Fictional countries in political thrillers (TV and books)

[Zachanassian]

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister had the People's Democratic Republic of East Yemen (which also implies a West Yemen)*, the Sultanate of Qumran, the Republic of Buranda, and some Commonwealth Realm in the Indian Ocean whose name I can't remember.

*though this could imply the same division OTL, only with different geographic designations.

 

[Nietzsche]

They probably weren't being smart on purpose (maybe they were, I don't know), but pokol means "hell" in Hungarian.

Charming that it has predominantly negative connotations in most languages.

No, no it's intentional. Because Pokolistan is a fucking nightmare.

 

[viewcode]

King T'Challa finds the omission puzzling. His partner is kicking up a storm...

I try not to link to TvTropes, but they really do have a rather comprehensive list of generic fictional Latin American, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, Subsaharan African, and East Asian countries

I'll see your TV Tropes and raise you Wiki fictional locations. Incidentally, has nobody mentioned Wakanda, Genosha or Latveria?

 

[viewcode]

Incidentally, has nobody mentioned Wakanda, Genosha or Latveria?

...or even Costa Luna or the Principality of Genovia?

 

[Monte-Cristo]

Political thrillers only to a limited extent, and I'm not sure comics can be mentioned, but Tintin had Syldavia (with many Romanian features) and Borduria in South-Eastern Europe, Nuevo Rico and San Theodoros (the Gran Chapo war) in South America and one or two oil emirates or tiny kingdoms.

 

[Krall]

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister had the People's Democratic Republic of East Yemen (which also implies a West Yemen)*, the Sultanate of Qumran, the Republic of Buranda, and some Commonwealth Realm in the Indian Ocean whose name I can't remember.

*though this could imply the same division OTL, only with different geographic designations.

That was St. George's Island, I believe. There are a few real St. George's Islands, but they're all in the Americas, rather than the Indian Ocean.

 

[The Doctor]

What was that one from "West Wing" they had the fictional Middle Eastern country occupying the territory of OTL Iran at the Straits of Hormuz, they also had that African country with the Prime Minister or President (title does it matter in this case?) Where his regime was overthrown while he was in conference at the White House for aid to improve the medical health of his people.

 

[Marky Bunny]

What was that one from "West Wing" they had the fictional Middle Eastern country occupying the territory of OTL Iran at the Straits of Hormuz, they also had that African country with the Prime Minister or President (title does it matter in this case?) Where his regime was overthrown while he was in conference at the White House for aid to improve the medical health of his people.

Qumar is the country in the Middle East & Equatorial Kundu is the African Country. Maps shown place Kundu in a similar position to Equatorial Guinea.

 

[Trotsky]

Indiana Jones had Hatay, which could be an actual country in an ATL.

It was an actual country in OTL, too. For about a month.

Godzilla VS Biollante had Saradia, and Mothra had Rolisica which was apparently a mixture of the Soviet Union and America; neither of those movies were political, though.

 

[Grey Wolf]

Zambezi is a country in King Ralph, one of the best light-hearted political films out there

And of course Parador in Moon Over Parador, which is the other

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[aktarian]

What was that one from "West Wing" they had the fictional Middle Eastern country occupying the territory of OTL Iran at the Straits of Hormuz,

West Wing has Qumar which was supposed to be Saudi Arabia equivalent but located nearby, not where RL SA is.

 

[Petike]

A German made-for-TV action thriller that I saw ads for nearly a decade ago centered around saving the kidnapped daughter of the prime minister (IIRC) of "Turkashistan". Probably some rif on the name of Turkmenistan. The movie was part of a five-episode series and the episode was titled Staatsgeheimnis ("State Secret"). Link, link, link, link.


The West Wing also had one more African country besides E. Kundu - the Sahelise Republic.

Anyone mentioned "Krakozia" from Terminal yet ?

And of course Parador in Moon Over Parador, which is the other

I even made a flag for it once, based on the existing descriptions :

 

[Tom_NUFC]

The Viz's (British adult comic - that's adult as in 18+ rather than pornographic) Billy the Fish football comic spoof has an issue where Billy's team Fulchester United play a European game against Bongo Gdaza, champions of Botslava.

Winston Churchill's only novel, Savrola concerns revolution in the fictional Mediterranean country of Laurania.

 

[Petike]

Anyone mentioned Zangaro from Forsyth's The Dogs of War ?

 

[January First-of-May]

I'm surprised that so far nobody had mentioned Anchuria from Kings and Cabbages (which, IIRC, is the origin of the term "banana republic").

 

[Mysterion]

How about Austin Tappan wright's Islandia:

 

[Questerr]

West Wing has Qumar which was supposed to be Saudi Arabia equivalent but located nearby, not where RL SA is.

They show a map of Qumar in one episode. It's apparently in southern Iran.

 

[Marky Bunny]

The map below is a screen grab from the "West Wing" and shows the location of Qumar.

 

[CaliBoy1990]

Surprised that nobody's mentioned Marvel's Latveria, Genosha, or Wakanda yet.

 

[Marius]

In the South African comedy film, Oh Schucks, Here comes Untag, the movie was set in Nambabwe, which bordered Samgola.