Diff for "Avatar/Earth Kingdom"

Differences between revisions 86 and 92 (spanning 6 versions)

The Earth Kingdom is the largest and most populous country in the known world, and encompasses the overwhelming majority of Earth Nation polities. Its inhabitants are primarily of Earth National elemental ethnicities and hence its culture and history have been heavily influenced by the development of Earthbending.

The Earth Kingdom is vast and diverse, with 60 constituent polities of various types. It controlled substantially all of its claimed territory at the start of the Fire Nation invasion, but now some provinces are controlled by the Fire Nation colonial government and others have attained de facto independence after neglect or perceived abuse from the Ba Sing Se government.

The Earth Kingdom is divided into nine regions, eight of which have regional capitals and the other of which is coterminous with the outer barrier wall of the royal capital, Ba Sing Se.

Many of the political subdivisions of the Earth Kingdom have histories as independent countries that were tributaries of the Central Earth Kingdom government in Ba Sing Se, and which were later incorporated as organic parts of the kingdom. Four of these subdivisions, originating as vassal kingdoms, are termed states rather than provinces, with leaders who are "prince" or "king / sovereign" (王), the latter term also being used for the Earth Monarch in Ba Sing Se. For historical reasons, many of the provinces are still called countries (國) even though their leaders are not allowed to call themselves kings/princes (or queens/princesses.) The Earth Monarch is usually an Earth King (土王), though sometimes there have been Earth Queens regnant who use the same title as when the Earth Monarch is male, and under the Great Ri the Earth Monarch was titled Emperor of the Great Ri in most contexts, being called "Earth King" only in the context of his rule in Ba Sing Se.

Geography

The Earth Kingdom is enormous and contains essentially every biome from frozen glaciers to torrid jungles.

Northern Region

Ethnic Groups

The Earth Kingdom has forty-one widely-recognized Ethnic Groups, many of which contain subdivisions. The term "Earth Peoples" (土民) is collectively used for everyone who isn't descended from the natives of Ba Sing Se. Ba Sing Se natives (the ancestral stock of both the Hao and the Ting) are not considered "ethnic" by the Hao Ting, though the Ri and Later Gong used the term Guchengminzu (固城民族) "Solid walls ethnic group" for them. The Guchengminzu may be considered the "zeroth" group on the list below, although they are not on the official lists.

Name	Note
1 Central (中族) / Zhongzu	The majority population of the provinces surrounding Ba Sing Se. Genetically very similar to the Gucheng people, but considered a distinct group socially for the past few centuries.
2 Southerner (南族)	The majority population of the Southern continent, including Omashu.
3 Gangzu (港族) "Harbor people"	Settled seafairing people from the Southeast coast of the central continent. Established the ancient Di dynasty.
4 Ganjinese (乾凈族)	Inhabitants of a coastal country on the Western Lake, once the center of a multiethnic empire. Noted for mercantilism.
5 Zangs (髒族, reclaimed exonym)	A settled arboreal hunting culture of the Western Plains, widely disseminated as fighters.
6 Abka (嗄佧民族， endonym), Maniaomin (馬鳥民)	Ostrich-horse riding steppe nomadic sometime-raiders practicing mounted archery.
7 Nogai (諾蓋族, phonetic loan)	A nomadic group in West.
8 Yonggan (勇敢民族) "Yonggan peoples"	Mountain dwelling earthbenders, founded a conquest dynasty
9 Zhaozecunmin (沼澤村民) "Swamp Villagers"	Several related waterbending tribes living in marshes and swamps. One such tribe lives in the Foggy Swamp.
10 Naksibujok 釣部族 / 釣族	"Fishhook people," Coastal / seafairing ethnic group indigenous to the East
11 Yougouya Daomin (游溝雅島民) "Yokoya Islanders"	I.e. the Kyoshi Islanders, a previously peninsular, now insular, settled people of the Southwest.
12	Far Western montane Indigenous People 1
13 Heke 河客	Transient/nomadic riparian people of the West, Far West, and Western Lake. Sometimes thought to be distant kin of the Jiangke, they are actually independent of them and are mostly of waterbending stock.
14 Beituzhu (北土著), endonym Khemchik	Northern Aborigines inhabiting the northern coast of the Central Continent
15 Chenbaozu (塵暴族)	Primary inhabitants of Chenbao
16	far south high mountain people practicing air nomad religion but they are earthbenders - attacked but not wiped out by fire nation
17 Miaotai (苗薹族)	See Mau Dai people.
18	Far Western boreal forest indigenous people
19	Far Western plains indigenous people 1
20 Hwasalbujok (箭部族) / 箭族 Jianzu	Primary indigenous ethnic group of the Eastern Peninsula
21 沙瓤族 Sharangzu	Far western coastal indigenous people
22 Nanfang Shazu 南方沙族 "Southern Sand Tribes"	i.e. Siwang sandbenders tribes
23 Beifang Shazu 北方沙族 "Northern Sand Tribes"	i.e. Hanwang sandbenders
24 Caomumin (螬牧民) "Beetle herders"	Beetle-helmet people, nomadic traders who are widely dispersed and known for skills in desert crossings.
25	indigenous jungle people of the south
26	indigenous jungle people 2 of the far south
27	indigenous jungle people 2 of the far south
28 Honghu (紅鬍族）"Redbeard Tribe"	far western indigenous people
29	far southern settled people 1
30	far southern settled people 2
31	outward lands jungle people
32	outward lands coastal people
33	outward lands people 1
34	outward lands people 2
35	beryl archipelago tributary people
36 Jiangke (江客) "River guests."	Nomadic people living on the rivers and canals of the Southern Continent, and in semi-permanent riparian camps, sometimes coming into conflict with settled people. They are of mixed water and earth elemental ethnicity.
37 Angmumin（昂牧民）"Air Nomads"	Associated with the Northern Air Temple but some also lived in the South; believed eradicated in the genocide by the Fire Nation
38 Jinggong Shuizu (進貢水族) Tributary Water Tribes	Ethnic water nation people living in the Far North, recognizing the Earth Kingdom as suzerain. The Maozu and Banzu split from these groups to join the Northern Water Tribes' confederation.
39 Huoke (火客) "Fire guests"	Ethnic Fire Nation People living in the far west (prior to the Invasion) - mostly in territories now occupied by the Fire Nation or expelled in ethnic violence.
40	Reserved ethnic group
41	Reserved ethnic group

Political Subdivisions

Click to enlarge maps showing regions and provinces of the Earth Kingdom. Note: I forgot to adjust the shapes of some polar territories for equirectangular projection, revision pending.

Central Region (中區)
Number	Name	Translation	Note
	永固城	Yǒng gù chéng "Everlasting City"	Borders are coterminous with the Outer Wall of the Agricultural Zone of Ba Sing Se. Not considered a province. Often just called "Ba Sing Se."
	牆外區	Qiáng wài qū "Zone Outside the Walls"	Part of the original territory of the Wen Kingdom that was not enclosed in the walls of Ba Sing Se when they were built.
1	長川省	Cháng chuān shěng "Longriver Province"	One of the oldest and most heavily populated provinces, mythic history claims its flood control projects were the first works of civil earthbending.
2	圍莊省	Wéi zhuāng shěng "Enclosed Village Province"	Named for the fortified "Turtle Villages" of its early inhabitants, fortified against hostile spirits and raiders from the South.
3	六畜省	Liùchù shěng "Six Animals Province"	An old agricultural province, colonized during the Wen. Its population is concentrated in the Southwest on the shore of the Eastern Lake
4	五穀省	Wǔgǔ shěng "Five Grains Province"	An old agricultural province, colonized during the Wen. The population density is fairly low.
5	新林省	Xīn lín shěng "New Forest Province"	Despite the name, it has barely more forests than other Central provinces, having exported wood to the rest of the region for centuries.
6	平原西省	Píngyuán xī shěng "Western Plains Province"	Historically the home of tributary pastoralists, location of most of the Abka Wall line of ancient fortifications.
7	湖北省	Húběi shěng "Northern Lake Province"	Relatively prosperous province that was a gateway to trade with the South pre-unification.
8	固地國	Gù dì guó "Solid Earth State"	A rival Earth Nation which provided the third dynasty of Earth Kings. It is rich and densely populated, with many ports serving the Eastern Sea trade.
Eastern Region (東區)
Number	Name	Translation	Note
9	囸鮮省	Rì xiān shěng "Ilseon Province"	Part of the historic homeland of the Hwasalbujok and Naksibujok peoples, conquered in antiquity by the Elder Gong.
10	箭麗國	Jiàn lì guó "Jeonyeo State"	Historically a tributary kingdom of Ba Sing Se, it is forested and temperate in the north, subtropical in the south.
11	大東省	Dàdōng shěng "Great Eastern Province"	Ancient colony of the Di Dynasty, its tropical jungle interior is mostly unspoiled, with population concentrated on the western coast.
12	夏威島省	Xià wēi dǎo shěng "Hawi Island Province"	Large island that forms the easternmost point of the Earth Kingdom. Contains unusual fauna, volcanic activity.
Western Region (西區)
Number	Name	Translation	Note
13	馬人國	Mǎ rén guó "Abka State"	Territory occupied by the nomadic Abka people, includes most of the Hanwang Desert and extensive steppe.
14	髒國	Zāng guó "Zheing State"	Tributary country that is the homeland of the Zheing people.
15	乾凈國	Qián jìng guó "Ganjin State"	Center of the mercantile empire (and sometimes actual empire, historically) of the Ganjinese people.
16	勇敢國	Yǒnggǎn guó "Yonggan State"	Homeland of the semi-nomadic badgermole-raising Yonggan people who provided the Ri Dynasty.
17	夷國	Yí guó "Yi State"	A mountainous province of nomads and miners, its settled population is concentrated in the Southwest.
18	諾蓋國	Nuò gài guó "Nogai State"	Tributary Earth Nation, mostly populated by nomads, with some Ganjinese colonies on the coasts.
19	塵暴國	Chénbào guó "State of Chenbao"	Extensive mountainous country, colonized by the Earth Kingdom but often separated from it by geography or hostile nomads. De facto highly independent.
Northern Region (北區)
Number	Name	Translation	Note
20	新北省	Xīnběi shěng "New Northern Province"	Home of the culturally diverse city of Beigang, and of the Three Sisters rivers. Controls access to the Grand Canal system.
21	水族東國	Shuǐzú dōng guó "Eastern Shuizu State"	Originally a tributary Water Nation, settled by water tribes before their confederation.
22	山北省	Shān běi shěng "Northern Mountain Province"	An old province that changed hands between various Earth Nations many times. Contains the famous Ting Dynasty summer palace and its renowned gardens.
23	水族西國	Shuǐzú xī guó "Western Shuizu State"	Originally a tributary Water Nation, settled by water tribes before their confederation.
24	泥炭國	Nítàn guó "Nitan State"	The "Peatbog Country," named for its dominant boreal peatlands biome. Many aboriginal Earth tribes live here, even relative to the rest of the North.
25	䀚雪國	Ángxuě guó "The Soaring-Snow State"	Once the home of the Northern Air Temple and the sacred alpine valleys of Air Nomads, it was devastated by the Fire Nation. They left, and it has since been partly resettled by Chenbao.
Southern Region (南區)
Number	Name	Translation	Note
26	大奥瑪舒王國	Dà Àomǎshū Wángguó "Kingdom of Great Omashu"	An independent Earth Nation and perennial rival to Ba Sing Se until the Ting Dynasty unification, with rich seacoasts and a rugged interior rich in mineral resources.
27	海西省	Hǎi xī shěng "Haixi Province"	Part of the Omashu heartland, and where terraced rice cultivation was invented if one believes Southern accounts.
28	死沙省	Sǐ shā shěng "Province of the Deadly Sands"	Location of the Siwang (i.e. Si Wong) desert.
29	琎東省	Jìn dōng shěng "Jindong Province"	Once an important fief of the Great Omashu, noted for its export of jade-like Jin stone and agreeable climate. Has several important trading ports.
30	地疆省	De jiāng shěng "Dejiang Province"	Formerly the frontier of settlement of Omashu, it became a breadbasket of the South.
31	青川省	Qīngchuān shěng "Greenriver Province"	Settled by Omashu in high antiquity. Named for the green waters of a river that forms its Eastern border.
32	湖東省	Húdōng shěng "East Lake Province"	Formerly an independent Earth Nation, it became a tributary alternately of Ba Sing Se or Omashu for centuries. It is nowadays populous and stable inasmuch as any part of the Earth Kingdom is.
33	昒鑫東省	Hūxīn dōng shěng "East Huxin Province"	One of the three Huxin provinces, an important trading center between the Earth Kingdom the Fire Nation before the outbreak of war.
34	閾限省	Yù xiàn shěng "Province of the Threshold"	Lies at the crossroads between four major cultures and has a turbulent history of warfare. It has produced many famous sages and generals.
35	昒鑫南省	Hūxīn nán shěng "East Huxin Province"	One of three provinces that used to be an independent Earth Nation, until it was conquered and divided by the Ganjinese Younger Gong dynasty.
36	奏王國	Zòu wángguó "Kingdom of Zou"	A feudal tributary of the Earth Kingdom who fought wars with Omashu and the Maritimes, it only finally unified during the Ri conquests. Misty highland forests dominate the interior.
37	蓝靛省	Lándiàn shěng "Indigo Province"	A tropical agricultural province of the Earth Kingdom, colonized by the State of Di in pre-dynastic times. Has extensive textile production.
38	暹王國	Xiān wángguó "The Sunrise Kingdom"	A feudal tributary of the Earth Kingdom, with a torrid jungle climate and extensive river system. Has a hereditary sovereign (王) not appointed by Ba Sing Se, but sends tribute missions.
Far Southern Region (遠南區)
Number	Name	Translation	Note
39	高嶺國	Gāolǐng guó "State of Gaoling"	A large, diverse and prosperous state of the far South, former regional rival of Great Omashu before becoming a tributary to it in antiquity, and then part of the Earth Kingdom.
40	皂山省	Zàoshān shěng "Black Mountains Province"	A peripheral province of the Earth Kingdom, mostly with economic links to Gaoling.
41	勤嶽省	Qínyuè shěng "Mount Diligence Province"	A humid jungle region noted for its volcanic activity and secluded monasteries. Also the refuge of partisans (遺民) of Qin the Conqueror, and location of Kyoshi Island.
42	泊山國	Pōshān guó "State of Boshan"	Hot, arid plateaus in the Northwest give way to jungle in the East. Formerly the site of a settled tributary air nation.
43	澜沧國	Láncāng guó "Lancang Province"	A mountainous state, home of the Mau Dai people. Noted for its forested highland and many beautiful waterfalls.
44	海湾省	Hǎiwān shěng "Gulf Province"	A large and prosperous territory largely untouched by the war. Trades with the Island South. Enjoys a moderate climate with distinct rainy and dry seasons.
45	海岸國	Hǎi'àn guó "Coastal State"	Originally a confederation of small sultanates on the southern coast, it was incorporated into the Earth Kingdom under the Ri Dynasty.
Far Western Region (遠西區)
Number	Name	Translation	Note
46	雲西省	Yúnxī shěng "Yunxi Province"	The capital province of the Far West, straddles the Straits of Chenbao and the Straits of Huxin.
47	昒鑫北省	Hūxīnběi shěng "North Huxin Province"	One of the Huxin provinces that were once an independent Earth Nation, conquered and divided centuries ago.
48	弱水國	Ruò shuǐ guó "Weakwater State"	Notable for its hydrologically puzzling river. One of the more populous far Western states, exports food to Chenbao and Yi.
49	坡懷省	Pōhuái shěng "Pohuai Province"	An island province with a pleasant, "Mediterranean" climate, and an indigenous Earth Nation with a gift economy.
50	沙瓤國	Shāráng guó "Sharang State"	Settled by agriculturalist Zhongzu in ancient times, also with a large aboriginal population of standbenders, displaced to the interior.
51	五河省	Wǔ hé shěng "Five Rivers Province"	Homeland of Qin the Conqueror, its remoteness and relatively sparse inland population causes it to retain something of a frontier character.
52	紅鬍國	Hóng hú guó "Honghu State"	Home of the Red-Beard tribe. Largely autonomous confederation of small principalities that intermittently send tribute to Ba Sing Se and sometimes raid neighbors.
53	古林省	Gǔlín shěng "Gulin Province"	A forested and remote province whose capital was once the launching point for the colonization of the Celadon Archipelago and wars with the Fire Nation.
Outer Islands Region (外島區)
Number	Name	Translation	Note
54	鬘鄴蘇丹國	Mányè sūdānguó "Sultanate of Mãwue"	A maritime Earth Nation that pays tribute to the Earth King, mostly covered in temperate rainforest with high volcanic mountains in the interior.
55	榮島省	Róng dǎo shěng "Glory Island Province"	A peripheral province notorious for its hospitality to pirates in times of dynastic weakness. Has a temperate rainforest environment.
56	燧石省	Suìshí shěng "Flint Province"	Settled by colonists from Gaoling, who fought a war with the indigenous island Earth Nations. It is very fertile agriculturally.
57	阿構蘇丹國	Āgòu sūdānguó "Agoh Sultanate"	An island tributary to the Earth Kingdom, containing a mixed population of Earth and Water ethnicity.
58	樂地國	Lèdì guó "Lede"	A subtropical Earth Nation, its culture had heavy religious influence from the settled Air Nations historically. It had many small Air Nomad monasteries that were destroyed by Fire Nation raiders over the years.

Monarchy and Symbolism

See Dynastic History of the Earth Kingdom for the historical development and key points of the history of the monarchy.

The Earth Kingdom is ruled by the Earth Monarch (土王), who reigns from the Badgermole Throne (獾鼴寶座) in the Hall of Invincible Stability (永穩殿 lit. Ever-Stable [Palace] Hall), part of the innermost palace complex in Ba Sing Se. Earth Monarchs assume rulership by "ascending the throne" and issuing an edict stating this fact and proclaiming an Era Name to be used in the new year. (Thus, an Earth King first rules during the last year of the era of his predecessor; if the former Earth King has died close to the new year, the official ascension would be separated from the Era Name proclamation lest confusion about the current era name be created in the far-flung corners of the Kingdom where the edict might not be disseminated before the New Year.)

Iconography of the monarchy varied by dynasty. The current Hao Ting favors a circular symbol with a central square hole, somewhat resembling a cash coin. The preceding Ri dynasty used a stylized badgermole and a quadripartite symbol similar to the yin-yang (࿌) which signified the balance of the Four Elements. The Hao dynasty immediately preceding the Ri also used badgermole symbolism; the austere Ting used a circular symbol more similar to the current emblem until the recovery of the ancient badgermole throne.

Green is the national color of the Earth Kingdom. Traditionally, the color of the Earth Monarch's regalia was described as "celadon," though the current regalia no longer closely fit that color description precisely. The Royal regalia has been made in Gan Jin Country since the time of the Great Ri and the tradition continues to the present.

Military

The Royal Earth Army is the traditional army of the Earth Kingdom. It has a proud and storied history, but as of 95 AG the organization has fallen on hard times. Most of the best units have been decimated in battle with the Fire Nation; many of the remaining troops of the regular army are tied up in ensuring the flow of taxes to Ba Sing Se or protecting the outer wall. The defense of the West and South has largely been left to highly-autonomous provincial generals, warlords in all but name, who levy their own taxes and conscript local people on their own authority. They fight the Fire Nation invasion, bandits, rebels (such as those who refuse to give them money or soldiers), and occasionally, each other. These generals act in a poorly-coordinated fashion, often preferring to defend their local bases of support rather than pursue objectives in the interest of the Kingdom overall; they treat orders from Ba Sing Se as more of suggestions which they might implement or not. Lately, the Hao-Ting war council has come to accept that it has to bribe them to do anything against their self-interest. The warlord armies are usually controlled with brutal discipline, but that does not extend to their treatment of defeated enemies, as they often engage in war crimes. That being said, some of the warlord generals are comparatively chivalrous; the legendary scholar-general YANG Guofan and his Gaoling Army are both loyal to the state and well-disciplined.

The Earth Navy uses mainly sailing ships. It was decimated by the Fire Nation early in the course of the war, as they were no match for the metal-hulled and steam-propelled Fire Navy. The Earth Navy in the far East and Outward Lands has experimented with a few steam-powered ships of their own, based on captured Fire Nation technology, but without firebending, both the operation and building of such ships is limited. (Notably, they are still wooden steamships, except for a couple of Fire Nation ships that ran around and were captured.) Most of the Earth Navy's large sailing ships are in the sea between the mainland and the outlying Southern territories of the Earth Kingdom; the experimental steamships and captured Fire Nation ships are kept in the Eastern Sea to defend Ba Sing Se from an attack from the East. (The strategic merits of this decision are questionable.) With the assistance of Southern Water Tribe members who joined the war, the Earth Kingdom does conduct some commerce raiding with smaller vessels against Fire Nation shipping between the Fire Islands and their colonies in the Earth Kingdom. However, as the Fire Nation has started modernizing their merchant navy and started to use convoy escorts, these raids have become less effective.

Bureaucracy

The Earth Kingdom is administrated through an extensive bureaucracy, the power of which in relation to other institutions (the Earth Sages, the Military, large commercial interests and feudal nobility) waxes and wanes with the passing of reigns and dynasties. Under the Hao Ting, the bureaucracy waxed strong before a long decline. Even it its dotage, suborned to warlords and power-hungry governors and administrators that have emerged from within it, the system of officials appointed and advanced on merit remains a substantial influence on the culture of the country.

Would-be bureaucrats qualify to enter the system by passing the Civil Service Exam, held once a year in every state and province of the Earth Kingdom. If they pass, they can submit themselves for official service, agreeing to be sent wherever there is a need for them, generally not in their home province. Officials are divided into eight ranks; newly accepted officials are eighth rank and about 60% never rise above that rank; of those how do, most remain in rank seven or six. Of the total officials, less than 3% are rank five or above. There are less than 100 rank one officials in the entire Kingdom, most of them in Ba Sing Se or Omashu, and report directly to the Grand Secretary or the other Supernal Ministers of the Earth King; some are the Prime Ministers of the King of Omashu and other constituent states of the Earth Kingdom who have feudal vassal rulers instead of appointed governors.

The Eight Supernal Ministers (ostensibly at least) report to the Earth King, and together with the Grand Secretary and the Grand Preceptor, help him rule the country. The ministries are: The Ministry of Armaments, The Foreign Ministry, Ministry of State Rituals, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Cultural Preservation (i.e. the Dai Li), Ministry of Civil Appointments, and the Ministry of State Revenue.

Official rank allows the holder to use various prestige symbols under sumptuary laws, which originally protected the prestige of feudal nobility from upwardly mobile merchant classes. An official of the sixth rank is entitled to keep one eunuch, and have a servant run in front of them banging a gong, for example:

Official Sumptuary Privileges
Exam Passed, no appointment	Not to rise and bow to a passing official; wear a tassel on their hats
Rank 8	Garments with state insignia.
Rank 7	Runner with a bell and/or white lantern going before them.
Rank 6	Runner with a gong or green lantern going before them. May keep a eunuch.
Rank 5	One gong runner, two green lantern runners. Two eunuchs. State carriage.
Rank 4	Four lantern runners, gong and a trumpeter.
Rank 3	Six lantern runners, gong and two trumpeters, may keep up to ten eunuchs, up to 12 personal guards.
Rank 2	Eight lantern runners, up to 24 personal guards. Semi-Precious stone hat ornaments.
Rank 1	Ten lantern runners, precious stone hat ornaments, carriage drawn by ostrich horses of the royal flock, may keep any number of household eunuchs.
Supernal Ministers	Very fancy hat, twelve lantern runners going before them.

Higher ranks have all the privileges of the ranks below them. Each rank has distinctive insignia for their official garments. Note that most members of the given official rank, except near the very top, are unlikely to actually be able to afford to exercise all of these privileges. In particular, since penal law reforms during the Renxian reign (745-712 BG) the supply of eunuchs has become greatly restricted in most areas; further, getting together twelve extra guys to go with your palanquin bearers or carriage servants is a bit inconvenient for heading to the office for a meeting, so this sort of thing is mainly seen during state occasions.

There are also "unranked officials," who are subordinate to the 8th rank in precedence and have not passed the civil service exam, but a literacy test instead. They are appointed mostly in distant regions as village headmen and "frontier bailiffs" who must correspond with a relatively distant yamen in writing rather than being able to conveniently speak in person with their superior. They have a distinctive insignia but no tassel for their hats.

-  ⇤ ← Revision 86 as of 2023-11-19 21:59:33 → 
  Size: 33801
  Editor: Bryce
  Comment:
+   ← Revision 92 as of 2023-11-20 19:13:18 → ⇥
  Size: 31609
  Editor: Bryce
  Comment:
-Deletions are marked like this.
+Additions are marked like this.
 Line 3:
-The Earth Kingdom is vast and diverse, with 55 constituent polities of various types. It controlled substantially all of its claimed territory at the start of the Fire Nation invasion, but now some provinces are controlled by the Fire Nation colonial government and others have attained ''de facto'' independence after neglect or perceived abuse from the Ba Sing Se government.
+The Earth Kingdom is vast and diverse, with 60 constituent polities of various types. It controlled substantially all of its claimed territory at the start of the Fire Nation invasion, but now some provinces are controlled by the Fire Nation colonial government and others have attained ''de facto'' independence after neglect or perceived abuse from the Ba Sing Se government.
 Line 62:
+[[https://rpg.rrgv.org/wiki/Avatar/Earth%20Kingdom?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=earth_kingdom_regions.png|{{attachment:earth_kingdom_regions.png||width=800}}]]
[[https://rpg.rrgv.org/wiki/Avatar/Earth%20Kingdom?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=earth_kingdom_provinces.png|{{attachment:earth_kingdom_provinces.png||width=800}}]]

''Click to enlarge maps showing regions and provinces of the Earth Kingdom.''
''Note: I forgot to adjust the shapes of some polar territories for equirectangular projection, revision pending.''
-Line 124:
+Line 129:
-|| 46 || [[Avatar/Province|省名]] || ''shengming'' "Name" || Placeholder. ||
|| 47 || [[Avatar/Province|省名]] || ''shengming'' "Name" || Placeholder. ||
|| 48 || [[Avatar/Province|省名]] || ''shengming'' "Name" || Placeholder. ||
|| 49 || [[Avatar/Province|省名]] || ''shengming'' "Name" || Placeholder. ||
|| 50 || [[Avatar/Province|省名]] || ''shengming'' "Name" || Placeholder. ||
|| 51 || [[Avatar/Province|省名]] || ''shengming'' "Name" || Placeholder. ||
|| 52 || [[Avatar/Province|省名]] || ''shengming'' "Name" || Placeholder. ||
|| 53 || [[Avatar/Province|省名]] || ''shengming'' "Name" || Placeholder. ||
+|| 46 || [[Avatar/Yunxi Province|雲西省]] || ''Yúnxī shěng'' "Yunxi Province" || The capital province of the Far West, straddles the Straits of Chenbao and the Straits of Huxin. ||
|| 47 || [[Avatar/Huxinbei Province|昒鑫北省]] || ''Hūxīnběi shěng'' "North Huxin Province" || One of the Huxin provinces that were once an independent Earth Nation, conquered and divided centuries ago. ||
|| 48 || [[Avatar/Ruoshui State|弱水國]] || ''Ruò shuǐ guó'' "Weakwater State" || Notable for its hydrologically puzzling river. One of the more populous far Western states, exports food to Chenbao and Yi.||
|| 49 || [[Avatar/Pohuai Province|坡懷省]] || ''Pōhuái shěng'' "Pohuai Province" || An island province with a pleasant, "Mediterranean" climate, and an indigenous Earth Nation with a gift economy. ||
|| 50 || [[Avatar/Sharang State|沙瓤國]] || ''Shāráng guó'' "Sharang State" || Settled by agriculturalist Zhongzu in ancient times, also with a large aboriginal population of standbenders, displaced to the interior. ||
|| 51 || [[Avatar/Wuhe Province|五河省]] || ''Wǔ hé shěng'' "Five Rivers Province" || Homeland of Qin the Conqueror, its remoteness and relatively sparse inland population causes it to retain something of a frontier character. ||
|| 52 || [[Avatar/Honghu State|紅鬍國]] || ''Hóng hú guó'' "Honghu State" || Home of the Red-Beard tribe. Largely autonomous confederation of small principalities that intermittently send tribute to Ba Sing Se and sometimes raid neighbors.||
|| 53 || [[Avatar/Gulin Province|古林省]] || ''Gǔlín shěng'' "Gulin Province" || A forested and remote province whose capital was once the launching point for the colonization of the Celadon Archipelago and wars with the Fire Nation.||
-Line 142:
+Line 147:
-||||'''Capital Region'''||
||||Coterminous with the region defined by the outer wall of Ba Sing Se||
||''Name''||''Note''||
||1 [[Avatar/Ba Sing Se|Yonggucheng]] (永固城) || Ba Sing Se ||

||||'''Central Region'''||
||''Name''||''Note''||
||2 || ||
||3 || 新林省 [[Avatar/Xinlin Province|Xinlin Province]] ||
||4 || ||
||5 || 五穀省 [[Avatar/Five Grains Province|Wugu Province]]||
||6 || 平原西省 [[Avatar/West Plains Province|West Plains Province]]||
||7 || In the southeast, speaks a different dialect, trade contact with the south, provided the Di dynasty.||
||54|| Reserved Province ||
||60||  ||
||61||北湖省 Beihu Province ||

||||'''Eastern Region'''||
||''Name''||''Note''||
||8 || 大東省 Dadongsheng Contains the regional capital, Dongjing ||
||9 || Large island off the eastern coast, most easterly point of the earth kingdom||
||10 || 箭麗國 Jianliguo - Where Misun Pak was from, archery tradition ||
||56 || Reserved||

||||'''Southern Region'''||
||''Name''||''Note''||
||11 Great [[Avatar/Omashu|Omashu]] || Second City of the Earth Kingdom; Ruler is titled Mawang, (瑪王) literally "Agate King."  ||
||12 [[Avatar/East Lake Province|East Lake Province]] 東湖省|| On the southern shores of the Eastern Lake. Formerly a vassal buffer state of Omashu, now ruled by an appointed governor. ||
||13 || ||
||15 || (controled by the Fire Nation) ||
||16 [[Avatar/Gintong|Gintong]] ||||
||17 || ||
||52 [[Avatar/South Hu Xin|South Hu Xin]] || ||
||53 ||Reserved Province ||
||57 || 死沙省 Sishasheng, Province containing the Siwang desert ||
||35 || Unnamed ||
||58 || 泊山國 Boshan State ||
|| 59 || ||


||||'''Western Region'''||
||''Name''||''Note''||
||18 馬人國 [[Avatar/Abka State|Marenguo]]  (Abka State)|| ||
||19 乾凈國 [[Avatar/Ganjin Country|Ganjingguo]] || ||
||20 髒國[[Avatar/Zang Country|Zangguo]] || ||
||21 夷國 [[Avatar/State of Yi|Yi]] || in the west ||
||22 勇敢國 [[Avatar/Yonggan State|Yongganguo]] (Yonggan State)|| ||
||23 諾蓋國 [[Avatar/Nogai State|Nogaiguo]] || ||
||55 雲西省 Yunxisheng || Contains Xijing, the regional capital ||


||||'''Northern Region'''||
||''Name''||''Note''||
||24 ||䀚雪國 [[Avatar/Angxue State|Soaring-Snow State]]||
||25 ||泥炭國 [[Avatar/Nitan State|Nitan State]] ||
||26 ||水族西國 [[Avatar/West Shuizu State|West Shuizu State]] ||
||31   || 水族東國 [[Avatar/East Shuizu State|East Shuizu State]] ||
||30  || 新北省 [[Avatar/Xinbei Province|Xinbei Province]] ||
||41 || 山北省 [[Avatar/Shanbei Province|Shanbei Province]] ||
||27 ||塵暴國 [[Avatar/State of Chenbao|Chenbao State]]||


||||'''Far Western Region'''||
||||Not to be confused with the previous Far West ceded to the Air Nation||
||''Name''||''Note''||
||28 弱水國 [[Avatar/Ruoshui State|Ruoshui State]] || In the Northeast, contains a hydrologically puzzling river. ||
||29 || [[Avatar/North Hu Xin|North Hu Xin]]||
||32 || Reserved for future use State ||
||33 武隆省 [[Avatar/Wulong Province|Wulong Province]] || Partially controlled by the Fire Nation and an Island where Yu Dao is located ||
||34 || Partially controlled by the Fire Nation, Reserved for future use ||
||36 || (Controlled by the Fire Nation) ||
||37 || (Controlled by the Fire Nation) ||
||14 [[Avatar/Pohuai|Pohuai]] || (partially controlled by the Fire Nation) ||

||||'''Far Southern Region'''||
||''Name''||''Note''||
||38 高嶺國 [[Avatar/Gaoling|Gaoling State]] || ||
||39 皂山省 Zaoshansheng || ||
||40 勤嶽省 Qinyuesheng || ||
||42 || ||
||43 || Reserved ||
||44 ||[[Avatar/Zeizhou|Zeizhou]] ||
||50 || Reserved ||
||51 || Reserved ||

||||'''Outward Region'''||
||''Name''||''Note''||
||45 ||鬘鄴蘇丹國 Sultanate of Mãwue||
||46 || ||
||47 || ||
||48 || ||
||49 || ||