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Earth still bears the scars of the Third World War, fought between the great powers at the beginning of the 21st century. The planet currently has a population of about 4.5 billion people. Earth is still home to over a hundred separate nation states, many of which predate the Third World War and subsequent collapse of global civilization and the environment. Four large nations currently dominate international affairs, nearly all in the Southern Hemisphere. The Northern Hemisphere suffered grievously from the Third World War. Europe, Asia, and North America still bear the direct scars of the massive nuclear exchange, and the continental states that once covered them no longer exist. They are divided among a number of shifting successor states, few of which are part of the UN. Each region or continent is examined briefly below, with more attention paid to the most influential states.
Europe: Europe was drawn into the Third World War, and paid a terrible price. Many of the large cities were destroyed, and the social fabric was badly damaged. Europe suffered through several decades of intense ethnic clashes and religiously motivated purges. European states drove out or slaughtered the large numbers of foreign immigrants during the chaos of the 2020's and 2030's; the period is now regarded with horror and shame, and rarely spoken of. Few of the states of prewar Europe survive to the present day. Skandia and the UN efforts to assist in the recovery have marked the modern era, and Europe has made rapid progress towards recovery. Central and Eastern Europe are a constantly changing patchwork of “-vanias” and “-vakias”, interfered with by larger neighbors. The following states stand out as important international actors:
· Skandia- Formed in the postwar era, this union of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and northern Germany was responsible for much of the technological growth of the last century. It is a progressive, humanist nation, a strong believer in social justice and one of the main proponents of the revived United Nations system. The main languages are Swedish and English, which remains the international language of science, trade, and diplomacy. Skandia has been instrumental in the return of civilization to Europe and the North Atlantic, but Skandians can be found nearly anywhere. The Skandian capital is in Stockholm, Sweden.
· Switzerland- This nation rode out the devastation of the war and the subsequent chaos through a policy of heavily armed neutrality, fighting off droves of refugees in the 2020's. When Europe again required a commercial center, the banks of Switzerland were up to the task. Switzerland is now a major world financial center.
· France- Despite the devastation of the war, France retained its national integrity and proud culture. France is an eager participant in the UN, acting to thwart the moves of Skandia almost out of spite.
· NeuDeutschland This large militaristic state occupies the territories of Austria, western Poland, and most of Germany. It seeks a greater role in European affairs, and constantly interferes with the politics of its neighbors. Were it not so occupied with recovery, NeuDeutschland might be a contender for great power status.
· Russia- Russia has all but given up dreams of great power status. Instead, it has focused on developing itself and recovering. It is now a mildly oppressive agrarian state, but it is no threat to its neighbors.
· British Isles- Britain is now split up between the independent republics of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. All are members of the UN, and are otherwise pastoral backwaters.
· Italy- Italy suffered heavily in the post WWIII period. Rome itself was destroyed in fighting, and the Vatican itself was burned. The papacy lay vacant after 2042, when several cardinals relocated to the South American Republic, and restored the papacy in Rio De Janeiro. In 2083, Vatican City was rebuilt, but the current Pope decided not to return. This has caused a doctrinal split, with the more traditionalist Roman papacy leading the Catholics of Europe, while the Southern papacy tended the faithful in South America.
Asia: After the Third Third World War, most of Asia collapsed along with the global economy. India and Pakistan fought a nuclear war of their own, and several Arab and post-Soviet Central Asian states banded together one last time under an Islamist regional government, finally destroying Israel before being destroyed by the Israeli nuclear counterstroke. After a period of massive die-offs, the entire region faded into relative quiet... there was little to fight over, and few people to fight with. When the global economy reappeared, Middle Eastern oil was once again important. Over time, a number of small states reformed, mostly Muslim theocracies and repressive republics of one sort or another. In the current era, the entire region is covered with eternally changing ethnic states referred to collectively as the "-Stans". Southeast Asia and Indonesia provided the core of the postwar recovery. The following states are stable enough to dominate the politics of the region:
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South Asia Co-Prosperity Alliance (SACPA)- Originally formed as a military/economic alliance between Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore after WWIII, SACPA became the backbone for a fairly prosperous state encompassing parts of India, Indonesia, New Guinea, and Indochina as well. It now dominates commerce around the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, with substantial influence in the Middle East. SACPA is not as homogenous as the other large states, due to the immense number of different languages and ethnic groups; the major ones are Indian, Chinese, and Indonesian. Almost by default, English is the lingua franca, though every region has it's own dialect. The national capital of the SACPA is Singapore. SACPA is known as a producer of high-volume but low quality goods, and suffers from a largely undeserved reputation for Byzantine domestic politics and ruthlessness abroad. SACPA is a very modern state, though fairly conservative due to the influence of Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim clergy. Government business is conducted in a fairly secular manner, and religious factionalism is discouraged. · Iran- This Shiite Islamic republic survived the war and collapse mostly intact due to its cultural and religious cohesion. It is now a moderately important regional power, stronger than most of it's neighbors but inward-looking. Iran is relatively cosmopolitan and modern, and takes an active role on the world stage. The Iranian cultural identity is Shiite and Persian both, managing to antagonize neighboring Sunni states and non-Persian Shiites. This leads to a tense security situation around the Persian Gulf, though not as volatile as in past centuries.
· Restored Caliphate- A large Sunni state formed from the various Arab states between Tunisia and the Arabian Peninsula, the Restored Caliphate sees itself as the sole true Islamic state. The Restored Caliphate is ruled under Sharia law, though the clerical judiciary has made enough changes to keep pace with changing times. . Because the Restored Caliphate has possession of Mecca, it has a strong claim to this. The Restored Caliphate is the major regional foil to SACPA, which it regards as misguided and decadent. Despite its size, the Restored Caliphate is not a prosperous nation. Petroleum is no longer so important in the past, and the nature of theocracy limits the industrial and commercial success possible.
Africa: Africa was devastated by the Third World War, and afterwards it sank into oblivion. After a period of chaos and massive bloodshed, the nation state system faded quietly away. Eventually, a new order developed in Africa, one more compatible with the needs and cultures of the indigenous population. In modern times, Africa is divided into three main regions. Saharan Africa is dominated by a series of Muslim states, divided along ethnic lines but largely run according to Sharia law. The Restored Caliphate supports most of these states, but a few have sharp disagreements along cultural or legal lines. The Muslim states in East Africa are divided between those dominated by the Restored Caliphate, and those supported by SACPA. Central Africa is almost entirely a UN protectorate, especially the Congo River region. Several small nations retain independence in West Africa, but they are essentially SAR client states due to the threat posed by the Restored Caliphate. The following states are significant enough to merit special attention:
· Congo Protectorate- The Congo Protectorate was established by the UN to protect the rain forests of the Congo River basin. Stretching from Cameroon to Zambia, this vast region of Africa is almost devoid of large cities, except for Libreville (Gabon). For the most part it is agrarian tribal lands, small towns governed locally, mixed in with nature preserves maintained by UN administrators. Each ethnic and tribal group maintains its own territory, and conflicts are usually resolved by UN mediation. Outside interference is frowned upon, but by and large the largely Muslim populations are happy to be a peripheral part of the world system. The lakes of the Rift Valley form the eastern edge.
· Azania- Azania consists of the territory of the former nations between Namibia and Kenya, all currently unified under a successor regime from South Africa. It is relatively prosperous and modern, especially in comparison to its neighbors. Azania has aspirations towards a unified Africa and international greatness, but it is thwarted by the proximity of the SACPA and the UN, both of which meddle in African affairs. The region around Lake Victoria is heavily populated and urbanized, a contrast to the bucolic regions in the desert southwest. The economy in the region is putting great hope into building an equatorial catapult similar to the one owned by the SAR in Venezuela.
Pacific Rim: This part of the world was the primary battlefield of the Third World War, and suffered accordingly. All four major combatants shared Pacific borders, and the nuclear devastation was correspondingly severe. China, Japan, and Russia all collapsed after the nuclear exchange, and large parts of the continental interiors remain barren wastelands to this day. Following the war, the region fell under the domination of several artificial intelligences, ruled as something called the Amur Republic. When this collapsed in the 2030's, it led to the "Amur Wars", a series of catastrophes even worse than the preceding nuclear war, albeit regional in scale. To this day, software AI's are banned everywhere in the civilized world.China and Siberia have broken up into numerous small states; SACPA dominates the southwestern regions, while Oceania and Japan maintain influence over the coastal regions. The interior regions remain in chaos to this day, ruled by bandit chieftains, petty warlords, and worse. Korea is unified and independent, though largely isolated by choice from the outside world.
· Oceania- Dominated by Australia from the outset, this started as a union of Australia, New Zealand, and dozens of small island states as a defense and trade cooperative. Over time, this alliance expanded northward, annexing Hokkaido, the Russian territories in the Pacific, and eventually most of Alaska. It now dominates most of the Pacific Ocean. This mainly English-speaking nation is one of the largest proponents of aquaculture, exporting food from open ocean farms around the dozens of islands and along the coasts. It constantly butts heads with both SACPA and the UN over the issue of ocean usage rights, but it has always been a strong supporter of the UN. The "Kiwis" as New Zealanders are still called, are one of the most aggressively pro-UN groups anywhere, and they fill the ranks of UN inspection and investigation teams. Australians, while not as gung-ho about the UN's policies, nevertheless volunteer in droves for the small but professional UN military. Oceania is frequently involved in small conflicts in the Indonesian chain and in China, often against SACPA. Oceania's capitol is Wellington, New Zealand, and the official language is English.
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Japan- Despite the destruction of most cities in Japan, and the resulting mass starvation, which nearly depopulated the home islands, Japan's unequaled cultural cohesion allowed it to recover to some extent. Modern Japan is a minor traditionalist power, a largely agrarian state with a moderate population and perhaps the only remaining true monarchy in the world. Certain segments of society crave to restore Japan to its former greatness, but by and large it is content to live in the distant past. Japan is a popular tourist destination, having restored most of its ancient landmarks over the decades.
North America: North America was badly damaged in the Third World War, with both nuclear attack and extensive conventional fighting in Alaska and the American Southwest. None of the states of North America survived the chaos of the postwar period intact. Numerous successor states have formed and stabilized since then. North America is balkanized, and tends to be tense and conflict-ridden, a situation made worse because of the high sophistication of the various states.
· American Federal Republic- The American Federal Republic is the most powerful nation in North America, and the only one with interstellar significance. It was formed by a unification of the remnants of the USA and Canada in the postwar period, and stretches from the Dakotas to Maine, north to Ontario, and south to Oklahoma and the Mason-Dixon line. It is a major industrial power with orbital facilities, a moderately powerful navy, and a large population. The AFR is a quasi-fascist state with pretensions of ruling a united North America, and is one of the major foils to the UN globally.
· Quebec- This fiercely independent nation is the only French-speaking nation in North America. It has poor relations with its neighbors, but close ties to France and the UN. It maintains tense relations with the AFR, with constant disputes over waterways and resources.
· Maritime Federation- Nova Scotia, Labrador, and Newfoundland maintain good relations with Europe and the UN, mainly as a counterbalance to the AFR.
· Canada- The central provinces retain their identity as Canada, with their capital in Edmonton. Canada is a bucolic agricultural backwater, essentially a client state of the AFR. Canada trades agricultural resources for regional autonomy.
· Polar Republic- Eastern Alaska, Yukon, Nunavit and the Northwest territories have joined together at the roof of the world. The Polar Republic is largely populated by Anglos and Inuit, and has little to do with the outside world.
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Confederacy of American States "Dixie"- The states south of the Mason-Dixon line have again formed a confederacy as a counterweight to the AFR's dominance in North America. They are strongly independent, and the Mason-Dixon line is a fortified and frequently fought-across line. Oddly, "Dixie" has little involvement with the UN, preferring to make its own way in the world. They remain independent largely due to the presence of large numbers of troops from the SouthAm Republic, which helps keep the AFR on its toes. · Pacific Union- A unified state stretching from Oregon to British Columbia, and west to the Rockies, this large but low-population country is a progressive, forward-looking regional power. The state formed from a unification of Northern California, the Mountain States, and British Columbia. The Pacific Union is strongly supportive of the UN, but not as active or vocal as Oceania, which it maintains strong relations to.
· SoCal Republic- A largely Hispanic nation formed from the San Joaquin valley and Los Angeles, now dominating southern California. SoCal is poor and militaristic, as it is surrounded by hostile neighbors, but it maintains a somewhat constitutional government patterned after the prewar United States.
· Texas- Once again, Texas is a fiercely independent state, trapped between larger neighbors, known for irrational belligerence in the face of threats. The borders are still defined by rivers, though it now claims New Mexico to the Rio Grande. It maintains a large military, and is relatively poor as a result. Texas is known for both cattle and mercenaries, as it exports little else. Smaller than all of its neighbors, it has not been successfully attacked since the 2020’s.
· Sovereign Deseret- This Mormon theocracy formed when Utah seceded and then annexed the nearby desert states. It has aggressively cultivated the desert, and is now an exporter of food. It now dominates most of the western desert, including Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming and Colorado west of the Front Range.
· Aztlan- This Spanish speaking nation is run along vaguely Marxist lines, and formed from the northern and central states of Mexico, portions of the US Southwest, and Baja California. Aztlan identifies itself as a truly Mestizo nation, and uses extensive Aztec themes in its nationalist imagery.
· Mexico- The southern states and portions of the Yucatan retained the identity of Mexico, centered on Mexico City. Mexico and Aztlan are bitter enemies, while Mexico and Texas remain uneasy trading partners. Mexico retains a military government, eighty years after it was established.
Central and South America: The South American Republic largely dominates this part of the world. Central America and the northern regions are a series of small, poor, but relatively stable states that have existed since the 20th Century. Central America is still recovering from the annexations by Mexico in the 2010's. In 2075, South America became the new seat of power for the Catholic Church, when the papacy evacuated Rome in 2042, and established New Vatican in Rio de Janeiro. Under the Southern Papacy, which reflected the reality of Roman Catholicism as the dominant faith in the hemisphere, the church modernized and changed on numerous doctrinal points. When the Vatican City in Rome was restored, a huge rift developed between Northern and Southern Catholicism.
· South American Republic- This large, powerful nation formed from the union of Argentina and Chile, and later Brazil. It is one of the economic powerhouses of the world, benefiting heavily from the immense population of Brazil. The SAR was an early beneficiary of the UN, when the Amazon basin was placed under UN conservancy. In exchange for this ceding of land, the UN makes substantial payments to the SAR. A number of immense pharmaceutical companies make their homes in the SAR. The citizenry of the SAR are predominately Roman Catholic, and speak a blended dialect of Spanish and Portuguese distinct from either mother tongue. The SAR is involved in constant political intrigues with its neighbors to the north, especially the unstable successor states in North America. The capital of the SAR is Buenos Aires, Argentina. There is a great deal of social tension between the devout Catholics and the gene-altering technocrats, complicating the task of government in the SAR.
· Brazilian UN Protectorate- Brazil and the Amazon basin are now ruled directly by the United Nations, which seeks to both protect the rain forest and the indigenous peoples who live there. The UN pays a lease to the South American Republic, which took the majority of the resettled population in 2090. Few people live in the area, other than researchers, administrators, and the local indigenous tribes.
Luna and Cislunar Space: Stretching from the edge of Earth's atmosphere to lunar orbit is a band of heavily populated space, filled with orbital factories, satellites, defense stations, and massive orbital habitats. Large-scale settlement and exploitation began in the 2080's just before the outbreak of WW4. Approximately twenty million people make their permanent homes in orbital habitat. Most people are citizens of whatever nation of Megacorp established their home habitat. In 2095, a loose confederacy of major habitats and dozens of smaller ones which declared their independence from Earth. A tense standoff currently exists between this group, called the “Orbitals” and the owning nations and corporations. I
· Luna - The official name of Earth's moon is Luna, though only people in government refer to it as that. Luna was first settled in the early 2080’s, and now has a population of several hundred thousand colonists scattered among dozens of underground sites across the bright face of the moon. Most construction is carried out below the surface. Luna's main industry is supplying raw materials for space construction, metals, regolith, and water ice.
· ZeeGee Nation - Perhaps the most intriguing development is the rise of "ZeeGee" (Zero-Gee) culture. Most habitats use spin to generate gravity, resulting in a mostly Earthlike environment. On smaller, older habitats without this luxury, generations of people grew up without gravity. Eventually, these people began to alter their genomes to better suit life in space through genetic therapy and radical surgery. These people saw themselves as the true inheritors of outer space, and have mildly disguised disdain for people who require gravity, calling them "Dirtsiders". ZeeGee's have the "Spacer" body type and are quite physically distinct. There are now thousands of ZeeGees inhabiting large numbers of smaller habitats throughout Cislunar Space. "ZeeGee" is now a recognized ethnic group, with a distinct English-variant language heavily laden with technical slang from a dozen other languages.
Mars and Beyond: Mars has a small permanent settlement at Chryse Planetia, administered by the UN. Several thousand colonists live there, engaged in farming, mining, and basic research. Mars has been targeted for large-scale colonization in the near future, though the specific plans remain unclear. Mars is split politically between a faction that wants to maintain the status quo, and a small but well-heeled minority that wants to terraform Mars using ice asteroid. This split is deep, and talk of revolt or revolution is not uncommon. Bad science fiction notwithstanding, the Asteroid Belt is far too sparse to support more than a small population. A couple of large asteroids have been converted into habitats or research stations, and small robotic probes prowl the region. Jupiter is quite distant from the rest of the solar system, but even here, some humans call it home. Small mining and research stations can be found on most major moons, though there are no official colonies. Jovian space is a harsh, dangerous place, and there is little reason for anyone to try and settle here with so many other options available. Beyond Jupiter, no permanent science stations exist.
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