OK, indulge me a bit - I'm brand new to this site. I would recommend at least looking into TEXAS as a possibility for the following reasons:
1. A strong native culture of independence. It is the only state in the union which was once an independent republic. This tradition is strongly ingrained into the citizenry via the public school system which mandates an entire year (7th grade) to exclusively TEXAS history with an emphasis on the former independent republic.
2. Long warm water coastline granting internation trade access.
3. International border with Mexico, major border ports of trade - Brownsville, Laredo, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, El Paso.
4. Shares a border with New Mexico who has a long tradition of libertarian values.
5. NO STATE INCOME TAX!
6. Non-Unionized state - "Right to work state"
7. Large German immigrant population with a history of being "free thinkers".
8. TEXAS retains the sovereign right to sub-divide into as many as 5 states, and to revert to an independent republic again. This is in the original annextion agreement between the Republic of Texas and the United States.
9. A large & highly diverse economy - agriculture, oil, high-tech, tourism.
10. A diverse multi-cultural citizenry.
11. Large geographic diversity - eastern woodlands, western desert, mountains, praries, coastal wetlands & beaches - lends itself to it's booming tourism industry.
12. A long-standing history of established trade and relations with Mexico, France, & Spain.
OK, so the down side is that it's a huge state with a large population. However with the possibility of division into smaller sub-states and ultimately independence the potential is great.
