This has been quite the interesting map series Beedok! Is it safe to say that the Communists are on the way out?
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Devanagari ISOT World- उ ('U' pronounced like the vowel in 'book' or 'foot').
In this world nations whose Hindi name starts with उ have ISOTed to a human-less earth which diverged about four million years ago from our own. There's Uruguay (उरुग्वे- 'Urugve'), Uzbekistan (उज़्बेकिस्तान- 'Uzbekistaan') and North Korea (उत्तर कोरिया- 'Uttar Koriya'- people who know Indian states will recognize the word for North from Uttar Pradesh, which translates to Northern State).
By far, the least prepared state for the ISOT was North Korea. Immediately after the event, Kim Jong Un was assassinated in front of thousands and party-infighting met with popular rebellion and food shortages. Within a matter of years, Pyongyang was largely rubble, the countryside was under the leadership of warlords, and millions were on the move towards uninhabited regions. Today, even three centuries later, the Korean states are impoverished and technologically backward, but very fiercely militant. The best of is Ilbon, founded in Japan by wealthy(ish) middle ranking Party officials who were able to sail away from the carnage. As living standards have improved, laborers from the mainland have gradually come in, and they make an increasingly large share of the population. Juche Worship is still around, but nowadays Ilbon is about as fanatical as OTL Germany is in terms of Christianity. More into fire and sword, is the Theocracy of sorts on the mailand. The 'Juche Democratic People's Republic', founded by peasants roaming around the interior on rovers, is deeply religious, and conquered its way to Mount Paektu (the holiest spot), claiming a sort of Mandate of Heaven (Mandate of Juche rather), and commiting acts against those who oppose it, in the hopes that another Kim Jong is sent from heaven. Even more so than on Ilbon, technology is rubbish- three centuries have meant that the Juche DPRK is at OTL DRC levels of development, and the constant squabbles amongst differing Juche orders mean that things aren't efficient, but all that is counteracted by devotion. Not Juche, but no less religious, is the Christian-Buddhist Republic of New Hwangae which seeks to defeat the Juche that surround it. Not in love with the Juche DPRK, but threatened by New Hwangae, the Yellow River Alliance is comprised of Juche worshipers, Buddhists, and Christians. Further South, Onjin is a sparsely populated state which nevertheless is the only Korean democracy.
Their biggest trading partner, and the source of much of the Koreans' technology and supplies, is the Tashkani Empire. Like North Korea, Uzbekistan collapsed, but only gradually. Still, in the last 50 years, a big effort has been made in Tashkent to reunite the Uzbek lands, and rich off of conquest an absolute Emperor, named Herman Khan (of German Jewish descent apparently) has things under control. The traditional heartland of Uzbeks are solidly within the Empire's grip, as are the trade routes to the Koreans. Now, attention has been turned to the building new gleaming cities in Mesopotamian, Indus, and most recently, Nile river valleys. Now, only the Kazakhs (who've kept their own country) and some Russian settlements in the North, and some extremists in the South are out of reach of the Emperor. Uzbek states are largely secularized, bar an occasional reference to Allah, but the Hindustan Islamic State is busy fighting Jihad. Its now nearing 30% Korean, as plenty of Koreans found the standard of life much higher and were happy to convert even if it meant some of them would have to be suicide bombers.
The most successful state to manage its transition through the event was Uruguay. Although the last three centuries were certainly difficult, and resulted in a reduction of living along all fronts, things are immensely better off than anywhere else, and in the last century it's gotten its mojo back on. Though the many 'settler republics', the largest of which is the 'VV Dominion' pose a bit of a point of concern back home (angry Marxists, Hippies, Right-wingers, and criminals all trying to name themselves President of some little spot in the jungle, and attract away other citizens) colonization schemes have been drawn up all across the world. Multi-party politics (after a brief spout of emergency rule) never really ended, and a proud cultural identity that is uniquely 'Uruguayan' has emerged. The elite of the Tashkani Empire, though fearful of the Uruguayan presence (particularly coastal settlements in India) send their best and brightest off to Montevideo and other cities to study. Politics has moved a bit to the left (even for Uruguay) and Socialism is no longer considered revolutionary. For anyone complaining however, new colonies can be formed to fit anyone's political preference. Living standards are back up to where they were, technology is a bit ahead of OTL 2016 (particularly fuel efficient transportation and efficient city-planning). For all its central democracy, Uruguay is now a federation.
Uruguay is convinced it is the master of the world. The Tashkanis may soon prove that there's room for two.
