Middle East

The middle East here is bigger than in our Timeline. To accommodate the many Fictional Countries, most real ones do not exist.

**Disclaimer:**This is basically a list of Fictional Countries as they were depicted in the source material. They were not created by me though some connections and details were. Many of these countries were created by British and Americans, largely intended to represent a Middle Eastern Country in War and turnoil to serve as a backdrop to explore US involvement and adopting another name so as to not offend the real countries. This feature has been taken to its logical extreme and the Fictional Countries now replace the real ones they are based on. Some are parodies. As such I apologize if you are offended by a Country's depiction, especially as many were intended to mock Middle Eastern countries, especially Dictators and Dictatorships

## **Stand ins**

### **Afghanistan/Helmajistan(Full Metal Panic)**

Also known as Afbaghistan(Army@Love).

The Country has a US National Guard presence from 2007 to 2009((Army@Love).

### **Iran/Asran(also spelled Aslan)/Syraq/Islamic Republic of Kamistan/Azadistan(*Area 88/DC Comics/* 24 Season 8/*Mobile Suit Gundam 00*)**

Area 88 follows the exploits of a foreign legion of mercenary fighter pilots during a civil war. Although it's fairly clear from the descriptions of the people, and the time-period(Late 70's or Early 80's) it is set in, that it's a fictional version of Iran during the the overthrow of the Shah. The events of the film *Iron Eagle II* in which an unnamed Middle Eastern country develops Nuclear Weapons takes place here. A map clearly showed it was Iran so it's been made into that. By 1988, it had become Syraq from *Batman:* *A Death in the Family.* Ayatollah Khomeni appears as himself in the same story. In 24 it is named the Islamic Republic of Kamistan and has a reforming President. It also replaces the USSR Supported Paran from *Strike Fighters*. Azadistan in *Mobile Suit Gundam 00* is quite obviously Iran/Persia in the future, from its location to its name (آزادستان, Persian for "land of freedom"). *Mobile Suit Gundam 00* also features a short-lived, war-torn Kurdish Republic on Azadistan's border. Which is more proof of Azadistan being a future version of Iran, since if a Kurdish nation were ever formed it would inherently be along the northwest border of Iran since that's where Kurds have lived for over a thousand years.

### **State of Palestine/Abuddin(Tyrant)**

(Abuddin(*Tyrant*) has been mentioned to geographically border Syria, Jordan and Lebanon and has access to the sea. The only country to do so is Israel. However given the unfortunate implications of removing Israel from the map as well as the name coming from religion and arguably a mythology. It has therefore been made into Palestine).

The nation of Abuddin was made up of many different people, a majority of them were in fact, jewish, and most of the modern Abuddin people are descendants of the Mizrahi Jews of Levant. The idea of Abuddin of a nation came in 1947 United World Organization partition plan. Prior to that the land was known as British Abuddin, which was established postwar and existed from 1920 to 1948. The plan was to divide British Abuddin between Israel and a theoretical Arab State. Following an Exodus, the Abuddin people feared the Jews would occupy all of British Abuddin and declared war in 1948 in the first Arab-Israeli conflict along with Khandaq(Egypt), Hatay(Jordan), Bialya(Syria), and Oran(Lebanon). After a ceasefire was imposed, Khandaq occupied the Gaza Strip, and Hatay took the West Bank. After this many nations were satisfied to accept Israel's independence, hundreds of thousands of Abuddinians refused and fled or were exiled to other countries. Israel was divided into the Israeli West and the Hatay East which include the Temple Mount.

The Six Day War occurred in 1967 which saw Israel win and take East Jerusalem, The West bank and the Gaza Strip. This began a period of guerllia attacks by Abuddin against Israel throughout the 70's and 80's with Hatay abandoning its claims. Talks in 1994 set up future plans for a potential Abuddin state, which came to fruition under the leadership of Khaled Al-Fayeed, when oil was discovered in the country. The Fayeed family would spend most of the country's wealth on luxury at the expense of its people. Khaled Al-Fayeed died in 2014 during a revolution. His son, the unstable Jamal Al-Fayeed, assumed control of the country before being overthrown by his more well meaning brother Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed. Bassam Fayeed has two children: Sami Al-Fayeed, who is gay, and their daughter Emma Al-Fayeed. General William Cogswell was sent to oversee American interests in the country under Bassam's Presidency(*Tyrant*).

## Countries

### **A**

**Abuddin**(*Tyrant*)- The protagonist's father is the dictator of a fictional Middle-Eastern country called Abbudin.

**Afbagistan**(*Army@Love)*

**Aldastan**(*Command & Conquer: Generals*) has heavy GLA presence. Since the names of cities are real, it implies that Aldastan was formed from the breakup of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan rather than being a fully fictional country. Considering how unstable some Central Asian Republics are (Tajikistan being near the top), this example may turn Harsher in Hindsight in the near future.

**Aplacistan**(*Inspector Gadget*)-Inhabited by Illamas.

**Alphenlicht** ("elf light"?) (*Marianne, the Magus and the Manticore*, *Marianne, the Madame and the Momentary Gods* and *Marianne, the Matchbox and the Malachite Mouse*). Alphenlicht is a micronation tucked away somewhere where Qurac(Iran), Kemalia(Turkey), and the Soviet Union get their borders muddled up in the mountains. It is ruled by a hereditary theocracy of Magi (Zoroastrian priests and the original magicians), and has the neighboring micronation of Lubovosk as its dire enemy. Lubovosk used to be part of Alphenlicht but was seized by the USSR and made into a puppet state. It, too, is headed by a Magocracy, an evil branch of the same family.

**Asran(also spelled Aslan)/Syraq/Islamic Republic of Kamistan/Azadistan**(*Area 88/DC Comics/* 24 Season 8/*Mobile Suit Gundam 00*)-Area 88 follows the exploits of a foreign legion of mercenary fighter pilots during a civil war. Although it's fairly clear from the descriptions of the people, and the time-period(Late 70's or Early 80's) it is set in, that it's a fictional version of Iran during the the overthrow of the Shah. The events of the film *Iron Eagle II* in which an unnamed Middle Eastern country develops Nuclear Weapons takes place here. A map clearly showed it was Iran so it's been made into that. By 1988, it had become Syraq from *Batman:* *A Death in the Family.* Ayatollah Khomeni appears as himself in the same story. In 24 it is named the Islamic Republic of Kamistan and has a reforming President. It also replaces the USSR Supported Paran from *Strike Fighters*. Azadistan in *Mobile Suit Gundam 00* is quite obviously Iran/Persia in the future, from its location to its name (آزادستان, Persian for "land of freedom"). *Mobile Suit Gundam 00* also features a short-lived, war-torn Kurdish Republic on Azadistan's border. Which is more proof of Azadistan being a future version of Iran, since if a Kurdish nation were ever formed it would inherently be along the northwest border of Iran since that's where Kurds have lived for over a thousand years.

**Aqiria**(Marvel Comics)- the original home of the supervillain Fasaud (a Fantastic Four villain from the late 80's).

**Atropia**(US Military exercises)-Name used for Azerbaijan in US military exercises.

**Avon Wadi**(British Military exercises)- A Name used for British Military exercises.

**North and South Azbaristan**(*JASF: Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters*). The countries are named "Phrase-istan", North Azbaristan is a military dictatorship, the island they're on is mostly scrubby desert, and the voice-overs all have vaguely Arabic- or Persian-sounding accents.

### **B**

**Belgistan**(*Gasaraki*).

**Bialya**(*DC Comics*)-a stand-in for Syria and was heavily featured when JLA was JLI.

### **C**

**Kadir/Kalubya/Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of**

**Carbombya(Karbomia)**(*The Jewel of the Nile/Operation: Thunderbolt/Transformers*)- Kadir is close enough to the Nile that tribal people call their spiritual leader its Jewel. *Jewel of the Nile* has a Saddam Hussein stand in named Omar but he doesn't fit with the country's setting since it must be close to the Nile. Nation was Named Kalubya between 1984 and 1988. It appears in the show Airwolf(which originally referred to the country as Libya and even mention Muammar Gaddafi). Carbombya replaces Libya as it was created as a thinly veiled version of it and shares many similarities (camels, oil, Northern Africa, in the Sahara Desert. Abdul Fakkadi is based on Muammar al-Gaddafi). Abdul Fakkadi later fled to Wadiya and changed his identity becoming Admiral-General Haffaz Aladeen. The country had several attacks by the Decepticons, forcing them to reluctantly work with the Autobots to repel them. The country's name is actually spelled Karbomia but pronounced like above. After many insults due to the name and the exile of Fakkadi after 2005. Terrorists from Kalubya attempted to killed Jack Ryan's family and also American Scientist Dr.Emmett Brown. The 1986 Film *Iron Eagle* in which a Kid Pilot battles the entire air force of an unnamed Middle Eastern country. However, it is shown on maps and clearly Libya.

**Casbahmopolis**(The 1980 Dr. Seuss TV special *Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?)* Casbahmopolis, a Middle Eastern sheikdom that resembles classical Arabia. Pontoffel falls in love with a dancer in the employ of the sheik and comes to her rescue when she's locked in the palace tower.

**Cocodad**(*Lupin III*)-an impoverished desert nation of only three thousand people.

### **D**

**Derka-derkastan**(*Team America: World Police*)

**Duban**(*Mad TV/Modern Warfare 3*)- The Embassy was bombed by a terrorist. Seen in *Modern Warfare 3 where* Referred to as the Arabian Peninsula but clearly meant to be Dubai. Replaces Dubai due to the name change.

**E**

**The People's Democratic Republic of East Yemen**(*Yes, Minister*). In reality Yemen was divided into the communist People's Republic of South Yemen and North Yemen (first the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen and then the Yemen Arab Republic).

### **H**

**Haganistan**(*Diamanda Hagan*)- Ruled by Dictator and Internet Reviewer Diamanda Hagan.

**Republic of Hatay**(*Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade*)- While a real place, it is nothing like it is in the film, so the film overrides the real version. Hatay existed in southern Turkey during the late 1930s. The Establishing Shot with the line "Republic of Hatay" clearly shows Stock Footage of *the Hagia Sofia church/mosque in Istanbul* during dawn and is immediately followed by a meeting between the bad guys and *the Sultan* of the country. Therefore the Hagia Sofia was built in Hatay instead and a Sultan is in power.Plus the city of Petra (used as the grail temple) is in Jordan in real life. It was now built in Hatay.

**Helmajistan**(*Full Metal Panic!!)-*The anime features the fictional country which was a bowdlerization — the novels use Afghanistan instead. The reasoning for this was because the original books were written before 9/11 and the War on Terror began. When the anime went into production, it was considered Too Soon to use Afghanistan, so a fictional substitute was used instead. It is also made into the unnamed Middle Eastern nation in Orson Scott Card's *Empire* and now also appears in *Modern Warfare 2.*

**The kingdom of Hortensia**(*Galavant*)- has a "pointy-hatted army" and an Arabian-esque castle/fortress.

### **I**

**Iranistan**(*Venture Bros*)Combined with Iraqistan from *The Damn Few.*

**Ishtar**(*Ishtar*)- In the film, the two Idiot Heroes are struggling American songwriters who go to the dangerous nation due to performing there being their only option for a job. They end up being unwittingly roped into a plot to kill the Emir

### **J**

**Jemal**(*Death Before Dishonor*)A Nation where anti-American sentiment spills over into terrorist acts. The film is pretty racist.

### **K**

**Kazhistan**(*Leverage*)- The Show has its share of fictional countries, particularly Kazhistan in "The Queen's Gambit Job," who is secretly developing a nuclear weapon.

**Kemalia**(*US Military Exercises*)- Name for Turkey used in US Military exercises. Tthe man who is considered to be the father of the modern state of Turkey was named Mustafa Kemal. The Opening scene of an adaptation of *Murder on the Orient Express* begins with the stoning of a Woman in Instanbul.

**Khairpura-Bhandanna**(*A Sailor Made Man*) Houses Agar Shahar Khairpura, the "City of a Thousand Rascals". The protagonist Harold has an adventure where he rescues his girlfriend from the predatory maharajah.

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

**Khemed**(*The Adventures of Tintin*) a country invented to re-set scenes in Palestine once these scenes were no longer topical.

**Kuhlavi**(*Steelgrip Starkey and the All-Purpose Power Tool*) has a passing mention of Kuhlavi, ruled by the "desert lord" Haroun Zamahdi.

**Kunami**(*Designated Survivor*) the small Middle Eastern nation of Kunami, introduced in the Season 2 episode "Two Ships" after a US destroyer collides with a garbage barge in its territorial waters. It appears to be a fusion of Yemen and Iran as it is described as having a shaky regime with numerous sanctions imposed on it, including one for a nuclear enrichment program. But then Iran is namedropped in the previous season and in the same episode on is willing to support Kunami if the US attempts a rescue mission by force. A map shows that they're located next to Saudi Arabia from the northeast next to the Persian Gulf. Kunami reappears later in the season in the episode "Fallout", when they stage a False Flag Operation to make it appear that the North Korea stand-in East Han Chiu attacked D.C. with a dirty bomb, in order to start a war they can profit from by selling East Han Chiu weapons on the black market. This enrages President Kirkman to the point he orders airstrikes on the country, trying to force the Emir to admit responsibility and stand down. Then the following episode "Overkill" reveals that the attack was actually engineered by Kunami's ambassador to the US and a Sunni rebel leader, in the hopes that the US would invade and topple the Shi'a minority regime. Then, a SEAL team discovers stockpiled chemical weapons which were to be used on Sunni dissidents, which is used as leverage to remove the Emir anyway.

### **L**

**The L4 Colonies**(Home of Quatre and the Maganacs) from *Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.*

**Lousdem**(*Quai D Orsay*)- a Middle-Eastern dictatorship which the Bartlet administration intended to invade.

### **M**

**Madeupbullshitistan**(*Cracked.Com*)

**Mananga**(*Planetes*)-an oil-producing desert country torn by civil war.

**Matar**(*Florence of Arabia*)-Westernized. Stand in for Qatar. Was attacked by Decepticons at one point.

### **N**

**Nairomi**(*Batman V Superman*)- Nairomi (rather unimaginative mangling of the capital of Kenya, Nairobi) is part African because it seems to be sub-Saharan African in culture and population, but also Middle Eastern because it's desert and implied to be Muslim.

**Neroimus**(*Chrome Hounds*)- Neroimus is in the North-East of the European continent. It is split into three warring factions: Talrakia, Morskoj and Sal Kar. Tarakia is the westernmost country in the Neroimus region. Backed financially by the United States, Tarakian equipment is generally of decent quality, not too expensive, and balanced well between offense, defense and utility. Tarakia's main HOUNDs consist of medium parts, and they have a large variety of parts, as well as weaponry, thanks to America supporting them financially. The North Eastern-most country in Neroimus, Morskoj is backed by Russia. Their equipment tends to be large, heavy, and hard to break. Sal Kar is the southern most region, located in the south-east. A desert country, comprised of hot climates, it is the smallest of the three regions, and creates mostly light weapons, vehicles, and HOUND parts. They are backed up financially by their superiority in natural resources, which causes the other two nations to occasionally skirmish with Sal Kar for resources

**Nmkwami(***Changeover*)-As the title suggests, the novel is set during the transition to self-rule. Morocco gained independence in 1968, close to the novel's publication date of 1970. While this country was known as Morocco in the past to explain the film *Road to Morocco.*The capital is Interzone, the alternate universe version of Tangier from *The Naked Lunch.* The first Act of *Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots* takes place in a war-torn desert country identified simply as "The Middle East". The "Moroccan Research Team" mentioned in the game's credits gives a clue as to which country this fictional place is based on.

### **O**

**The Caliphate of Oran**(*The Mark and the Void*)- a fictional Gulf nation plagued by Islamic terrorists, fueled by oil, and ruled by a single, extremely wealthy man.

**Osyria**(*Hardy Boys)-*heavily war-torn nation. The first book is about a stolen ancient artwork from the country and later books feature miscellaneous Osyrians as henchmen.

### **P**

**Pianostan**(*Inspector Gadget*).

**Pootweet**(Fat Freddy's Cat comic "*The Sacred Sands of Pootweet*").

### **Q**

**Qumar/Wasabia**(*The West Wing/Florence of Arabia*)- The Home Country of the character of Shaheen from *Tekken.* Qumar is noted for its strategically useful location for US military interests, its cruel treatment of women ("The Women of Qumar"), and the fact that the President ordered the assassination of its secretary of defense ("Posse Comitatus"), which eventually prompted the retaliatory kidnapping of his daughter ("Twenty Five"). Qumar's relationship to the US is modeled closely on Saudi Arabia's, as are its human rights issues. Brief glimpses of maps in the situation room show Qumar is a small nation north of the Strait of Hormuz, bordered on all other sides by Iran. Replaces Saudi Arabia. *Florence of Arabia* also has a Saudi Arabia stand in. It is fundamentalist and was renamed around 2004. It is also made into the unnamed Middle Eastern nation in *Call of Duty 4,* which is set in 2011. In that game, it is taken over by a violent, nuclear-armed and militarily aggressive regime as the setting for the first third of the game. The actual location of the country isn't made clear, as the pre-mission satellite photos jump from areas along the Red Sea suggesting Yemen, to the interior of Iran to the epicenter of a nuclear bomb's explosion in Kuwait. It also doesn't help that the country is described as being small, which doesn't make sense if it stretches from the Red Sea to the River Euphrates. Some of the missions actually seem to take place near Mecca, judging from the map. Leftover bits of old data on the disc indicate that the Qurac was going to be Saudi Arabia. Actually, given the general area and offhand mention of it being a former monarchy, it's *very* heavily implied to be Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government saw through and were less than amused. To accomodate the new geography presented in *Call of Duty 4,* it must have expanded in those years.

**Qumran/Sharzad/Qumranistan**(*Yes Minister/Marvel Comics*)- a fictional Muslim country based on Pakistan — in fact, the scene where Hacker and his staff secretly consume alcohol was based on a real-life incident that happened on a British diplomatic visit to Pakistan. On another occasion a British nurse was sentenced to several lashes for possessing a bottle of whiskey, which provokes a miniature crisis as the government does not want to push too hard as the Qumranis are described as great friends of Britain, letting them know what the Soviets were up to in Iraq, allowing listening posts to be set up for Britain's use, and even sabotaging Open agreements for them. Sharzad is a Marvel a stand-in for Pakistan though is noted for having an unusually high level of gender equality. It became Qumranistan in the 2013 Yes Minister remake.

**Qurac/MEC**(*Oracle of Tao*/*DC Comics/*A.S.P. Air Strike Patrol/**Desert Fighter/Battlefield**)- The Capitol of which is Agrabah(replacing Baghdad). In its ancient days it was a land of Wonder and was the setting of *Aladdin*. Qurac was very different in its ancient days. it had a sort of a Crystal Dragon Jesus version of Islam called Sakun. They wore temple robes, not hijab, and only inside the temple (which are very yellow and fluffy). Also, they eat pork and the women are allowed out in a bikini. They are desert traders. In the 1980s, Qurac appeared in *New Teen Titans* (where it was introduced), *Adventures of Superman,* and *Suicide Squad.* It was initially a blatant stand-in for Iraq (it was led by President Marlo, who was drawn to resemble Saddam Hussein, and it was at war with a country called Kyran). Qurac sponsored a Humongous Mecha attack on Metropolis and a team of superpowered terrorists called the Jihad. Superman disarmed the country's military. In a three-issue Superman story called *The Sinbad Contract* focused on Quraci immigrants living in Metropolis, Qurac gained a few traits from Iran (specifically, a past leader called a Shah predating Marlo's regime). This story established that large numbers of people had fled Qurac over its government's actions. In 1993, the Qurac capitol was wiped off the face of Earth by the assassin Cheshire, using nukes she stole and ultimately detonated. It thus became known as Zaraq from *A.S.O.Air Strike Patrol,* which has you fighting in Zaraq, against the Zaraqis, in 1991, where the dictator bears an uncanny resemblance to a Middle Eastern leader captured and executed in 2003, thus he becomes President Marlo. In 1999, Qurac was invaded by JLA washout Antaeus, who assassinated the country's dictator, President Marlo. Qurac was eventually assimilated into Bialya. The statement on TV Tropes. "Disney moved it to Qurac" literally true.(Qurac being the tv tropes term for all made up fictional Middle Eastern countries). It has been made into the USA Supported Dhimar from *Strike Fighters*. By 2007, it has become the head of the "Middle Eastern Coalition", or MEC seen in *Battlefield 2*. While they seem to be based on Iraq heavily, they are never actually called that. The US and China don't get this treatment. *Bad Company* is even more blatant about the Iraq parallels, actually going so far as to have the MEC fly the Iraqi flag, as opposed to the made-up one from *Battlefield 2*. *Battlefield 3* bucks the trend, though, with campaign missions explicitly set in Iran and Iraq, and with the MEC nowhere in sight (though the bad guys fought in said countries are still fictional). In 2015, a poll in the United States asked voters if they supported bombing Agrabah. 30% of Republican respondents and 19% of Democratic respondents said yes.

### **R**

**Ramat**(*Cat Among the Pigeons*) A Hercule Poirot novel. Involves a hunt for royal jewels from the country of Ramat.

### **S**

**Samothrace**(*SCP Foundation*)- The Islamic Republic of Eastern Samothrace. It is either a phenomenon that gives people false memories of a fictional country called Samothrace, or a phenomenon that makes people think Samothrace doesn't exist.

**Shamar**(*Sonic Unleashed*)- it's MUCH Lighter and Softer than other examples.

**Sumeria**- Algol's Kingdom form the Soul Series and the character of Zasalamel are of Sumerian origin.

### **T**

**Tashistan**(*Sonic Underground*)- a desert country with clear Middle Eastern architecture and a currency consisting of "dinars" and "rials" (which are both real currencies used in real Middle-Eastern countries). It's ruled by a Sultan, and this being Sonic Underground, it's a rather poverty-stricken place. At one point Sonic and Manic cross-dress as stereotypical Middle-Eastern dancers for... some reason or another.

**Thatotherstan**(*Rhapsodies*), while lost somewhere in Eurasia the Circle Band finds itself in an incredibly laid back example of a Fictional Middle Eastern Country in the Most Righteous Republic of Thatotherstan.

**Trucial Abysmia,Benzheen**(Marvel's *G.I. Joe* comics). As indicated in *G.I. Joe Special Missions* #18, Trucial Abysmia is located on the eastern coast of North Africa. It represents Middle-Eastern dictator-ruled countries in the region. It was involved in a conflict the neighboring emirate of Benzheen.

**Turaqistan**(*War, Inc*)- a Middle Eastern country occupied by an American private corporation run by a former US Vice-President. It is also made the same country as Takistan from *Arma II*. A Played for laughs version of a fictional Middle Eastern Country.

**Socialist Republic of Turdistan**(*Gipsy*)

**Berzerkistan/Turmezistan**(*Doonsebury/Doctor Who* episodes "The Zygon Invasion"/"The Zygon Inversion" and *The Pyramid at the End of the World*). In Doonesbury, Its now-deposed dictator Trff Bmzklfrpz borrows some elements from former Turkmenistan president Saparmurat Niyazov, including the willy-nilly renaming of various things. The militant Zygons (who are directly equated within the story with Islamic terrorists) have occupied a small town in the fictional country of Turmezistan, which appears to be somewhere in Central Asia, serving as a stand-in for Real Life Central Asian country Turkmenistan. Turmezistan returns in "The Pyramid at the End of the World". At this point, it's somehow become a major geopolitical flashpoint, with American, Russian and Chinese forces openly confronting each other, and hence where the titular pyramid appears.

### **U**

**Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan**(Herman Cain Joke)- During the Republican primary race in 2011, Herman Cain was asked a question about his knowledge of foreign policy; his joke answer included the country of "Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan" in reference to Uzbekistan, where Hillary Clinton was visiting at the time.

**Unliklistan**(*Dastardly & Muttley).* Unliklistan is ruled by King Ahuk-Ahuk-Harem, seems to be both incredibly poor and anti-West, and gets blown up by Unstabilium-239 at the start of the story. The Senators investigating the Unstabilium realize that no one's ever heard of Unliklistan, to the point that it appears to have popped up over night. It's eventually concluded that the Unstabilium must have created it wholesale.

### **V**

**Vudistan**(*DC Comics*)-a stand in for Kurdistan.

### **W**

**Wessexstan**(British Military training Exercises)- A name used for British army Military practice.

**Y**

**Yemen**

### **Z**

**Zanzibar Land**(*Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake*)- takes place in Zanzibar Land located in Central Asia. No clue why it was named after a real island off the eastern coast of equatorial Africa instead of something ending in -stan. It also has a jungle in it, despite none of Central Asia having jungle (being a good distance north of the equator and consisting primarily of desert, grassland and mountain).

**Zekistan**( *Full Spectrum Warrior*) Zekistan is a setting for modern desert combat that lacks the real-world political aspects of Afghanistan or Iraq.

## **"Middle Eastern Nations" Outside the Middle East**

### **W**

**Wadiya**(*The Dictator*)- A Country ruled by a Admiral General Aladeen, a Muammar Gaddafi stand in. However, its location is shown as the real life African nation of Eritrea, so it doesn't replace Libya, that instead goes to Carbombya from *Transformers,* which General Aladeen was originally the Dictator of before fleeing to Wadiya and becoming its ruler.

### **X**

**Xinjiang**(*Aladdin*)- While not a Middle East country per se, I chose to mention it here for a specific reason. You see the original story of Aladdin is from China but strangely has many Middle Eastern elements(like Genies, the form of Government, Arabic names, etc). However, it's been pointed out that China does have a lot of land that is Central Asian Muslim. The Xinjiang province of China is where the original version of Aladdin now takes place in this setting.

## **Stand ins**

**Aldastan**(*Command & Conquer: Generals*)-combination of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

**Asran(also spelled Aslan)/Syraq/Islamic Republic of Kamistan/Azadistan**(*Area 88/DC Comics/* 24 Season 8/*Mobile Suit Gundam 00*)-Iran

**Atropia**(US Military exercises)-Azerbaijan

**Bialya**(DC Comics)-Syria.

**Kadir/Kalubya/Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya(Karbomia)**(*The Jewel of the Nile/Operation: Thunderbolt/Transformers*)-Libya.

**Duban**(*Mad TV/Modern Warfare 3*)- Dubai

**Helmajistan**(*Full Metal Panic!!)-*Afghanistan.

**Kemalia**(*US Military Exercises*)- Turkey

**Khemed**(*The Adventures of Tintin*)-Palestine.

**Matar**(*Florence of Arabia*)- Qatar.

**Nmkwami(***Changeover*)-Morocco.

**Qumar/Wasabia**(*The West Wing/Florence of Arabia*)- Saudi Arabia

**Qurac**(*DC Comics*)-Iraq(though on the map it replaces Jordan)

**Qumran/Sharzad/Qumranistan**(*Yes Minister/Marvel Comics*)- Pakistan

**Berzerkistan/Turmezistan**(*Doonsebury/Doctor Who* episodes "The Zygon Invasion"/"The Zygon Inversion" and *The Pyramid at the End of the World*)- Turkmenistan

**Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan**(Herman Cain Joke)-Uzbekistan.

**Vudistan**(*DC Comics*)-Kurdistan.

**The People's Democratic Republic of East Yemen**(*Yes, Minister*)- Yemen

**SIMPLIFIED**

Since I cheated and made two countries one in some cases. Here is a short list where I'm forced to choose one fictional country per real country.

**Asran(Azadistan in the Future)-**Iran.

**Carbombya**-Libya

**Qumar-**Saudi Arabia

**Qumran**-Pakistan

**Turmezistan**-Turkmenistan

## **Micronations(No Equivalent)**

**Alpacastan**(*Inspector Gadget*)-a small micro nation founded by Wilhelm II of Germany, who became obsessed with Peruvian culture(The Inca of Perusalem) to deport Llamas and replicate the Peruvian climate. As a result, Llamas run rampant in the region even up to 1983.

**Alphenlicht** ("elf light"?) and **Lubovosk** (*Marianne, the Magus and the Manticore*, *Marianne, the Madame and the Momentary Gods* and *Marianne, the Matchbox and the Malachite Mouse*). Alphenlicht is a micronation tucked away somewhere where Qurac(Iran), Kemalia(Turkey), and the Soviet Union get their borders muddled up in the mountains. It is ruled by a hereditary theocracy of Magi (Zoroastrian priests and the original magicians), and has the neighboring micronation of Lubovosk as its dire enemy. Lubovosk used to be part of Alphenlicht but was seized by the USSR and made into a puppet state. It, too, is headed by a Magocracy, an evil branch of the same family.