Republic comprised of 14 full or partial former United States of American States including:   Alaska, Hawaii, southern Washington State, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, central and west Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho (minus the northern half of the panhandle), south and west Texas as well as the south western fifth of Montana and the southwestern half of Wyoming.

Formed January 16, 2068 after the Federal Government of the United States of America refused to authorise military reaction to Heartland Freestate forces when they crossed the continental divide in an attempt to gain control of coastal ports.

The UWO ran into it's darkest hours years later though in the face of the United States of America during the reign of Baptist National President Halley when the eastern states were rallying against the predominantly spanish Union of Western States and their stewardship of the territory of former Great Plains and Heartland states now known as Buffalo Commons.

It was during this tensest of periods that the continent came closest to another Civil War with both sides expousing the Nuclear Option much to chagrin of neighbouring countries.   Halley demise as his government collapsed spared everyone with both sides eventually sharing management, although still contesting jurisdiction over Buffalo Commons territory.

The Buffalo Commons territory covers the former States of Montana, western Wyoming, north and western North Dakota, the most north western tip of Minnesota, western South Dakota, western Nebraska, western Kansas, western Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle and eastern Colorado that were depopulating during the early 21st Century, fell victim to the Heartland Freestates uprising of the mid-21st Century and then abandoned during the Eco-Crisis.

These disputes have occassionally spilled over to violence with enough force that Buffalo Commons was declared a protectorate of the United Network Command Authority and a Peacekeeping mission was begun while the organization was built to bring peace and order back to this territory.

Additionally the Union of Western States have from time to time had to deal with increasing demand by southern states to petition entry to the economic powerhouse of the Caribbean Union while Northwestern States favour reunited with the USA, a move disfavoured by some because of the lingering Halley stigma.

HIGHEST POPULATION BEFORE ECO-CRISIS:   150,357,775 (not including Buffalo Commons)

LOWEST POPULATION DURING ECO-CRISIS:   79,654,852 (not including Buffalo Commons)

POPULATION (AS AT LATEST CENSUS):   108,954,826 (not including Buffalo Commons)