Line #191 Main/FantasyCounterpartCulture


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12	[[caption-width-right:350: OurMinotaursAreDifferent plus TipisAndTotemPoles equals the Tauren.]]
13
14	->'''Count Dookû:''' Sacrebleu! Ah am telling you, Palpatine, 'e eez up to somezing.\
15	'''Obi-Wan:''' Why is he talking in a French accent?\
16	'''GM:''' It's just to indicate that he's from a different culture. He's not ''French'' French, he's--\
17	'''R2-D2:''' Space French.\
18	'''GM:''' ... Yeah.
19	-->-- ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'', [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0307.html Episode 307: "A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi"]]
20
21	Creating a completely new culture from scratch can be a daunting task. Think about everything the word culture encompasses--[[MagicMusic music]], [[FoodTropes food]], [[CoolCrown clothing]], [[MaleRestroomEtiquette etiquette]], {{dance\|sAndBalls}}, [[FantasyPantheon religion]], and [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy combative traditions]], to name a few, and even if one manages to pull it off, one runs the risk of ruining audience's SuspensionOfDisbelief by having one's creation seem ''[[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} too]]'' strange. To lighten the burden of creating a believable fictional culture creators often base one or more of their creations off of real human cultures from various times or places. The countries may have [[IstanbulNotConstantinople significant names]] resembling the place they are based on.
22
23	This is especially common in ConstructedWorld or FictionalEarth settings, but by no means exclusive to it. It's also often found in satire, as a means of indirectly poking fun at the culture in question.
24
25	There are also sound literary reasons for using this trope. Making the Shire an idealized England transplanted to [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Middle-earth]] makes it easier for readers to identify with the point of view characters, since they probably have much more in common with Bilbo than with Thorin. Creator/GuyGavrielKay's ''Literature/TheLionsOfAlRassan'' is a thinly disguised historical novel, but changing the names of the countries and religions means the readers don't know how the story will end, helping to maintain dramatic tension.
26
27	It's also more easily justified in works containing humans: the RealLife counterparts of the fictional cultures have all actually come into existence and are the results of real groups of people coming together to build something over time. Basing a new society on one that's already had a turn at some point in human history can both help the audience relate and provide a creative framework to twist and turn said society into an interesting variant of its former self. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools However this approach still has its risks]] -- if the Fantasy Counterpart Culture is based on a [[PlanetOfHats too simplistic view]] of a particular region of the world, it ends up lacking both in depth and originality. And if handled particularly poorly, it could also lead to examples of [[UnfortunateImplications Unfortunate Implications]] or EthnicScrappy cropping up as well, especially if the shallowly-written region in question is based off of, or eerily similar to, {{stereotype}}s or outright bigoted notions around said real-life culture.
28
29	Compare with IstanbulNotConstantinople, when a real place is referred to with a more archaic or obscure name (e.g. "Columbia" instead of "USA"). Compare also with DaysOfFuturePast, where a futuristic society duplicates (often [[FanOfThePast explicitly and intentionally]]) the culture and styles of a historical period. Compare with NoCommunitiesWereHarmed, which is this applied to a locality, FantasyCounterpartReligion for when is applied to a religious group and FantasyCounterpartMyth for when it's about a mythological hero or deity specifically. Compare FantasticFaunaCounterpart for a similar concept applied to animals, i.e. an animal species being used as a substitute for another.
30
31	See also CultureChopSuey, SpaceRomans (and the more offensive version, SpaceJews). ANaziByAnyOtherName, MedievalEuropeanFantasy, {{Ruritania}}, {{Uberwald}}, and {{Wutai}} are frequently-occurring specific types of fantasy counterpart culture.
32
33	----
34	!!Example subpages:
35
36	[[index]]
37	* FantasyCounterpartCulture/AnimeAndManga
38	* FantasyCounterpartCulture/FanWorks
39	* FantasyCounterpartCulture/{{Literature}}
40	* FantasyCounterpartCulture/LiveActionTV
41	* FantasyCounterpartCulture/TabletopGames
42	* FantasyCounterpartCulture/VideoGames
43	[[/index]]
44
45	!!Other examples:
46	[[foldercontrol]]
47
48	[[folder:Art]]
49	* ''Art/BeastFables'':
50	** [[https://www.deviantart.com/nazrigar/art/Beast-Fables-A-Second-Chance-Part-2-932752179 "A Second Chance Part 2"]] describes a thylacine huntress who let some stranded prisoners live in her tribe's town as long as they promised to respect the land, a clear parallel to how the British Empire used Australia as a penal colony.
51	** [[https://www.deviantart.com/nazrigar/art/Weretober-2022-Ancient-Werebeasts-Part-4-934892029 The Priest-Queen of the Sun]] was a ''Spinosaurus'' who ruled over a riverine civilization based on Pharaonic Egypt, as modern Egypt was where the first ''Spinosaurus'' fossils were discovered.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Comic Books]]
55	* Given Creator/FrankMiller's outspoken views on UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror, a number of critics suggested that the Spartans and the Persian Empire in ''300'' represent the United States and MiddleEasternTerrorists respectively, in a strange example of real (albeit very fictionalised versions of) historical cultures acting as allegories for modern ones. The Iranians apparently agreed with this assessment, and {{banned\|InChina}} the [[Film/ThreeHundred film adaptation]] as a result. However, other readers (particularly those of a more cynical bent) have read precisely the opposite into the story, seeing the arrogant, bullying Persian superpower as representative of Type 2 {{Eagleland}} and the fanatical, outmatched Spartans as representative of Middle Eastern insurgents. It should probably be noted that the original comic was first published in 1998 and was inspired by the 1962 film ''The 300 Spartans'', which is often considered to be a metaphor for the Cold War.
56	* The people of Gemworld in ''ComicBook/AmethystPrincessOfGemworld'' are a mix of medieval European cultures. It is revealed midway through the mini-series that the Gemworlders are actually refugees from Earth's ancient times, who fled to the Gemworld after a celestial event altered how magic works in Earth's dimension.
57	* Boneville in ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'' is clearly a cartoon version of the United States of America.
58	* Angor (a.k.a. Earth 8) from Franchise/TheDCU is very similar to the real world but with a few superficial differences. Doubles as an obvious pastiche of Franchise/MarvelUniverse, as it's populated with [[CaptainErsatz analogues of the Avengers/Ultimates and villains like Dr. Doom.]]
59	* The fictional country of [[SignificantAnagram Pajan]], which serves as the setting for the comic book/graphic novel series ''ComicBook/{{Okko}}'', is very explicitly based on the culture and folklore of feudal Japan, particularly during the [[UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod warring states period]]. The customs, social structures, architecture and fashion of Japan during this period heavily inform the worldbuilding of the series. Even the fantastical elements are almost wholly derived from historical Japanese [[{{Youkai}} mythology, folk beliefs and spiritualism]]. There are, however, some elements of other Asian cultures thrown in too, particularly the Tibetan aesthetics of the monasteries nestled in the Roof of the World mountains.
60	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'''s planet Mobius has long had stand-in cultures for Asia and Australia... but this was finally justified by the revelation that Mobius is actually Earth of the far, far future.
61	* ''ComicBook/{{Wolfskin}}'': It's never mentioned what the name of Wolfskins race is, but he and they are fairly obviously [[HornyVikings Vikings]]. There's also the [[{{Wutai}} Noi]] who resemble Samurai in look, but whose knowledge of gunpowder puts them closer to the ancient Chinese.
62	* The country of Dystopia in ''ComicBook/RequiemVampireKnight'' is a demonic version of England inhabited by lizard people whose queen resembles UsefulNotes/ElizabethI (it's heavily implied that it might as well be her) and their capital city is named Donlon. Their greatest heroes are also twisted, hellish versions of the [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Knights of the Round Table]] with King Arthur and Lancelot being {{dragon knight}}s and Merlin being a talking egg.
63	* Marvel's FictionalCountry of Siancong is very much based on Korea and Vietnam, enough of one that Creator/MarkWaid's The ''History of the Marvel Universe'' used it to restore the MilitarySuperhero backstories of several characters[[note]]ComicBook/WarMachine, ComicBook/ThePunisher, [[ComicBook/FantasticFour the Thing]], and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Xavier]], as well as the origins of ComicBook/IronMan[[/note]] to their original region of origin rather than keeping running into the ComicBookTime issues that presented themselves with using UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar, and UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar eventually presented themselves, as well as head off that happening for anyone whose history had a SettingUpdate to UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar and UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror.[[note]]It also restored the Thing's Fantastic Four teammate and college roommate Mr. Fantastic's status as a MilitarySuperhero, but even then, it's still a setting change for him as while originally both Reed and Ben served in WWII, Reed operated in the European theatre of the war, instead of the Japanese side as Ben had[[/note]] ''ComicBook/TheMarvels'' eventually revealed [[spoiler:that it's even this InUniverse, "Singcong" is really an alien MotherNature GeniusLoci BackstoryInvader named "Shan-K'ang" and it copied much of its "history" from the surrounding nations.]]
64	* Following ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' the amazon tribes depicted in ''Comicbook/WonderWoman'' have been split into three examples. Themyscira is primarily based on ancient Athens, during the post crisis continuity it even abolishes its monarchy, with elements of Roman Asia(Turkey), modern Greece and ancient Persia(most apparentin Comicbook/DCRebirth, where the monarchy is back). The Bana Migh-dall are primarily based on ancient Sparta, they even have two queens at once in DC Rebirth, but also have some elements of ancient Kemet(Egypt), modern Egypt, modern Turkey and Somalia. The Esquecida are primarily based on The Ticuna of Amazonas but also have some Inca, Tupi and Cariri elements. Their relationship plays out much like the rivalry between Athens and Sparta, with little nods to Egypt's struggles with Persia, but inverts historical events with the American arrivals being the OutsideContextProblem to the old world tribes.
65	* A repeated and fairly specific one: in mid-century FrancoBelgianComics, it's not uncommon to feature a FictionalCountry that's an idealized and traditionalist version of UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}. Namely, a [[TheGoodKingdom Good Kingdom]], ruled by a stern but fair monarch, steeped in tradition but not in a tyrannical way, and threatened by various forms of modernity - often involving hostile outsiders, either fascists or communists trying to conquer and annex the kingdom, or shady capitalists trying to subvert it and steal its resources. Syldavia in ''ComicBook/{{Tintin}}'', San Larco in ''Lefranc'', the Oulai Sheikdom and Vien Tan in ''ComicBook/BuckDanny'', all fit the bill to varying degrees, being a Fantasy Belgium transplanted to Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and East Asia respectively. Since the vast majority of Franco-Belgian comics are written in Belgium, a case of CreatorProvincialism.
66	** ''Tanguy et Laverdure'' update the setting for the twenty-first century in the duology ''The Sand Diamonds''/''The Saber of the Desert''. Dahman is still ruled by a king, but it's specified to be a secular and parliamentary monarchy, its Nijaqi enemies are now islamists rather than fascists/communists, and the shady capitalists helping them are Chinese rather than Americans or unspecified Europeans. Not ''all'' modernity is bad either, since the traditionalists upset by women's liberation are clearly shown as being in the wrong. Then again, some of the heroes are Bedouins from a fairly open-minded tribe that allows (and currently has) female tribal chiefs, so the point is made that "tradition" doesn't always mean "sexism and ignorance" either.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
70	* WesternAnimation/{{Barbie}}:
71	** The kingdoms in ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAsRapunzel'' and ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInTheTwelveDancingPrincesses'' are in Germany.
72	** The kingdom in ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndTheMagicOfPegasus'' is the Netherlands, as some of the outfits look Dutch and the protagonist's name (Annika) is Dutch.
73	** ''WesternAnimation/BarbieFairytopia'' seems to take place in Portugal, considering Flutterfield from ''WesternAnimation/BarbieMariposa'' is in Spain.
74	** ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAsTheIslandPrincess'' is in renaissance Italy based on the buildings, weather, tans, and names.
75	** ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInTheNutcracker'' and ''WesternAnimation/BarbieOfSwanLake'' take place in Russia.
76	** ''WesternAnimation/BarbieMariposaAndTheFairyPrincess'': Shimmervale appears to be based on Malta.
77	** ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAsThePrincessAndThePauper'' is set in 1800s England.
78	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLastUnicorn'' takes place in ancient Ireland.
79	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheGoblin'' is set somewhere in Hungarian history.
80	* Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon:
81	** Earlier Disney Princess movies didn't identify the settings by name, but most of them derived part of their aesthetic from real-world cultures. ''{{WesternAnimation/Cinderella}}'' has a vaguely French setting, the world of ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'' was an English ChivalricRomance but appears to also be set somewhere in France in the 14th Century (that is made explicit in the movie), ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' appears to be set in Germany in the 15th Century.
82	*** ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' specificially states that it takes place in France ("Marie! The Bagettes!"), but some people claim that it has elements of a Bavaria-like principality.
83	** Despite ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' taking place in an [[{{Qurac}} Arabian counterpart]], its major design inspiration was a neighbor of the Middle East, UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} -- homeland of the script supervisor, who brought pictures of his city, and of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_miniature Persian miniatures]]. Shades of the curved Arabic calligraphy are still seen, specially in how words (and credits) are written. [[note]]The early versions of the ''1001 Nights'' originated from India and Persia before entering the Arabic-speaking world, so this is not all that odd.[[/note]]
84	** The world of Kumandra from ''WesternAnimation/RayaAndTheLastDragon'' is a CultureChopSuey of various Southeast Asian cultures, with each major tribe borrowing particular traits from a different group, i.e. Fang is the Khmer Empire, Talon is Singapore, etc.
85	*** Fang is based on the Khmer Empire, which was located in today's Cambodia. Architecture also strongly draws from Thailand.
86	*** Heart is based primarily of Vietnam and Malaysia, with interior architecture being mostly Thai and Indonesian. Allegedly the Heart Temple is based on Angkor Wat from Cambodia.
87	*** Tail is based on the White Sand Dunes of Vietnam.
88	*** Talon is based on the Majapahit, which was located in today's Indonesia and Brunei, as well as on the floating markets of Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. They also use Philippine lantern designs.
89	*** Spine is apparently based off Indonesian and Myanmar mountain cultures with Laos and Indonesia-based architecture, but they more heavily draw from non-Southeast Asian Asian cultures like Mongolia and China.
90	* ''Franchise/{{Frozen}}'' is one of the few Disney series that explicitly features numerous fictional counterpart countries in one universe:
91	** There is confusion over whether Arendelle is a city-state or a country as there are implications of both. "WesternAnimation/FrozenFever" depicts it as a Norway substitute. However, in response to backlash over putting Arendelle into Epcot's Norway pavilion, "WesternAnimation/OlafsFrozenAdventure" has veered more into city-state territory and stressing that Arendelle exists within (or at least within the same world as an) actual Norway (as we see a baker with a gingerbread cookie shaped like Norway[[note]]shape of Arendelle in the novelization[[/note]]). Nevertheless, Arendelle is a fantasy counterpart to Norway.
92	** The Southern Isles is revealed in "WesternAnimation/FrozenFever" to take the place of Denmark.
93	** According to TheCameo of Rapunzel and Eugene, Corona from ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' exists in the same universe as ''Frozen''. That means Corona takes the place of one of the German states pre-German Unification.
94	** In the comic "Feels Like Home", royalty from the country of Yuwabe arrive in Arendelle. Yuwabe is clearly an African country, with the queen's name (Mahereb) and their enjoyment of cassava implying it's a counterpart to a West African country.
95	** Vakretta, Chatho, Zaria, Kongsberg, Blavenia, Seven Islands, Riverland, and Eldora appear in the ''Literature/AFrozenHeart'' and ''Literature/AnnaAndElsa'' books but, like Weselton from ''Frozen'', aren't specified as counterparts to anything specific. It's unclear if they're standard {{Fictional Countr\|y}}ies or not. Eldora has a mix of Arabic and Spanish aspects, but it's still too vague to pin it as being a counterpart to any specific country.
96	** In ''WesternAnimation/FrozenII'', the Northuldra tribe are the ''Frozen'' counterpart to the real-life Sámi people. They live in the forests north of Arendelle (the fantasy counterpart of Norway), herd reindeer, are nomadic, [[spoiler: and have suffered historical discrimination from one of Arendelle's previous leaders]].
97	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingOneAndAHalf'': The meerkats are pretty AmbiguouslyJewish.
98	** The meerkats' colony evokes a kibbutz or a ghetto, everybody seeming to work for the well-being of the community.
99	** Timon mentions how the meerkats are low in the food chain (confirmed by Uncle Max), which is reminiscent of the Jewish diaspora's past condition in many European and Middle Eastern countries.
100	** On a darker note, the attacks on meerkats by the hyenas, apparently gratuitous since they are chasing them more for fun than for food, also reminisces greatly the "occasional" pogroms against Jews, who were led as much out of antisemitism as in the goal to rob their possessions.
101	** The colony seems to be surrounded by constant exterior threats, to the point that sentinels are driven mad by paranoia after too much time at this position. This tells it all from an israeli point of view.
102	** The meerkats, save Timon's mom, shun Timon for letting the hyenas get the drop on them. Shunning is a known practice (although not a religiously exclusive one) regarding pariahs in the Orthodox Jewish community.[[note]]It's also something actual meerkats do, albeit much more aggressively, and almost exclusively to pregnant females.[[/note]]
103	** When Timon feels the need to express his feelings on parenthood and Simba growing up, his first instinct is to sing "Sunrise, Sunset," from ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof,'' a musical about Jewish family and tradition.
104	** The ending of the movie even involves Timon leading his people to the "Promised Land."
105	** Timon's mom calls him a ''meshuggeneh'', meaning "lunatic" or "troublemaker" in Yiddish (she also bears a bit of the possessive personality of the JewishMother).
106	** Additionnally, a detail from the animated series says Timon's last name is Berkowitz-- an Ashkenazi Jewish name.
107	** With the exception of Timon himself, every member of Timon's family is played by a Jewish comedian.
108	[[/folder]]
109
110	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
111	* The 2007 Canadian sci-fi short ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_for_the_Gods Food for the Gods]]'' featured a majority Asian cast playing a tribe situated on a distant planet similar to Native Americans as well as being rich in Asian themes, including a backstory referencing prehistoric Japan, and a fictional subtitled language that is loosely derived from Japanese and other Asian language influences.
112	* ''Film/TheHobbit'':
113	** The Dale appears to be modeled on Russia or Hungary, though with predominantly [[OopNorth Northern]] accents.
114	** In ''[[Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies The Battle of the Five Armies]]'', the Ironfoot dwarves have a Roman theme going for them. Their leader wears a helmet with a centurion-style crest and they fight in the turtle formation.
115	* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'', the clothes, architecture, and cultures were clearly inspired by RealLife historical cultures just as in [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings the books]].
116	** Rohan is reminiscent of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. An invented scene features a song in the Old English language.
117	** Gondor is reminiscent of the Byzantine Roman Empire as well as Late Medieval Western Europe in general.
118	** The Shire is reminiscent of an [[{{Arcadia}} idealized rural England]], and also has a lot of Irish elements, particularly their dance and music. There is a lot of crossover between old English and Irish dance/music. Tolkien used familiar stereotypes of English yokels, but Hollywood comic peasants are always {{Scotir\|eland}}ish, hence the mixture. And hence Pippin's Scottish accent although he is Frodo's cousin (and although most of the Shire, including Sam, and even Merry -- another cousin -- use the generic country accent known to English actors as "Mummerset.")
119	* Despite taking place in a LikeRealityUnlessNoted universe, the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse has a few examples:
120	** Asgard, despite the Myth/NorseMythology aesthetic, is actually more similar to the present day United Kingdom, with a backstory not dissimilar to the British Empire. Asgard itself is physically small but controls several client states across the universe, and it's made clear in Ragnarok that it got that way through a period of brutal conquest that it is now ashamed of (though unlike Odin, the UK doesn't just pretend it never happened).
121	** The fashions and aesthetics of [[{{Afrofuturism}} Wakanda]] were purposefully designed to resemble a variety of cultures from all over Africa, but in terms of its culture it's most similar to [[UsefulNotes/{{Mali}} the Mali Empire]]: A nation founded by an alliance of several tribes, with an economy founded on an absurd wealth of a resource that is rare in the rest of the world (Gold for Mali, [[AppliedPhlebotinum Vibranium]] for Wakanda).
122	*** Wakanda is also not that different from the United States of America. It's a global superpower that was founded by immigrants from various cultures, and in the present day has been forced to realize that [[ComesGreatResponsibility it should be doing more with its power and wealth]] and is now forced to decide between helping the outside world or outright controlling it. In this metaphor, T'Challa loosely stands in for UsefulNotes/TheodoreRoosevelt, who broke the United States' isolationist policies and turned it into a major diplomatic player. Discussing this parallel makes up a lot of the running time of ''Film/{{Black Panther\|2018}}''.
123	** The Kree Empire on the surface seem to just be the "Aliens as Nazis" variety of ScaryDogmaticAliens, what with their FantasticRacism, neo-fascist policies, and aggressive military expansionism. However, both ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' and ''Film/{{Captain Marvel\|2019}}'' show them to ultimately be closer to UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan, what with their fanatical belief in a GodEmperor (here in the form of [[MechanicalAbomination the Supreme Intelligence]]), practicing [[MadeASlave the brutal enslavement of "lesser races"]], and having long-lasting family dynasties [[TakingYouWithMe that feel suicide attacks are the only proper penance for cowardice/retreat]]. Even the ancient Kree experiments that ultimately resulted in the creation of [[MageSpecies the Inhumans]] have their roots in the infamous Unit 731 atrocities.
124	* Most of the design of the Telmarine on ''Film/PrinceCaspian'' are admitted to be based on Medieval Spain. Bringing some criticism and implications...
125	** Which kinda makes sense, seeing as ''Literature/PrinceCaspian'' was apparently an allegory for the Protestant Reformation and subsequent conflicts. One illustrator for the books gave Miraz a shield with the UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire's two-headed eagle.
126	** And the Telmarines are descended from old naval era brigands. But remember, the good Narnian humans of the subsequent books are Telmarines, not to mention Caspian himself. Only this one movie would feature Telmarine antagonists, and apparently, the common people backed Caspian over Miraz given the parade at the end.
127	* The ''Franchise/StarWars'' films contain a few among the CultureChopSuey:
128	** The forest moon of Endor is, to some extent, an equivalent of DarkestAfrica in a galaxy far, far away. The Ewoks themselves are very, very similar to African pygmy tribes and HollywoodNatives. When convinced to aid the Rebels against the Empire, the Ewoks become forest-dwelling primitive insurgents just like the Viet Cong.
129	** Some fantasy counterpart cultures verge on SpaceJews territory:
130	*** Tusken Raiders resemble Bedouins, but were inspired by the way Native Americans are portrayed in old Westerns.
131	*** Neimoidians have been accused of representing East Asian cultures and YellowPeril stereotypes.
132	*** In ''Series/TheMandalorian'', the Mandalorian tribes and clans come across like modern Judaism, with a diaspora of different sects with various levels of orthodoxy.
133	** The Galactic Empire is heavily inspired by Nazi Germany, from the design of their flags, iconography, and uniforms to calling their soldiers "stormtroopers." However, they also have parallels to the British Empire (a large colonial empire that rules through their vast and unsurpassed navy), the Roman Empire (a democratic nation that turned into a dictatorship with a senate that ultimately became irrelevant), and even the United States (a military that relies on its technological advantage against small bands of guerrilla fighters).
134	** In ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', the First Order drops a lot of the Roman aesthetic in favour of a stark, harsh SS look -- they were [[WordOfGod explicitly compared by JJ Abrams to]] Nazis who fled to Argentina following the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. However, supplementary materials explain that the Empire proper had a lot of limitations on what kind of weapons it could build after the original trilogy's Galactic Civil War. The Galactic Empire thus started building up a new army in secret, which is essentially what happened to Germany after World War I. Furthermore, given the fact that the Galaxy Far Far Away is now split between two ostensibly peaceful powers -- the New Republic and the First Order -- it is basically in a state of Cold War, with the mysterious and sinister First Order taking the place of the Soviet Union. Note that while the Empire got its Stormtroopers from willing recruits, the First Order takes children from their families and molds them into ideal soldiers, echoing UsefulNotes/ColdWar 'Communist brainwashing' fantasies. On the flip side, the Resistance is a rebel group funded illegally by the New Republic, not unlike the Viet Cong or the Contras.
135	** Naboo, with its classical architecture, elaborate fashions, marshy terrain, and strong artistic and intellectual traditions, is somewhat akin to Renaissance era Italy. Their names and some of their architecture as well as having a tradition of hosting a Festival of Light and funeral rites are derived from India's various Hindu empires.
136	** The holy city of Jedha serving as an important site for believers in the Force, introduced in ''Film/RogueOne'' is clearly meant to evoke a Middle Eastern site of religious pilgrimage like Jerusalem or Mecca, while the name sounds similar to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah.
137	** ''VideoGame/StarWarsEpisodeIRacer'' introduces two planets based on pre-existing cultures on Earth: Ando Prime, an icy mountainous world inhabited by wise, peaceful monks and is the Galaxy's counterpart to Tibet; and Baroonda, a world of jungles and coastlines whose people refer to themselves as Majan, the Head Priestess wears a white cloak and sun-like headdress, and the races take place near the city of Majaneetza, together paralleling the Mayan Empire.
138	** ''Anime/StarWarsVisions'' often does this with the home cultures of the animation studios, which for the first season mostly means Space Japan. In the second season, the planet of Screecher's Reach is Ireland, B-Bel is Occupied France, and Golak is India (with the Empire serving as the Raj rather than the Nazis).
139	* Cantinflas’ film ''Su Excelencia'' has the Cocos Republic as a surrogate for basically any Latin American country, although for obvious reasons it has many similarities with Mexico, even though the name and the apparent size of the country (which seems to be smaller than Mexico) are more reminiscent of some Central American and Caribbean states like the Dominican Republic, Guatemala (it has fictional Native American ruins), or Costa Rica (Costa Rica was neutral during the Cold War and has a place call Cocos Island). Dolaronia is clearly the United States of America, Pepeslavia is probably the USSR or Yugoslavia, Salchichonia is Germany (they even reference the Wall), and Caramba is India or Nepal, or both.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Manhwa]]
143	* ''Manhwa/ShinAngyoOnshi'' takes place in a recently fallen empire very similar to early modern Korea; several characters are foreigners from what seems to be Europe.
144	[[/folder]]
145
146	[[folder:Pinball]]
147	* The Creator/{{Gottlieb}} pinball game ''[[Pinball/ElDorado Solar City]]'' depicts alien {{Expy}}s of Native Americans, complete with braids, buckskins, and bows [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]
148	[[/folder]]
149
150	[[folder:Roleplay]]
151	* The Realms in ''Roleplay/CradleOfGods'' all {{Expy}} various historical cultures: Arcada is [[MedievalEuropeanFantasy medieval Europe]], Elysium is UsefulNotes/AncientGreece, Gishedel is [[LandOfDragons China mixed with Tibet]], Hawaiki is a Polynesian afterlife, Kshathra is [[ArabianNightsDays Arabia with a smattering of Egypt]], Lemuria is Africa, Onogoro is [[{{Wutai}} several Asian countries, most notably Japan]], Panthalassa is the Atlantic Ocean, Shiravanti is India, Tengra is Mongolia, and Yuthzopla is [[{{Mayincatec}} Mesoamerica]].
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:Webcomics]]
155	* The world of ''Webcomic/{{Aecast}}'' draws from a variety of civilizations. Human society seems to be primarily based on [[MysticalIndia India]] and [[ArabianNightsDays the Middle East]], with a little bit of Byzantine Empire.
156	* ''Webcomic/TheBackOBeyond'' begins in Sairith, a country very similar to 1700s Britain.
157	* In ''Webcomic/BeyondTheWesternDeep'', each of the FunnyAnimal nations have at least identifiable cultural analogues in the real world, if not particularly evident due to the [[FurryReminder species based trappings]]: Sungrove is obviously regular medieval Europe (with Tamian mythology have Native American-esque aspects, and the Lutren having Polynesian traits), the Felis are by [[WordOfGod creator admission]] based on both the Roman Empire and medieval China, the Canids resemble both the Roman Empire and medieval northern Europe, the Ermehn resemble Germanic peoples (and bear a passing aesthetic similarity to Scotsmen), the Vulpin are clearly Arabic and the Polcan look like stereotypical pirates, but overall can be more easily compared to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Peoples Sea Peoples]].
158	* ''Webcomic/TheChallengesOfZona'': The Erogenians are somewhat idealized Celts while Kivallia seems to be Plantagenet era England.
159	* ''Webcomic/CrystalHeart'' has some:
160	** Bogovia seems like a stand-in for eastern/ slawic Europe, especially Transsilvania, with titles like the official mad woman of the village being called "Baba", and being the side for both a werewolf- and a vampire-adventure.
161	** Maseia seems to be quite similar to the great american plains, with frontier towns, and Muna's clan living like stereotypical Native Americans.
162	* ''Webcomic/CrystalHeroes'' takes place in the country of Ramecia, which, [[SignificantAnagram in its name]], indicates it as being a fantasy version of the United States of America.
163	* ''Webcomic/DaughterOfTheLilies'':
164	** The city elves are based on monarchic to Napoleonic France, with the associated fashions and snootiness and a capital named St. Trivium sur Bourge.
165	** The orcs speak with Russian accents, and Orrig tends to insert Russian phrases into his speech such as "nyet" for "no" and the occasional swear. There was also a notable historic incident where the Napoleonic-styled elves tried to invade them and failed miserably.
166	* ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' has a several fantasy cultures that are strongly flavored by real-world counterparts: the Callanians are medieval western Europeans (knights, castles, feudalism, etc.), Semashi are renaissance Italian (high culture and homeland of numerous renowned composers with names like Ciarenni and Montefiore; being as they're dark-skinned humans, it also suggests Caribbean influence), the werewolves are Russians (living in northern latitudes and drinking lots of vodka), the Nagasta are Japanese (island-dwellers who are renowned for their seafood and traditional martial arts), and the orcs are {{Magical Native American}}s.
167	* ''Webcomic/EvenInArcadia'': Niyam and the Fae are counterparts to 19th century China. Seen further when it [[http://epidigm.net/arcadia/2011/06/22/the-sojourner-page-20/ becomes apparent]] that the Gaians are trading with them in drugs much like the British did before the Opium Wars.
168	* ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'' has Taika -- basically Japan according to near-future sci-fi anime, complete with HumongousMecha and secluded daemon-hunting orders -- and Rodina, which we haven't actually seen but is apparently the ''EN'' equivalent of GloriousMotherRussia.
169	* ''Webcomic/{{Harkovast}}'': Almost all the races are fantasy counterparts to real world ancient cultures, such as the medieval European [[http://www.harkovast.com/index.php?id=22 Darsai]] or the feudal Japanese [[http://www.harkovast.com/index.php?id=3 Tsung-Dao.]]
170	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'':
171	** Parodied by [[MonsterClown Gamzee Makara]], who comes from a sort of fantastical, InterfaithSmoothie religion that [[{{UsefulNotes/Juggalo}} worships the]] Music/InsaneClownPosse. Except [[ItMakesSenseInContext due to shenanigans]], his religion actually inspired Insane Clown Posse, not the other way around. [[spoiler: Gamzee's religion was actually inspired by an EldritchAbomination.]]
172	** Later on we learn trolls had a counterpart of Christianity, complete with [[CrystalDragonJesus a Jesus analogue]], although it never moved past the "underground cult oppressed by an empire" stage (I guess that makes the Troll Empire Romans?). [[spoiler: It's hinted that it was more successful in an AlternateUniverse.]]
173	** The trolls in general share many cultural practices with the Spartans, but it's uncertain if this was intentional.
174	** We later find out that Damara, [[spoiler:the pre-scratch version of The Handmaid]], is from "Alternasia", which is this to Japan.
175	* ''Webcomic/LeifAndThorn'': Sønheim is closely based on Sweden and Norway, with elements based on the US, while neighboring Ceannis is more of a CultureChopSuey. Thorn, his family, Hazel, and [[Radio/TheBurnsAndAllenShow Burns and Allen]] [[{{Expy}} expies]] Grassie and Hedgie are ethnically Iuilic, which is more or less fantasy!Jewish.
176	* ''Webcomic/ALoonaticsTale'' has an assortment; Nigota for Britain, and ''both'' Mercia and Mysteel for America (the trick is that they're versions of America from different time periods, and different attitudes; Mercia is the more peaceable colonial America, while Mysteel is a caricaturized version of modern America and our tendency towards ultra-patriotism, gun-nuttery, and warmongerdom).
177	* ''Webcomic/{{Sarilho}}'': [[{{UsefulNotes/Portugal}} The Lusitanians]]. They call the Meditas ''Spaniards'' often, to the point of considering kicking them back into {{UsefulNotes/Spain}}.
178	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Azure City is one of mostly Japan and a little of the rest of East Asia also. We haven't seen much of the rest of the world, but it seems from the Pantheons the North will be equivalent to the Vikings, the West will be Mesopotamian, and the East would be Greek if the Eastern gods still existed to make this version of the world. A [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0501.html single panel glimpse]] of the other Southern Lands suggests they're Southeast Asian, Chinese, Himalayan, and Indian. The [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0698.html Western Continent]] turns out to be mostly [[RunningBothSides warring]] {{Evil Empire}}s and various LizardFolk, although they do worship the Mesopotamian gods. Indirectly {{lampshade\|Hanging}}d and toyed with in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0209.html strip 209]]:
179	-->'''Roy''': Wait, should I call you "Miko" or "Miyazaki"? I mean, "Miko" clearly sounds like your given name, but I thought that the surname came first in feudal Japan.\
180	'''Miko Miyazaki''': What is this "Japan" you speak of? I have never heard of it before.\
181	'''Roy''': Good point.
182	* ''Webcomic/SnowByNight'' takes place in a world that resembles the real one during Colonial Era, with Japethe corresponding to Europe, Everique corresponding to North America, Saronne corresponding to France, and Aradie corresponding to Quebec / Canada.
183	* ''Webcomic/Sorcery101'' uses this with the England counterpart called Terra. It's more an AlternateHistory world where some placenames differ than a fantasy counterpart.
184	* [[{{Ronin}} Hatz]] from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' is so obviously Japanese that it hurts.
185	* ''Webcomic/TwiceBlessed'' has Ustav, which is obviously Russia, Lajuria, which is obviously Spain, and others.
186	* ''Webcomic/{{Vattu}}'': The Sahtan come off as Rome by another name.
187	* ''Webcomic/TheWolfAtWestonCourt'' takes place in a country that's this to Regency England.
188	[[/folder]]
189
190	[[folder:Web Original]]
191	* The hosts of ''LetsPlay/AnalogControl'' have proposed that the various dinosaurs in ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' are stand-ins for world religions. Most of these propositions are intentionally superfluous at best, though it does make them conclude the AlwaysChaoticEvil Sharpclaw are perhaps not as malevolent as they seem.
192	* This trope is {{discussed\|Trope}} (and mocked) in the following tweet from the Website/{{Twitter}} blog ''Blog/WorstMuse'': [[https://twitter.com/WorstMuse/status/520701529826029568 "If your alien culture isn’t a thinly veiled allegory for contemporary politics, what’s the point?"]]
193	* Campaign 2 of ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' has Caleb, who speaks with a thick Zemnian accent. It just happens to sound exactly like a German one.
194	* Vulpines in the ''Roleplay/DarwinsSoldiers'' universe are analogues of modern-day Native Americans.
195	* ''WebVideo/ImmersionBreaker'': The nation the heroes inhabit (usually referred to as The Realm) is based on medieval Europe. In one episode, they meet with the spymasters of the other major powers, whose nations are based off of the Aztec Empire, medieval China, the Haudenosaunee Confederation, feudal Japan, the Empire of Mali, and the Norse.
196	* ''Website/{{Neopets}}'': Shenkuu is supposed to represent the FarEast, Altador is AncientGrome, Lost Desert and Qasala are AncientEgypt, and Meridell and Brightvale are [[TheMiddleAges Medieval Europe]]. Mystery Island is based on Polynesia and other island cultures in the South Sea.
197	* ''Literature/NocteYin'' lives in Xon, Erisire’s equivalent of the FarEast. In the fifth book, we get an actual comparison of which place on Erisire approximates which [[CasualInterstellarTravel on Earth]].
198	* ''Roleplay/OpenBlue'' has the Axifloan Coalition, [[TheFederation a loose alliance]] of colonial powers consisting of everything from a [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen 17th Century]] UsefulNotes/NaziGermany (Sirene), to Imperial Spain (Avelia), to the Dutch colonial powers (Remillia), to the Russian Empire (Yaman)... [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg to Switzerland]] (Axiflos).
199	* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', each of the Four Kingdoms on [[ConstructedWorld Remnant]] has certain elements borrowed a real-world culture:
200	** The setting for the first three Volumes, the Kingdom of Vale (found in the eastern half of the central continent of Sanus) is an isolationist country that takes advantage of its natural borders to shun outside wars, with peace as its primary objective... at least on the surface, as its crafty leaders have long since realized that they cannot stay completely isolated, so they take quieter measures to get a head start on potential threats (i.e., Ozpin sending Huntsmen on stealth missions to investigate potential threats to Vale in neighboring kingdoms). In other words, they're loosely similar to the United States prior to both World Wars, with the western sea and eastern mountains for Vale replacing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as natural barriers, and a crafty leader like the aforementioned Ozpin subtly influencing foreign affairs serving as an analogue to first Woodrow Wilson and later [=FDR=] sending aid to the Western Allies through legal loopholes long before the Americans officially joined the related conflicts.
201	** The Kingdom of Mistral on the eastern continent of Anima has a culture very reminiscent of Japan; houses with sloping rooftops, kitsune masks, {{Ninja}}s, poor resources, and close ties to the sea. However, it also unfortunately has a lot in common with 19th Century Singapore, as seen with both the aforementioned close ties to the sea and [[WretchedHive widespread criminal elements]]. And it also has some parallels to the Western Roman Empire during its decline, as both Mistral and Western Rome were massive empires whose borders were too large to be properly governed or protected despite the people therein all being unified under a common culture.
202	** [[invoked]] WordOfGod has explicitly stated that the Kingdom of Atlas from the northernmost continent of [[GrimUpNorth Solitas]] is intended to be an equivalent to [[{{Eagleland}} the United States of America]] after the Second World War and resulting military-industrial complex. It started out as a frontier kingdom that enjoyed a technological boom as a result of mining, and post-war innovations have made it the world's leader in technology. It also boasts the largest military out of all the kingdoms, with bases established throughout the world in the name of peace-keeping. And as a part of a criticism of the obvious racial and class inequalities found in the modern United States, the Kingdom of Atlas is plagued with inequality and FantasticRacism, with the high-tech city of Atlas literally floating above the industrial slums of Mantle: The military and wealthy humans live in luxury in the "city of dreams" of Atlas, while the working class and [[LittleBitBeastly Faunus]] live below in the crumbling, polluted {{Cyberpunk}} city of Mantle.
203	*** It also has several noticeable parallels to the British Empire during its height. Just like Atlas on Remnant, Great Britain was at the heart of the industrial revolution on Earth, and one of the reasons for Britain's dominance was because of the sheer amount of goods Britain churned out (which is paralleled in Atlas' economic dominance). The notoriously massive and powerful British navy is comparable to Atlas having a massive and highly advanced fleet of airships ready to unleash DeathFromAbove on anyone foolish enough to oppose them. Similar to Atlas' military and government often being derided for brainwashing its own citizens, Britain had the common colonial tactic of creating schools in conquered territories so as to indoctrinate the local students into supporting British rule. And finally, the [[NGOSuperpower Schnee Dust Corporation's]] sheer economic power and influence along with being notoriously militarized and intertwined with Atlas' government (to the point where it's debatable who is really controlling whom) can be seen as a reflection of the power wielded by the British East India Company during the empire's height.
204	** The Kingdom of Vacuo (found in the western reaches of the central continent of Sanus) was a once-prosperous area that is now isolated to the point where the inhabitants don't have as advanced technology as the outside world has, but still feature massive reserves of valuable natural resources (in this case, [[AppliedPhlebotinum Dust]]) that are being taken advantage of by foreign invaders and corporations. Due to this foreign intervention, it's almost entirely a lawless wasteland, with multiple factions vying for control. While there may still be a significant central power in the area (Shade Academy), in practice there is no significantly powerful central government. In other words, Vacuo is the Remnant equivalent of both the African Congo and Middle East (Syria in particular) after the end of Western imperialism.
205	** Finally, the "free" continent of Menagerie is clearly based off of [[LandDownunder Australia]]. Its founders were forced to settle there (though Australia's non-native settlers were British prisoners, while Menagerie was settled to serve as a [=continent-wide=] FantasticGhetto for the Faunus), it's located at the bottom right of the map, it's [=two-thirds=] desert, and its wildlife is noted to be far more dangerous than what is found on than the rest of the planet.
206	* Every culture in ''Literature/TheSolsticeWar'' is one. Fitting since everything's a historical reference.
207	* Website/TaerelSetting: The Xerea Empire to Rome. They even have Legions such as the VIII and X Legions.
208	[[/folder]]
209
210	[[folder:Western Animation]]
211	* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': The series is influenced by a variety of different cultures from Asia and even parts of the Americas and Oceania, although Chinese cultural influences are the most dominant.
212	** The Air Nomads are primarily based on Shaolin and Tibetan Buddhism, mixed in with a fair bit of TheShangriLa and Western conceptions of Buddhist pacifism. In particular, their near-extinction at the hands of the Fire Nation can be paralleled with that of the invasion and sinicization of Tibet by the Chinese Communist Party. Additionally, their nomadic lifestyle and loose (but vaguely theocratic) social structure resembles the early schools of Buddhism practiced in Mongolia.
213	** The Water Tribes are primarily based on circumpolar indigenous cultures such as the Inuit. The Southern Water Tribe also borrows from various Polynesian and Native American cultures, while the architecture of the Northern Water Tribe capital adds a mix of Chinese, Venetian, and even Indian influence.
214	** The Fire Nation is based on a combination of Imperial China and post-Meiji Imperial Japan. Like Imperial Japan, the Fire Nation is an authoritarian volcanic archipelago state technologically superior to its neighbors, with a coal-based military-industrial complex that justifies its conquests with the premise of "sharing prosperity" and uses methods like emperor worship and schoolbook propaganda to control its people (additionally, [[https://cobra-diamond.tumblr.com/post/190706602665/the-east-asian-origins-of-the-fire-nation-and-its this blog post]] draws several parallels with the Tokugawa Shogunate). Firebenders are more powerful when the sun is up, and the rising sun happening to be the main symbol of Japan. Additionally, the comics depict the early inhabitants of the Fire Islands from the time before it became the Fire Nation as resembling the Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan. However, the Fire Nation's material culture is primarily Chinese, particularly that of the Han and Tang Dynasties (perhaps not coincidentally, the Chinese influence on Japanese culture was at its strongest during the Tang Dynasty); this is to create a contrast between the two superpowers of the Avatar universe, with the Fire Nation based on the periods of history where China was at its most powerful while the Earth Kingdom based on China during its period of "decline" (the late Qing Dynasty). The Fire Nation also utilizes elements of [[http://atla-annotated.tumblr.com/post/16626936639/fire-nation-and-thai-architecture-in-the-first Thai architecture]], most noticeably in the roofing. The geology of the Fire Nation capital was based on Iceland, which may seem a little weird until you remember that Iceland is one of the most tectonically active places on the planet.
215	** The ancient city of the Sun Warriors (the precursor culture to the Fire Nation) is based off a combination of Mesoamerican and Southeast Asian architecture, while their clothing seems to be primarily derived from Southeast Asian tribal cultures, particular the headdresses which resemble Iban warrior headdresses.
216	** The Earth Kingdom is based on various periods of Imperial China. While its political situation parallels that of the Qing Dynasty's last days, being an ailing empire struggling to keep control over its territories while getting brutally mauled by foriegn invasions (the Earth King even bears a close resemblence to the last Qing emperor), its culture draws from every Chinese dynasty; Toph's family wears Tang-era clothing, Aunt Wu's usage of oracle bones for divination comes from the Shang Dynasty, etc. It also has areas influenced by Vietnamese tribal cultures (the Foggy Swamp Tribe, despite their Mississippi Delta accent), Japan (Kyoshi Island), the Gobi Desert (the Shi Wong desert), and Korea (as seen with the hanbok worn by Song in the episode "Cave of Two Lovers"), each paralleling a real-life tributary held by Imperial China.
217	** Guru Pathik is pretty obviously supposed to be Indian, but nobody else of his ethnicity appears. Also, despite being a "spiritual brother" to the Air Nomads, he is explicitly not one himself. His title, philosophy, and spiritual practices give him a distinctly Hindu flavor, but like everything else in the series, it is a mish-mash of distinct schools and traditions (particularly tantric yoga and Advaita Vedanta).
218	** SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' adds a few more examples:
219	*** Republic City is a new state made up of peoples from all four nations, which grew out of the liberated colonies of a powerful empire, and is quickly becoming the world's cultural and industrial centre. It is explicitly based on Nationalist-era Shanghai and America in TheRoaringTwenties, but also resembles cosmopolitan Asian city-states like Hong Kong and Singapore. The giant statue of Aang in the harbour is a clear parallel to the Statue of Liberty in New York.
220	*** The ''Korra''-era Earth Kingdom is still mostly based on the Qing Dynasty's final years; the realm is rife with poverty, the people are increasingly turning against their anachronistic and out-of-touch monarchy, and the Earth Queen herself is a dead ringer for Empress Dowager Cixi. However, it also has some [[TheWildWest Wild West]] influences: an urban and wealthy east and poor and rural west, the Kingdom being composed of semi-independent states ruled by Governors, an abundance of isolated farmsteads and small towns, large areas of relative lawlessness policed by sheriffs, and many of the settlements visited by the heroes have a distinctly SettlingTheFrontier feel to them. Which makes some sense considering that the war and the devastation wrought by Ozai during the comet would have set the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom back decades. After [[spoiler:Zaheer kills the Earth Queen]], the Earth Kingdom becomes more akin to early post-Qing China, with warlords and bandits running rampant until a revolutionary nationalist despot is finally able to reunite the country.
221	*** The Earth Kingdom's successor state, the Earth Empire, is reminiscent of many 20th-century dictatorships; Kuvira's revolutionary rhetoric is reminiscent of both Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-Shek, as are her hardline views on reunification, while the Earth Empire as a whole smacks strongly of PuttingOnTheReich[[note]]or Showa-era Japanese imperialism for a more precise analogue[[/note]], particularly the heavy use of internment camps for what's basically a more family-friendly ethnic cleansing, plus the superweapon obsession.
222	*** Given how the Fire Nation played the role of Imperial Japan in the original show, it's perhaps appropriate that the reformed Fire Nation of ''Korra'' has a far less militaristic approach to foreign relations, to the point where its leader (Zuko's daughter) refuses to launch a preemptive strike on the Earth Empire precisely because she doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of her predecessors.
223	* ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'' takes place in the Ever Realm, another realm connected to the "real world". The Ever Realm is home to many kingdoms and is relatively peaceful (at least in the present; whatever violent history they may have if any is never addressed, with WordOfGod also stating that colonization never happened here).
224	** Enchancia was widely theorized to be the equivalent of Britain, although WordOfGod would later joss this, stating that it's not based on any place specifically.
225	** Freezenburg is one for various Scandinavian countries. From what little we see of it, it's usually snowy.
226	** Wei-Ling is based on China, with WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}} also being summoned in the same episode Sofia visits the kingdom to further seal the similarities.
227	** Much like Agrabah in ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', Tangu is a composite of Arabic, Indian, Turkish, Persian and North African cultures.
228	** Outside the Tri-Kingdom Area, Hakalo is based on Hawaii, and based on its architecture and climate, Prince Hugo's kingdom might be based on Russia.
229	* ''WesternAnimation/ElenaOfAvalor'':
230	** Similar to the ''Avatar'' franchise, Avalor and its neighboring kingdoms are based on a mishmash of various Latin American countries. Cariza seems to be more based on the Caribbean islands judging by its Afro-Latino populace, Cordoba seems to be based on Argentina and Uruguay due to Cordoba's main colors being similar to those two countries as well as Prince Alonso's outfit appearing to be inspired by historical Argentinian/Uruguayan fashion.
231	** Galonia is a Latino Jewish kingdom, representing the Jewish population in Latin America.
232	** Satu is one for Japan, with its royals wearing kimonos, in addition to their names obviously being Japanese (Toshi, Shoji, Tomiko).
233	** King Raja hails from Napurna, which, judging by its name and the king's style of dress (such as his turban), appears to be a counterpart of India and/or South Asia in general.
234	** Norberg is based on colonial-era America, which is best shown with Naomi and Ambassador Nathaniel's clothes. Fans originally theorized it was based on the Netherlands or Scandinavian countries for the same reason, although there certainly was Dutch presence in colonial-era America and before that.
235	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
236	** Done purposefully in a planet modeled on AncientEgypt. It also hilariously inverts the usual AncientAstronauts shtick: turns out the aliens modeled ''their'' culture after the Egyptians, who taught them the secrets of space flight.
237	** Also, the OneWorldOrder that governs Earth is a [[{{Eagleland}} presidential federal republic]] with [[UnitedSpaceofAmerica a constitution, two-party political system, Supreme Court, capital in Washington, D.C., citizens referred to as "Earthicans," and the American flag with the stars replaced with a picture of Earth]].
238	** The Olympics included The Republic of French Stereotypes (No one likes them!). Especially hilarious when you consider that an early episode established that the French language no longer exists.
239	** [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg And]] SpaceJews!
240	** And the Native Ameri--... Martians from Amy's home planet.
241	** In a sillier example, there's the Globetrotter Homeworld, and entire world and culture based on... the Harlem Globetrotters.
242	* In ''WesternAnimation/KulipariAnArmyOfFrogs'' the soundtrack, art, character names and mythology are clearly based off Aboriginal Australians, and there's even a few sneaks in worldbuilding like largely non-hierarchical societies (as far as frogs are concerned anyways). The scorpions introduce some Mongolian and Roman evil empire shit, while the turtles are modelled after Native Papuans and Torres Islanders.
243	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
244	** Zecora the zebra in is obviously supposed to be from an African counterpart culture, given her accent and the fact that that her hut is decorated with stylized African masks. She was even meant to speak Swahili in her few foreign language lines, but the staff couldn't find a translator in time and resorted to writing invented words that [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign mimic the general sound]] of Swahili. The [[HandWave canon explanation]] is that Zecora "speaks Zebra."
245	** The buffalo tribe in "Over a Barrel" were obviously supposed to be the Plains Indians in the "Cowboys vs. Indians" setup of the episode.
246	** [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Pinkie Pie]] apparently grew up on what is supposed to be a fantasy counterpart Amish rock farm -- a literal one where her family grows actual rocks, somehow -- complete with the conservative fashion, hat-and-sideburns-wearing father and parents sleeping in separate beds.
247	** {{Pegasus}} ponies in general seem to take some influence from Classic Greek culture (which makes sense, considering pegasi are creatures from Myth/ClassicalMythology). Their architecture and fashion seem decidedly Hellenistic, and they were portrayed as a Sparta-like martial culture in a "flashback" to old times.
248	** Meanwhile, the other two types of ponies both represent Western Europe, but apparently evolved socially at different rates: In the aforementioned "flashback," the unicorns are stuck in TheHighMiddleAges with a feudal monarchy, while the earth ponies dress like continental Europeans (from France, the Netherlands, and Germany in particular) during UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance and have elected a chancellor.
249	** The setting of the ''JustForFun/DaringDo'' [[ShowWithinAShow book series]] is quite plainly a [[TwoFistedTales pulp fiction]]-style depiction of South America, complete with Aztec/Mayan stone ruins and a villain, Ahuizotl, taken from Myth/AztecMythology.
250	** Season 3 introduces the Crystal Empire, which blends late-Victorian architecture, CrystalSpiresAndTogas fashion sense, and [=medieval/Renaissance=] sporting events.
251	** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E5MagicDuel Magic Duel]]" features visiting delegates from Saddle Arabia. An interesting note is that its male delegate carries a crescent moon coat-of-arms, and UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia does ''not'' have this as its crest, although many of its neighboring countries do.
252	** Season 5 introduces the Kingdom of Griffonstone, whose culture seems to be caught somewhere between the Urals and the Caucasian mountains (primarily Georgian, Armenian and Kazakh cultures) with a dash of Tibet and Mongolia to round out the society's remote mountainous flair.
253	** Whereas Griffonstone mostly scratches Mongolian culture, Yakyakistan all but embraces it, combining Mongolian aesthetics with temper and attitude not unlike those of Vikings.
254	** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS7E16CampfireTales Campfire Tales]]", Mistmane's homeland, from its architecture to its culture to its dress styles, is openly based on imperial China.
255	** The desert village southern Equestria seen in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS7E17DaringDone Daring Done?]]" and in Somnabula's issue of ''[[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyLegendsOfMagic Legends of Magic]]'' is heavily reminiscent of ancient Egypt. It is located close to ancient pyramids, its present citizens all seem to wear kohl and, in Somnabula's time, its residents all wore distinctly Egyptian clothing, the area was explicitly ruled by a Pharaoh and the beginning of the flashback segment recounting Somnabula's tale is in the form of animated hieroglyphics.
256	** In the present day, locations in Equestria are based on different cultures of different eras:
257	*** Ponyville seems to be based on 17th to 19th century Europe, with their buildings' architecture mostly being timber-framed cottages, which were popular in places like England, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Scotland, and Switzerland from the Renaissance age to the 19th century.
258	*** Cloudsdale is very Greco-Roman in appearance, with plenty of columned porticos and even an amphitheater for public events like the Best Young Fliers Competition.
259	*** Manehattan is roughly based off 1940's [[BigApplesauce New York City]] but with all the cars replaced with horse-drawn carriages. Some of which are painted like yellow checker cabs.
260	*** Appleoosa is a 19th century American wild-west settlement, similar to those seen in [[TheWestern Westerns]].
261	*** Canterlot seems to be inspired by France with a dash of Britain.
262	** The [[http://futzi01.deviantart.com/art/Map-of-Equestria-323909537 official map of Equestria]] reveals significant similarities to North America, albeit with as many horse puns as they can stuff in ("Manehattan", "Fillydelphia", "Baltimare", "Vanhoover"...)
263	** In ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E24EquestriaGames Equestria Games]]'', in addition to the Saddle Arabians (who are more horse-like than pony), there are pony-like delegates from other cultures: a mare with a half-sun-like headdress akin to the Incan or Mayan culture, and a stallion with a very Mesopotamian headdress, beard, and hair/mane style. We find next episode these two are representatives from Maretonia.
264	** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E23TheHooffieldsAndMccolts The Hooffields and the McColts]]", the titular feuding clans are very clearly Appalachian hillbillies.
265	** Curiander Cumin and Saffron Masala, a father-and-daughter pair who appear in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E13SpiceUpYourLife Spice up your Life]]", are very Indian in their names, appearance, and in the style of the restaurant they keep. Cumin specifically mentions that they moved to Canterlot from a distant part of Equestria.
266	* The Blizzarians in ''WesternAnimation/StormHawks'' are basically a species of Canadian furries (who live on the same planet as the human characters), complete with sometimes adding "Eh?" to the ends of their sentences. The series itself was made in Canada.
267	* ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'' did this a lot with alien worlds. There was Camelon the medieval planet, Texacana the cowboy planet, Zaghdad the Arabian Nights planet, etc.
268	* ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' had the Thembrians, warthog residents of a bureaucratic republic clearly intended to be analogous to UsefulNotes/{{Soviet Russia\|UkraineAndSoOn}}. Then there was Panda-La, a nation full of panda bears who were such blatant Asian stereotypes that the episode in which they appeared was eventually pulled from the lineup by Disney.
269	* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' (the original '80s cartoon) had the "[[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny Socialist Democratic Federated Republic]]" of [[{{Pun}} Carbombya]], whose leader was "Supreme Military Commander, President for Life, and King-of-Kings" Abdul Fakkadi, whose capital city's population was "4000 people and 10000 camels", and which was so [[{{Qurac}} stereotypically Arab]] and [[AlwaysChaoticEvil stereotypically evil]] that it prompted the departure of Creator/CaseyKasem--voice of Cliffjumper, Bluestreak, and the Teletraan-1 computer and of Lebanese descent--from the show.
270	** Bulkhead of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' is a "mudflap" from an "energon farm" -- that is, basically a robot redneck. He gets a lot of flack for it when he first shows up at boot camp, but it's mostly due to his naivete rather than any inherent stupidity. In fact, he's actually an accomplished artist and [[spoiler:[[GeniusDitz the most skilled space bridge technician ever]]]].
271	* Most {{Human Alien\|s}} members of the ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' hails from a PlanetOfHats, ruled by one government and with only one culture. [[PrincessClassic Stella]], [[RebelliousPrincess Aisha]], [[LostOrphanedRoyalty Bloom]], [[GreenThumb Flora]], and [[TechnoWizard Tecna]] all come from planets that reflect their personalities or connect to their powers in some way, but avert this trope by not having those cultures based on existing ones. However, Musa and her home planet Melody play this [[InterchangeableAsianCultures straight]]: Musa appears Asian, her parents' names are obviously meant to 'sound' Asian, and some of the outfits that she wears, are obviously based on Asian fashion, as are her mother's in flashbacks. Although it should be mentioned the planet's princess, Galatea is Caucasian, suggesting the planet is more diverse than it seems.
272	[[/folder]]

Context Main / FantasyCounterpartCulture