| abstract
| - The history of Sierra spans a period of more than three millenia. The first human inhabitants in Sierra arrived some 13,000-15,000 years ago and for millenia, various tribes, peoples, and civilizations emerged and disappeared across the region. By the time the first Europeans arrived to Sierra, there were more than 70 Native American tribes living near the Pacific Southwest, Great Basin, and the Sonoran Desert. Beginning in the 16th century, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Russian expeditions explored, and later settled the Sierran coast with the establishment of colonial towns and interaction with the indigenous populations. An extensive system of Catholic missions were established under Spanish rule, and the population of Sierra grew as Europeans immigrated to the region with the promise of cheap land and supplies. In 1812, the Viceroyalty of New Spain dissolved following the victory and independence of the Mexican Empire. Under Mexican rule, Sierra continued to grow and develop under the Mexican rancho system. However, the increased influx of American, Brazorian, and British settlers in Sierra and their resistance to assimilate, coupled with the grievances of the established French and Dutch minorities led to high tensions. In 1846, the Mexican-American War broke out and Sierra's non-Mexican foreigners, backed by the Spanish-speaking Californios rebelled against Mexico and formed the California Republic. Following Mexico's defeat, the Republic gained independence before a decade of instability and corruption forced the draft of a new constitution. In 1858, following the promulgation of an agreed-upon constitution, the Kingdom of Sierra was formed as a federal constitutional monarchy with 22 provinces. The new kingdom struggled to maintain its independence as international interests sought to control Sierra. Rapid industrialization and political reforms helped modernize the nation, and imperialist endeavors helped form national identity. The Kingdom's participation in the War of Contingency established Sierra as a strong, independent nation, worthy of acknowledgement and legitimacy within Anglo America. The Kingdom faced an existential crisis during the Sierran Civil War in the late 1870s when republican forces in the Styxie revolted against the Sierran monarchy and formed the Second California Republic. The Civil War lasted four years, costing nearly 30,000 lives before the Republic ultimately failed, and the Kingdom prevailed. Following the war, Sierra's continued industrialization and immigration from Asia led to various labor and nativist movements. Around the turn of the century, Sierra experienced a profound social and political revolution during the Progressive Era and the Sierran Cultural Revolution, a time period that defined Sierran culture as it is known today. The civil rights of ethnic and religious minorities were greatly expanded and the conciliation between Western and Eastern culture became part of Sierran society. Initially during World War I, Sierra maintained a policy of neutrality and profited off by providing supplies to the Allied forces, but it alongside other nations in Anglo America eventually joined, defeating the Central Powers. When the Great Depression hit, the Sierran economy suffered but recuperated into World War II when the demand for production increased once more, and sweeping welfare reforms eased the Kingdom's economic woes. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in the Sierran territory of Hawaii, Sierra entered the war with the Allies, and saw increased cooperation with its Anglo-American neighbors and the Europeans. After the war, the Sierran government suffered a significant drop in public trust due to Sierra's involvement with the secretly guarded Manhattan Project, fallout that would come to be known as the Great Basin controversy. In 1950, the Kingdom passed the Charter, which promoted the political statuses of former Sierran territories: the Deseret and Hawaii as fellow constituent countries with Sierra. During the Cold War, Sierra shifted away from its traditional semi-isolationism, and moved towards a pan-American foreign policy, eventually joining the Conference of American States in 1965. Sierra accepted thousands of refugees from countries affected by the Cold War proxy wars including those from South Vietnam and Korea, and sent troops to fight in these wars as well. In the 1970s and 80s, Sierra experienced a shift in cultural and social attitudes on issues regarding abortion, homosexuality, and feminism. Following the end of the Cold War, Sierra reaffirmed its relationship with the Anglo-American states, becoming markedly more interventionist in global affairs. Maturing economically and politically, Sierra emerged into the 21st century as the 5th largest economy in the world, and a regional power. However, Sierra faced new challenges of terrorism, economic crisis, inequality, resurgent republicanism, and climate change. In the 2010s, disputes between Sierra and its neighbor, Mexico escalated, reflecting a new period of a tense political climate in the region. In June 2015, King Smith II abdicated the throne in favor of his daughter, Angelina II. The young queen's infant reign was mired with a new wave of republican sentiments, fueled by the regency of her great-uncle, The Prince Elder George, and then the assassination of Prime Minister Steven Hong whose death triggered a breakdown in political and racial relations in the Styxie and other regions. The Kingdom of Sierra currently consists of three constituent countries, eight territories, and two crown dependencies and is governed as a semi-presidential democracy with a constitutional monarchy with Angelina II as its head of state.
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