Fictional countries

[Doomhippie]

Well, now, how about Quflad-al-Quh, which is sounds a lot like the German version of "Droppings of a Cow". Another country my cousin came up with and is of course an Arabic state full of intrigue and warlords...

[Arlequín]

Along with "Freedonia" and "Slyvannia" from Duck Soup, another made up country from the world of film is "The Grand Duchy of Fenwick" in The Mouse that Roared.

Personally though, my favorite name for a made up country comes from Joseph Conrad's novel Nostromo where the dramatic action takes place in the fictional country of "Costaguana" ("The Bird-sh*t Coast" for those who slept through Spanish 101).

Ed

I'd forgotten Fenwick, what an excellent film  There is also 'Passport to Pimlico' 

I tend to be semi-serious when I plan stuff like this though and the end result is halfway to becoming a demographic report.

'Nostromo' looks like a good book, I must try it. I read 'In the Heart of Darkness' and somehow missed that one.

[Gluteus Maximus]

Along with "Freedonia" and "Slyvannia" from Duck Soup, another made up country from the world of film is "The Grand Duchy of Fenwick" in The Mouse that Roared.

Personally though, my favorite name for a made up country comes from Joseph Conrad's novel Nostromo where the dramatic action takes place in the fictional country of "Costaguana" ("The Bird-sh*t Coast" for those who slept through Spanish 101).

Ed

I'd forgotten Fenwick, what an excellent film  There is also 'Passport to Pimlico' 

I tend to be semi-serious when I plan stuff like this though and the end result is halfway to becoming a demographic report.

'Nostromo' looks like a good book, I must try it. I read 'In the Heart of Darkness' and somehow missed that one.

Whilst I loved "Heart Of Darkness" and read it in a couple of sittings, so far I have really struggled to get into "Nostromo" 
I've heard others say it's a "difficult" book, so I hope you have more success than I did. I may try again soon.

"Costaguano" is a fantastic name for a fictional third-world country and I'm sure I can incorporate it into my Darkest Africa gaming. Somehow it sums up a whole nation in just one word. 

Maybe I'll try and translate it into French or German, as that would fit better.

[Gluteus Maximus]

There is also 'Passport to Pimlico'   

Pimlico is a real place,  in London, BTW, but sounds like a great name for a fictional country 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimlico

[Arlequín]

There is also 'Passport to Pimlico'   

Pimlico is a real place,  in London, BTW, but sounds like a great name for a fictional country 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimlico

Passport to Pimlico is a late 40's film iirc. An unexploded bomb is set off by some children and reveals documents that show the area of Pimlico was given to Charles the Bold and that Pimlico is therefore the last remnant of the Duchy Of Burgundy and not part of England.

Google it for the whole plot, but it is English satire at its best.

Classic Quotes:-

from Pimlico's only Police Constable on reading the charter "Blimey, I'm a foreigner!"

from an English soldier guarding the 'border' to a woman trapped by the blockade "serves you right for shopping abroad".
 

[Gluteus Maximus]

Passport to Pimlico is a late 40's film iirc. An unexploded bomb is set off by some children and reveals documents that show the area of Pimlico was given to Charles the Bold and that Pimlico is therefore the last remnant of the Duchy Of Burgundy and not part of England.

Google it for the whole plot, but it is English satire at its best.

Classic Quotes:-

from Pimlico's only Police Constable on reading the charter "Blimey, I'm a foreigner!"

from an English soldier guarding the 'border' to a woman trapped by the blockade "serves you right for shopping abroad".
 

Ah, I see!
Sorry, I hadn't heard of that film before. Sounds like it would be right up my street, though 

I'll keep a lookout for it on the satellite tv channels.

[Red Ed]

Passport to Pimlico is a late 40's film iirc. An unexploded bomb is set off by some children and reveals documents that show the area of Pimlico was given to Charles the Bold and that Pimlico is therefore the last remnant of the Duchy Of Burgundy and not part of England.

Google it for the whole plot, but it is English satire at its best.

Sounds like a hoot, I'll have to seek it out.

A couple more fictional countries from movies are "Paradore" from Moon Over Paradore (a must see on my list) and "Syriana" from the George Clooney film of the same name.

From another medium, the internet, one that has had me laughing ever since I read in a geography journal about its existence and about the role it has played in the conflict between Pope John Paul II and Bishop Jacques Gaillot, France's pesky "Red Cleric" is "Partenia."

For background here is a story from the NY Times: Link Here

Here is Partenia's website: Link Here

And here is an interview with the Bishop of Partenia: Link Here

Cheer's

Ed

[Arlequín]

I took the plunge and put some thought into the idea of a 'fictional country'.

I found a map of Haiti/Dominican Republic (Hispaniola) which was quite colourful and was devoid of towns, roads etc and used that as my base. Geographical information was readily available, so I took that pretty much as it was from Wikipedia.

The Caribbean was not the best location for my needs, so I re-located my island to the East Coast of Africa. Much to the surprise of the natives   I didnt need to locate it exactly as I don't intend making it part of the bigger picture of the region, the knowledge that it is there somewhere was sufficient.

As a rough timeline, the island was home to an indigenous population. Arab traders/slavers established posts there. The Spanish 'discovered' it in the early 16th Century. Successive centuries saw the Dutch colonise part of it along with the French. The English took over the Dutch colony. So by the 19th Century we have a large Spanish colony, a French colony, an independant Arab state and an English Colony. The Arabs suffered the loss of some territory to Italy towards the end of the 19th Century.

So the stage is pretty much set for the 20th century... A civil war in the former Spanish colony, Italian invasion of the 'Arab' interior, followed by invasion of the British Colony. The French and 'Spanish' fighting Rif-like tribes in the hills. Vichy French colonials versus the British.

Later conflicts might include; The French fighting to keep their colony and failing. Soviet support of the former Italian colony, as well as numerous 'Brush-fire wars' into the bargain.

Going back in time, I can game from the Elizabethan era, right through to a 'Sudan-a-like' campaign in the late 19th Century and all points inbetween. It's just the matter of filling out the appropriate fluff in the Island's history.

Anachronisms abound, but are relatively minor. The advantages are many as I can tweak each period to suit; The Vickers Medium Tank gets to fight in a real war, if I so choose and the Republicans get some T28 tanks If I'm feeling generous too. I can have some fun with leader and unit names and play some RPG's in this setting too. The posibilities are pretty endless.

Okay there are some drawbacks. I can't justify massive German involvement in WW2, but that suits me, likewise American and British later war stuff is out too, until the post-war period. Having said that, I'm not really interested in playing them anyway, so no problem there for me. My interest in WW2 is pretty much over by 1942 in any case. 

So there we have it, a one-size pretty much suits all campaign setting.

[twrchtrwyth]

For an excellent guide to fictional places you should read The New Traveller's Almanac from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen volume 2, comic or trade paperback.

Interestingly, (maybe), due to technicalities within British law, Wales may be a fictional country too!!

[Gluteus Maximus]

For an excellent guide to fictional places you should read The New Traveller's Almanac from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen volume 2, comic or trade paperback.

Interestingly, (maybe), due to technicalities within British law, Wales may be a fictional country too!!

Well, having visited Cardiff on numerous occasions, it had occurred to me that this might be the case 

[Wirelizard]

Wales may be a fictional country too!!

All countries are fictional. Some are just a lot more fictional than others! 

To poach from somewhere upthread, I like "Costagauno". I think I'll borrow it for a small country (or possibly British colony) somewhere in Central or South America. Or maybe Africa. Kind of hard to tell minor details like continents in some pulp stories anyway!

[Monk]

To poach from somewhere upthread, I like "Costagauno". I think I'll borrow it for a small country (or possibly British colony) somewhere in Central or South America. Or maybe Africa. Kind of hard to tell minor details like continents in some pulp stories anyway!

Yes, since reading that, I've been enthused to finally create a name for my developing Central American republic: Republica Democratica de Nuevo Costaguano. 

A nation meddled with by the unscrupulous Dale Fruit Company in the 30's, German agents in the 40's  (including post-war visits), the CIA hunting Communists in the 50's and 60's and even the occasional Communist.  It stands as one of the few nations to have adopted a constitution mandating the right of senior military officials to stage juntas in times of unrest, perceived unrest, or foreign resource exploitation. 

[Doomhippie]

And what's the capital's name? Macho Grande?

[PeteMurray]

And what's the capital's name? Macho Grande?

I just can't get over Macho Grande.

[Leapsnbounds]

Gee, I use the fantasy world of Glorantha for my Renaissance and fantasy games and carved out a couple of countries to my liking there as I've already used so much of that stuff already.