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[[File:katara not an inuit.jpg|link=Avatar: The Last Airbender|frame| [[Avatar: The Last Airbender|The Water Tribes!]] They're Inuit, but with [[Supernatural Martial Arts]] [[Magical Native American|skills]].]]
{{quote|''[[What Is This X You Speak Of?|"What is this
|'''[[Samurai]] Miko Miyazaki''', ''[[The Order of the Stick]]''}}
It is difficult to be truly original when creating fiction, and even if one manages to pull it off, one runs the risk of putting off the audience by having one's creation seem ''[[Xenofiction|too]]'' strange. Much safer, then, to make your setting contain human cultures that are take-offs of real ones.
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See also [[Culture Chop Suey]], [[Space Romans]] (and the more offensive version, [[Space Jews]]). [[Medieval European Fantasy]] and [[Wutai]] are frequently-occuring specific types of fantasy counterpart culture, and [[Inexplicable Cultural Ties]]
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== Anime
* In ''[[One Piece]]'', the island nation of Wa-no-Kuni is very clearly this for feudal Japan, what with its isolationism and its samurai. ("Wa-no-kuni" is in fact an old way to refer to Japan.) The Shandians are pretty clear analogues for disenfranchised and displaced Native American populations, as well.
** Creator Eiichiro Oda has practically made a hobby of assigning Fantasy Counterpart Culture equivalents to characters. Using the main cast alone: Luffy's home is the equivalent of Brazil, Sanji's is France, [[Canada, Eh?|Chopper is Canadian]], [[Sensual Slavs|Robin is Russian]], Nami is Swedish, [[Awesome Aussie|Brock is Australian]], Usopp is African<ref>Oda does not specify a country here</ref>, Zoro is Japanese and Franky is American.
* Roshtaria and the other human lands of ''[[El-Hazard: The Magnificent World]]'' are very clearly fantasy stand-ins for the Middle East of the ''[[Arabian Nights]]''.
* The country of Amestris in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' is based on a combination of European countries. It's ruled by a military dictatorship similar to [[Those Wacky Nazis|Nazi Germany]], but they speak English, and the military ranks are also English based (with the rank of Field Marshall replaced with the rank of Fuhrer). Character names are based on names found in various European nations such as the U.K and France. Also the technology used is the same or are similar to the technology found around [[World War II]].
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* Many of the nations in ''[[Kyou Kara Maou]]'' are vague approximations of [[Real Life]] nations, with Makoku being Medieval Europe and Konanshia-Subererea being the Middle East, among others. One of the most obvious is the Shildkraut nation. We are originally led to believe it's a parallel to Japanese hot spring towns, but then it's then used for a [[Viva Las Vegas]] episode, right down to the lights being recreated with magical stones.
* In ''[[Mai-Otome]]'', set in the distant future on another planet, there are some more or less evident matches between fictional and real nations, at least judging by the names of known inhabitants. Artai seems to be an Eastern European/Slavic nation, Florince is France, the United Kingdom of Lutesia is a blend of ancient Rome and modern Italy, Aries is the United States, Annam is Vietnam, and Zipang is Japan (in fact, for the last two, [[Istanbul (Not Constantinople)|those are real-world, if ancient, monikers for these countries]]).
* ''[[Strike Witches]]'' is very guilty of this, considering it's set in an alternate version of Earth during [[World War II]].
* Some of the countries in ''[[Utawarerumono]]'' apparently takes place in real places in Japan. The protagonist's country is based on feudal Ezo (that's Hokkaido) with the people emulating Ainu culture but the most blatant one would be Shikeripetim which looks like a carbon copy of feudal Kyoto!
* ''[[
* ''[[Shaman King]]'': Patch and Seminoa sounded a lot like Apache and Seminole. But the similarity is only linguistic. Not to mention the fact that the [[Big Bad]] has the name Hao, which is strangely similar to "How" (the stereotypical greeting used by the natives of North American in fiction).
* There is a major case going on in ''[[Maiden Rose]]'' where half the countries aren't named but are easily culturally identifiable. Klaus comes from a small German state that was conquered by the Western Alliance superstate, also primarily German. This superstate is fighting the Eurotean superstate, which has pre-revolution Russia as the dominant culture. Eurote in turn subdued Taki's country, an unquestionable Japan analogue. If it weren't for the [[Magical Realism]] the story would probably be an outright [[Alternate History]].
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* The titular state in ''[[Saiunkoku Monogatari]]'' is a fantasy counterpart of Imperial China, especially that of the Tang and Song Dynasties.
* The "Special Region," the alternate world shown in ''[[Gate]]'' is a melange of Medieval and Classical Western elements. [[The Empire]] in particular is pretty much [[Ancient Grome]], complete with togas and even a Senate.
* From what we've seen of it and the people from it, "The Far East" in ''[[Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?]]'' is Sengoku-era Japan in everything but name.
==
* The ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' comic's planet Mobius has long had stand-in cultures for Asia and Australia... but this was finally justified by the revelation that Mobius is actually Earth of the far, far future.
* Boneville in ''[[Bone]]'' is clearly a cartoon version of the United States of America.
== Film ==
* ''[[Star Wars]]''
** The forest moon of Endor is, to some extent, an equivalent of [[Darkest Africa]] in a galaxy far, far away. And the Ewoks are very, very similar to African pygmy tribes.
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** The Easterlings are a mix of people reminiscent of Eastern cultures (who use such tactics as having archers on top of elephants) and much more prevalent generic fantasy barbarians. The Dunlanders are generic fantasy barbarians as well.
*** The Easterlings weren't the guys on the elephants, that was the Harad. Harad is basically a mix of Arabic/Indian cultures. The Easterlings are more Mongol/East Asian/Turkish.
== Literature ==
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* [[Diana Wynne Jones]]'s own compendium of [[Fantasy]] tropes and skewering thereof, ''[[The Tough Guide to Fantasyland]],'' makes this point.
* [[Robert Jordan]]'s ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'' does this a lot. Cairhien is a mix of France and Japan; Amadicia is modeled after Puritan America; the Seanchan have even more similarities to Japan than the Cairhienin do; Illian is a lot like Venice but its people have Greek-sounding names; Andor is similar to England and parts of the U.S.; the Aiel bear Indian and Native American similarities; Tairens have much in common with Spaniards... and the list goes on.
** ''[[Wheel of Time]]'' is actually pretty good at this. While they have definite elements taken from different cultures they are very rarely actual Fantasy Counterpart Cultures. The Seanchan are as much [[Ottoman Empire]] as they are Japan, and with all sorts of other bits thrown in. [[Word of God]] decided to muddle it even more, when [[Robert Jordan]] said that the Seanchan have a Texan accent, the Illianers a dutch accent, the Aiel a Slavic accent, among [http://www.darkfriends.net/wheel/node/164.html others]{{Dead link}}. Since the world of the [[Wheel of Time]] is meant, in-universe, to be the distant future of our own world, it [[Justified Trope|makes some sense]] that the cultures therein would retain traits recognizable to the reader.
* Most of [[Guy Gavriel Kay]]'s books make heavy use of this trope, and are centered in a counterpart to a specific region of Europe:
** ''[[Tigana]]'': Italy
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** It's also fun to go through The [[Circle of Magic]] series trying to determine what each culture is based on. For example; Imagine Tris as an English girl. Good luck imagining her habitual snark in anything other than an upper-class British accent.
*** The Yanjing Empire is definitely based on ancient China, and the Namorn Empire is based on Russia. Also, the city-state of Tharios has a government like ancient Rome, while the caste system there is based on Japan, with the yaskedasi (entertainers) similar to the geisha of Japan and the caste system based on the burakumin. The food and weather that Emelan and some of its neighboring countries have is Mediterrean, and Chammur is more Middle Eastern/Arabic.
* Much of ''[[Discworld]]'' is like this, generally using it to satirize the original culture. [[
** The Empire (of the Counterweight Continent) keeps out foreigners by building a huge wall across the border. (It doesn't work, but then it's ''really'' there to keep the people in, so they don't notice outsiders ''aren't'' invisible vampire ghosts [i.e. Gwai Lo].) By and large, the Agatean Empire's approach to foreign policy was to pretend the rest of the Disc didn't exist. This is pretty close to Imperial China (as well as pre-modern Japan; the Empire is both).
** The paperback edition of ''[[
** And the Nac Mac Feegle are cartoon Celts with permanent woad.
** And the Tezumen in ''[[Eric]]'' are clearly the Aztecs/Mexica.
** Even New Zealand gets a look-in, recast as the Foggy Islands, and to add to the list of British Empire
**
** While the country of Borogravia, featured prominently in ''[[Monstrous Regiment]]'', is a fairly original creation, there are signs pointing to it being something of a small United States in a world that doesn't have much room for it. Constantly at war for no clear reason, it devotes all of its resources to its military at the expense of domestic standards of living, and the ever-changing commandments of its god Nuggan reach a level of puritanism and fundamentalism that mirrors America's unique approach to Christianity.
* ''[[Tales of MU]]'' is set in the Imperial Republic of Magisteria, which is America mixed with the Roman Empire in a [[Dungeon Punk]] world. The island of Yokan is a version of Japan populated by [[Petting Zoo People]]. Members of [[Alternate Company Equivalent|a totally original race of little people who live in cozy holes in shires]] have a rural English-type culture. The forest-dwelling elves have Ancient Greek names and [[Yaoi Guys|culture]]. The dwarves are basically German.
** Early discussions of the ideas outsiders have of subterranean elves mirror American ideas of the Muslim world. When we see the culture up close, though, there's no resemblance whatever.
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* This was famously used in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where the Shire is obviously based on the English countryside. This was fairly rare in [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s works, though; most of his cultures were built by creating a language, and then a culture that used it. As he specifically notes in the case of Rohan, that their language was "translated" as an old form of English did not imply they were Anglo-Saxon in culture. Instead it was meant simply to maintain its position in the language family tree as regards to the Hobbits' tongue, which was translated as modern English.
** On the other hand, the Rohirrim—as noted under Film above -- ''are'' a sort-of Fantasy Counterpart Culture, as Land Vikings.
** An example of the divergence in culture that Tolkien noted is the Rohirrim army which is regimentalized to a far greater degree than Early Medieval Northern Europeans. While these would have followed family patriarchs, local nobles, or any adventurer with a reputation into battle, the Rohirrim were organized into units called "Eoreds" which were about the size of a nineteenth century cavalry squadron.
** The Southrons are dark-skinned horsemen and elephant-riders coming from regions in the south, while the Easterlings ride great wains or wagons. They do not correspond to any specific real culture and are meant to echo generalized outside threats to early medieval Europe, like the Huns.
*** Some [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]-inspired fantasies portray dwarves as Scotsmen, though Tolkien himself did not. The closest Tolkien came to this was noting the dwarves tended to have harsh, guttural accents when speaking the common tongue. However, Tolkien's dwarvish language uses triconsonantal roots just like Semitic languages such as Hebrew or Arabic. However, all Dwarvish names are Old Norse. (Though those are not the "real" names in Dwarvish, which are never revealed to non-Dwarves.) Those in ''The Hobbit'' are taken from the names of the first dwarves ever created, in ''The Elder Edda''.
***Dwarves have some characteristics stereotypically associated with [[Space Jews|Jews.]] They are scattered, clannish, and secretive but they are also skilled artisans and [[Determinator|endure hardship well.]] They also mourn their lost homeland. But they are far more warlike then Jews have been by reputation, [[Badass Israeli|until recently.]]
* [[Harry Turtledove]]'s ''Darkness'' saga has an interesting take on this trope. The series is essentially a [[Fantasy]] version of [[World War II]]. So, every nation taking part in the series fills the role of a power from the war. However, physically, culturally, and linguistically, these nations are also something of a mix-and-match of various world cultures. Algarve plays the role of [[Those Wacky Nazis|Nazi Germany]], but its people are Scots-Irish in appearance, and their language is based on Italian. Another good example is Kuusamo, which fills the role of the United States, but is populated by Finnish-speaking East Asians.
* In [[Harry Turtledove]]'s [[wikipedia:Videssos|Videssos Cycle]], Videssos is closely modelled on the [[wikipedia:Byzantine Empire|Byzantine Empire]], and neighbouring states are likewise based on the Byzantine Empire's neighbours.
* [[Jo Walton]]'s world first introduced in ''The King's Peace'' features fantasy parallels of a whole bunch of [[King Arthur|Arthurian legend]], with the island of Tir Tanager standing in for England and going on from there, down to Saint Patrick, Jesus and Arthur himself. Figuring out what the real world equivalents are is a great deal of the fun.
* [[David Weber]]'s ''[[Honor Harrington]]'' series is based on this trope, since its pretty much the Napoleonic Wars [[Recycled in Space|in space.]] Some are blatantly obvious, such as the Star Kingdom of Manticore being Great Britain and Grayson being fairly open about the fact that its Meiji Era Japan, and the Andermani Empire is modeled in universe after the Kingdom of Prussia. Others are little vague. Much fun can be had by history buffs trying to match up the Honorverse star nation with their historical counterpart.
**"Evil Haven" is a Conservative idea of dystopia with it's revolutionary self-righteousness, secret police, atrocities, and propaganda which seems to consist of stuffing as many faux-scientific words as can be fitted into one sentence. The Solarian League is a Progressive idea of dystopia, with it's slovenly crony capitalism, lazy and brutal economic politics, and bullying by death squads. Mesa is sort of a weird combination of a Nazi like ideology with a strategy that is more like a long term insurgency.
* [[David Weber]]'s later work the ''[[Safehold]]'' series is set nearly 1000 years after humanity started a Lost Colony and had the project heads disagree about how deep the [[Space Amish]] needed to go. The winners implemented a religion designed to prevent technology that would attract the [[Scary Dogmatic Aliens]] that destroyed the rest of humanity. The conflict over this results in a religion [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|very similar to Medieval Catholic Christianity]]. In addition, the main setting is [[The Kingdom]] of Charis, a (relatively) progressive and free-thinking island nation, with a powerful navy; it is visited by the protagonist, a cyborg copy of the executive officer of the colonists' escort fleet, who [[Gender Bender|disguises herself as a man]] named Merlin, and greatly strengthens and enriches it, including establishing something very similar to Anglicanism. There is also the Republic of Siddarmark, comparable to the Austrian Empire in function and culture, Charis is England, Emerald is Ireland, Chisholm is Sweden, Corisande is France, and Harchong is comparable to China. (It is a large feudal empire, famous for fine silk, and gunpowder was (re)-invented there.)▼
**Grayson is also an idealized [[Flyover Country]] with its charmingly provincial religious enthusiasm, its naming customs that could have come from an Pioneer genealogy, and its love of such American things as baseball.
▲* [[David Weber]]'s later work the ''[[Safehold]]'' series is set nearly 1000 years after
** at one point in the first book Charis is explicitly compared to late-Renaissance/early Industrial Revolution England or Holland.
* The continent of Osten Ard, in [[Tad Williams]]' ''[[Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn]]'' is closely based on Medieval Europe, even down to the languages and their names for the days of the week. Unlike most [[Fantasy]] Europes, this one actually has a Christianity parallel (and not a [[Crystal Dragon Jesus]] one, either), although the many of the Rimmersmen (Scandinavians) and Hernystiri (Celts) still worship (or at least believe in) the "old gods" in secret.
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** Speaking of Kate Eliot, her epic Crown of Stars series is basically a [[What If]] Europe, with a magical holocaust in about 8,000bc turning vikings into Lizardmen, amongst other differences. Two particularly interesting facets, [[Christianity Is Catholic|Daisanite]] [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|Church]] has a female pontiff called a Skopos (greek for purpose) and that the british isles expy is ruled by powerful druidic witches.
** In general, the biggest difference between the world of ''[[Crown of Stars]]'' and Earth's medieval period is that it's much more, for lack of a better word, female-friendly in general- almost all cultures are either gender-equal (with men still holding the bulk of military power, but women dominating religious roles and political leadership open to either) or matriarchal, and the one completely patriarchal nation doesn't really factor into the plot. This probably has something to do with the fact that early humanity was guided and taught by the Bwr, a [[One-Gender Race]] of all-female centaurs.
* In the [[Gentleman Bastard Sequence]] series, there are several. Camorr is obviously Venice, with its canals and Italian-sounding words. Vadrans seem to be modeled on Germans/Slavic people (tall, blonde, famous for alcohol production). The old Therin Throne sounds similar to Rome (it even fell to the Vadrans!) and there are several other city-states with differing cultures, as well.
* Palladia and Merryland in ''[[Tranquilium]]'' seem like this for [[Tsarist Russia]] and [[Victorian Britain]] respectively, though the former is based on an archipelago and the latter is a republic; it's revealed pretty soon though that both were founded by people that crossed over from Earth over the years, mainly in the 19h century (and Merryland was mostly founded by ''Americans'', at that!).
* Monica Hughes' ''Sandwriter'' is set in a Middle East counterpart. With oil disputes.
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* ''Through A Brazen Mirror'' by Delia Sherman has Albia (England), Gallimand (France), and Brant (Scotland).
* The Truwa tribe from Danish author Josefine Ottensen's Mira Trilogy are pretty blatant [[High Fantasy]] Jews. Mira's father is Truwa, and while you only become Truwa through the mother(Mira's mother is very middle-class and very white), Mira identifies strongly with the Truwa people. She eventually goes through a ceremony similar to a bat mitzvah, enraging her mother and putting her in grave danger, considering that the monarchy is planning to destroy all Truwa people.(think the [[Spanish Inquisition]])
* ''[[An
* Justified in ''[[Dinotopia]]''. The various cultures on the island were influenced by shipwreck survivors who brought their way of life with them. Also inverted by others who made it off the island. The second book states that the Egyptians were influenced by such people.
* ''[[Lyonesse]]'' by [[Jack Vance]] has several: the aristocracy of Lyonesse seems to be vaguely Germanic, Dahaut is pre-Revolutionary France, and the Ska are based on the Vikings. Troicinet represents Britain. All of these are based not so much on modern images of these cultures as on representations from the 19th century or earlier (Troicinet is a sea power and balances the other nations; the Ska aren't noble warriors but fearsome and heartless raiders, similar to portrayals of Vikings in mediaeval English sources.)
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* The country the ''[[Knight and Rogue Series]]'' takes place in looks suspiciously like Europe.
* In [[The Course of Empire]] and [[The Crucible of Empire]] the author claims to be consciously writing an analogue to Rome conquering then being assimilated by Greeks with the Jao as Romans and the Humans as Greeks.
* The Nomads in ''Star Ways'' an obscure novela by Poul Anderson are most like Gypsies but they have traits from other cultures including using kilts and tartans as ceremonial dress like Scots and having a ceremonial hall at the rendevous point like Saxons and Norse. Each clan in the Nomad tribe owns it's own starship and marrying anyone from that ship is considered incest. When the ship's crew outpopulates they build another. They have a regular rendevous to discuss matters of interest, amend laws, exchange marriages, and party much like several interlinked clans on Earth including Eskimos, Viking age Icelanders, etc. Their High-chief is the captain of the original ship. They also(like gypsies) draw suspicion from the government for not conforming to the system.
== Live-Action TV ==
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*** They also share a great deal in common with Roman society: value service to the state above everything else save family; name their highest commanders Legate(albeit they use the bastardized pronunciation;) Dukat and Garak even read a bit like Mark Antony and Ciccero, the later in each in each pair having caused the death of the formers father and consistently ridiculing them. In Garaks case Dukat just exiled him, though then again some Romans would have considered exile to be worse than death.
*** The description given in "Chain of Command, Part II" of their rich spiritual life being abandoned in favour of a military dictatorship that fed a starving people sounds like a description of Mao's Cultural Revolution.
* On the reimagined ''[[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' series the colonists from socially and religiously deeply conservative Gemenon and politically impotent, terrorist
** ''[[Caprica]]'' seems to be expanding upon it, introducing us to several Taurons, seemingly a counterpart to Mexicans, complete with their own sprawling, all-encompassing cartels and struggles with racism; their language appears to be based on Ancient Greek. [[Hijinks Ensue|Joel Watson]] possibly [http://twitter.com/hijinksensue/status/8142972251 put it best]:
{{quote|"So the Taurons in Caprica seem to just be an amalgam of all brownish people?"}}
*** They could also be likened to Italians. However, they have differences as well. Whereas most Hispanic/Mediterranean people are stereotyped as hot-blooded, Taurons are called a stoic people.
* ''[[Firefly]]'''s planets appear to have numerous
** And the Civil War in the [[Backstory]] is a deliberate parallel to the American Civil War.
** Prior to the release of ''Serenity'', it could have been said that the Reavers were stand
* ''[[Kings]]'' is set in the kingdom of Gilboa, which is pretty much modern America run by an absolute monarchy.
** Well, more modern America fused with Biblical Israel/Judea with the capital, Shiloh, explicitly modeled on New York City. Gath seems to something of a cross of the Philistines with the Soviet Union.
* Used, especially in the earlier episodes, of ''[[Stargate SG-1]]''. This is justified as they mostly encounter humans who were "transplanted" from Earth, and un-justified in that few of them have seemed to culturally or scientifically evolved since then, and almost all of them [[Aliens Speaking English|randomly speak English.]]
** Justified in at least some cases because they were deliberately kept down by the Goa'uld.
** We would've gotten sick of the "Daniel needs to translate this language." subplot if it
* There is a cross-species example in ''[[Babylon 5]]'', in which the intergalactic [[Blood Sport]] called "the Mutai" is essentially a karate kumite, complete with gi, bowing, and an ancient master who speaks with a raspy Asian accent.<ref>played by an Asian actor, incidentally</ref> Ironically, humans seem to be the only species who have never taken part in the sport until the episode "TKO."
** Of the main races of ''[[Babylon 5]]'', the Earth Alliance are [[United Space of America|Space Americans]], the Centauri Republic [[Space Romans|Space]] [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]], the Narn Regime [[Recycled in Space|Space Muslims]], and the Minbari [[Recycled in Space|Space Elves]].
== Tabletop Games ==
* Most ''[[Dungeons
** Many unofficial GM invented campaign worlds do this, because after a while GMs realize that it is a lot easier to crib off real life history (and even more so [[Theme Park Version]] thereof) for their campaign world then it is to invent everything from scratch, because most GMs are not geniuses and also have other things to do in Real Life.
** The ''World of [[Greyhawk]]'' references a number of cultures with resonance to Gary Gygax's Swiss family, Wisconsin home, and medieval wargames hobby, including "The Concatenated Cantons of Perrenland" (Switzerland), Thillonrian Peninsula cultures (Norse), various "Paynim" (Muslim) cultures in the west, and the vaguely Papal state of Medegia. There are "Native Americans" (Flanae), lake-faring "Gypsies" (Rhennee), and the map features a couple of large, connected freshwater lakes in the middle (Wisconsin again).
** The ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' setting features a large number of countries that are obviously based on historical ones. Amn is early modern Spain/Portugal, complete with colonies in the equivalent of Central America, and also has some elements from Middle-eastern Crusader states (such as the Kingdom of Jerusalem); Calimshan is vaguely reminiscent of Muslim Spain, with a few Arabic influences; Mulhorand is [[Ancient Egypt|Pharonic Egypt]]; Unther is old Babylon; Chessenta (
*** Altough one of the background concepts for the Realms, namely that it is liberally sprinkled with portals to pretty much anywhere, might explain some of that, by the fact that it is canon that anywhere includes, yes, the Earth on which the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting was published. In the specific cases of Mulhorand and Unther, it is mentioned that their ancestors were ancient Egyptians and Babylonians, taken as slaves by the Imaskari, a civilization very good at the portal-making thing, and after overthrowing their oppressors, they spent the next three thousand years or so ruled by the living incarnations of their deties, which might have caused a bit of social stagnation.
*** Depending on which Realms writer you ask, Calimshan may also be heavy on Ottoman Turkish influence and Persia in general. It's something of a mishmash no matter how you look at it.
*** According to R. A. Salvatore, he based the culture of the drow of Menzoberranzan on the Italian mafia.
** The feuding between Neverwinter and Luskan seems to be a nod to the Trojan War, as Luskan is also called "Illusk" (Troy was called "Ilion").
** The human cultures of ''[[
** Used to varying degrees in ''[[Ravenloft]].'' Some are fairly clear—Barovia is Romania, Borca is Italy, Dementlieu and Richemulot are France, Falkovnia is Wallachia, Forlorn is Scotland, Har'Akir and Sebua are [[Ancient Egypt|Pharaonic Egypt]], Pharazia is medieval Egypt, Hazlan is Turkish (by way of the ''[[Forgotten Realms]]''' Thay), Lamordia is Switzerland, Mordent is rural 19th-century England, Nova Vaasa is Poland, Paridon is Victorian London, Souragne is antebellum Louisiana, Sri Raji is India, Tepest is Ireland, Valachan is the Pacific Northwest, Vorostokov is Russia, and Wild Lands are Africa. Others, like Darkon and Sithicus, operate through more fantasy filters.
*** At least Sithicus is actually a domain snatched from the [[Dragonlance]] setting.
*** Justified in Odaire, a domain taken from an actual parallel (Gothic) Earth's Italy.
** Pretty much every human culture in the ''[[Mystara]]'' setting is based on a [[Real Life]] country (which makes a certain amount of sense, as it's implied that Mystara is an [[Alternate Universe]] to Earth): Thyatis is Rome and/or Byzantine, Karameikos is Rumania, Glantri is a generically Renaissance-era western European nation with principality Boldavia as [[Überwald]] and Glantri proper (the capitol) as [[City of Canals]], the Northern Reaches are Scandinavia, Heldann is the Teutonic Knights, Darokin is a mish-mash Genoese/Venetian merchant republic, the Ethengar Khanate is central Asia, Ylaruam is Arabia (and directly south of the Northern Reaches... WTF?), the Atruaghin Clans are North American Indians, the Savage Baronies are Mexico and Brazil, Cimmaron is Texas (!!), Robrenn is Ireland, Eusdria is Celtic Gaul, Bellayne is England ([[Petting Zoo People|with cat-people]]), Renardy is France ([[Petting Zoo People|with dog-people]]), the wallara lizardfolk are [[Unfortunate Implications|Australian Aborigines]], the phanaton raccoon-people are South American Indians... the list goes on and on...
** [[Eberron]] has Galifar being a mix of Alexander the Great's empire and the Holy Roman Empire, Aerenal as ancient Egypt, Karrnath as Germany, Thrane as any theocracy ever, Breland as England, and Sarlona as Communist Russia.
** ''[[Pathfinder]]'''s default setting has quite a few of these, including apparent counterparts of the colonial U.S. and early-20th-century China.
** ''[[Planescape]], the setting which focused on the old ''D&D'' cosmology, plays with this trope like a kitten with yarn. It contains an idealized "Viking" heaven, a [[Word of Dante]] version of Purgatory and Hell, Mount Olympus, the Underworld, and dozens of little pockets which resemble a Fantasy Counterpart Culture to the real world culture which worshiped the god found in said pocket. For example, Set's realm is based on faux Ancient Egypt, but is nestled inside what can only be called Dante's Inferno. It makes sense in context.
* The ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]'' setting is full of this, as it supposedly takes place in one of many worlds manufactured to a similar pattern, including our own.
** For the human cultures: The Empire is early-Renaissance [[Holy Roman Empire]] Germany, Kislev is a blend of pre-Petrine Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Brettonia is France in the high middle ages (with a healthy heaping of [[Arthurian Legend|Arthurian myth]]), Estalia and Tilea are
** Tomb Kings are [[Ancient Egypt|Pharaonic Egyptians]] only undead,
** The High Elves and Wood Elves represent the Middle and Late [[Byzantine Empire]]s respectively, with a touch of [[Atlantis]]. Their cousins the Dark Elves are post-Viking Scandinavians, with their reliance on crossbowmen and close-combat troops (even though they live in ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]'''s equivalent of [[Canada, Eh?|Canada]]).
** Chaos Dwarfs resemble the Assyrians and Babylonians, and the Vampire Counts are Hungarians and Moldovans. The Hobgoblins are Mongols, the Halflings are Jews, and the Orcs are the [[Barbarian Tribe]]s. About the only one that isn't a Fantasy Counterpart Culture is the [[Rodents of Unusual Size|Skaven]], with their crazy war machines and warpstone technology.
** To drive down the similarities even further, take a look at [http://media.photobucket.com/image/warhammer%20world%20map/waylander2/map.jpg this Warhammer worldmap]. Tell me that doesn't look familiar.
* Many of the factions in the science-fantasy counterpart ''[[Warhammer
** Among the Space Marines, the [[Space Wolf|Space Wolves]] and [[White Scars]] are based on Viking and Mongol stereotypes, respectively, and the Ultramarines smack of blue-armoured Roman Legionaries. The Black Templars are heavily based on Crusaders and Knights Templar ([[Knight Templar|some relation]]). [[The Emperor]] himself is [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|some mix of]] [[King Arthur]] and [[Messianic Archetype|Jesus]], but given that background fluff on the Emperor states he had assumed the guise of many historical figures, he may very well have been ''both'' of them.
** Then there's the [[Imperial Guard]]. Germany and Russia get two apiece: The
*** Praetorians are [[The British Empire|redcoats]] in pith helmets ([http://www.solegends.com/citcat2004/P0193-00.htm as written] in an old GW catalogue, "Fans of the movie ''[[Zulu]]'' will notice striking resemblance of the Leutenant to the famous English actor who starred in the movie").
*** Planet Armageddon, homeworld of the aforementioned legion, with its whole population constantly at war, and it's extreme pollution, is a twisted mirror of modern Germany. Germany's population is quite pacifist, and extremely environmentalist, so, Armageddon is basically all of their nightmares made manifest.
*** [[Bonnie Scotland|Scotland]]: Luggnum "Sewer Rats" regiments [https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2013/1/10/welcome-to-hervara-soldier/ are described] as carrying clan swords and wearing flak ''kilt''. No bagpipes, however. Ditto for Drook VI (again, note [
*** The homeworld of the Death Korps of Krieg, with its twisted blend of the worst scenes of [[World War I]] and [[After the End|imagery straight out of a nuclear apocalypse]] is a dark mirror of Europe in the 20th Century.
*** The Scintilian Fusiliers meanwhile are basically either pre-[[French Revolution]] nobles or the most decadent aspects of 18th Century Italian nobility. While the Arkhan Confederates are, as their name implies, [[Steampunk]] [[American Civil War|Southerners]] with a dash of [[Turn A Gundam|mecha]].
** The Inquisition is, quite obviously, based on the Spanish Inquisition, with a bit of [[Those Wacky Nazis|Gestapo]], and [[Crapsack World|all of the worst fascists in history, really]].
** The [[Our Orcs Are Different|Orks]] started life as a caricature of British football hooligans, and come complete with slang and thick Cockney accents. They mostly stay pretty close to their roots, too.
** The [[Scary Dogmatic Aliens|Tau Empire]] are in some ways an East Asian jumble. Their military equipment is strikingly Animesque, they have nebulously Oriental accents and a Taoist-Confucianist philosophy. They refer to humans as [[wikipedia:Gweilo|Gue'la]], they have [[wikipedia:Queue (hairstyle)|single black cables running out of their suits]], and they are all about the [[Red Scare|Collective Greater Good.]]
** The [[Our Elves Are Better|Eldar]] were Asianesque first, Japanese in particular. They even have [[Katanas Are Just Better|katanas]], shuriken, and back-banners (especially on the [[Humongous Mecha|Wraithlords]]).
*** Eldar names and non-visual aspects of their culture are also somewhat influenced by [[Celtic Mythology]], it would seem. Possibly via more generic Elves.
** Also somewhat apparent in the Chaos Space Marines, too. Most notably would be the [http://www.blacklibrary.com/images/large/a-thousand-sons.jpg Thousand Sons]{{Dead link}}, whose armor and accessories are based ancient Egyptian style, with Pharaoh-like crowns on their helms . The [http://www.blacklibrary.com/images/large/prospero-burns.jpg architecture of Prospero]{{Dead link}} further proves this fact with pyramid-shaped architecture. The [[Night Lords]] might also be Slavic- inspired, too, with their whole "terrors in the night" schtick and their Primarch Konrad Curze being a fusion of [[Batman]] and Vlad the Impaler.
** The Necrons have some ancient Egyptian about them, and sometimes Mayan and Mesopotamian too—basically they have influences every pyramid-building culture.
*** Even more so now, with all the new models.
** The Dark Eldar's practice of raiding and capturing slaves whose souls they consume to stave off a Chaos God who will eat them if they don't is reminiscent of Mesoamerican cultures who believe the world will end if they don't perform human sacrifice. And the main public events are warrior games (though gladiatorial sort rather than just a team sport).
** The Blood Ravens are somewhat based on Greece throughout its history.
* This is part of the basic premise of AEG's ''[[
** Castille is an example of [[Istanbul (Not Constantinople)]]. It was one of the kingdoms that were united to form Spain (Aragon, Leon, and Navarra being the others).
* Likewise, AEG's ''[[Legend of the Five Rings]]'' setting puts a number of rival Japanese samurai clans on a China-like map under the control of a strong Imperial house - but not strong enough that the clans aren't constantly fighting each other. One of the clans, the Unicorn, has strong Mongolian influences.
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* The Imperium in [[Traveller]] bears a lot of resemblance to [[The British Empire]] especially the [[Lighter and Softer]] interpretations of the later.
* ''[[Iron Kingdoms]]'' most of its factions are [[Steampunk]] counterparts. Cygnar are Americans mixed the British Empire. Khador is imperial Russia with the color scheme of the Soviet Union. The Protectorate of Menoth are based of the early [[The Crusades|crusades]], with the [[Knight Templar]] theme exaggerated.
== Video Games ==
* ''[[Diablo]]'' does this pretty unabashedly. For example, the Monk's design is a strange mishmash of Russia and China, with some trace elements of India for flavor.
* The ''[[Ace Combat]]'' series takes place in a fictional Earth with fictional geography and nations to avoid [[Mutually Assured Destruction]] rendering combat between modern fighters impossible. Despite this, many nations take significant cues.
** At the most blatantly obvious, the Osean Federation of ''5'' and ''7'' (and an ally in ''Zero'') is a "Federal presidential republic" headed by a President on a continent that shares the name of the country despite not being its sole occupant (Osea). Its army fields soldiers armed with M-16 rifles and M9 pistols while fielding M1 Abrams and M113s, while its air force fields planes like the F-5 and F-15.
** Yuktobania, Erusea and Estovakia are all Russia/the Soviet Union, with MiGs, and Kuznetsov-class aircraft carriers.
** Frequent antagonist Belka is Germany (with ''AC0'' Belka, and later [[The Man Behind the Man|the Grey Men]], as Nazi Germany). It equipment is from ''modern'' Germany, creating odd NATO vs. NATO conflicts.
** Sapin is Spain, with Spanish names for places ("Gran Rugido") and people ("Alberto Lopez").
** In ''[[Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception]]'', the player's country of Aurelia and its antagonist Leasath, both on "South Osea", appear to represent the entirety of South America.
** Emmeria, the player's homeland in ''6'', is, despite the name, a mashup of enough NATO and NATO aligned countries it can't be said to be any single one. It's a former monarchy with British Challenger II tanks, Japanese Type 89 rifles, Cassard-class frigate and various American and European fighters shared with other countries.
** Strangereal's lack of nuclear proliferation gives us a subversion; characters in ''The Belkan War'' and especially ''The Unsung War'' display attitudes about and intentions with nuclear weapons that seem downright bizarre to the player, who has lived in a world with thousands of the things their whole life.
* The building and unit designs for all four nations in the series ''[[Advance Wars]]'' are based on [[World War II]]-era combatants: Orange Star is America, Soviet Russia is Blue Moon, Green Earth is England/Germany, and Yellow Comet is Japan. Interestingly, none of the four nations are villainous. The bad guys, Black Hole, have no earth parallels and are designed to appear off-world or alien.
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** Incidentially, descriptions of Cyrodiil in earlier games suggested more [[Mayincatec]] trappings. This was all but dropped in favour of Roman ones by ''Morrowind'', however.
* The [[Jade Empire]] is a dead ringer for Ancient China, complete with dense jungles to the south (Indochina), impassable mountains to the west (the Himalayas), northern steppes populated by "the Horselords" (Mongols), and an eastern ocean, from which come foreigners resembling 16th century European explorers. It's a little [[Steampunk]] and [[All Myths Are True]], so it's not quite as [[Flanderized]] as most examples of this trope.
* ''[[Dragon Age]]'', also from Bioware, is set in the nation of Ferelden, which has a governmental structure resembling that of Saxon England (A feudal nation ruled by a semi-hereditary king who owes his power to the support of the barons). Orlais is essentially [[L'
** While not appearing in the game, there are also the nations of Nevarra and Anderfels. The first, though having a name based on a region of Spain, is not based on Spain. Nevarra is the nominal overlord of the Free Marches, a collection of a huge number of small states, and thus bears more resemblance to Habsburg Austria, which was the nominal overlord of thousands of tiny German states (thereby making the Marches a Germany analogue). Nevarra also has strong similarities to Prussia; Nevarra expanded rapidly at the expense of several Marcher states, and has a long-standing conflict with Orlais over a mineral rich region resembling Alsace-Lorraine. The Anderfels are also quite German, but resemble more northeastern Europe (Latvia, Estonia, possibly Lithuania) under the German Teutonic Order and its German-ruled successor states. The Tevinter Empire is obviously the Byzantine Empire, including the Imperial Chantry, which stands in for Greek Orthodox Christianity (Ancient Tevinter was the Roman Empire). The Chasind barbarians of the Kocari Wilds are (possibly) Celts, Picts, Gaels or any number of other pre-Saxon tribes of Britain.
** Rivain is most similar to Spain, with elements of Bosnia/Albania (and the Balkans in general) as well, since it's stated that most Rivainis have converted to the Qun, Islam in Dragon Age; in real life, most Albanians and Bosniaks are Muslims, converted after the Ottomans conquered the Balkans. Further, Rivain is the primary battleground between the Qunari and the Andrastians; historically, Spain and Balkans were both the major European battlegrounds against Islam, the north African Moors and Ottoman Turks, respectively.
** The City Elves appear to be Jews, complete with the Alienages (Elf ghettos). The Dalish bear more resemblance to [[Roma]].
** The Qunari are an amalgamation of historical Islamic societies—they command gaatlok, or gunpowder and cannon, with which they blast down city walls as the Ottoman Turks did Constantinople; they offer to conquered peoples three options (conversion, labor, or death) as did the early Islamic Arabs in their conquests (theirs was conversion, ''taxes'', or death); and those who do accept the Qun are instantly known as citizens, "Qunari", worth protecting, regardless of their race or history - the original Qunari, the kossith, don't consider themselves any different from non-kossith Qunari, which bears a few similarities to the historical relationship of Arab ethnic identity with Muslim religious identity. Their language and the Qun appear to be closely intertwined, paralleling the Qu'ran and Arabic (Besides, Qun? Qu'ran?) For added flavor, the guy who founded the Qunari religion seems to have been a cross between [[Buddhism|Siddhartha Gautama]] and the Prophet Muhammad. They have a very strict honor code and abide by it in all regards. And their philosophy is basically Confucianism with grenades.
* The [[Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game|MMORPG]] ''Granado Espada'' is entirely based around fantasy counterparts of Old World cultures and their role in the New World.
* ''[[Freelancer]]'' contains four different "Houses": Liberty (United States), Bretonia (United Kingdom), Kusari (Japan) and Rheinland (Germany). And on top of that, their places are [[Theme Naming|named after actual places]] (such as "Planet Los Angeles"). However, this styling is intentional as the four houses are themed as the descendents of colonists from the four countries.
** There was also a fifth ship, the Hispania, that was broke down. They became pirates working for various factions.
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** In ''[[Nightfall]]'', Istan and Kourna appear to be a mix of Ancient Egyptian architectureand Sub Saharan African environments, while Vabbi represents [[Arabian Nights Days]].
** Eye of the North introduces the Asura, with Mayincatec architecture and clothing, and the Viking-inspired Norn.
* The [[
* ''[[Sonic Unleashed]]'' doesn't even try to hide it. With the exception of [[The Very Definitely Final Dungeon|Egg]][[Eternal Engine|man]][[Circus of Fear|la]][[Lethal Lava Land|nd]], all of the levels are based off of various real-world locales:
** Apotos = Mykonos, Greece
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* ''[[Fable (video game series)|Fable]]'' and its sequels take place in the country of Albion, which is populated entirely by identically-voiced citizens from various parts of the British Isles. The map of Albion itself bears more than a passing resemblance to Wales. There's also the foreign nation of Samarkand, which is an amalgamated counterpart for pretty much everywhere else, being best known for the invention of katanas and gunpowder and having dark skinned people who don't wear a lot.
* ''[[Valkyria Chronicles]]'', essentially a mild fantasy version of [[World War II]], has a fantasy counterpart for nearly everything that went on in Europe at that time (including the continent itself, which is named "Europa"). The most notable example are the Darcsen, a [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|persecuted race who have managed to hold on to their heritage and customs despite being scattered all over the world]]. Although clearly based on WWII-era Jews, they also wear shawls for (vaguely defined) religious reasons and have a ({{spoiler|[[Written by the Winners|unjustified]]}}) reputation for blowing people up and causing havoc that may have been inspired by recent attitudes toward Muslims. Many of the fantasy counterparts in the game blend together elements of different cultures like this.
** The East-Europan Empire has elements of Germany and if you look closely into the Empire's backstory and structure, there's more than a passing resemblance as well to the Habsburg Empire/Austria-Hungary. Hell, the event that sparked the [[World War I|First Europan War]] was essentially a slightly edited version of Franz Ferdinand's death.
** Gallia itself seems to incorporate many elements of Switzerland and Finland. It has universal conscription as well as fighting hard against a larger invader. Also Gallia is wedged between larger powers in the north west coast of Europa and tries to remain neutral in the conflict, similar to the low countries like Belgium and the Netherlands.
** Yahtzee lampshaded this in his ''[[Zero Punctuation]]'' video by using names like "Bermany" to describe the setting.
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** The Gerudo in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time]]'' appear to be pretty heavily based off of the medieval Arabians, albiet in an all-female context.
* In the ''[[League of Legends]]'' lore, the Rakkor are definitely meant to invoke the idea of the Spartans, right down to their armor and weapons. The tribe's former name, Stanpar, was an anagram of the word 'Spartan.'
* ''[[
* ''[[Red Earth]]'' takes place in 1999 on an alternate version of Earth which is stuck in a medieval/mythological state. Notable counterparts to countries on our Earth (which is ''blue'', unlike what the title suggests) are Zipang (Japan), Icelarn (Iceland), and Sangypt (Egypt).
* The chief organizations of ''[[Lusternia]]'' have a lot of basis in real life countries. Magnagora is much like [[WW 2]] era Germany, with their emphasis on racial purity and extreme nationalism; Hallifax, meanwhile, is a clear take-off of [[Glorious Mother Russia|communist Russia]], right down to their aims being laid down in "The Collectivist Manifesto". Celest represents a declining British Empire, with their emphasis on nobility coupled with their [[Vestigial Empire|increasingly vestigial]] nature. You could also make a case for [[Ethical Hedonist|Gaudiguch]] being America: freedom-loving party animals engaged in a [[Forever War]] with the communist Hallifax.
* The Special Stage courses in the ''[[Gran Turismo]]'' series are based on real routes of the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo, and Route 7 includes a replica of the Rainbow Bridge, which can also be seen in the background on Route 11.
* The world of ''[[The Witcher]]'' series (and the novels the games are based on) is based heavily on [[Slavic Mythology]] and [[Poland|Polish culture]]. Many of the various lands and factions have Central and Eastern European parallels, with [[The Empire]] clearly based on the [[Holy Roman Empire]] right down to the Germanic names.
* In ''[[Dishonored]]'', Dunwall is clearly based on London at the time of the Great Fire of 1666 mixed with [[Victorian London]] and a dash of [[Half-Life 2|City 17]] for good measure. The Empire of the Isles is also evidently modelled on [[The British Empire]], complete with its own Parliament (with the isle of Morley basically an ersatz blend of Ireland and Scotland) and attempts at imperialism, though some of the constituent islands are based on various European countries.
* While the universe of [[From Software]]'s ''[[Dark Souls]]'' series is evidently based on [[Medieval European Fantasy]], ''Bloodborne'' clearly takes a lot of cues from [[Victorian Britain]].
* Most civilizations present in ''Path of Exile'' are based on actual ancient civilizations:
** Oriath is based on Renaissance Christian Europe, with a very similar architecture and clothing style (most strikingly for the rich and nobles) and a powerful monotheistic church. Not to mention the Templar Courts, basically the Inquisition by another name.
** the Ngamakanui archipelago, land of the Karui, is mostly based on Oceania mixed with Africa. The Karui live in tribes with a strong warrior culture, a polytheistic cult of both nature and war and a fondness for carving totems. Also got enslaved by Oriathian conquerors.
** the Eternal Empire is based on ancient Rome judging by the ruins it left behind, and many of its historical figures have Roman-sounding names (Chitus, Icius Perandus, Victario, Izaro...). Also fell to internal political conflicts and ultimately got crushed by the Karui.
** the Vaal, first civilization of Wreaclast, are based on Mayincatec for the most part, with nearly the same architecture and clothing style, a cult revolving around flesh and blood, and human sacrifices. The Vaal very likely destroyed themselves in a failed ritual that tainted their homeland and turned it into the [[Death World]] it is in the game.
* Possibly the dwarves in ''[[Raid: Shadow Legends]]'' are Swedish or Norweigan counterparts, given Maulie's accent in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATPW03Sthgc&list=PLDpZdP4i5RSD4U4SCHnHWcJoMU3NmFX0a&index=19 this commercial.]
* ''[[Shantae]]'' is a franchise that takes place in a [[Denser and Wackier]] version of Turkey, according to [[Word of God]]
== Web Comics ==
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* '''[[A Loonatics Tale]]'' has an assortment; Nigota for Britain, and ''both'' Mercia and Mysteel for America (the trick is that they're versions of America from different time periods, and different attitudes; Mercia is the more peaceable colonial America, while Mysteel is a caricaturized version of modern America and our tendency towards ultra-patriotism, gun-nuttery, and warmongerdom).
* The Erogenians in ''[[The Challenges of Zona]]'' are somewhat idealized Celts while Kivallia seems to be Plantagenet era England.
* Niyam and the Fae in ''[[Even in Arcadia]]'' are counterparts to 19th century China. Seen further when it [https://web.archive.org/web/20120206152651/http://epidigm.net/arcadia/2011/06/22/the-sojourner-page-20/ becomes apparent] that the Gaians are trading with them in drugs much like the British did before the Opium Wars.
* In ''[[Harkovast]]'', almost all the races are fantasy counterparts to real world ancient cultures, such as the medieval European [https://web.archive.org/web/20140404194848/http://www.harkovast.com/index.php?id=22 Darsai] or the feudal Japanese [https://web.archive.org/web/20140405093652/http://www.harkovast.com/index.php?id=3 Tsung-Dao.]
* ''[[Snow By Night]]'' takes place in a world that resembles the real one during Colonial Era, with Japethe corresponding to Europe, Everique corresponding to North America, Saronne corresponding to France, and Aradie corresponding to Quebec / Canada.
* Parodied in ''[[Homestuck]]'' by [[Love Freak|Gamzee]] [[Monster Clown|Makara]], who comes from a sort of fantastical, [[Interfaith Smoothie]] religion that [[Juggalo|worships the]] [[Insane Clown Posse]]. Except [[It Makes Sense in Context|due to shenanigans]], his religion actually inspired Insane Clown Posse, not the other way around. {{spoiler|Gamzee's religion was actually inspired by an [[Eldritch Abomination]].}}
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** The trolls in general share many cultural practices with the Spartans, but it's uncertain if this was intentional.
* The Sahtan in [[Vattu]] come off as Rome by another name.
* Parodied in ''Champions and Heroes'' "[https://web.archive.org/web/20201228110016/https://www.smackjeeves.com/discover/detail?titleNo=98261&articleNo=397 From Down Underdark]": the drow have a very different dialect of Elvish due to being long separated… so many spiders… [[Land Down Under|land below]]…
== Web Original ==
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* ''[[Open Blue]]'' has the Axifloan Coalition, [[The Federation|a loose alliance]] of colonial powers consisting of everything from a [[Wooden Ships and Iron Men|17th Century]] [[Nazi Germany]] (Sirene), to Imperial Spain (Avelia), to the Dutch colonial powers (Remillia), to the Russian Empire (Yaman)... [[My Friends and Zoidberg|to Switzerland]] (Axiflos).
* Vulpines in the ''[[Darwin's Soldiers]]'' universe are analogues of modern-day Native Americans. Unfortunately, their depiction is [[Unfortunate Implications|not flattering]].
* The Empire of Soleil from the [[Reincarnation Fantasy|Isekai]] web novel ''[[Tori Transmigrated]]'' is a melting pot composed of quite a few Fantasy Counterpart Cultures, with even more represented elsewhere in the world. Main character Tori is native to the March of Sur, which is vaguely Spanish; other Marches include French-, German- and Nordic-flavored zones, and she is aware of a barony that is basically [[Jane Austen]]-era England, and another which is generic Eastern European/Russian. Soleil is adjacent to Persian and Hindu/Indian-flavored nations, and further away are even more recognizable cultures; Tori, who has been inserted from our world, even tends to think of them inside her head as "Fantasy China", "Fantasy Japan", "Fantasy South America" and so on.
== Western Animation ==
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[[Category:Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]
[[Category:Fictional Culture and Nation Tropes]]
[[Category:Tropes of Hats]]
[[Category:This Index Is Copypasted]]
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