Free Lakeland Republic (1962: The Apocalypse)

History
The Lakeland Republic is a confederation of towns and villages around the Lake of the Woods, Part of Roseau County, Lake of the Woods County, Rainy River District, part of Koochiching County and far southern Kenora District, situsated in former Ontario, Minnesota and Manitoba.

Doomsday
Now were in the nation was targeted or hit. There would mostly be a problem with the radioactive fall-out from other regions of North America that would cause much trouble. Jay Ward decided to hid out on his private island rather than returning to Hollywood, which he rightly believed would be nuked or at least heavily irradiated!

After Doomsday
Jay Ward rallied the people of the Lake of the Woods islands and coastline, setting up the Free Lakeland Republic on the 3rd of May, 1965. Many would suffer and some would die during the serever weather events of 1962-65.

First Contact
First contact was made with east Wisconsin and Chicago in 1967, Canada, the United Republic of Iowa and Great Plains in 1968, and the  Socialist Republic of the North Star and Kingdom of Michigan in 1968.

1969-1979
The pirates on Lake Huron's Manitoulin Island first entered the nation on the 1st of May 1977. The Lakelanders were defeated after the small, but vicious battles of Dryden and Kenora.

1980-2000
The pirates on Lake Huron's Manitoulin Island were defeated after a heavy fight with Canadia and Michigandr troops in mid 1987. Essex, Algoma, Rainy River, central Kenora, and Lambton in Ontario were taken and held until order was restored. The Lakeland Republic was re-established as a Canadian client state in the June of 1989.

Military
The armed forces abandoned the use of bows and swords in favour of rifles and pistols in 2004. The army is a volunteer force of 45 and a conscript force of 55.

Transport
Horses are still popular in the nation, despite the recent, but short lived, outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Small yachts and rowing boats are used for traveling on the nation's major lakes and rivers.

Waterworks and food sources
Untreated water is drawn from local springs, wells, lake and rivers.

Economy
Subsistance farming, subsistance fishing, logging, forestry and some domestic ferniture production.

Government
The first elections occurred in 1977 and the mayor is elected for 6 years. The nation is known for it's strongly pro-democracy attitudes.

Media
The North Star, Michigan and Canadian national newspapers have been in circulation since 2007. Posters are nailed up as and when necessary by the local authorities.

Healthcare
Thyroid and skin cancers are no longer major issues, and are markedly less than they were before 1968.

Sports
The #1 sport in Lakeland is Baseball

The death penalty
Murderers, sex predators, rapists, child molesters, traitors and enemy spies are executed with the hangman’s rope. A moratorium on hanging has been in place since 1997. Inmates are now jailed in Canadian prisons.