Fictional Country: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
A [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|fictional]] [[Captain Obvious|country]] in [[Like Reality Unless Noted|an otherwise real-world setting]]. May be a [[Fictional Counterpart]] to a [[Real Life]] country, or may be created whole-cloth as a example of a generic political/religious ideology (e.g. a [[Commie Land]] that is not readily identifiable with any of the various, often mutually-exclusive forms of Communism or any specific Communist/Socialist state), and/or with no direct resemblence to any specific [[Real Life]] country.
A [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|fictional]] [[Captain Obvious|country]] in [[Like Reality Unless Noted|an otherwise real-world setting]]. May be a [[Fictional Counterpart]] to a [[Real Life]] country, or may be created whole-cloth as a example of a generic political/religious ideology (e.g. a [[Commie Land]] that is not readily identifiable with any of the various, often mutually-exclusive forms of Communism or any specific Communist/Socialist state), and/or with no direct resemblence to any specific [[Real Life]] country.


[[Sub-Trope|Sub Tropes]]:
[[Sub-Trope|Sub Tropes]]:
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May overlap with [[Commie Land]], [[Darkest Africa]], [[Divided States of America]] (if [some of] the seceding states unite into a ''new'' one that is separate from the others and is ''not'' a successor to the original United States), [[United Europe]], [[Lady Land]] (if set in a [[Like Reality Unless Noted|real-world]] setting, and especially if it's founded by the Amazons of [[Greek Mythology]]), [[One Nation Under Copyright]] (in [[Mega Corp]]-dominated settings).
May overlap with [[Commie Land]], [[Darkest Africa]], [[Divided States of America]] (if [some of] the seceding states unite into a ''new'' one that is separate from the others and is ''not'' a successor to the original United States), [[United Europe]], [[Lady Land]] (if set in a [[Like Reality Unless Noted|real-world]] setting, and especially if it's founded by the Amazons of [[Greek Mythology]]), [[One Nation Under Copyright]] (in [[Mega Corp]]-dominated settings).


{{examples|Examples }}
{{examples|Examples }}
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== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' seems to have Amestris as an analogy for inter-war Germany, with Xing representing Asian countries such as China and Ishbal representing middle-eastern countries.
* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' seems to have Amestris as an analogy for inter-war Germany, with Xing representing Asian countries such as China and Ishbal representing middle-eastern countries.
* Ulgia for Lebanon in the fourth episode of ''[[Noir]]'', as well as the unnamed Middle-Eastern nation in episode 7. The rest of the series takes place in real-world locations like Paris, Spain, and Russia.
* Ulgia for Lebanon in the fourth episode of ''[[Noir]]'', as well as the unnamed Middle-Eastern nation in episode 7. The rest of the series takes place in real-world locations like Paris, Spain, and Russia.
* ''[[Madlax]]'' has a Nafrece (France/Britain hybrid) and Gazth-Sonika (a mixture of Vietnam and the Middle-East) but it's implied to be set in the real world (Japan is mentioned in the early episodes).
* ''[[Madlax]]'' has a Nafrece (France/Britain hybrid) and Gazth-Sonika (a mixture of Vietnam and the Middle-East) but it's implied to be set in the real world (Japan is mentioned in the early episodes).
* ''[[Science Ninja Team Gatchaman]]'' had Ameris (the United States), the Shosken Kingdom (which looks like a version of Egypt), Asham (looks like India - even had a Taj Mahal-like building in one shot), and Indelhia (YMMV: it's supposed to be a sort of India/Western Asia place).
* ''[[Science Ninja Team Gatchaman]]'' had Ameris (the United States), the Shosken Kingdom (which looks like a version of Egypt), Asham (looks like India - even had a Taj Mahal-like building in one shot), and Indelhia (YMMV: it's supposed to be a sort of India/Western Asia place).
** In the third iteration, ''Gatchaman Fighter'', versions of names of existing countries are used, completely forgetting the names used in the original.
** In the third iteration, ''Gatchaman Fighter'', versions of names of existing countries are used, completely forgetting the names used in the original.
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== [[Comic Books]] ==
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* From DC Comics: [[Qurac|Qu]][[Trope Namer|rac]], home of Cheshire, and a rather unsubtle [[Fictional Counterpart]] to [[Iraq]] (pre-[[War On Terror|Iraq War]], obviously), right down to its leader, [[President Evil|President Marlo]], who is an obvious [[Expy]] of Saddam Hussein.
* From DC Comics: [[Qurac|Qu]][[Trope Namer|rac]], home of Cheshire, and a rather unsubtle [[Fictional Counterpart]] to [[Iraq]] (pre-[[War On Terror|Iraq War]], obviously), right down to its leader, [[President Evil|President Marlo]], who is an obvious [[Expy]] of Saddam Hussein.
* There's a lot of fictional countries in Disney comics. Most of them are generic [[Banana Republic|Banana Republics]], [[Ruritania|Ruritanias]] etc., but one of the most notable is Brutopia, a stand-in for the Soviet Union that even appears in [[Don Rosa]]'s stories, which otherwise usually stick to real world countries and locations.
* There's a lot of fictional countries in Disney comics. Most of them are generic [[Banana Republic|Banana Republics]], [[Ruritania|Ruritanias]] etc., but one of the most notable is Brutopia, a stand-in for the Soviet Union that even appears in [[Don Rosa]]'s stories, which otherwise usually stick to real world countries and locations.
** [[Carl Barks]] also created the violent and dangerous country of Unsteadystan, blatantly based on Vietnam. It was engulfed on a civil war after a civil war and one of the first things we get to see is a rebel soldier blowing up America's embassy with grenades.
** [[Carl Barks]] also created the violent and dangerous country of Unsteadystan, blatantly based on Vietnam. It was engulfed on a civil war after a civil war and one of the first things we get to see is a rebel soldier blowing up America's embassy with grenades.
* [[Tintin]] visited a lot of these as well as real-world locations. [[A Nazi by Any Other Name|Borduria]] is a pretty obvious [[Nazi Germany]] counterpart, while its neighbor Syldavia is a particularly well-executed [[Ruritania]]. There's also Khemed, which is a [[Qurac]], and San Theodoros, which is a [[Banana Republic]].
* [[Tintin]] visited a lot of these as well as real-world locations. [[A Nazi by Any Other Name|Borduria]] is a pretty obvious [[Nazi Germany]] counterpart, while its neighbor Syldavia is a particularly well-executed [[Ruritania]]. There's also Khemed, which is a [[Qurac]], and San Theodoros, which is a [[Banana Republic]].


== [[Film]] ==
== [[Film]] ==
* Moronica from [[The Three Stooges]] shorts "You Nazty Spy" and "I'll Never Heil Again"; [[Fictional Counterpart]] to [[Nazi Germany]].
* Moronica from [[The Three Stooges]] shorts "You Nazty Spy" and "I'll Never Heil Again"; [[Fictional Counterpart]] to [[Nazi Germany]].
* ''[[The Great Dictator]]'': Tomania, [[Fictional Counterpart]] to [[Nazi Germany]], Bacteria, [[Fictional Counterpart]] to Fascist Italy, and Osterlitch, [[Fictional Counterpart]] of Austria.
* ''[[The Great Dictator]]'': Tomania, [[Fictional Counterpart]] to [[Nazi Germany]], Bacteria, [[Fictional Counterpart]] to Fascist Italy, and Osterlitch, [[Fictional Counterpart]] of Austria.


== [[Literature]] ==
== [[Literature]] ==
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== [[Western Animation]] ==
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Potsylvania in ''[[Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'', a stand-in for the [[Soviet Union]] and other Eastern Bloc countries.
* Potsylvania in ''[[Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'', a stand-in for the [[Soviet Union]] and other Eastern Bloc countries.
* Thembria in ''[[Tale Spin]]'', [[Fictional Counterpart]] for the [[Soviet Union]].
* Thembria in ''[[Tale Spin]]'', [[Fictional Counterpart]] for the [[Soviet Union]].
* North and South Rhelasia for North and South Korea in ''[[Young Justice (animation)|Young Justice]]''.
* North and South Rhelasia for North and South Korea in ''[[Young Justice (animation)|Young Justice]]''.
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== [[Comic Books]] ==
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* [[DC Comics]]
* [[DC Comics]]
** Markovia, where Terra and Geo Force come from.
** Markovia, where Terra and Geo Force come from.
** The underground country where the vampires who turned Looker come from.
** The underground country where the vampires who turned Looker come from.
** Themyscira, [[Lady Land|home of the Amazons]].
** Themyscira, [[Lady Land|home of the Amazons]].
** Kasnia, a country apparently somewhere in eastern Europe. Over the course of the various series, it starts as a monarchy, briefly becomes a dictatorship which holds the world hostage, undergoes a civil war, a revolution to democracy, and joins the European Union and adopts the Euro as it's currency.
** Kasnia, a country apparently somewhere in eastern Europe. Over the course of the various series, it starts as a monarchy, briefly becomes a dictatorship which holds the world hostage, undergoes a civil war, a revolution to democracy, and joins the European Union and adopts the Euro as it's currency.
* [[Marvel Comics]]:
* [[Marvel Comics]]:
** Latveria and Symkaria, home of [[Doctor Doom]] and the Silver Sable, respectively, and neighbour countries with a single shared border; both of them are monarchies that are ruled by the aforementioned characters (via usurping the original dynasty, in Doom's case), and both countries' leaders maintain some measure of cordial relations between their nations.
** Latveria and Symkaria, home of [[Doctor Doom]] and the Silver Sable, respectively, and neighbour countries with a single shared border; both of them are monarchies that are ruled by the aforementioned characters (via usurping the original dynasty, in Doom's case), and both countries' leaders maintain some measure of cordial relations between their nations.
** Genosha, an island nation with a horrific history of [[Fantastic Racism|anti-mutant discrimination]] that was taken over by [[X-Men]] supervillain Magneto.
** Genosha, an island nation with a horrific history of [[Fantastic Racism|anti-mutant discrimination]] that was taken over by [[X-Men]] supervillain Magneto.
** Wakanda, a strange mixture of high-tech with tribal shields and spears, home of the Black Panther
** Wakanda, a strange mixture of high-tech with tribal shields and spears, home of the Black Panther


== [[Film]] ==
== [[Film]] ==
* The Duchy of Grand Fenwick from ''[[The Mouse That Roared]]'': despite being founded by a ''British'' Knight, it has never been part of any [[Real Life]] country throughout its history; it's just that ''no one'' could be bothered to recognize a few square miles-wide country... Until they ''accidentally'' hijacked a nuclear device.
* The Duchy of Grand Fenwick from ''[[The Mouse That Roared]]'': despite being founded by a ''British'' Knight, it has never been part of any [[Real Life]] country throughout its history; it's just that ''no one'' could be bothered to recognize a few square miles-wide country... Until they ''accidentally'' hijacked a nuclear device.
* Freedonia & Sylvania in ''[[Duck Soup]]''.
* Freedonia & Sylvania in ''[[Duck Soup]]''.
* In the movie ''The Interpreter'', the plot is all about saving the dictator of the fictional African country of Matobo, which could be a stand-in for any sub-Saharan African country. It seems to be like Uganda under Idi Amin.
* In the movie ''The Interpreter'', the plot is all about saving the dictator of the fictional African country of Matobo, which could be a stand-in for any sub-Saharan African country. It seems to be like Uganda under Idi Amin.


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== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
* ''[[24]]'': The African country of Sangala in season 7. There was also an Islamic country that was never named in an earlier season. Jack teams up with an agent from that country (nicknamed "Fauxraqistan" at [[Television Without Pity]].com) for a while.
* ''[[24]]'': The African country of Sangala in season 7. There was also an Islamic country that was never named in an earlier season. Jack teams up with an agent from that country (nicknamed "Fauxraqistan" at [[Television Without Pity]].com) for a while.
* ''[[The West Wing]]'' has Qumar, which is a middle-eastern country that is backwards and whose government officials perpetrate acts of terrorism against the United States. So it's pretty much like...
* ''[[The West Wing]]'' has Qumar, which is a middle-eastern country that is backwards and whose government officials perpetrate acts of terrorism against the United States. So it's pretty much like...
* ''[[Commander in Chief]]'' has the South American country of San Pasquale.
* ''[[Commander in Chief]]'' has the South American country of San Pasquale.
* The fictional 'presidentdom' of Groland in the eponymous satirical news show - mostly a thinly disguised parody of France.
* The fictional 'presidentdom' of Groland in the eponymous satirical news show - mostly a thinly disguised parody of France.


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== [[Video Games]] ==
== [[Video Games]] ==
* The Rogue Isles of ''[[City of Villains]]''.
* The Rogue Isles of ''[[City of Villains]]''.
* ''[[Soul Series|Soulcalibur IV]]'' gives us the fictional country of Wolfkrone, located somewhere in the Holy Roman Empire (present-day Germany) and home to newcomer [[Badass Princess|Hildegard]] [[Lady of War|von]] [[Knight in Shining Armor|Krone]]. Not much of the land has been seen, but it appears to be [[Advanced Ancient Acropolis|quite advanced]] for the late 16th century, considering that the Wolfkrone Monument stage is a carousel complete with animatronic musician-like figures that overlooks a castle and clockwork.
* ''[[Soul Series|Soulcalibur IV]]'' gives us the fictional country of Wolfkrone, located somewhere in the Holy Roman Empire (present-day Germany) and home to newcomer [[Badass Princess|Hildegard]] [[Lady of War|von]] [[Knight in Shining Armor|Krone]]. Not much of the land has been seen, but it appears to be [[Advanced Ancient Acropolis|quite advanced]] for the late 16th century, considering that the Wolfkrone Monument stage is a carousel complete with animatronic musician-like figures that overlooks a castle and clockwork.
* Gallowmere, the setting of the first ''[[MediEvil (1998 video game)|Medievil]]'' game, became this once [[MediEvil 2|the second game]] (set in Victorian-era London) was released.
* Gallowmere, the setting of the first ''[[MediEvil (1998 video game)|Medievil]]'' game, became this once [[MediEvil 2|the second game]] (set in Victorian-era London) was released.


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[[Category:index]]
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:Fictional Country]]
[[Category:Fictional Country]]
[[Category:Fictional Culture and Nation Tropes]]

Revision as of 09:17, 2 September 2014

A fictional country in an otherwise real-world setting. May be a Fictional Counterpart to a Real Life country, or may be created whole-cloth as a example of a generic political/religious ideology (e.g. a Commie Land that is not readily identifiable with any of the various, often mutually-exclusive forms of Communism or any specific Communist/Socialist state), and/or with no direct resemblence to any specific Real Life country.

Sub Tropes:


May overlap with Commie Land, Darkest Africa, Divided States of America (if [some of] the seceding states unite into a new one that is separate from the others and is not a successor to the original United States), United Europe, Lady Land (if set in a real-world setting, and especially if it's founded by the Amazons of Greek Mythology), One Nation Under Copyright (in Mega Corp-dominated settings).

Examples

Fictional Counterpart countries

Anime and Manga

  • Fullmetal Alchemist seems to have Amestris as an analogy for inter-war Germany, with Xing representing Asian countries such as China and Ishbal representing middle-eastern countries.
  • Ulgia for Lebanon in the fourth episode of Noir, as well as the unnamed Middle-Eastern nation in episode 7. The rest of the series takes place in real-world locations like Paris, Spain, and Russia.
  • Madlax has a Nafrece (France/Britain hybrid) and Gazth-Sonika (a mixture of Vietnam and the Middle-East) but it's implied to be set in the real world (Japan is mentioned in the early episodes).
  • Science Ninja Team Gatchaman had Ameris (the United States), the Shosken Kingdom (which looks like a version of Egypt), Asham (looks like India - even had a Taj Mahal-like building in one shot), and Indelhia (YMMV: it's supposed to be a sort of India/Western Asia place).
    • In the third iteration, Gatchaman Fighter, versions of names of existing countries are used, completely forgetting the names used in the original.
  • Academy City and the Elizarina Alliance of Independent Nations in To Aru Majutsu no Index. The former is an independent state in Japan and is the forefront of all science and technology in the Toaruverse, while the latter is an alliance of nations which split themselves from Russia.
  • The Gundam metaverse is all over this trope. Gundam Wing has the Sanc Kingdom[1], Gundam Seed has the United Emirates of Orb[2], and Mobile Suit Gundam 00 has several, most prominently Azadistan[3]. The kings, however, are Gundam X and Turn a Gundam, which both take place After the End and thus have new names for a whole bunch of real-world places (X has San Angelino in California, Turn A has Inglessia, AKA New England).

Comic Books

  • From DC Comics: Qurac, home of Cheshire, and a rather unsubtle Fictional Counterpart to Iraq (pre-Iraq War, obviously), right down to its leader, President Marlo, who is an obvious Expy of Saddam Hussein.
  • There's a lot of fictional countries in Disney comics. Most of them are generic Banana Republics, Ruritanias etc., but one of the most notable is Brutopia, a stand-in for the Soviet Union that even appears in Don Rosa's stories, which otherwise usually stick to real world countries and locations.
    • Carl Barks also created the violent and dangerous country of Unsteadystan, blatantly based on Vietnam. It was engulfed on a civil war after a civil war and one of the first things we get to see is a rebel soldier blowing up America's embassy with grenades.
  • Tintin visited a lot of these as well as real-world locations. Borduria is a pretty obvious Nazi Germany counterpart, while its neighbor Syldavia is a particularly well-executed Ruritania. There's also Khemed, which is a Qurac, and San Theodoros, which is a Banana Republic.

Film

Literature

  • Ligon in the series of the same name by Kir Bulychev is based on his experiences in Burma.
  • Mixo-Lydia in Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire novels, is a stand-in for the unpleasant middle-European country of your choice, but mostly Romania. The Mix-Lydian refugees and diplomats have names like "Bronscu."

Live-Action TV

  • 24 has the Islamic Republic of Kamistan (IRK) in season 8.

Video Games

  • Mega Man Battle Network: While the original series was set in a future version of our world, BN was set in an alternate universe, and thus, has different coutries. Electopia is Japan, Netopia is America and Europe, Netfrica is Africa, and so on.
  • The world in the Ace Combat universe looks like a scrambled version of the real world, and most of the countries are fictional counterparts to real countries, eg Osean Federation=USA, Aurelia=Argentina, Sapin=Spain, Belka=Germany, Wellow=Greenland, Amber=Italy, Delarus=Belarus, Sotoa=Arabia, Kaluga=India, Clavis=Australia, Yuktobania=Russia, etc.

Western Animation

Whole cloth-fictional countries

Anime and Manga

  • Gosick is set in Sauville. Sauville is a tiny French-speaking country between France and Italy. It is supposed to look like a typical western European nation.
  • More Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: Hontwarl, Franbell, Sainan, Dokuaru, and wherever Utoland City is supposed to be located.

Comic Books

  • DC Comics
    • Markovia, where Terra and Geo Force come from.
    • The underground country where the vampires who turned Looker come from.
    • Themyscira, home of the Amazons.
    • Kasnia, a country apparently somewhere in eastern Europe. Over the course of the various series, it starts as a monarchy, briefly becomes a dictatorship which holds the world hostage, undergoes a civil war, a revolution to democracy, and joins the European Union and adopts the Euro as it's currency.
  • Marvel Comics:
    • Latveria and Symkaria, home of Doctor Doom and the Silver Sable, respectively, and neighbour countries with a single shared border; both of them are monarchies that are ruled by the aforementioned characters (via usurping the original dynasty, in Doom's case), and both countries' leaders maintain some measure of cordial relations between their nations.
    • Genosha, an island nation with a horrific history of anti-mutant discrimination that was taken over by X-Men supervillain Magneto.
    • Wakanda, a strange mixture of high-tech with tribal shields and spears, home of the Black Panther

Film

  • The Duchy of Grand Fenwick from The Mouse That Roared: despite being founded by a British Knight, it has never been part of any Real Life country throughout its history; it's just that no one could be bothered to recognize a few square miles-wide country... Until they accidentally hijacked a nuclear device.
  • Freedonia & Sylvania in Duck Soup.
  • In the movie The Interpreter, the plot is all about saving the dictator of the fictional African country of Matobo, which could be a stand-in for any sub-Saharan African country. It seems to be like Uganda under Idi Amin.

Literature

  • The first of Gordon Korman's Macdonald Hall books mentions "Malbonia". The country "Pefkakia" is prominent in The Twinkie Squad, and it is also mentioned in A Semester In The Life Of A Garbage Bag.
  • In the Princess Diaries, the queen is from Genovia, which seems to be a stand-in for the real life nation of Andorra.
  • Chanda's Secrets and Chanda's Wars by Allen Stratton take place in a fictional sub-Saharan African country ravaged by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and civil wars.

Live-Action TV

  • 24: The African country of Sangala in season 7. There was also an Islamic country that was never named in an earlier season. Jack teams up with an agent from that country (nicknamed "Fauxraqistan" at Television Without Pity.com) for a while.
  • The West Wing has Qumar, which is a middle-eastern country that is backwards and whose government officials perpetrate acts of terrorism against the United States. So it's pretty much like...
  • Commander in Chief has the South American country of San Pasquale.
  • The fictional 'presidentdom' of Groland in the eponymous satirical news show - mostly a thinly disguised parody of France.


Newspaper Comics

  • Elbonia from Dilbert, a country populated by ditzes (their national bird is the Frisbee) who live in waist-deep mud.
  • A Garfield strip featured Garfield doing a routine on the fence for a boy scout delegation from the country of Booga-Booga. Made even funnier when he found out the hard way that the only currency in Booga-Booga is 800-pound chariot wheels.

Video Games

  • The Rogue Isles of City of Villains.
  • Soulcalibur IV gives us the fictional country of Wolfkrone, located somewhere in the Holy Roman Empire (present-day Germany) and home to newcomer Hildegard von Krone. Not much of the land has been seen, but it appears to be quite advanced for the late 16th century, considering that the Wolfkrone Monument stage is a carousel complete with animatronic musician-like figures that overlooks a castle and clockwork.
  • Gallowmere, the setting of the first Medievil game, became this once the second game (set in Victorian-era London) was released.

Western Animation

  1. ↑ Denmark according to the sourcebooks
  2. ↑ somewhere in the neighborhood of Samoa
  3. ↑ somewhere in the Middle East
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