The Fire Nation (烈火國) is a major state that identifies as the sole legitimate national authority of firebending peoples. It is by far the predominant of the Fire Nations sensu lato and the only one that operates on the international stage. The Fire Nation is ruled by a hereditary autocrat, the Fire Lord, and is currently engaged in a global conflict to assert its hegemony over the world, which began nearly a hundred years ago during the reign of Fire Lord Sozin.

Geography and Climate

The Fire Nation's historic territory is a largely equatorial volcanic archipelago, the Fire Islands, consisting of ten major islands and hundreds of smaller ones. The environment is rigorous and there is a significant degree of active volcanism, accompanied by earthquakes, mudslides and tsunamis. These environmental challenges have been met by architectural adaptation and a robust investment in civil firebending.

Soils rich in volcanic ash are highly fertile - the Fire Nation produces three crops of rice a year. With a year-round growing season and many areas with a wet climate, the Fire Nation has a tremendous agricultural output, sustaining a large population.

The northeastern Fire Islands enjoy a somewhat less tropical climate, with more of a dry season. The Fire Nation's continental holdings, taken from the Earth Nations, have a variety of climates.

History

The Fire Islands were first unified in High Antiquity, following cultural contact with the Di dynasty of the Earth Kingdom. The first Fire Lord to unite the Fire Islands was Yanhuo (彦火, 2520-2445 BG), who ended centuries of warlordism in the Unification Wars. He organized his defeated rivals, formerly the lords of individual islands or smaller polities, into noble houses, each named for a flower.

Over time, Fire Nation history has been marked by political (and sometimes violent) conflict between the noble houses and the royal family. Unlike the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation has never undergone a recognized change in dynasty; though the throne has been usurped many times, the usurpation has always been performed by another member of the existing royal family or else the usurper has subsequently married into them and claimed family identity as part of their legitimacy.

Although the Fire Lord traditionally ruled in council with his nobles and the religious authorities, represented by the Fire Sages, in modern times, the Nation has been increasingly autocratic, with the Fire Lord ruling by decree and his counselors providing only non-binding advice.

The present conflict with the Earth Kingdom is not the first conflict between them; for example, a previous conflict over rival territorial claims during the Ting Dynasty of the Earth Kingdom was resolved with the mediation of the Avatar.

Economy

The Fire Nation has a prosperous and diverse economy, and is the first national economy to industrialize. Its large population and agricultural productivity have historically led to a large surplus population for technical specialization and war.

Agriculture and Fishing

The home islands have, for the most part, a year-round growing season; farmers using wet rice cultivation produce three crops per year throughout most of the country. Terraced rice cultivation, introduced from the Earth Kingdom during the Di dynasty, allows the agricultural use of the Fire Nation's extensive, hilly volcanic uplands. Some areas of the Fire Nation also practice swidden agriculture, and forest products are also important to the economy, particularly in rural areas.

Being an island nation, fishing and ocean products are important to the Fire Nation, though not to the same extent as the Water Tribes who are not blessed with its abundant arable land. Historically, the equatorial dragonshark is considered the most culturally important marine life-form of culinary significance, it has been hunted to near-extinction and is now reserved only to the royal family.

Industry

Probably by dint of the availability of firebending, the Fire Nation has long been preeminent in the development of metallurgy and smithy. During the modern era, the Fire Nation has developed the industrial and military use of steam power, which has become very significant to its economy.

Trade

Prior to the outbreak of war, the Fire Nation enjoyed extensive trading contacts with the Earth Kingdom, the settled Air Nations of the west, and the Water Tribes. Nowadays, external trade is much diminished, except with Chenbao and a few neutral Earth Nations in the Outward Islands of the southern Earth Kingdom. Most of the merchant navy of the Fire Nation is nowadays occupied with the colonial trade.

Anthropology

Physical Anthropology

Ethnicities and Migrations

=== Languages ===

Government and Politics

Fire Sages

Fire Lords

Arts and Culture

Notes

Very fertile due to volcanic ash and wet climate... they can grow three crops of rice a year

Three foundational cultures, jungle / plains (Indonesia-like) western riparian (Mughal India-like) and coastal (Japan-like)

warm year round but there are mountain areas that are cooler like Indian hill stations

Extensive mineral resources