History Main / Qurac

* The ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' version of Qurac is, [[SubvertedTrope surprisingly]], not this trope, but apparently a fairly developed country with a democratically elected leader, and also apparently [[ArtisticLicenseGeography contains a savanna region that resembles Tanzania or Kenya]] (despite [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120318153426/youngjustice/images/b/b2/Qurac_and_Bialya.png an in-universe map]] indicating that Qurac is Jordan and Bialya is Iraq). However, its neighbor Bialya, ruled by the {{Mind Control}}ling supervillainess [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Bee]], fits much better.

** There is also Bialya (also wiped off the face of the Earth, during ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo''), which was a stand-in for Syria and was heavily featured when JLA was JLI. And there's Umar (a thinly-veiled Iraq, complete with America-instigated war during the Joe Kelly ''ComicBook/{{JLA}}'' run). Not to mention Kahndaq (a more liberalized Egypt, ruled by Pharaonic AntiHero Black Adam).

* ''[[Film/ErnestPWorrell Ernest in the Army]]'' revolves around a war between the fictional Persian Gulf countries of Arizia and Karifistan.

* ''Film/BenHur'' had a few scenes of Arabia during BibleTimes[=/=]AncientRome time. Of particular note was Ilderim, a [[BoisterousBruiser lusty, swaggering sheik]] who gleefully raised Arabian horses and cleverly mocked the Roman soldiers. It's his chariot that Heston is driving in the famous Chariot Race scene. A [[InterchangeableAsianCultures linguistic blunder]] in that Ilderim is a Turkic name (meaning 'thunderbolt'; ''yıldırım'' in modern Turkish). In the period when ''Ben-Hur'' was set, the ancestral Turks were still living in East Asia and had not made any contact with Arabs yet.

* Qurac, the TropeNamer, from the Franchise/DCUniverse. In the 1980s, Qurac appeared in ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans New Teen Titans]]'' (where it was introduced), ''[[Franchise/{{Superman}} Adventures of Superman]]'', and ''ComicBook/SuicideSquad''. It was initially a blatant stand-in for Iraq (it was led by President Marlo, who was drawn to resemble Saddam Hussein, and it was at war with a country called Kyran). Qurac sponsored a HumongousMecha attack on Metropolis and a team of superpowered terrorists called the Jihad. Superman disarmed the country's military. In a three-issue Superman story called ''The Sinbad Contract'' focused on Quraci immigrants living in Metropolis, Qurac gained a few traits from Iran (specifically, a past leader called a Shah predating Marlo's regime). This story established that [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome large numbers of people had fled Qurac over its government's actions]]. In the 90s, Qurac was wiped off the face of Earth by the assassin Cheshire, using nukes she stole and ultimately detonated for the [[ForTheEvulz evilulz]]. Its appearances after ''ComicBoo/{{Flashpoint}}'' have been very rare (Scott Lobdell has used it to re-set [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily events that originally took place in Ethiopia]]), and it appeared in a Steve Orlando-written fill-in arc of ''ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth''.

The modern [[ArabianNightsDays Arabian Nights]] version tends to be ruled by a [[ArabOilSheikh gobsmackingly rich Sultan and/or Sheikh]], with his doe-eyed concubines to be put at the disposal of the Honoured Effendi. Oil is compulsory. Often a CrapsaccharineWorld that still uses beheadings, hangings and stonings for minor crimes despite the facade of a ShiningCity with CrystalSpiresAndTogas (in other words, a kind of Middle Eastern Brunei). Prototypes are UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia, the UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates (especially Dubai), pre-revolution UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} and other oil-rich areas in the Arabian Peninsula, and the UsefulNotes/{{Maldives}}.

The third version is a Jihadistan ruled by a junta of religious fanatics, imams, ayatollahs and mullahs. [[NoWomansLand You are likely to see only men in the streets]], with women either being [[StayInTheKitchen locked in their homes]] or wearing black burqas and escorted by men. An overall sense of squalor and apathy prevails, interrupted by occasional flag burnings, beheadings and stonings. Oil optional. Prototypes are Taliban-era Afghanistan (who appears to be a mix of types 2 and 3), the former Soviet republic of UsefulNotes/{{Tajikistan}} during its civil war, Islamic State-occupied territory, the Tribal Zone in Pakistan, the [[UsefulNotes/TheKashmirQuestion disputed region of Kashmir]] on the border between Pakistan and UsefulNotes/{{India}}, and Bangladesh during it's Liberation War. UsefulNotes/{{Iran}}'s current regime appears to be a mix of types 2 (especially when a creator wants to play up their enmity with Western countries like UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates) and 3 (especially when a creator wants to play up their theocratic elements), though as mentioned above, it leaned toward type 1 before the shah was overthrown.

The third version is a Jihadistan ruled by a junta of religious fanatics, imams, ayatollahs and mullahs. [[NoWomansLand You are likely to see only men in the streets]], with women either being [[StayInTheKitchen locked in their homes]] or wearing black burqas and escorted by men. An overall sense of squalor and apathy prevails, interrupted by occasional flag burnings, beheadings and stonings. Oil optional. Prototypes are Taliban-era Afghanistan (who appears to be a mix of types 2 and 3), the former Soviet republic of UsefulNotes/{{Tajikistan}} during its civil war, Islamic State-occupied territory, the Tribal Zone in Pakistan, the [[UsefulNotes/TheKashmirQuestion disputed region of Kashmir]] on the border between Pakistan and UsefulNotes/{{India}}, and Bangladesh during it's Liberation War. UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} appears to be a mix of types 1, 2, and 3.

* ''VideoGame/Diablo2'' has Kehjistan, which is based on South Asia, though interestingly has plenty of {{Mayincatec}} influences, a DarkestAfrican feel, and is the seat of power of a monotheistic, very Christian influenced world religion.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** "Magic Duel" has a nearly throw-away reference to a foreign land called Saddle Arabia. Nothing is really known about it apart from its name and it being a different country from Equestria, but two its ambassadors are briefly seen: they wear pony-clothing quite clearly inspired by the Arabian Nights aesthetic. Interestingly enough they are much taller and slenderer than Equestrian ponies: nearly as tall as Princess Celestia.

** Zilkistan from the [[Anime/CodeGeassLelouchOfTheResurrection movie continuity]] is this as well.
* ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'''s anime features the fictional country of Helmajistan, which was a {{bowdlerization}} -- the novels use Afghanistan instead. The reasoning for this was because the original books were written before 9/11 and UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror began. When the anime went into production, it was considered too soon to use Afghanistan, so a fictional substitute was used instead.
* Belgistan in ''Anime/{{Gasaraki}}''.
* Azadistan in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00''. Azadistan is quite obviously Iran/Persia, from its location to its name (آزادستان, Persian for "land of freedom"). ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' also features a short-lived, war-torn Kurdish Republic on Azadistan's border. Which is more proof of Azadistan being a future version of Iran, since if a Kurdish nation were ever formed it would inherently be along the northwest border of Iran since that's where Kurds have lived for over a thousand years.

* Afbagistan is the fictional setting of Rick Veitch's scabrous War On Terror satire ''Army@Love''.
* ''ComicBook/DastardlyAndMuttley'' has the nation of Unliklistan, which is ruled King Ahuk-Ahuk-Harem, seems to be both incredibly poor and anti-West, and gets blown up by [[GreenRocks Unstabilium-239]] at the start of the story. The Senators investigating the Unstabilium realize that no one's ever heard of Unliklistan, to the point that it appears to have popped up over night. It's eventually concluded that the Unstabilium must have [[RealityWarper created it wholesale]].

* In the [[FrancoBelgianComics French]] [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness more-or-less hard]] Sci-Fi comic ''ComicBook/{{Gipsy}}'', there's a "Socialist Republic of Turdistan" in chapter #5.

** Season 8 gives us the Islamic Republic of Kamistan, which seems to be a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed version of Iran, with Creator/AnilKapoor as a reforming President.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E7TheZygonInvasion "The Zygon Invasion"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E8TheZygonInversion "The Zygon Inversion"]], the militant Zygons (who are directly equated within the story with Islamic terrorists) have occupied a small town in the fictional country of "Turmezistan", which appears to be somewhere in Central Asia, serving as a stand-in for RealLife Central Asian country Turkmenistan.
** Turmezistan returns in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E7ThePyramidAtTheEndOfTheWorld "The Pyramid at the End of the World"]]. At this point, it's somehow become a major geopolitical flashpoint, with American, Russian and Chinese forces openly confronting each other, and hence where the eponymous pyramid appears.

* Berzerkistan in ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}''. Its now-deposed dictator Trff Bmzklfrpz borrows some elements from former Turkmenistan president Saparmurat Niyazov, including the willy-nilly renaming of various things.

* The ''VideoGame/{{ARMA}} II'' expansion ''Operation Arrowhead'' has Takistan, a deliberate CultureChopSuey version of this trope. The conflict starts similar to the First Gulf War -- Takistan tries to invade its southern neighbour for oil and the US and NATO answer by invading them -- than becomes like the Second Gulf War -- government is disbanded and dictador executed, starting a insurgency of loyalists and islamists that coalition forces have to deal afterwards -- and the general geography and culture is based after Afghanistan: a very hilly and mountainbous desert country, filled with small villages divided in semi-tribal and clan-based societies.

** ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019'' plays this straight with the fictional wartorn country of Urzikstan, a thinly-disguised expy of Syria and Chechnya. Despite having the -stan suffix, it's an [[AllMuslimsAreArab Arab country]], which as noted above is unheard of in real life. What makes it even more bizarre is that, even though it is located in the Caucasus Mountains like Chechnya (so it should've been a temperate, mountainous forest country), [[ArtisticLicenseGeography the landscape is nothing but a sandy wasteland]] the likes of Syrian Desert. (Funnily enough, Syria has a region similar to Chechnya (mountains of Latakia), but Urzikstan - despite being located in the same mountain range as Chechnya - doesn't.)

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'' had a Central Asian country called Aldastan with heavy GLA presence. Since the names of cities are real, it implies that Aldastan was formed from the breakup of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan rather than being a fully fictional country. Considering how unstable some Central Asian Republics are (Tajikistan being near the top, just above Afghanistan), this example may turn HarsherInHindsight in the near future.

* The nations of North and South Azbaristan in ''VideoGame/JASFJanesAdvancedStrikeFighters''. The countries are named "Phrase-istan", North Azbaristan is a military dictatorship, the island they're on is mostly scrubby desert, and the voice-overs all have vaguely Arabic- or Persian-sounding accents.

* ''WesternAnimation/CodeMonkeys'' had Khakistan, whose population is 90% terrorists (according to text at the top of the screen), and the main export was khaki pants (which grow on cacti), and whose leader, King [[PunnyName Huj Asman]] had kidnapped Dave and Todd (believing Todd to be Jerry) as to make games for the [=ImpalaVision=] consoles he stole to corner the market (as the US had pants subsidies, allowing The Gap to flood the market with cheap knockoffs, causing Kakhistan's economy to suffer). However, the Game-A-Vision staff manages to rescue them in time before the US bombs the hell out of the country (having thought that they had stolen the consoles to make a supercomputer that was capable of targeting the greatest infidel cities of the West; [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike Dave had thought that too]], only to have Asman to dismiss that as being "crazy" and then [[HypocriticalHumor introduce his real plan]]). Also, they used to have magic and flying carpets, but the Jews somehow "stole their magic" (according to Asman).

** There's also Yakyakistan, a Turkic-esque country to the north of Equestria inhabited by sapient yaks that wear Mongol-style hats, have a culture heavily based on violence and brute strength, and communicate in HulkSpeak.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground'' featured Tashistan, a desert country with clear Middle Eastern architecture and a currency consisting of "dinars" and "rials" (which are both real currencies used in real Middle-Eastern countries). It's ruled by a Sultan, and [[CrapsackWorld this being Sonic Underground]], it's a rather poverty-stricken place. At one point Sonic and Manic cross-dress as stereotypical Middle-Eastern dancers for infiltration.

See also {{Bulungi}}, {{Ruritania}}, BananaRepublic and TropicalIslandAdventure.

* The ''VideoGame/FullSpectrumWarrior'' games use Zekistan, a Qurac setting for modern desert combat that lacks the real-world political aspects of Afghanistan or Iraq.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* In UsefulNotes/TonyBlair's memoirs, he recalls a visit to UsefulNotes/{{Pakistan}} where on the way from Islamabad Airport to the city he saw people on the embankment, men in white robes and veiled women. This despite the fact that there is 1) no embankment anywhere near the route, it is pretty much an expressway almost all the way, 2) that Pakistani men do not wear white "robes" like Arabs do (shalwar khameez on the other hand...) and Pakistani women do not usually wear a veil and especially not in the region where Islamabad is located (head-covering scarves, on the other hand...). They might not have been native Pakistanis but rather visitors from Saudi Arabia or Yemen, but it has been noted by the field of psychology that, dispositions notwithstanding, the brain is a very generous organ; when there is need, it will supply.
* Following the 2010-2011 protests in UsefulNotes/{{Tunisia}} (resulting in the resignation of President Ben Ali and dissolution of the current administration), a specific interview had one protest leader quoted as demanding certain democratic ideals from the incoming government, most of all "...national dignity! We are not a Bananas [sic] Republic!"
* During the Republican primary race in 2011, Herman Cain was asked a question about his knowledge of foreign policy; his joke answer included the country of "Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan" in reference to UsefulNotes/{{Uzbekistan}}, where [[UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton Hillary Clinton]] was visiting at the time.
* [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks United States Army]] [[MilitaryAcademy Reserve Officers' Training Corps]] programs at universities involve planning operations in an area that includes the edges of the Middle East and the Caucasus. Maps tend to show that the United States Army was not particularly creative in renaming the countries: the most creative was turning UsefulNotes/{{Azerbaijan}} into "Atropia" (and that was the only country that didn't have its capital city renamed or misspelled) and calling UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}} "Kemalia" (the man who is considered to be the father of the modern state of Turkey was named Mustafa Kemal); other than that, they don't go much further than rearranging the letters and adding or removing one or two letters.
** Still doing better than the [[UsefulNotes/BritsWithBattleships British Army's]] Land Warfare Centre, where operations are planned on maps of Salisbury Plain training area... titled "Wessexstan'', and where ground briefs always describe the prominent "Avon Wadi"...
* In 2015, a prank poll in the United States asked voters if they supported bombing "[[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Agrabah]]". 30% of Republican respondents and 19% of Democratic respondents said yes.
[[/folder]]

The third version is a Jihadistan ruled by a junta of religious fanatics, imams, ayatollahs and mullahs. [[NoWomansLand You are likely to see only men in the streets]], with women either being [[StayInTheKitchen locked in their homes]] or wearing black burqas and escorted by men. An overall sense of squalor and apathy prevails, interrupted by occasional flag burnings, beheadings and stonings. Oil optional. Prototypes are Taliban-era Afghanistan (who appears to be a mix of types 2, and 3), the former Soviet republic of UsefulNotes/{{Tajikistan}} during its civil war, Islamic State-occupied territory, the Tribal Zone in Pakistan, the [[UsefulNotes/TheKashmirQuestion disputed region of Kashmir]] on the border between Pakistan and UsefulNotes/{{India}}, and Bangladesh during it's Liberation War. UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} appears to be a mix of types 1, 2, and 3.

* The Anime/LupinIIIRedJacket series has several episodes featuring these; [[Recap/LupinIIIS2E65 one of them]], for example, takes place in Cocodad; an impoverished desert nation of only three thousand people.

* Qurac, the TropeNamer, from the Franchise/DCUniverse. In the 1980s, Qurac appeared in ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans New Teen Titans]]'' (where it was introduced), ''[[Franchise/{{Superman}} Adventures of Superman]]'', and ''ComicBook/SuicideSquad''. It was initially a blatant stand-in for Iraq (it was led by President Marlo, who was drawn to resemble Saddam Hussein, and it was at war with a country called Kyran). Qurac sponsored a HumongousMecha attack on Metropolis and a team of superpowered terrorists called the Jihad. Superman disarmed the country's military. In a three-issue Superman story called ''The Sinbad Contract'' focused on Quraci immigrants living in Metropolis, Qurac gained a few traits from Iran (specifically, a past leader called a Shah predating Marlo's regime). This story established that [[RealityEnsues large numbers of people had fled Qurac over its government's actions]]. In the 90s, Qurac was wiped off the face of Earth by the assassin Cheshire, using nukes she stole and ultimately detonated for the [[ForTheEvulz evilulz]]. Its appearances after ''ComicBoo/{{Flashpoint}}'' have been very rare (Scott Lobdell has used it to re-set [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily events that originally took place in Ethiopia]]), and it appeared in a Steve Orlando-written fill-in arc of ''ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth''.

** Zilkistan from the [[Anime/LelouchOfTheResurrection movie continuity]] is this as well.

* Naturally, Agrabah in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' is an ''Literature/ArabianNights'' version of this trope, combining Arabian and Indian cultures. Doubly so as when the show was released in other countries, the writers were careful about name and design choices to not potentially offend anyone.

** Turmezistan returns in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E7ThePyramidAtTheEndOfTheWorld "The Pyramid at the End of the World"]]. At this point, it's somehow become a major geopolitical flashpoint, with American, Russian and Chinese forces openly confronting each other, and hence where the titular pyramid appears.

* ''VideoGame/FiftyCentBloodOnTheSand'' takes place in yet another unnamed Middle-Eastern country that the plot doesn't even bother naming it (however, the presence of a Napoleon statue implies it's either Egypt or Syria due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_campaign_in_Egypt_and_Syria his expeditions in these lands]]). What we can tell for certain is that it's an war-torn hellhole with a barely stable infrastructure, not even able to pay the title protagonist when he goes to perform there. And it proceeds to get a lot worse when Fifty embarks on a destructive quest to retrieve a diamond-encrusted skull stolen by terrorists, wrecking the country even harder in his path.

* While all 3 countries of Neroimus in ''VideoGame/ChromeHounds'' are Middle-Eastern, Sal Kar is definitely this trope.
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Battlefield}} Battlefield 2]]'' has you fighting against the "MiddleEasternCoalition", or MEC. While they seem to be based on Iraq heavily, they are never actually called that. The US and China don't get this treatment.
** The popular ''Battlefield 2'' GameMod ''VideoGame/ProjectReality'' tweaks the MEC slightly to make it more of a AnonymousRinger of Iran instead of Iraq. This is followed by its SpiritualSuccessor ''VideoGame/{{Squad}}'', here called "Middle Eastern Alliance", where is used as stand-in for Iran, post-2003 Iraq and Syria.
** ''[[VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany Bad Company]]'' is even more blatant about the Iraq parallels, actually going so far as to have the MEC fly the Iraqi flag, as opposed to the made-up one from ''Battlefield 2''.[[note]]The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Iraq#1991%E2%80%932004 Ba'athist-era flag]], specifically. The red-white-black horizontal tricolor is an Arab nationalist symbol and was incorporated into the flags of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Arab_colors#Former_national_flags_with_the_Pan-Arab_colors Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen]], with the only real difference between these flags being the small design in the middle of the white stripe (Iraq had three stars, Syria had three stars and then two, Yemen had one star, Egypt had a golden eagle, Libya left it plain). The brief Egypt-Syria merger known as the United Arab Republic also had a flag like this (identical to the current Syrian flag, with two stars), as did the proposed Federation of Arab Republics that sought to merge Egypt, Syria, and Libya. So the MEC's flag looking just like Iraq or Syria's would actually be logical. It can be assumed that the United Arab Republic survived and expanded in this universe.[[/note]]
** ''VideoGame/Battlefield3'' bucks the trend, though, with campaign missions explicitly set in Iran and Iraq, and with the MEC nowhere in sight (though the bad guys fought in said countries are still fictional, having overthrown the Islamic Republic of Iran and taken over the country), and in multiplayer the fight is mostly against Russia.
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'' had a Central Asian country called Aldastan with heavy GLA presence. Since the names of cities are real, it implies that Aldastan was formed from the breakup of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan rather than being a fully fictional country. Considering how unstable some Central Asian Republics are (Tajikistan being near the top, just above Afghanistan), this example may turn HarsherInHindsight in the near future.
* The first mission of ''VideoGame/MetalSlug 2'' and ''Metal Slug X'' takes place in a Middle-Eastern town with Arabic writing and scimitar-throwing goons. They do have deadly weapons, though, as seen by the stage boss (a CoolPlane in ''2'' and a large-walking robot in ''X'').
* The skyscraper in ''VideoGame/MadTV'' contains, among many other things, an embassy for the republic of Duban, where sits a stereotypical Arabian sunglasses-wearing bearded guy in a white robe. The country can advertise itself as a tourist/oil drilling spot on your TV, and its embassy eventually gets bombed by a terrorist.
* The nations of North and South Azbaristan in ''VideoGame/JASFJanesAdvancedStrikeFighters''. The countries are named "Phrase-istan", North Azbaristan is a military dictatorship, the island they're on is mostly scrubby desert, and the voice-overs all have vaguely Arabic- or Persian-sounding accents.
* The nation of Ul'dah in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has the architecture, desert location, mercantile culture, harem girls, and ruling Sultan(a) of medieval Islamic trade centers, and is one of the two cities (the other being Ishgard) with notable scientific achievements.
* ''Creator/TomClancy's VideoGame/{{HAWX}}'' has an odd sort of zig-zagging regarding an early campaign mission. The mission in question is explicitly noted to take place in Afghanistan, but the problem is it's actually one of their neighbors that's causing trouble, by harboring terrorists, and for some reason the game is extremely hesitant to actually state ''which'' neighbor these terrorists are taking refuge in, even as the mission involves you escorting a flight of bombers across the border to destroy their encampments.
* ''VideoGame/OracleOfTao'' has an actual land called Qurac (mainly as a result of the author's tendency to adopt tropes), which has sort of a CrystalDragonJesus version of Islam called Sakun. They wear temple robes, not hijab, and only inside the temple (which are very yellow and fluffy). Also, they eat pork and the women are allowed out in a bikini. They are desert traders, but this is pretty much the only similarity.
* ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' has featured two characters from the Middle East. One of them, Shaheen, is explicitly Saudi Arabian and an example of ShownTheirWork, as he is a perfect representative of a Saudi man. This is because he was created with input from fans from the region. The other is Zafina, whose nationality is officially listed as unknown, [[FridgeLogic even though]] she lives in a village located not too far away from Azazel's Temple, which is located in Egypt. She speaks American English, wears {{Stripperiffic}} clothing, and practices a weird fighting style inspired by [[UsefulNotes/{{India}} Kalaripayattu]], of all things. Supposedly, her nationality is kept under wraps to avoid ruffling the feathers of a certain MoralGuardians. The feathers were eventually ruffled, however; Zafina stopped wearing a DangerouslyShortSkirt in ''Tag 2'' and traded it with baggy pants (although her cleavage and midriff are still available for everyone to ogle).

* Adonis from ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' is a ForeignExchangeStudent from an unnamed Arabian country; he never specifies, claiming that his Japanese classmates wouldn't have ever heard of it, which is a bit strange considering that he's always portrayed as caring very deeply about his home country and being very pleased whenever his friends show an interest in it. In the story ''1001 Arabian Nights'' it's stated that said home country is wracked by war and turmoil, and this is why he, his sisters, and mother moved to Japan (his father, being an important figure of some kind, remains there). He also states that it's common there to fast, though he indicates that he currently doesn't (at least in part because it'd be unsafe given the amount of physical work he does), and his TrademarkFavouriteFood is the middle-eastern favourite kebab.
* ''VideoGame/FarCry4'' has Kyrat, a fictional Himalayan South Asian country based on Nepal and Bhutan which combines this with TheShangriLa, having the Tin-pot Dictator and his army, rampant militancy and misogyny of the type 2 and 3 variants, but a forested, mountainous landscape with monasteries.
* ''VideoGame/FiftyCentBloodOnTheSand'' takes place in yet another unnamed Middle-Eastern country that the plot doesn't even bother naming it (however, the presence of a Napoleon statue implies it's either Egypt or Syria due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_campaign_in_Egypt_and_Syria his expeditions in these lands]]). What we can tell for certain is that it's an war-torn hellhole with a barely stable infrastructure, not even able to pay the title protagonist when he goes to perform there. And it proceeds to get a lot worse when Fifty embarks on a destructive quest to retrieve a diamond-encrusted skull stolen by terrorists, wrecking the country even harder in his path.
* ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryII'' is set in Shapeir, a desert country inspired by the Arabian Nights and similar myths.
* ''VideoGame/InsurgencySandstorm'' takes place in a war-torn, Middle-Eastern, Arabic-speaking country with more than several parallels to the Syrian Civil War. Local female fighters and regular forces advised by American operators fight against insurgents employing Russian mercenaries and using chemical weapons. The reasons for the conflict are unclear and take place in a variety of environments from deserts to cities to snowy mountains to overgrown hydroelectric dams.

* Mireille and Kirika of ''Anime/{{Noir}}'' have one mission in an unnamed Mideastern nation in the episode "The Black Thread Of Fate" involving them being hired to kill a warlord and then escape to their extraction point after the mission goes south and Kirika is wounded.
* Belgistan in ''Anime/{{Gasaraki}}''.
* ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'''s anime features the fictional country of Helmajistan, which was a {{bowdlerization}} -- the novels use Afghanistan instead. The reasoning for this was because the original books were written before 9/11 and UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror began. When the anime went into production, it was considered too soon to use Afghanistan, so a fictional substitute was used instead.
* Azadistan in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00''. Azadistan is quite obviously Iran/Persia, from its location to its name (آزادستان, Persian for "land of freedom"). ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' also features a short-lived, war-torn Kurdish Republic on Azadistan's border. Which is more proof of Azadistan being a future version of Iran, since if a Kurdish nation were ever formed it would inherently be along the northwest border of Iran since that's where Kurds have lived for over a thousand years.
** The L4 Colonies (Home of Quatre and the Maganacs) from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing''

* Qurac, the TropeNamer, from the DC Universe. In the 1980s, Qurac appeared in ''New Teen Titans'' (where it was introduced), ''Adventures of Superman,'' and ''Suicide Squad.'' It was initially a blatant stand-in for Iraq (it was led by President Marlo, who was drawn to resemble Saddam Hussein, and it was at war with a country called Kyran). Qurac sponsored a HumongousMecha attack on Metropolis and a team of superpowered terrorists called the Jihad. Superman disarmed the country's military. In a three-issue Superman story called ''The Sinbad Contract'' focused on Quraci immigrants living in Metropolis, Qurac gained a few traits from Iran (specifically, a past leader called a Shah predating Marlo's regime). This story established that [[RealityEnsues large numbers of people had fled Qurac over its government's actions]]. In the 90s, Qurac was wiped off the face of Earth by the assassin Cheshire, using nukes she stole and ultimately detonated for the [[ForTheEvulz evilulz]]. Its appearances after ''Flashpoint'' have been very rare (Scott Lobdell has used it to re-set [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily events that originally took place in Ethiopia]]), and it appeared in a Steve Orlando-written fill-in arc of ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth.
** There is also Bialya (also wiped off the face of the Earth, during "52"), which was a stand-in for Syria and was heavily featured when JLA was JLI. And there's Umar (a thinly-veiled Iraq, complete with America-instigated war during the Joe Kelly JLA run). Not to mention Kahndaq (a more liberalized Egypt, ruled by Pharaonic AntiHero Black Adam).
** There's also Umec (acronym for "'''u'''named '''M'''iddle-'''E'''astern '''c'''ountry"), which was invaded by the US during Greg Rucka's ''Adventures of Superman'' run.
** Another example is Syraq, dating back to 1988's ''Detective Comics'' #590. [[OlderThanTheyThink Twenty years before]] Creator/FrankMiller announced ''his'' "Batman fights Middle Eastern Terrorists" project.

* In the [[FrancoBelgianComics French]] [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness more-or-less hard]] Sci-Fi comic ''Gipsy'', there's a "Socialist Republic of Turdistan" in chapter #5.

* Khemed in ''The Adventures of Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' is a Qurac invented to re-set scenes in Palestine once these scenes were no longer topical.
* Afbagistan is the fictional setting of Rick Veitch's scabrous War On Terror satire ''Army@Love''
* Trucial Abysmia appeared in several issues of Marvel's ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel G.I. Joe]]'' comics. As indicated in ''G.I. Joe Special Missions'' #18, it is located on the eastern coast of North Africa. It represents Middle-Eastern dictator-ruled countries in the region. It was involved in a conflict the neighboring emirate of Benzheen.

* The titular Pootweet in the [[ComicBook/TheFabulousFurryFreakBrothers Fat Freddy's Cat]] comic "The Sacred Sands of Pootweet".

* The Papercutz ''Literature/HardyBoys'' graphic novels heavily feature war-torn Osyria -- the first book is about a stolen ancient artwork from the country and later books feature miscellaneous Osyrians as henchmen.
* ''ComicBook/DastardlyAndMuttley'' has the nation of Unliklistan, which is ruled King Ahuk-Ahuk-Harem, seems to be both incredibly poor and anti-West, and gets blown up by [[GreenRocks Unstabilium-239]] at the start of the story. The Senators investigating the Unstabilium realize that no one's ever heard of Unliklistan, to the point that it appears to have popped up over night. It's eventually concluded that the Unstabilium must have [[RealityWarper created it wholesale]].

* ''Film/ASailorMadeMan'': Harold's Navy vessel takes shore leave in Agar Shahar Khairpura, the "City of a Thousand Rascals", in the country of Khairpura-Bhandanna. Harold then has an adventure where he rescues his girlfriend from the predatory maharajah.
* ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' manages to roll up Qurac ''and'' {{Bulungi}} into one, with the fictional country of Nairomi (rather unimaginative mangling of the capital of UsefulNotes/{{Kenya}}, Nairobi). It is Bulungi because it seems to be sub-Saharan African in culture and population, but also Qurac because it's desert and implied to be Muslim.
* ''[[Film/ErnestPWorrell Ernest in the Army]]'' revolves around a war between the fictional Persian Gulf countries of Arizia and Karifistan.

* Creator/HGWells has two short stories taking place in the middle east or Muslim Asia, one being an Literature/ArabianNights-period morality tale with a premise clearly inspired by the story of the Taj Mahal, and the other being a bait-and-switch tale taking place in what at the time of writing was probably the perception of the "contemporary" Muslim world (possibly the Himalayas).
* ''[[Literature/HerculePoirot Cat Among the Pigeons]]'' involves a hunt for royal jewels from the country of Ramat.

* ''Cataclysmic Horizons'' has the northeastern United States get taken over by a Type III regime that very quickly tries to ethnic-cleanse "Ameristan" of all non-Arabs and non-Muslims. It plays with ZombieApocalypse tropes, using the Jihadists as a substitute for zombies.
* Creator/SheriSTepper created the state of Alphenlicht ("elf light"?) for her Marianne trilogy (''Marianne, the Magus and the Manticore'', ''Marianne, the Madame and the Momentary Gods'' and ''Marianne, the Matchbox and the Malachite Mouse''). Alphenlicht is a micronation tucked away somewhere where Iran, Turkey, and the Soviet Union get their borders muddled up in the mountains. It is ruled by a hereditary theocracy of Magi (Zoroastrian priests and the original magicians), and has the neighboring micronation of Lubovosk as its dire enemy. Lubovosk used to be part of Alphenlicht but was seized by the USSR and made into a puppet state. It, too, is headed by a Magocracy, an evil branch of the same family.
* ''Literature/TheMarkAndTheVoid'' has the Caliphate of Oran, a fictional Gulf nation plagued by Islamic terrorists, fueled by oil, and ruled by a single, extremely wealthy man.
* The ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' novel ''Double-Blind'' features the Periphery planet of Astrokasky, which is this trope on a planetary level. The whole place is a [[SingleBiomePlanet desert world]] with city-states ruled by caliphs who fight with each other and with the nomads who wander the deserts between cities. The leaders live in luxurious palaces while the people starve, many are slaves, women have no rights, etc.

* The ''VideoGame/FullSpectrumWarrior'' games use Zekistan, a Qurac setting for modern desert combat that lacks the real-world political aspects of Afghanistan or Iraq.
%% * ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':
%% ** Sonic's adventures in the [[Literature/ArabianNights 1001 Nights]], as seen in ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings''.
%% ** Earlier, ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Sonic 2]]'' put a more modern and technological twist on the concept with the Oil Ocean zone.
%% ** Shamar in ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' has this vibe, although it's MUCH LighterAndSofter than other examples.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' takes place in Zanzibar Land located in Central Asia. No clue why it was named after a real island off the eastern coast of equatorial Africa instead of something ending in -stan. [[ArtisticLicenseGeography It also has a jungle in it, despite none of Central Asia having jungle]] (being a good distance north of the equator and consisting primarily of desert, grassland and mountain).
* ''VideoGame/ASPAirStrikePatrol'' \ ''VideoGame/DesertFighter'' has you fighting in Zaraq, against the Zaraqis, in 1991, where the dictator bears an uncanny resemblance to a Middle Eastern leader captured and executed in 2003.

* Since ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' is an AffectionateParody of [[{{Eagleland}} American culture]], one of the towns is built entirely on the Hollywood view of the Middle East: Scaraba! Complete with Kebab, snake merchants, and a short walk to the pyramids.
* The ''VideoGame/{{ARMA}} II'' expansion ''Operation Arrowhead'' has Takistan, a deliberate CultureChopSuey version of this trope. The conflict starts similar to the First Gulf War -- Takistan tries to invade its southern neighbour for oil and the US and NATO answer by invading them -- than becomes like the Second Gulf War -- government is disbanded and dictador executed, starting a insurgency of loyalists and islamists that coalition forces have to deal afterwards -- and the general geography and culture is based after Afghanistan: a very hilly and mountainbous desert country, filled with small villages divided in semi-tribal and clan-based societies.

The modern [[ArabianNightsDays Arabian Nights]] version tends to be ruled by a [[ArabOilSheikh gobsmackingly rich Sultan and/or Sheikh]], with his doe-eyed concubines to be put at the disposal of the Honoured Effendi. Oil is compulsory. Often a CrapsaccharineWorld that still uses beheadings, hangings and stonings for minor crimes despite the facade of a ShiningCity with CrystalSpiresAndTogas (in other words, a kind of Middle Eastern Brunei). Prototypes are UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia, the UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates (especially Dubai), UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} and other oil-rich areas in the Arabian Peninsula, and the UsefulNotes/{{Maldives}}.

The modern [[ArabianNightsDays Arabian Nights]] version tends to be ruled by a [[ArabOilSheikh gobsmackingly rich Sultan and/or Sheikh]], with his doe-eyed concubines to be put at the disposal of the Honoured Effendi. Oil is compulsory. Often a CrapsaccharineWorld that still uses beheadings, hangings and stonings for minor crimes despite the facade of a ShiningCity with CrystalSpiresAndTogas (in other words, a kind of Middle Eastern Brunei). Prototypes are UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia, the UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates (especially Dubai) and other oil-rich areas in the Arabian Peninsula, and the UsefulNotes/{{Maldives}}.

The third version is a Jihadistan ruled by a junta of religious fanatics, imams, ayatollahs and mullahs. [[NoWomansLand You are likely to see only men in the streets]], with women either being [[StayInTheKitchen locked in their homes]] or wearing black burqas and escorted by men. An overall sense of squalor and apathy prevails, interrupted by occasional flag burnings, beheadings and stonings. Oil optional. Prototypes are Taliban-era Afghanistan (who appears to be a mix of types 1, 2, and 3), the former Soviet republic of UsefulNotes/{{Tajikistan}} during its civil war, Islamic State-occupied territory, the Tribal Zone in Pakistan, the [[UsefulNotes/TheKashmirQuestion disputed region of Kashmir]] on the border between Pakistan and UsefulNotes/{{India}}, and Bangladesh during it's Liberation War. UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} appears to be a mix of types 2 and 3.

The third version is a Jihadistan ruled by a junta of religious fanatics, imams, ayatollahs and mullahs. [[NoWomansLand You are likely to see only men in the streets]], with women either being [[StayInTheKitchen locked in their homes]] or wearing black burqas and escorted by men. An overall sense of squalor and apathy prevails, interrupted by occasional flag burnings, beheadings and stonings. Oil optional. Prototypes are Taliban-era Afghanistan, the former Soviet republic of UsefulNotes/{{Tajikistan}} during its civil war, Islamic State-occupied territory, the Tribal Zone in Pakistan, the [[UsefulNotes/TheKashmirQuestion disputed region of Kashmir]] on the border between Pakistan and UsefulNotes/{{India}}, and Bangladesh during it's Liberation War. UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} appears to be a mix of types 2 and 3.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has a nearly throw-away reference to a foreign land called Saddle Arabia. Nothing is really known about it apart from its name and it being a different country from Equestria, but two its ambassadors are briefly seen: they wear pony-clothing quite clearly inspired by the Arabian Nights aesthetic. Interestingly enough they are much taller and slenderer than Equestrian ponies: nearly as tall as Princess Celestia.
** There's also Yakyakistan, a Turkic-esque country to the north of Equestria inhabited by sapient yaks that wear Mongol-style hats, have a heavily violence-based culture, and communicate in HulkSpeak.