Map Thread XX

[Dagoth Ur]

Personally, I didn't mind the original map: I did assume that the opinions expressed were purely in-universe. [1] But I think people have a right to be a touch offended: with the Holocaust, it's one topic where it's still "too soon" for jokes, unless you're Jewish and very funny (see, Mel Brooks).

And here I am commenting again. Better stay away from this a while.

[1] Although I did get a little annoyed after someone pointed out it could be a pisstake on Biden and Afghanistan.

I agree with you, people have a right to be offended. People have a right to be anything they want, I'm not going to thought-police them. But what is nasty is automatically defaulting to assuming someone is a Nazi just because they post a map.

 

[soviet_killer]

On the Shoulders of Giants
​

---

"The Arab Spring of 2011 had led to many things: chaos in Syria, the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq, and most notably, the downfall of the Saudi monarchy. While the Saudis were allied with the decadent, imperialist West, their masters did not intervene to help them, their own people taking up arms, leading to the destruction of the United States and the United Kingdom. It seemed as if the Arab Spring was not just Arab, but global.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a Wahhabist country, following a radical version of Islam, compared to the Shia Iran, one of our Founders. By 2011 the population grew discontent with the expenses of the monarchy, and when the Syrian Civil War began, the 'Arabian Revolutionary Guard' captured and executed the Royal Family, declaring instead the Republic of Arabia. Syria, however, took years to stabilize, but by 2017 it was led by a secular, democratic government backed by Lybia, itself having survived the Western attempt at destabilizing the country.

Egypt and Iran, in comparison, had coup d'etats, in which the more moderate, democratic and secular elements of their governments assumed power. These new governments, of Lybia, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Iran, had met in Damascus to sign the Treaty of Damascus, which founded the United Islamic Republics.

The URI's expansion was slow but steady. When the United States pulled out of Afghanistan in early 2019, the Taliban overran the country, implementing a form of government resembling that of the early Islamic State. The URI had invaded the country, starting yet another war on Afghan soil, but, compared to the Americans, a much more successful war. Pakistan joined the Republic by referendum, same for the Arabian Peninsula. Turkey opted to join in 2021, as president Erdrogan was standing to lose the future elections. The Central Asian and African countries joined via a mix of referendums, and military invasions. The 2nd Russian Civil War allowed the URI to expand into Russia and Ukraine, while the Chinese Spring allowed them to finally take East Turkestan. India was invaded in 2025, after border skirmishes."

- Part of the Preface of the United Republican Atlas, 2053 Edition, published in Baghdad.

---

So I wanted to do a big Arabia map for a while. Originally this was to be a caliphate but I then decided to make it a nice federal republic. I would've added cities but I have no idea where cities are on QBAM and I don't wanna risk it. The languages are oversimplified, with Arabic being the lingua franca all across the Union. The governing ideology is Ba'athism, and, despite the name, the whole thing is quite secular, given that a lil bit of thought that was strapped on to that later on was that each person has to carry on their own jihad*, but in order to do so they must live in an equal, free society so as to be able to explore their connection to God/Allah in peace. So, the country is pretty secular and religion is personal. Sure you still have extremists, in former Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, Catholic extremists in Spain and Mediterranean, and Ukraine separatists in Ukraine.

(* I use jihad here with the sense of inner struggle, as per wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad

 

[Gokbay]

On the Shoulders of Giants
​

---

"The Arab Spring of 2011 had led to many things: chaos in Syria, the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq, and most notably, the downfall of the Saudi monarchy. While the Saudis were allied with the decadent, imperialist West, their masters did not intervene to help them, their own people taking up arms, leading to the destruction of the United States and the United Kingdom. It seemed as if the Arab Spring was not just Arab, but global.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a Wahhabist country, following a radical version of Islam, compared to the Shia Iran, one of our Founders. By 2011 the population grew discontent with the expenses of the monarchy, and when the Syrian Civil War began, the 'Arabian Revolutionary Guard' captured and executed the Royal Family, declaring instead the Republic of Arabia. Syria, however, took years to stabilize, but by 2017 it was led by a secular, democratic government backed by Lybia, itself having survived the Western attempt at destabilizing the country.

Egypt and Iran, in comparison, had coup d'etats, in which the more moderate, democratic and secular elements of their governments assumed power. These new governments, of Lybia, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Iran, had met in Damascus to sign the Treaty of Damascus, which founded the United Islamic Republics.

The URI's expansion was slow but steady. When the United States pulled out of Afghanistan in early 2019, the Taliban overran the country, implementing a form of government resembling that of the early Islamic State. The URI had invaded the country, starting yet another war on Afghan soil, but, compared to the Americans, a much more successful war. Pakistan joined the Republic by referendum, same for the Arabian Peninsula. Turkey opted to join in 2021, as president Erdrogan was standing to lose the future elections. The Central Asian and African countries joined via a mix of referendums, and military invasions. The 2nd Russian Civil War allowed the URI to expand into Russia and Ukraine, while the Chinese Spring allowed them to finally take East Turkestan. India was invaded in 2025, after border skirmishes."

- Part of the Preface of the United Republican Atlas, 2053 Edition, published in Baghdad.

---

So I wanted to do a big Arabia map for a while. Originally this was to be a caliphate but I then decided to make it a nice federal republic. I would've added cities but I have no idea where cities are on QBAM and I don't wanna risk it. The languages are oversimplified, with Arabic being the lingua franca all across the Union. The governing ideology is Ba'athism, and, despite the name, the whole thing is quite secular, given that a lil bit of thought that was strapped on to that later on was that each person has to carry on their own jihad*, but in order to do so they must live in an equal, free society so as to be able to explore their connection to God/Allah in peace. So, the country is pretty secular and religion is personal. Sure you still have extremists, in former Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, Catholic extremists in Spain and Mediterranean, and Ukraine separatists in Ukraine.

(* I use jihad here with the sense of inner struggle, as per wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad

So did Thrace secede from Turkey or something?

Also the language map is really weird. (So are the internal borders in Central Asia)

 

[soviet_killer]

So did Thrace secede from Turkey or something?

Also the language map is really weird. (So are the internal borders in Central Asia)

1. Yeah, I hate it when countries centered in middle east also have a smol strip of land in Europe
2. Well, of course it is. Given at its core this whole nation is inches from being an Arab ethnostate (albeit a very democratic one), with the Iranians acting as a counterbalance, it makes sense Central Asia's borders are a bit weird. For the most part I tried to follow some ethnic borders, but heh.

As for the language map, well, the Iranians and Turks did a smol thing. When I say "Persian" I mean the language group. Given Pashto too is part of that group, I made it part of this group. For Central Asia I had no idea what group they were part of, so I made it their own group.

 

[HeX]

On the Shoulders of Giants
​

---

"The Arab Spring of 2011 had led to many things: chaos in Syria, the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq, and most notably, the downfall of the Saudi monarchy. While the Saudis were allied with the decadent, imperialist West, their masters did not intervene to help them, their own people taking up arms, leading to the destruction of the United States and the United Kingdom. It seemed as if the Arab Spring was not just Arab, but global.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a Wahhabist country, following a radical version of Islam, compared to the Shia Iran, one of our Founders. By 2011 the population grew discontent with the expenses of the monarchy, and when the Syrian Civil War began, the 'Arabian Revolutionary Guard' captured and executed the Royal Family, declaring instead the Republic of Arabia. Syria, however, took years to stabilize, but by 2017 it was led by a secular, democratic government backed by Lybia, itself having survived the Western attempt at destabilizing the country.

Egypt and Iran, in comparison, had coup d'etats, in which the more moderate, democratic and secular elements of their governments assumed power. These new governments, of Lybia, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Iran, had met in Damascus to sign the Treaty of Damascus, which founded the United Islamic Republics.

The URI's expansion was slow but steady. When the United States pulled out of Afghanistan in early 2019, the Taliban overran the country, implementing a form of government resembling that of the early Islamic State. The URI had invaded the country, starting yet another war on Afghan soil, but, compared to the Americans, a much more successful war. Pakistan joined the Republic by referendum, same for the Arabian Peninsula. Turkey opted to join in 2021, as president Erdrogan was standing to lose the future elections. The Central Asian and African countries joined via a mix of referendums, and military invasions. The 2nd Russian Civil War allowed the URI to expand into Russia and Ukraine, while the Chinese Spring allowed them to finally take East Turkestan. India was invaded in 2025, after border skirmishes."

- Part of the Preface of the United Republican Atlas, 2053 Edition, published in Baghdad.

---

So I wanted to do a big Arabia map for a while. Originally this was to be a caliphate but I then decided to make it a nice federal republic. I would've added cities but I have no idea where cities are on QBAM and I don't wanna risk it. The languages are oversimplified, with Arabic being the lingua franca all across the Union. The governing ideology is Ba'athism, and, despite the name, the whole thing is quite secular, given that a lil bit of thought that was strapped on to that later on was that each person has to carry on their own jihad*, but in order to do so they must live in an equal, free society so as to be able to explore their connection to God/Allah in peace. So, the country is pretty secular and religion is personal. Sure you still have extremists, in former Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, Catholic extremists in Spain and Mediterranean, and Ukraine separatists in Ukraine.

(* I use jihad here with the sense of inner struggle, as per wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad

Ah yes, Indian, the language that India and Pakistan definitely speak.

1. Yeah, I hate it when countries centered in middle east also have a smol strip of land in

You gave them a small strip of land in Iberia.

2. Well, of course it is. Given at its core this whole nation is inches from being an Arab ethnostate (albeit a very democratic one), with the Iranians acting as a counterbalance, it makes sense Central Asia's borders are a bit weird. For the most part I tried to follow some ethnic borders, but heh.

No. This union is at most half Arab.

 

[Drex]

1. Yeah, I hate it when countries centered in middle east also have a smol strip of land in Europe

We all know Europe starts at the Pyrenees.

 

[soviet_killer]

We all know Europe starts at the Pyrenees.

based

Ah yes, Indian, the language that India and Pakistan definitely speak.


You gave them a small strip of land in Iberia.

Well the Umayyads owned that and their borders looked fine. So Iberia is fair.

 

[EllaLynn]

based

Well the Umayyads owned that and their borders looked fine. So Iberia is fair.

so this map is just rule of cool then?

 

[soviet_killer]

so this map is just rule of cool then?

Well, it satisfied my craving for a big aesthetic borders map of an Arabian (or close to Arabian) country. So basically yes. I tried adapting my style used for fantasy maps to Earth maps, so it also works as a sort of proof-of-concept

Here is the initial idea I had

 

[Library of Alexandria]

Well the Umayyads owned that and their borders looked fine. So Iberia is fair.

I'm pretty sure the borders of literally every country that crossed the straits of Marmara looked pretty fine, too.

 

[Gokbay]

2. Well, of course it is. Given at its core this whole nation is inches from being an Arab ethnostate (albeit a very democratic one), with the Iranians acting as a counterbalance, it makes sense Central Asia's borders are a bit weird. For the most part I tried to follow some ethnic borders, but heh.

You have a subdivision called "Uzbekistan" that is mostly Turkmenistan. Other parts of it includes Karakalpakistan and Karakalpak is closer to Kazakh than Turkmen or Uzbek. Most Uzbeks are in "Bukhara".

Also in the language map you have "Central Asian" and "Uyghur" when both are Turkic. Azeri is Turkic as well. Also the map implies that Georgians and Armenians have been wiped out since the language map does not show them. You have entirely ignored Kurdish (which is in the Iranian language group, so would fall under "Persian"). Tajiks should also be shown as "Persian".

Having parts of Ukraine, Southern Part of Iberia, Sicily and Sardinia while giving "I don't want Middle-east centered nations having small strips of land in Europe" as an argument for not including Thrace feels hypocritical.

 

[soviet_killer]

You have a subdivision called "Uzbekistan" that is mostly Turkmenistan. Other parts of it includes Karakalpakistan and Karakalpak is closer to Kazakh than Turkmen or Uzbek. Most Uzbeks are in "Bukhara".

Also in the language map you have "Central Asian" and "Uyghur" when both are Turkic. Azeri is Turkic as well. Also the map implies that Georgians and Armenians have been wiped out since the language map does not show them. You have entirely ignored Kurdish (which is in the Iranian language group, so would fall under "Persian"). Tajiks should also be shown as "Persian".

Having parts of Ukraine, Southern Part of Iberia, Sicily and Sardinia while giving "I don't want Middle-east centered nations having small strips of land in Europe" as an argument for not including Thrace feels hypocritical.

kek. should've worded that beter: don't want middle-eastern centered nations having small strips of land in Thrace. There. As for the Kurds and other stuff, well, one of the conditions Turkey gave when joining was that no one to recognize the Kurds, which suited the neighbours just fine. Same for Georgia and Armenia, given they weren't islamic nations.

 

[Gokbay]

kek. should've worded that beter: don't want middle-eastern centered nations having small strips of land in Thrace. There. As for the Kurds and other stuff, well, one of the conditions Turkey gave when joining was that no one to recognize the Kurds, which suited the neighbours just fine. Same for Georgia and Armenia, given they weren't islamic nations.

Kurds not having independence or autonomy does not mean they stopped existing. Same for various other ethnic groups (Armenian, Georgian, Greek, etc).

 

[Miranda Brawner]

True, but when the unhappy beholders are probably the majority of the viewers, and it's about frikin' Nazis, it's polite (and sensible) to change it. Stirring up shit is not encouraged on this board.

Munro is definitely right. You have to think about how your words sounds, and you have to be willing to apologize and do better when people point out that what you've said is pro-Nazi at the very least in effect, regardless of the intent. The impact matters a lot more than the effect here.

 

[Pikers3]

Well the Umayyads owned that and their borders looked fine. So Iberia is fair.

Hope that small strip of land and the islands of the Europe is worth starting a nuclear war with Europe/US. Given POD is 2011, an invasion of Spain, Italy and Greece (and UK if you add Gibraltar) would invoke a war with NATO.

 

[Snowstalker]

Munro is definitely right. You have to think about how your words sounds, and you have to be willing to apologize and do better when people point out that what you've said is pro-Nazi at the very least in effect, regardless of the intent. The impact matters a lot more than the effect here.

Simple solution is to just add quotation marks. I got the intent but it might not have been clear to others.

 

[soviet_killer]

Hope that small strip of land and the islands of the Europe is worth starting a nuclear war with Europe/US. Given POD is 2011, an invasion of Spain, Italy and Greece (and UK if you add Gibraltar) would invoke a war with NATO.

well it is. And idea I had was that the revolutions would be pretty global, so everyone'd be pretty busy to notice that bit of land got taken.

 

[Fed]

kek. should've worded that beter: don't want middle-eastern centered nations having small strips of land in Thrace. There. As for the Kurds and other stuff, well, one of the conditions Turkey gave when joining was that no one to recognize the Kurds, which suited the neighbours just fine. Same for Georgia and Armenia, given they weren't islamic nations.

Don’t wanna get into the discussion about the map (I agree with most comments, but it is a very pretty and creative map!) but I do wonder - why not Thrace especially?

Also, for future reference, all languages you have classified as “Central Asian” and “Uyghur” sans Tajik , as well as Azeri, are Turkic.

 

[TheDetailer]

Yeah how do you just have Andalusia and Sicily just like that without explanation? Still a cool country idea regardless.

 

[TheDetailer]

Also what about Israel?