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->''"And she may cry but her tears will dry \\
When I hand her the keys to a shiny new Australia!"''
-->-- '''Dr. Horrible''', ''WebVideo/DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'', "Brand New Day"

Say the BigBad is about to TakeOverTheWorld, but you have something they need. What would you ask for in return for your help? And you ''can'' think big; after all, they ''do'' have the entire world to offer, no need to feel constrained to [[YouWillBeSpared beg to be spared]].

Or maybe you ''are'' the BigBad, and some wannabe villain has some vital piece of AppliedPhlebotinum you need to see your evil plan through, but not the means by which to carry it out himself. What could you offer him to get what you want, and even play to their ego so they won't think to stab you in the back and take your hard-earned [[DeityOfHumanOrigin godhood]] for themselves?

And even if you already have everything you need to carry out your secretive {{Evil Plan}}s such as CorporateConspiracy and GovernmentConspiracy, nothing says you care quite like promising your most faithful minion a good-sized piece of the planet theirs's about to help you conquer. Whatever the case might be, there is one thing every would-be world dominator needs to ensure that their plan is [[TemptingFate foolproof]] and no [[EvilerThanThou untoward]] [[HeelFaceTurn betrayals]] go off in the last five minutes of their doomsday clock:

[[LandDownUnder Australia]].

That's right, Australia. Australia isn't a global powerhouse, but is still an enormous piece of real estate, so the BigBad can make it look like an impressive gift while keeping their mitts on the more important countries like the US, the UK, Russia, China, etc. [[UsefulNotes/AussiesWithArtillery Australia's dreaded military]] will also provide the BigBad more firepower, and an opportunity to own them as {{Mooks}} and possibly turning them into PrivateMilitaryContractors. Also, it has 25% of the uranium in the world, plenty of gold to mine and sell for profit, [[ArsonMurderAndJAywalking and is the largest exporter of beef]] by... quite a large margin. [[Analysis/ShinyNewAustralia There are also a lot of reasons it's the perfect base of operations for a junior supervillain]], though this may itself be a good reason the BigBad should rethink giving it to [[TheStarscream said ambitious subordinate]]. Even then, these villains would [[VillainWithGoodPublicity masquerade their intentions]] in order to lure unwitting citizens and visitors into their PropagandaMachine and PeaceAndLoveIncorporated.

It doesn't actually ''need'' to be Australia. Any big chunk of territory will do, as long as it makes the junior supervillain a powerful ruler, often while leaving the senior one a ''much more'' powerful ruler. See also ThrowAwayCountry.

----
[[foldercontrol]]

!!Examples with Australia specifically:

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* In the graphic novel version of ''ComicBook/{{Wanted}}''; Mr. Rictus has a chip on his shoulder because he was slighted, given Australia when the LegionOfDoom divvied up the globe. To add to the unfairness, another villain was in fact given ''two'' entire continents: North and South America.
* ''ComicBook/{{Empire}}'''s Golgoth conquers Australia first. It's a [[{{Troperiffic}} good]] [[{{Deconstruction}} starting point]], after all.
* In the ''ComicBook/HouseOfM'' [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] tie-in, The Hulk takes over Australia and declared himself President.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''[[http://dragonblond_04.tripod.com/fanfictions/MotherMayI.htm Mother, May I (Take Over The World)]]'' (MSTing [[http://cardcaptor_schlueter.tripod.com/Card_Captor_Science_Theater_3000-Episode_19.htm here]]), a [[SoBadItsGood hilariously bad]] FanFic featuring the world's most evil people - among them Saddam Hussein, Hitler, Pikachu, and an increasingly bemused Martin Luther King, Jr. - Fidel Castro is annoyed to be given Australia.
* In ''FanFic/QueenOfAllOni'', Jade, after her FaceHeelTurn, jokingly says that the ultimate goal of the Shadow Hand (her recreation of the Dark Hand) is to take over Australia (Jade is smart enough to realize that world domination never ends well for those who try it) and gets mad at [[QuirkyMinibossSquad the Enforcers]] when they take her seriously.
** Bit of continuity fridge brilliance when one considers that the Book of Ages, one of the most powerful magical artifacts in the series, is hidden in the Australian outback.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7116136/23/Harry-Potter-Wishing-for-a-friend Harry Potter: Wishing For a Friend]]'' Dumbledore's original intentions were to conquer the world and give Voldemort Australia to play with.
* In ''[[http://kinsfire.fanficauthors.net/Betrayed/Just_Because_Its_The_End_Doesnt_Mean_Its_Over/ Betrayed]]'' Voldemort offers it to Lucius Malfoy.
-->'''Voldemort:''' But our goals are the same in this case. Take over the Ministry [of Magic] and eventually the entire world. Perhaps I will permit you to govern Australia if you please me.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/SupermanII'', [[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]] wanted Australia in return for taking General Zod to the Daily Planet (to lure Superman out of hiding). Arguably the {{Trope Maker|s}}, as a couple places have listed the film as being the inspiration for the use of this trope.
* In ''Film/CatsAndDogs'', Mr. Tinkles secures the support of the world's mouse population by promising them a massive quantity of cheese and the continent of Australia, which he has convinced them is a bastion of the dairy industry.
-->"With dogs out of the way, then cats will overthrow the humans and you will be given your much-deserved reward: 16 pounds of Monterrey Jack and the continent of Australia!"
* In ''ComicConEpisodeIVAFansHope'', Creator/JossWhedon comments, "When people say the geeks have inherited the Earth, I say (...) how much of the Earth do I get? Can I have Australia?"
* In ''Film/StargateContinuum'' [[spoiler:Baal plans to divide up Earth amongst the System Lords, giving half of Australia to Camulus and the other half to the Free Jaffa Nation]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/GoodOmens'', Adam plans to give Australia to Dog, since it's got lots of wide-open space for him to run around in. Played with, however, as he also gives away the rest of the "important" countries, because to Adam the only ''really'' important place in the world is his hometown, Lower Tadfield.
* Australia as a RedShirt: Australia is the first to be blown up in the nuclear war of Creator/RayBradbury's ''Literature/TheMartianChronicles''.
* In Colin Mason's nuclear-threat novel ''Literature/TheHostage'', "The hostage is the continent of Australia", blatantly advertised on the cover of the first pb edition.
* In Creator/HarryTurtledove's ''Literature/WorldWar'' series, Earth is invaded by aliens in 1942. The aliens are from a desert-like planet and as far as they're concerned most of Earth is too cold or too humid. But they love the climate of outback Australia. In an ironic replay of Britain's earlier colonization of the continent the aliens kill off a large portion of the natives by nuking Sydney and Melbourne, then they settle large numbers of colonists there and begin displacing the local flora and fauna with their own.
* In ''Literature/TheIronMan'' by Ted Hughes (the inspiration for the animated movie ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant''), the Space-Bat-Angel-Dragon lands on Australia and sprawls out across most of the continent. (Sadly, the Space-Bat-Angel-Dragon does not appear in the film version.)
* Mitkey is a well-intentioned uplifted mouse rather than a villain in Creator/FredricBrown's science fiction novelette "The Star Mouse," but he proposes that the intelligence of all mice on Earth be raised to approximately human level, and then the mice promise to stop being pests (and work with humans to drive rats into extinction) in exchange for Australia:
--> "Ve could call it Mousetralia, und instead uff Sydney[[note]]the capital of Australia is Canberra, not Sydney, but it ruins the joke[[/note]] ve vill call der capital Dissney..."
* The novel ''L'homme qui dormit cent ans'' by Henri Bernay tells the story of an American who sleeps for a century and cannot cope with the changes. The problem is resolved by having him move to Australia, where life is exactly the way it was in America when he fell asleep.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E8TheHungryEarth The Hungry Earth]]"/"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E9ColdBlood Cold Blood]]", the Doctor suggests that Australia be given to the Silurians as a new homeland, which pissed off some Australian fans.
* Even ''Series/GilligansIsland'' did this one, with Mr and Mrs Howell discussing buying an island in the Pacific, and deciding on Australia.
* It's not always villains. In the 90s Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} comedy ''Radioactive'', one character has a fantasy where they become rich enough to buy two planets. "Oh.. and I also bought Australia."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* A version of this trope appears in Music/RandyNewman's song, "Political Science." In Randy's plan to nuke every non-American nation off the face of the planet:
-->We'll save Australia\\
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo\\
We'll build an [[{{Eagleland}} all-American]] amusement park there\\
They got surfing too!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* An early video game example: implied in the 1985 Creator/{{Activision}} game ''Hacker''. If the player guides the underground tunnel robot too close to Australia, the following message is displayed on-screen:
-->YOU HAVE ENTERED A RESTRICTED AREA\\\
ALL REMOTE UNITS HAVE BEEN\\
ORDERED TO EVACUATE TEST SITE\\\
VIOLATION OF THIS DIRECTIVE\\
HAS RESULTED IN TERMINATION OF YOUR\\
DATA LINK\\
GOOD-BYE
** If the player manages to retrieve all the shredded document pieces, the complete document reads:
-->[[spoiler:MAGMA, LTD.\\\
CONFIDENTIAL:\\\
[[PlanetaryCoreManipulation TEST HOLE NEARING COMPLETION. TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL REACHING CRITICAL LEVEL. FINAL COUNTDOWN ON SCHEDULE. ALL UNITS EVACUATE AUSTRALIAN NEXUS... THERMAL RUNAWAY MAY CAUSE CONTINENTAL DESTRUCTION]].]]
* In ''VideoGame/NoOneLivesForever'', "the continent of Australia" is listed as one of H.A.R.M.'s ludicrous demands after threatening to unleash near-undetectable human time bombs to heavily populated areas.
* In ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'', during a game of TabletopGame/{{RISK}} with student council president Shizune, she offers to let you have Australia - if you promise to join the council.
** [[http://shimmie.katawa-shoujo.com/post/view/923 "Take Australia!"]]
** [[http://shimmie.katawa-shoujo.com/post/view/926 "totally ruling Australia"]]
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', if Urdnot Wreav is in command of the krogan during the final battle, he agrees to help humanity... so long as he gets Australia in the bargain. [[JustJokingJustification He then says he's just kidding.]] For now.
** Australia must look downright hospitable when your home is a radioactive DeathWorld filled with gigantic [[SandWorm thresher maws]].
** Judging by [[http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/355/index/10438775/1 this board,]] it seems the natives' response to that request would be, "We welcome our sharktoad cousins. You are welcome to stick around as long as you can '''''survive'''''."
* Sheeva's arcade ending in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' involves the Shokan taking control of Australia with the permission of world leaders. While this is a possibly reference to Lex Luthor in ''Superman II'', it's also a TakeThat to the Australian censor board, who banned the game.
* In the backstory of ''Videogame/{{Overwatch}}'', after the [[RobotWar Omnic Crisis]], the [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Omnics]] were given the Australian Outback as reparations, which led to the natives instigating an uprising that turned the outback into a full-on wasteland.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Fans}}'', when [[VisionaryVillain the Order of the Dragon]] decides it's time to TakeOverTheWorld, they take a continent each. Keith, who's been [[EvenEvilHasStandards giving the other members of the Order the willies]], gets assigned Australia.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In the novel version of ''Literature/HowToSucceedInEvil'', the eternally clueless Dr. Loeb offers his "evil efficiency consultant", Edwin Windsor, the continent of Australia. Edwin is insulted.
* Almost played straight in the infamous web video ''The End of Ze World''. As a six-sided nuclear war plays out between the USA, the UK, France, China, India, and Pakistan, "Australia is down there like 'WTF, mate?'" However, it's subverted with the implication that the country will not survive the ongoing nuclear winter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Videos]]
* ''WebVideo/DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'':
** The {{Trope Namer|s}}: the titular MadScientist daydreams that he is going to give Penny, the girl of his dreams, Australia to console her after he takes over the world.
** Australia also plays a part in the [[http://www.horribleturn.com fanfic sequel.]]
* This trope is discussed during the finale of ''LetsPlay/SpoilerWarning'''s playthrough of ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' when one of the commenters points out that villains always seem to want to give away Australia as a bribe.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Mr. Burns didn't get Australia for his birthday, but Smithers arranged for its citizens to spell out his name in candles. He didn't even look.
* ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'': In "The Great Bone Idol," Baron Greenback offers to give Australia to Count Duckula in exchange for finding said idol, with which Greenback could control all the dogs in the world.
-->'''Duckula:''' Bondi Beach...Wooloomooloo...Kangaroo stew...yes! Done!
* In ''WebAnimation/LEGOMarvelSuperheroesAvengersReassembled'', Baron Von Strucker joined along Ultron's world domination schemes because he was promised Australia in case of success.
* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/StanLeesSuperheroKindergarten'' when Dr. Superior plans to take over every continent ''except'' Australia, as he likes koalas.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* A possibly unique inversion in [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Australia "The New Australia"]], in which a faction of Aussies tried to set up a "Utopian" colony in Paraguay.
[[/folder]]

!!Examples with other places:

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', the Brittanian Knight of One (the highest of the Knights of the Round Table) is given control of an entire nation in exchange for their service in world domination. Suzaku wants Japan, so he intends to become the Knight of One to claim Japan as his. [[spoiler:Then it's revealed that the Emperor's ultimate plan is to brainwash all of humanity into becoming a hive mind, making the Knight's fiefdom moot.]]
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
** In the Piccolo Daimao arc, the titular embodiment of evil apparently offered [[HarmlessVillain the Pilaf gang]] ''half the world'' as a reward for freeing him, loaning their airship and telling him about the Dragon Balls. Daimao never intended to let them have it though, and he ejects them off their airship once he can execute his plan of world domination. This qualifies as the trope since it's highly unlikely the Pilaf Gang would have had any actual power, since the gulf of villainy between them and Daimao is large enough to fit Mr. Satan's ego and Goku's appetite with room to spare.
** In the beginning of the Android Arc, King Cold offers Future Trunks a place as his son (shortly after Trunks killed his actual son Frieza), with the promise of planets far more wondrous than Earth. Trunks of course declines out of disinterest before killing him as well.
* In ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun'', Diego Brando gets the entire island of Manhattan in exchange for [[spoiler: handing over his corpse part to [[PresidentEvil Valentine]]]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* In Creator/HowardChaykin's ''ComicBook/AmericanFlagg'' series (which is set in Chicago) the government buys off the rebellious Flagg by giving him Illinois to rule.
* In ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} member [[TheStarscream Moonstone]] offers information to the Skrulls in exchange for South America.
* In one ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' storyline, EvilSorcerer Nicholas Scratch attempts to summon EldritchAbomination Shuma-Gorath, who will proceed to conquer the entire ''universe'', in exchange for "my life and Barbados". Surprisingly modest ambition.
* In ''Creator/CarlBarks'' story "The Golden Helmet", the eponymous helmet was proof an ancient viking named Olaf the Blue was the true owner of North America, theoretically allowing any (alleged) descendant of his to use it to take over the continent. When WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck got the helmet, an attorney offered to help Donald and wanted Canada as his legal fees.
* In the original ''VillainsUnited'' miniseries, Mockingbird offers each of the ComicBook/SecretSix a continent if they work for him. The fact that, by default, he left Australia for himself was a [[ShoutOut subtle]] [[Film/SupermanII clue]] that Mockingbird was [[spoiler: Lex Luthor]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''[[http://bobmin.fanficauthors.net/Dear_Tom/Dear_Tom/ Dear Tom]]'' Harry has a pretend correspondence with Voldemort to trick the Order of the Phoenix, which is appropriating and reading his fake letters, into removing him from Privet Drive earlier than intended. Part of one of the letters veers into this trope.
-->''I like the idea of being the King of North America. You can have the world. I'll be content in my own little corner of it. But I'll let you have Santa Monica as your holiday place. In your honor, I'll rename it Voldiville. The Americans are especially violent and warlike. With me leading them to victory in your name, we will prevail!\\
I'm still undecided what to do with Canada. I think I'll give it to my wife as a wedding present. By the way, don't forget to ask Tracey if she wants kids. I think it would be neat to name one after you.''
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8553100/3/The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Harry-J-Potter The Rise and Fall of Harry J. Potter]]'' Rita Skeeter publishes a tell-all book which claims that Harry is a Dark Lord wannabe. Several of the children decide that this would be a ''good'' thing.
-->'''Teddy Lupin:''' Imagine if he was secretly ruling the world! So cool. Think he'd give me America? Or a [[KillerRabbit killer pygmy puff]]? Ooo, how about both!\\
'''Victoire Weasley:''' I want France. Maman, can Uncle Harry give me Paris?\\
'''Bill Weasley:''' You'll have to ask him.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11898648/25/Harry-Potter-and-the-Rune-Stone-Path Harry Potter and the Rune Stone Path]]'' an evil version of Harry states that he killed Hermione when she objected to his intentions to eliminate magic-hating Muggles.
-->'''Evil Harry:''' I was willing to just let her have the Americas, but she insisted we had to fight. I like to think it was her way of apologizing and ensuring I moved on.
* In ''[[Fanfic.SparkgateAgathaAndTheGraspOfTheSerpentGod Sparkgate Agatha and the Grasp of the Serpent God]]'', Rhadamanthys promises Agatha a planet of her own to rule if she builds weapons for him, and Daniel the opportunity to be governor of the planet the Abydonians are resettled on.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
* Subverted in ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'', where [[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]] vetoes his henchman's proposed "Otisburg" on the new west coast.
* In ''The Crown of the Russian Empire, or The Elusives Again'' a pretender to the Russian throne in exile offers Poland to one of the bad guys to make sure he'll help him, not the other pretender.
* The villain in ''Film/WildWildWest'' proposes dividing the United States and giving the territories back to the previous European owners, setting aside the northwest part of the country for himself.
* In ''Film/{{Flash Gordon|1980}}'', Ming offers Flash a Shiny New ''Earth'' if he'll switch sides, or at least an Unshiny Old Earth that's been decimated by disasters. Presumably Ming would keep the rest of the solar system for himself. Or he just wanted Flash as Ming's viceroy on Earth, just like all the other princes rule the moons of Mongo in Ming's name. Ming would be the overall ruler and Flash Gordon would have to obey Ming. The decimated Earth would be re-populated by Ming and Dale's offspring.
* In ''Film/EscapeFromLA'', Map-To-The-Stars Eddie mentions wanting a small territory of his own (Wisconsin) as his reward for turning Snake over to Cuervo.
* In ''Film/ThePatriot2000'', Tavington asks General Cornwallis for the state of Ohio in return for winning battles in South Carolina.
* [[BigBad M. Bison]] in ''Film/StreetFighter'' offers to share the country with [[TheDragon Sagat]] rather than paying him for his services with "mere money". Sagat insists on cash payment.
-->'''Bison:''' As for payment, why settle for mere money? After I defeat the A.N, what if I were to share the country with you?\\
'''Sagat:''' When the war is over, we'll see how much of the country is left. In the meantime, let's see the color of your money.
* In the director's cut of ''Film/SupermanII'', Luthor ups the ante by telling Zod the Fortress of Solitude's location in exchange for Cuba.
* In ''Film/TheShadow'', the villain's toady Farley Claymore turns out to be the one local ''not'' under mind-control, declaring instead that "There's a new world order coming, and I'm gonna be a king!" Shiwan Khan somehow catches wind of it, and as the culmination of the plan approaches, it becomes clear that this was ''not'' cleared beforehand when he takes a moment to violently shut him down over daring to think himself a "king in my kingdom"; Claymore bargains down position by position until Khan lets him go at "...your choice, of course."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In Creator/TomHolt's ''Literature/WhosAfraidOfBeowulf'', the Big Bad offers someone China as a bribe for his assistance.
* In the novel ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'', Doctor Impossible contemplates offering Egypt to a fellow villain, the Pharaoh.
* ''Literature/EmperorMolluskVersusTheSinisterBrain'': "Don't ask me why I needed Scranton and Sheboygan."
* In the fourth ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' book, Opal's henchmen stick around because she promised them Barbados.
* In the {{Novelization}} of ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' there is an extended WeCanRuleTogether scene between Palpatine and Anakin. Palpatine essentially says, "Join me and you can have anything you want. Name it." Anakin half-jokingly replies, "Corellia." Without missing a beat, Palpatine asks, "Just the one planet, or all Five Brothers?" (Corellia is the capital planet of a five-planet system.)
* In the novel ''The Android's Dream,'' a character responds to "Are you trying to bribe me?" with, "No, I've ''been'' bribing you. Now I'm trying to buy you outright... I could see my way to letting you run ''some'' portion of the globe. I hear New Zealand is nice."
* This pretty much sums up [[DiabolicalMastermind Coil]]'s approach to recruiting in ''Literature/{{Worm}}''. Especially [[spoiler:in his offer to Taylor that he will help improve the [[WretchedHive city districts]] her father has long tried to restore]].
** The Sequel, ''Literature/{{Ward}}'', does this often with [[PsychopathicManchild God]][[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen dess]]. She did it to her minions on Earth Shin after conquering it, and she tries to offer the control of territory to Breakthrough and the other prisoners even after [[MoreThanMindControl "Aligning"]] them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* While trying to convince a Nazi officer he wants to defect in ''Series/HogansHeroes'', Colonel Hogan says that he sees how the war is going and all he wants at the end of it is to own Cleveland.
* In the season finale of BBC drama/comedy ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'' the bad guy (head vampire) says he would have given one of the main characters (the one that's also a vampire) South America if he had joined him.
* In ''Series/{{Lexx}}'', the insipid U.S. President tries to buy off the equally dim (and illiterate) Stanley by anointing him King of [[UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} Newfoundland]] ("a beautiful island paradise of wine, women and constant song") via some scribbled lines and a signature on Presidential letterhead. Later, Xev is tempted with "her own beautiful island full of gardens and antiques" (England), by the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', Dick Roman, leader of the Leviathans, promises Crowley free range for demons in Canada if he helps stop the Winchesters.
* An early episode of ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' has Sabrina encountering Newt, one of Salem's co-conspirators in his scheme for world domination. Newt notes that he was promised Denmark.
* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. Servalan tries to convince Vila to surrender the Liberator by offering him a planetary governorship. "Earth, if you like." Vila looks like he's actually contemplating it, before Dayna reminds him of Servalan's ChronicBackstabbingDisorder. Though this trope only applies because Servalan rules an empire spanning hundreds of planets, even if EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse.
* ''Series/{{Rome}}'' has the second triumvirate of Mark Antony, Octavian and Lepidus (the latter treated as a ButtMonkey by the series) arguing over how to divide the Roman world they've just conquered between them. There's tension between Mark Antony and Octavian over who will govern the East with all its riches and who will govern the capital Rome and the West, but when Lepidus asks what ''he'' gets, Mark Antony and Octavian offhandedly toss him Africa, after which he is never heard from in the series again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': When one Successor State conquers some planets from one of its neighbors, it's not unusual for high-ranking officers who particularly distinguished themselves to be rewarded by being named baron of one of the conquered planets.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Discussed in ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}''. Andrew Ryan, upon discovering that you've been working with Atlas, wonders if he coaxed you to his faction by offering you "a piece of my plundered city."
* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'''s ''Yuri Revenge'' expansion, the intro shows President Dugan trying to talk Yuri out of his ambitions by offering him the Soviet Union to rule. For someone that wants to TakeOverTheWorld, that ends up as a ComicallySmallBribe.
* In ''VideoGame/DeusEx'', the main villain, Bob Page, is more generous: he offers [[PlayerCharacter JC Denton]] Europe as his own personal fiefdom, if he will just stop his attempt to bring down his plans.
* ''VideoGame/EvilGenius2'': Red Ivan got awarded his own country "Ivania" for his services as a henchman in the first ''VideoGame/EvilGenius''. The Forces of Justice overthrowing him motivates him to become an Evil Genius himself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/AngelMoxie'', the SealedEvilInACan offers Tristan France if she just helps free her. Tristan Accepts. [[EvilIsNotAToy Evil betrays Tristan.]] [[HeelFaceTurn Tristan is not pleased.]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'''s arc Professor Madblood and the Doppelganger Gambit, Madblood offers Helen her choice of world continents as consolation prize for breaking a date.
-->'''Madblood:''' PEOPLE OF EARTH, YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! I choose to address you as a 300-mile holographic projection against the ionosphere solely to secure the attention of Helen Narbon, whom I regret I am unable to join for dinner this evening. I apologize profusely and assure Miss Narbon that when Earth is brought under my heel, she, the planet's loveliest blossom, may have the continent of her choice.\\
'''Madblood:''' Except Europe. Mother dibsied it.
* In ''Webcomic/RealLifeComics'', Tony offers Mae Zimbabwe when he eventually takes over the world. Mae accepts because she likes the sound of the name.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'':
** In one episode, Drakken attempts to get Shego to help him in his latest schemes by offering her Greenland. It doesn't work when she points out that Greenland isn't green and demands Iceland instead. Drakken is quite upset by having to give up the green one to her.
** Another example, when Drakken is trying to bribe Ron for their last morsel of food:
--->'''Drakken:''' Name your price, Stoppable... power, glory! When I take over the world, you can have a continent... Any continent! [pauses] Not Europe.
* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' has promised the moon to his insane RobotBuddy GIR after he has devastated the world, according to the episode "Tak the Hideous New Girl".
* In ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' [[DiabolicalMastermind The Kingpin]] once again assembles the Insidious Six as part of a scheme to TakeOverTheWorld. While fighting Spidey [[DumbMuscle Rhino]] claims he's going to be the new "King of New Jersey", causing Spidey to [[DeadpanSnarker snark]] that if the Kingpin is getting the world and he is only giving him New Jersey, Rhino needs a better agent.
* In ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' after Wuya takes over the world during Raymondo's FaceHeelTurn, she tells him he can have anything: "Toys, money, Canada".
* [[BigBad Cronus]] from ''WesternAnimation/ClassOfTheTitans'', when he thinks his victory is guaranteed, takes [[TheDragon Agnon]] aside and has this to say:
--> '''Cronus:''' You know, you've always been my favorite, Agnon. How about a country to rule? Hm? How would you like to rule UsefulNotes/NewZealand?
* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''. Darkseid has captured and brainwashed Superman into thinking he's his adopted son who grew up on Apokolips. After a successful battle, he then offers Superman the planet Earth to conquer and rule for himself as per this trope. Superman has no memory of having been there and so doesn't realise [[LetsYouAndHimFight how Darkseid is using him]].
* In the GrandFinale to ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', [[EvilOverlord Fire Lord Ozai]] gives [[spoiler:''the entire Fire Nation'' to his daughter Azula before declaring himself the new "Phoenix King" of ''the entire world''. This still counts because, with Ozai as a world-spanning overlord, Fire Lord Azula would remain subordinate to him]].
* In season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn2019'', the Riddler demands Doctor Psycho let him rule Scandinavia because he is aesthetically pleased by it.
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[[folder:Real Life]]
* Early American politician Aaron Burr fled to the Louisiana Territory in disgrace after killing UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton in a duel. He offered to help start a revolt from UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} (possibly detaching some American territory as well) in order to create a new country which he would presumably rule. Note that Burr was brought to trial and found not guilty, so the scheme may have existed chiefly in the minds of his opponents. More precisely, while there ''was'' evidence of a LOT of shady shenanigans, whether Burr was trying to start an actual ''revolt'' was undetermined.
* The infamous Zimmerman Telegraph from UsefulNotes/WorldWarI promised the nation of Mexico Texas ([[MexicoCalledTheyWantTexasBack notable to Mexico at the time for its oil and Revolution]]) and whatever other parts of the Western US it lost from the Mexican-American War if Mexico came in on the side of the Germans. Note that the US was still officially neutral at this point. Furthermore, Mexico had very little in the way of a domestic armaments industry, and with the European countries producing at full capacity for their own forces, the only possible source of war supplies would have been the USA. On top of that, Mexico was also bogged down in a three-to-five-way civil war (how many sides there were varied depending on day of the week) which had already seen several US interventions when one or more of the major players felt like pissing off their neighbors to the north, and none of those "interventions" ended well for the Mexicans involved. Germany didn't really think the scheme would work apart from [[WeNeedADistraction causing the Americans some headaches]]. {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s like to point to the extreme stupidity of this scheme to insinuate Germany did not actually send the Telegram and it was a forgery by the US to justify entry into the war, but then again [[HanlonsRazor that's not how those things usually go]]. The evidence indicates that the German chancellery, foreign ministry, and military were not on the same page and that the offer was not approved by the entire German government.
* A new updated version of TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}} is called "Monopoly: Here and Now, the World Edition." Alongside being updated for inflation and advances in technology, the Atlantic City streets are scrapped and major world cities are used. This leads to conversations such as, "I'll trade you London for Barcelona." "How much do you want for Tokyo?" "Would anybody like to buy Rome?"
* In a sense, this is roughly how feudalism works. Someone who owns a lot of land (like a king or emperor) hands out parcels of land to his subordinates in exchange for military service; those subordinates then hand out smaller pieces of that land to ''their'' subordinates, and so on and so forth.
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