

The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.



The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states.

So, some of you have been asking for an explanation of what I mean by "bioregionalism". And so I wish to dedicate this thread to address such a topic.Bioregionalism, as a name, is a fairly recent concept, and one that often directly opposes the establishment. It is more often used in the context of very large countries, such as Canada. It proposes the redistribution of sovereign power into countries whose boundaries are defined by the bioregion they are based in.Let us take Canada as an example.Canada is roughly the size of the whole of Europe. Yet, until now, only one city, Ottawa, is responsible for leading all of that area. This causes massive conflicts, as a single point has much difficulty to accommodate for all the resources distribution, the cultural movements, and the variety of different communities spread across the area. Bioregionalism proposes that this area be restructured in smaller countries, defined by their bioregions. These countries have the advantage of being more aware of their local environmental resources, local traditions, and local people's needs. Having their own sovereignty eliminates delays in dealing with pressing issues, allowing them to serve their people without having to wait for the approval of another power.With the recent Canadian election results, in which the Canadian government was elected with only 34% of support, bioregionalism has become an increasingly promising alternative to the old, Canadian constitutional monarchy. As such, Cascadia has become a well-rooted independence movement on the West coast of Canada. Cascadia is the region characterised by the Rocky mountain range, with its rather nice weather. Alberta and Saskatchewan are currently engaged in Wexit, and are forming a separatist movement. That region is mostly flatland, and is known for its production of fuel. Ontario will most likely remain the "loyal" territory of Canada, as the constitutional monarchy is based in its city Ottawa. Alaurentia is seeking to reform the Quebec and Labrador peninsula into its own sovereign country. That peninsula is characterised by its harsh climate, glaciation mountains, and by its own distinct languages and traditions.It is interesting to note that both Wexit Alberta and Alaurentia have actually already issued their own respective Constitutions. This is significant, because what I wish to address next is the legitimacy of bioregionalist movements.So, what makes a country... a country? Almost a century ago, nations on the continent of America asked the same question. And so, to define what a "sovereign country" actually is, the Montevideo Convention was created.The Montevideo Convention explains that modern nations may claim sovereignty, in accordance with the Declarative Statehood theory. And so, to be legally considered a sovereign State, a nation must fulfill four criterions:A government is usually defined, in our modern days, by a Constitution.Additionally, and this is important:As it has already been demonstrated above, several of the new, regional nations above already fulfill the requirements to be considered sovereign countries, offering new venues to directly oppose the potential oppression and loss of freedoms caused by the established systems.By considering the Montevideo Convention, bioregionalism might actually become the next face of very large continents. In fact it could be argued that it would be more logical of an outcome - a single city cannot be expected to satisfy the needs of areas as large as Europe. Breakdown into smaller sovereign units is logically a better method to deal with regional requirements. Those new nations need not to be at odd with one another - quite the contrary, those new nations will probably form a friendship with one another, and a mutual trade system.It is worth pointing out that though the name, "bioregionalism", is rather recent, the actual concept is very ancient. In fact, the boundaries of ancient countries were usually defined by regional features. The idea of drawing straight lines on a map, regardless of local geological features, across thousands of miles is a fairly modern approach to politics, often associated with the greed of governments sitting in places far away from the areas of interest.Therefore, the solution to defeat large dubious systems with dubious policies, is to simply return to the most ancient yet successful political system - break down the power down into sovereign, self-declared bioregions.