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 51 provinces and four constituent states. 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.

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)

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), Madiaomin (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

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

Far Western montane Indigenous People 2

14

Northern Indigenous People 1

15

Northern Indigenous People 2

16

far south high mountain people practicing air nomad religion but they are earthbenders - attacked but not wiped out by fire nation

17 Mau Dai people

18

Far Western boreal forest indigenous people

19

Far Western plains indigenous people 1

20

Far Western plains indigenous people 2

21

Far western coastal indigenous people

22

Siwang sandbenders

23

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 (紅胡族）"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.

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

Capital Region

Coterminous with the region defined by the outer wall of Ba Sing Se

Name

Note

1 Yonggucheng (永固城)

Ba Sing Se

Central Region

Name

Note

2

3

4

5

6

7

In the southeast, speaks a different dialect, trade contact with the south, provided the Di dynasty.

54

Reserved Province

Eastern Region

Name

Note

8

Contains the regional capital, Dongjing

9

10

Where Misun Pak was from, archery tradition

Southern Region

Name

Note

11 Great Omashu

Second City of the Earth Kingdom; Ruler is titled Mawang, (瑪王) literally "Agate King."

12

13

14

(partially controlled by the Fire Nation)

15

(controled by the Fire Nation)

16 Gintong

17

52 South Hu Xin

53

Reserved Province

Western Region

Name

Note

18 Marenguo

19 Ganjingguo

20 Zangguo

21 Yi

in the west

22 Yongganguo

23 North Hu Xin

55

- Contains Xingjing the regional capital

Northern Region

Name

Note

24

25

26

27

Chenbao

Far Western Region

Not to be confused with the previous Far West ceded to the Air Nation

Name

Note

28

29

30

31

32

Reserved for future use State

33

Partially controlled by the Fire Nation

34

Partially controlled by the Fire Nation, Reserved for future use

35

(Island, home of Yu Dao, Controlled by the Fire Nation)

36

(Controlled by the Fire Nation)

37

(Controlled by the Fire Nation)

Far Southern Region

Name

Note

38 Gaoling

39

40

41

42

43

Reserved

44

Zeizhou

Outward Region

Name

Note

45

46

47

48

49

50

Reserved

51

Reserved

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 King, who reigns from the Badgermole Throne in the Hall of Invincible Stability, 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 on the new year. (Thus, an Earth King first rules during the last year of the era of his predecessor; interregnums are normally very short unless the former Earth King has died close to the new year, in which case the official ascension would be delayed lest confusion about the current era name be created in the far-flung corners of the Kingdom.)

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 (࿌). 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.