalona–Plainsfield metropolitan area.

Nicknames

San Joaquin is known by several nicknames, most notably as "The Republican Province" due to its longstanding tradition and association with republicanism. It was the center of the self-declared Second California Republic and was the home province of Isaiah Landon, a prominent republican who played an integral role in the Sierran Civil War. Cultural republicanism remains deeply intertwined with the province's politics, society, and culture, with over 60% of San Joaquin's residents identifying themselves either as cultural republicans or political republicans. The province has historically resisted the Sierran monarchy and has been a strong proponent for provincial rights.

It is also popularly known by the affectionate nickname, "The Heartland". San Joaquin is both geographically and culturally central to the Styxie, a region of Sierra that maintains a distinct culture from the rest of the country. Its capital Bernheim is regarded as the socioeconomic capital of the Styxie. It was the epicenter of the republican rebellion during the Sierran Civil War and continues to maintain a strongly republican identity. It is always included in definitions of the Styxie and is paired with Eastern Santa Clara as the core region of the Styxie. The name "The Heart of the Styxie" is also used to emphasize San Joaquin's prominence and importance to the Styxie region, and has been promoted prominently as a slogan by provincial government officials, agencies, and tourism-related advertising.

Other nicknames for the province include "The Industry Province", "The Old North Province", "The Green Knight", "The Bear Province", and "Sierra's Iron Heart".

Geography

San Joaquin is bordered on the north by Tahoe, Reno, and Eureka; on the east by Clark; the south by Central Valley and Santa Clara; and the west by San Francisco through a narrow portion of the San Francisco Bay as maritime borders.

Most of San Joaquin lies west of the Sierra Nevada in the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which in itself, forms a constituent part of the nationwide Central Valley. The western end of the province, the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (also known as the California Delta) forms the northern terminus of the valley. The Delta allows water flowing inland westward into the Suisan Bay, which eventually makes its way to the San Pablo and San Francisco Bays, and the Pacific Ocean.

Western San Joaquin is generally flat with minimal topographic variation, with the exception of the Southern Coast Ranges (such as the Diablo Range and Berkeley Hills) that primarily orient in a north-south direction along the western boundary of the province in Contra Costa County.

In Central San Joaquin, as one goes further east, the elevation of the province gradually rises from 1,000 feet to an average height of 10,500 feet, passing through the Stanislaus National Forest, the Tuolumne National Forest, and Yosemite National Park. Central San Joaquin is geographically notable for the hundreds of granite domes and waterfalls dispersed throughout the area. The Sierra Nevada range runs through Central San Joaquin from north to south, and forms a part of the Pacific Mountain System. Immediately to the east of the Sierra Nevada is the Basin and Range Province, in which much of eastern San Joaquin is located within. This area, which spans across four other provinces (Clark, Eureka, Reno, and Washumko), and the Deseret, is extremely dry and is partially the result of the Sierra Nevada's rain shadow.

View of Mount Diablo with K.S. Route 24 running through.

The boundary between Central and Eastern San Joaquin is generally defined geographically by the Walker Lane, a geologic trough. This feature is also used to separate the Californian region from the Nevadan region, where the Esmeralda and Mineral Counties lie. Eastern San Joaquin is primarily dominated by short but tall mountain ranges, and arid, dry highlands, and includes the Inyo National Park.

Climate

Western and Central San Joaquin features a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa, with hot, dry summers, and mild, wet winters. The region further inland from the Bay Area has a significantly greater temperature range, similar to that of humid continental places. Central San Joaquin experiences the Tule fog phenomenon, a seasonal occurrence of thick, dangerously-low visibility-inducing fogs that may happen between late October and early April. While most precipitation falls during the winter and early spring, occasional thunderstorms may develop during the summer from southeasterly winds. Snow is extremely rare for much of San Joaquin except areas at an elevation greater than 3,000 feet but frost is a common occurrence during the fall.

The Sierra Nevada is influenced by the Mediterranean climate except at the highest elevations which have an alpine climate. The mountains serve the primary source of water for most of San Joaquin's waterways and rivers, and receive much of its water from the accumulated snowpack that falls during the winter months. During the summer, the Sierra Nevada may experience daytime monsoons. When San Joaquin experiences drought, the Sierra Nevada may receive suboptimal snowfall which impacts San Joaquin's reservoir and aquifer systems.

Eastern San Joaquin ranges from a semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk) to a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb/Dsb), and the easternmost reaches of San Joaquin features one of the driest environments in the Kingdom. These conditions are largely the result of the Sierra Nevada's rain shadow, which prevents moisture from reaching these areas. Little to no precipitation falls in these areas, and temperatures may exceed 100 °F (37.7 °C) during the summer months.

Natural environment, conservation, and attractions

San Joaquin has one of the largest park systems in the Kingdom, which includes parts of the Yosemite National Park and Stanislaus National Forest, as well as the Inyo National Park, the Toiyabe National Park, and the Devils Postpile National Monument.

The San Joaquin Department of Fishing and Wildlife in conjunction with the Royal Parks Service is committed to preserving and protecting the natural ecosystems, and promoting public awareness on environmental issues in San Joaquin. Although San Joaquin contains some of the most sensitive, at-risk natural areas in the Kingdom, the province suffers from heavy pollution, especially in the Bernheim–Oakalona–Plainsfield metro area where industrial and manufacturing plants, as well as traffic are concentrated. In recent years, the San Joaquin Provincial Legislature has passed several laws specifically to combat pollution and improve air and water quality, as well as establishing more natural preserves and parks.

History

Pre-European history

The earliest point in history of human occupation in the province dates about six thousand to ten thousand years ago, although there is indication that human presence of nomadic travelers may have been even earlier than the aforementioned range. The first peoples who settled lived in hunter-gatherer societies who had no knowledge in metals but were invested in producing nonmetal-based tools and artisan crafts.

Trading was common between local tribes and materials such as obsidian was exchanged throughout the province. Unlike most other tribes of North America, the local tribes of San Joaquin were generally peaceful and embraced inter-tribal cooperation. The concept of land ownership was nonexistent in the tribes' culture although other details on the natives' culture are undocumented as the Europeans recorded little when they arrived. The Yokuts were one of the tribes that built their villages atop of low mounds to avoid the valley's historically frequent floods.

19th century

The Spaniards were the first Europeans to explore the region, arriving in 1776. José Joaquín Moraga, a deputy officer under the leadership of Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza, visited the western fringes of San Joaquin in search of establishing a mission. No missions were ever established in San Joaquin but knowledge of the area allowed Spaniard soldiers and civilians to lay claim to land grants set up in the province by the Spanish Crown. In 1821, Mexico gained independence from Spain and inherited the North American region of the former New Spain, including the area of San Joaquin. Although Mexico secularized the Sierran missions, the Spanish system of ranchos were virtually unchanged and the Mexican government continued the practice of selling land grants to prospective buyers. By 1846, 30 land grants were created in San Joaquin.

During the Mexican period, a large number of American and Brazorian settlers moved into San Joaquin, attracted to the area's expansive and fertile lands. Although the majority of the settlers came into San Joaquin illegally, the Mexican government allowed foreigners to settle provided they convert to Roman Catholicism and learn Spanish. These conditions were largely ignored, prompting concern by local Mexican authorities as more and more Anglo-speaking settlers arrived, upsetting Mexican control. By the 1830s, the Mexican government had taken a much more aggressive stance against foreigners, forcibly seizing property from squatters and sending them back east. Many settlers responded by forming militias to resist deportation, and joined sympathetic Californios in fighting what they perceived was an intrusion by the Mexican government on San Joaquin and the rest of Sierra (then called Alta California).

Eventually, tensions between the settlers and the Mexican government derailed when a group of Americans staged a revolt in present-day Sonoma, Plumas, coinciding with the beginning of the Mexican-American War. Thousands of settlers and Californios joined the pro-independence forces who labeled themselves as the Bear Flaggers, and forced the Mexican government to concede in 1848. The California Republic was declared and the local area became the State of San Joaquin, including most of the western parts of the present-day province. The Gold Rush in 1849 brought thousands more immigrants into the country, and many settled in San Joaquin to take advantage of the region's fertile soil and favorable weather conditions. The majority of settlers hailed from the Southern United States who brought along with them, slaves, a source of much controversy. Although California banned the sale and trade of slaves, no law prohibited the actual ownership or introduction of already owned slaves, allowing masters to keep and force their slaves to work in San Joaquin. Slavery was eventually outlawed with masters financially compensated in 1856 and then explicitly prohibited under the Constitution of 1858 used for the new kingdom.

Very quickly, as a result of cheap, sometimes even free land provided for by the government, a developed irrigation system, and reliably sustainable water sources, agriculture became San Joaquin's chief and primary industry, although most families lived as subsistence farmers, few, mostly those with slaves, became wealthy. Among the chief crops of the early San Joaquin were grapes, almonds, apples, broccoli, and avocados. Rice was later another popular crop, introduced by Chinese and Japanese immigrants who settled further inland.

Regional divide became evident by the end of the 1850s with inland provinces such as San Joaquin being primarily rural and agricultural-based, while the coastal provinces more urbanized and manufactured-based. In 1857, in order to address the seeming ineffectiveness and incompetence of the Californian government, the Constitutional Convention was called in to make adjustments to the Californian constitution. San Joaquin sent 6 delegates to the convention, all who joined the convention's republican faction, in opposition to the monarchists. Within a year, the convention agreed to create a semi-parliamentary system with a constitutional, hereditary monarchy, formally creating the Kingdom of Sierra under the 1858 Constitution. San Joaquin was reorganized as the Province of San Joaquin and the new King appointed Edwin DuMont as San Joaquin's first Lord Superintendent.

Relatively quickly, farmers and working class laborers in San Joaquin ran into difficulties under the Kingdom. With the Sierran government overwhelmingly controlled by the Royalists in both the Prime Ministry and the Parliament, as well as the San Joaquin government led by mostly Royalists, the Democratic-Republican farmers' interests were largely ignored. The creation of aristocratic titles that established Sierran peerage was also selective, the highly coveted conference of nobility granted by the Lord Superintendent to political allies and wealthy owners, discouraging those with large estates and markets to express Democratic-Republican sentiments. Within San Joaquin, a clear divide developed between the wealthy aristocracy which favored the Royalists, and the majority of working class and poor workers who were Democratic-Republican. The majority of Royalists in San Joaquin lived in the western region, closer to the Bay Area, near the capital in San Francisco City, and thus wielded immense power and influence. The San Joaquians relied on imported foreign goods for the majority of their farm equipment, supplies, and home essentials, usually exporting their agricultural products to the Sierran cities or eastward into other reaches of Anglo-America.

In the antebellum years leading up to the Sierran Civil War of the 1870s, the Styxie was significantly behind economically and politically in comparison to the Pacific coastal provinces. Unsatisfied with the Royalist premiership of Bachelor, Sr. and Trist, the Styxie was swept by various political movements that resisted the urban establishment. Republicanism and socialism were well-received in the Styxie, and championed by local leaders including Ulysses Perry, the future Prime Minister of Sierra, and his friend, Isaiah Landon, a political writer and theorist who would later be elected as one of San Joaquin's first Democratic-Republican senators. Following Perry's death and the mysterious circumstances, republicans in San Joaquin and the Styxie rioted and eventually rose up in the Bernheim Revolt on April 13th, 1874 where Landon and the republicans proclaimed the establishment of the Second California Republic and waged war on the kingdom. Throughout the war, San Joaquin was the heartland of the republic and the site of the war's bloodiest battles by the final stages such as the infamous Bernheim Campaign during the early months of 1877. After the war, the province was annexed back into the kingdom and placed under a military occupation during the reconstruction period.

20th century

21st century

Demographics

Culture

San Joaquin has a unique blend of Southern American, Brazorian, and Sierran culture, with a great degree of variance from one region of the province to another. The prevalent culture in San Joaquin is endemic in the provinces of the Styxie, and is one of the most distinct and unique subcultures in Sierra, and is a source of pride among natives. Styxie culture has been shaped by the province's strong history tied to agrarianism (and later industry), republicanism, social conservatism, and white nationalism.

Cuisine

Republicanism

Republicanism maintains a strong presence in the Styxie and in Sierra as a whole and is documented as being a stronghold for republican sentiment. Due to the province being the capital and center of the Second California Republic during the civil war, republicanism retains its influence in the province on both a cultural level and a political one. Cultural republicanism prevails in the Styxie and its common customs and traditions are practiced and upheld constantly even into the contemporary era. While not as prominent, support for political republicanism, the abolition of the country's monarchy and transition into a republican government, is also strong with many supporting the monarchy's abolition. Landonism is commonly taught in college political classes and has seen a resurgence in recent years and has also been a hotspot for the rising dissident republican movement. The strong republican presence in San Joaquin has been described as a double-edged sword for the Democratic-Republican Party as left-wing party members and factions have received support from the province while moderate and centrist members have recovered anger and backlash in the form of abstained voters, especially since abstaining voters, commonly called ballot boycotts, have been carried out as a protest to the Dem-Rep party leadership.

Religion

Similar to the Pacific Northwest provinces, San Joaquin is comparatively less religious than the rest of the Kingdom although unlike the Pacific Northwest, San Joaquinians are still generally Christian theists, functioning closer to cultural Christians than the atheistic irreligion commonly found in the Pacific Northwest, especially the Bay Area. Church attendance remains relatively high, similar to national levels, but is viewed more as a social tradition rather than an outright, conscious religious observation. Local churches are primarily being decentralized and locally tied to a single community, rather than forming a part of an established denomination. Like much of Sierra, Protestantism remains the dominant form of Christianity practiced, with Catholicism traditionally viewed with significant opposition and historically attacked by the Protestant majority. Sectarian conflict between Protestants and Catholics generally stemmed out of identity politics rather than over religious orthodoxy.

Languages

Song

San Joaquin is considered the Welsh equivalent in North America when it comes to choral song. During the Sierran Civil War, many American folk songs were adopted, modified and used for troop moral. San Joaquin folk music shares many similarities of the Confederate States and of Appalachia, a connection to the past and respect for tradition. Male choirs, which sing in a deeper brass tone than that of the Pacific style male a capella is distinctive among Sierrans. Because of the connection with the war, the national government prohibited en masse singing, on grounds of treason, within San Joaquin in the 1880's.

When the Democratic-Republican Party returned to power in the early 1900's the practice was reintroduced, with children being taught in elementary school the revolutionary songs that kept Isaiah Landon and his men in spirit. It became tradition that after the playing of the national anthem, For the Love of Our Union the crowd will return by singing Hard Times Come Again No More in memory of those lost to the war and the impression the conflict inflicted on the region. In 2014, when several Styxie men began singing in the House of Commons of Sierra, the preceding chair called the chamber to order after several members felt 'intimidated' by the singing. During the summer, the San Joaquin Choir Festival is held in Bernheim where the worlds largest choir ensemble is held.

Bernheim is also home to a strong hip hop scene, which rivals that of Porciúncula and San Francisco. Stemming from opposition to police brutality, the conservative nature of the province, songs originating from San Joaquin are typically packed with lyrical complexity rather than catchy hooks. Among the most famous rappers from San Joaquin is Kitkat, who is most well known for his 2007 single known as Green Card, a play on how the San Joaquin Driver's license is the most typically forged identification card, but Kitkat assures listeners that native born Styxers can find the fakes.

Economy

Taxation

San Joaquin's personal income tax is based on a federally adjusted income, and is modified by specific provincial laws. San Joaquin was among the first states to implement the progressive tax in 1929, and since then has developed into six income brackets which range from 4.0 percent to 7.5 percent. Provincial consumption is taxed through a sales tax of around 4 percent, along with the sales taxes the province levies a alcohol tax and a tax on tobacco, which respectfully drawn in large quantities of revenue that provide for San Joaquin's education system.

Transportation and infrastructure

Freeways

Major highways

Rail

Airports

Water

Government and law

San Joaquin is a parliamentary system government with three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial, and operates under the Provincial Constitution. Like all of the 22 other provinces, San Joaquin has supreme jurisdiction and authority over all matters and affairs within its borders, except where limited by the Constitution of Sierra and the Charter for the Kingdom of Sierra. In 1865, several academics and scholars at the newly founded San Joaquin Academy of Science and Theology constructed the first provincial constitution for San Joaquin, the Charter of San Joaquin, which was supported by Ulysses Perry. It provided universal suffrage, guaranteed protection against the formation of a state church and provided that the provincial government work at the expense of the common man. Its incredibly progressive foundations were a hallmark of the early principles of the Democratic-Republican Party. With the death of Ulysses Perry and the onset of the Civil War, the populace became incredibly hostile to the principles seen as "coastal" which included racial integration and universal suffrage and rejected nearly every one of the progressive stances in the Constitution of San Joaquin which was created in 1877 after the readmission of the province.

As a province under the Westminster system, the governor is elected from the San Joaquinian legislature's lower house, the San Joaquin House of Assembly, and is usually a peer within said house. Other provincial-wide offices are also elected in this manner, with elections held depending on confidence and supply in the House. Its delegation to the Senate of Sierra is composed of three members, which uniquely to San Joaquin all are elected by the people. According to the Constitution of Sierra, governors were given the privilege to appoint one of the Senators (known as a commissioned senator), but since 1956, the Governor of San Joaquin has relinquished this power to the people under the 15th Amendment to the provincial constitution. Because of San Joaquin's resilience against the monarch, the special powers provided by the Constitution, along with the Styxie region have delivered a large portion of cases to the Supreme Court of Sierra.

Bernheim, the capital of San Joaquin, serves as the center for most San Joaquinian government offices and institutions including the San Joaquin Provincial Legislature and the San Joaquin Supreme Court.

Executive branch

The Crown is represented in San Joaquin by the Lord Superintendent Gary O'Brien, who is the head of state of San Joaquin. The head of government is the popularly elected governor, who is currently Allison Perry (DR), who was first elected as governor in 2007. The six other elected executive positions are the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, comptroller, and education superintendent. All of these executive offices are elected by members of the San Joaquin House of Assembly. In addition to these offices, there are a number of executive positions appointed by the Governor with the approval of the San Joaquin Provincial Legislature, among these include the land commissioner, insurance commissioner, and the chairperson of the University of San Joaquin Board of Regents. Like the other Styxie provinces, an amendment to the provincial legislature nullifies the federal constitutional privilege of governors to appoint a single commissioned senator to Parliament. Consequently, all three of San Joaquin's senators in Parliament are popularly elected, bypassing executive interference.

Legislative branch

The San Joaquin Provincial Legislature is the province's main legislative body and is a bicameral legislature with two houses, the Senate and House of Assembly. In accordance with the most recent amendment to the provincial constitution in February 13 2004, the Provincial Senate has fifty seats and the House of Assembly has 110. San Joaquin's legislative districts are drawn and varies on what chamber with the province having 50 Senate districts and 110 Assembly districts. The Senate is led by the President and the House of Assembly is led by the Speaker and both positions are held by officials that belong to the largest parties within the legislative bodies. The Provincial Opposition is led by an Assembly member from the largest party not in the provincial government and is supported by the House Minority Leader. The San Joaquin Provincial Legislature has been called the most controversial provincial legislature in Sierra due to the high levels of polarization and partisanship and issues relating to extensive usage of gerrymandering. The governor and members of their government are usually members of the House of Assembly.

Judicial branch

Law

Military

The Sierran Crown Armed Forces have several facilities in the province. The San Joaquin Provincial Guard forms the San Joaquin Military Department, at the command of the Governor of San Joaquin, and consists of the Army and Air Provincial Guard. It is one of the largest provincial guards in the kingdom, with 14,875 personnel.

Politics

The political climate within the province is also coupled with the culture of Styxie, which has show to be favorable to the Democratic-Republican Party of Sierra. It was originally a progressive region within the country that viewed the coastal region's socially conservative culture was ultimately promoted by the monarchy. In the aftermath of the Civil War and the Cultural Revolution that swept the San Francisco Bay provoked a widespread backlash against liberal attitudes. In 1920, the political machine of Bernheim grew to a dominant position that created a similar complex like that of Chicago in the pre-revolution United Commonwealth.

San Joaquin has been considered a political anomaly within Sierra, and has continuously supported the Democratic-Republican Party, even when it has come to odds that the party does not represent the ideology of the people the province. In 1953, Henry Faulkner was able to reconsolidate the party's power within the province with promising expansion of government spending in the Central Valley in his effort to combat poverty. Coupled with the next 24 years of Royalist rule between 1961 and 1982, the populace became more dependent upon the provincial government to continue Faulkner's programs and the region began to return to isolation in relation to the rest of the country

In 1992, San Joaquin was dissatisfied with Kirk Siskind's religiosity and his attitude towards the Persian Gulf War. His unpopularity, coupled with scandal lead to many in San Joaquin to begin abstaining from voting in the national elections. In 2000 for the first time in the province's history voted for a Royalist candidate for Prime Minister, Matthew Braggs. In the early 2000's the Royalists began to focus in the region and assert their leads with the conservative populace, and because of an aging leadership within the Democratic-Republican Party at both the state and national level, the Royalist took control of the states legislature for the first time. Many academics concluded that a realigning election had occurred and the region would eventually fall to the hands of the Royalists.

During the 2016 special senatorial elections, Royalist candidate Nemesis Heartwell won the election by a margin of nearly 5% against former Democratic-Republican chairwoman Am Nguyen. Nguyen was incredibly unpopular among the Styxie community, most notably for her outsider status and incredible display of religiosity. Carson Davis, along with Governor Perry supported Nguyen in her campaign against the estate mogul and anti-Republican, Heartwell. Alison Perry along with the provincial legislature had successful altered the qualifications for running for election and denied Daniel McComb the ability to run simultaneously as Senator and Prime Minister. Followed with the assassination of Steven Hong and the attacks on Mayor Davis and Governor Perry, the states political instability reached a boiling point. With Nguyen's loss of two of the most influential figures in the state, an angered Republican base abstaining from voting, the election effectively fell in favor for Heartwell.

v t e Province of San Joaquin
Bernheim (capital)
Topics	Culture · Economy · Education · Geography · Government (Legislature) · Language · Politics · Transportation · Tourism
Regions	California Delta · Eastern San Joaquin · Haywood Fault Zone · San Joaquin Valley · Sierra Nevada · Yosemite National Park
Counties	Contra Costa · Esmeralda · Marshall · Mineral · Mono · Plainsfield · Perry
Most populous cities	Antioch · Bernheim · Brentwood · Clayton · Concord · Danville · El Cerrito · Escalon · Hercules · Lafeyette · Lathrop · Lodi · Manteca · Martinez · Moraga · Oakalona · Oakley · Orinda · Pinole · Pittsburg · Plainsfield · Pleasant Hills · Richmond · Ripon · San Pablo · San Ramon · Tracy · Walnut Creek

v t e Political divisions of Federal Sierra
Part of the Kingdom of Sierra Constituent countries: Bajaría · Deseret · Hawaii · Sierra
Provinces	Apache · Central Valley · Channel Islands · Clark · Cornerstone · Eureka · Flagstaff · Gold Coast · Imperial · Inland Empire · Kings · Laguna · Maricopa · Mohave · Orange · Plumas · Reno · San Francisco · San Joaquin · Santa Clara · Shasta · Sonora · Tahoe · Washumko
Territories	Bénieîle · Gilbert and Ellice Islands · Isles of Pines · Pacific Crown Islands · Rapa Nui · Saint Andrews, Providence, and the Corn Islands · Sierran Samoa · West Colorado · West New Mexico
PAZ and special territories	Camp Maiden · Sierran Antarctic Territory
Capital	Porciúncula
Former territories	Alaska · Guam · Ryukyu · Sierran East Indies · Palawan and Cuyo · Nicaragua Canal Zone · Ussuria
Map