# Fake country names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 5, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476 "2018-06-05T17:54:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/41 "2018-06-06T03:01:50Z")
> [@naita](#): > > You want it to be clearly a “random Jewish country” but in a way that doesn’t cause anyone to make assumptions? How is that going to work? Because Judah is not fictional. It’s historical, which would make someone think they are reading an alt history or something. It just wouldn’t be a good choice for a writer or screenwriter. It would be like having a “fictional” country called the Confederate States of America. There’s a lot of history that goes with that and so readers will have expectations about why the author chose that name. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/42 "2018-06-06T03:18:25Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > But what if they wanted to do a random Jewish country and didn’t want to use Israel? What would be a good made up name for a Jewish country? Hebrewvania? Yehudinesia? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/43 "2018-06-06T03:34:29Z")
Here are a couple of fictitious maps which featured prominently in the Three Stooges short subjects _You Nazty Spy!_ and _Malice in the Palace_. > **[A Map of Starvania, by the Three Stooges](https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/469-slapstick-on-a-map-the-three-stooges-starvania/)** > > The only fictional map to feature prominently in the Three Stooges body of work ![23 votes and 2 comments so far on Reddit](https://external-preview.redd.it/ZMLdP9eVHcTn9d4xphVMVGSYDIc4Sq8GtBlyh98LNi8.png?auto=webp&v=enabled&s=8c3e7a9fcecdedf1f2cade5137c1231c10ce57e2) ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/44 "2018-06-06T04:00:09Z")
On my bookshelf is a rather well-done parody of a travel guide to _Molvanîa: Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry._ ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/45 "2018-06-06T04:10:35Z")
They did a whole series of them. [http://www.jetlagtravel.com/](http://www.jetlagtravel.com/) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/46 "2018-06-06T04:36:22Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > On my bookshelf is a rather well-done parody of a travel guide to _Molvanîa: Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry._ Ooh, good one. That country is of course the [home](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNyG-xu-7SQ)of [Zlad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGBHfXPqbgI). ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/47 "2018-06-06T07:23:13Z")
How about the granddaddy of them all, Ruritania, from Anthony Hope’s 1890s _Prisoner of Zenda_ and its sequels: “Hope’s novels resulted in “Ruritania” becoming a generic term for any small, imaginary, Victorian or Edwardian Era, European kingdom used as the setting for romance, intrigue and the plots of adventure novels. It lent its name to a whole genre of writing, the Ruritanian romance” “Later authors developed the idea further. Ruritania inspired other fictional countries, such as Ixania in Eric Ambler’s The Dark Frontier, Riechtenburg in Dornford Yates’ Blood Royal and Fire Below, and Evallonia in John Buchan’s Castle Gay and The House of the Four Winds” > **[Ruritania](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruritania)** > > Ruritania is a fictional country, originally located in central Europe as a setting for novels by Anthony Hope, such as The Prisoner of Zenda (1894). Nowadays the term connotes a quaint minor European country, or is used as a placeholder name for an unspecified country in academic discussions. The first known use of the demonym Ruritanian was in 1896. > Hope's setting lent its name to a literary genre involving fictional countries, which is known as Ruritanian romance. > Jurists specialising in int... I just saw a 2017 film, “A Christmas Prince”, set in “Aldovia”, which reminded me of Ruritania. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/48 "2018-06-06T08:11:53Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > On my bookshelf is a rather well-done parody of a travel guide to _Molvanîa: Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry._ Hurrah, Australian comedy represent! The Working Dog / D-Generation guys made that. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/49 "2018-06-06T08:33:49Z")
Dont let’s forget the happy vaguely-European states of Guilder and Florin I’m not sure I’d recommend extending the principle to an Israelish nation of Shekel though. And as for Canada… ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/50 "2018-06-06T12:12:41Z")
At Wossamotta U in Frostbite Falls, Minnesota, a classmate from Moosylvania told me about some east European country named Pottsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/51 "2018-06-06T12:36:12Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Hebrewvania? Yehudinesia? _[Old, old Jewish joke]_ Why don’t they just call it “Irving”? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/52 "2018-06-06T13:51:16Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Now fake states are an interesting idea. I’ve only heard of one example of a fictional US state that wasn’t a future sci fi thing: James Michener’s Space has a fictional state of Fremont. Why did he do that? How is a fake state integral to the story? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/53 "2018-06-06T13:53:20Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > As a good Jew, I did know that, plus under Roman rule it was called Judea. But in a fictional world you probably can’t use Judah because any educated reader would immediately make assumptions based on that. It makes sense though, in that it fits the pattern of the actual Jewish nation’s name - they resurrected the name “Israel” from the historical Kingdom that existed at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/54 "2018-06-06T15:26:00Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > It makes sense though, in that it fits the pattern of the actual Jewish nation’s name - they resurrected the name “Israel” from the historical Kingdom that existed at the same time. OK, but this makes it a worse idea for a fake name, not a better one. Just about the only fake name for Israel that would be even worse than your suggestion would be “Israel”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/55 "2018-06-06T16:10:42Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > OK, but this makes it a worse idea for a fake name, not a better one. Just about the only fake name for Israel that would be even worse than your suggestion would be “Israel”. 🙂 Why? The idea is to look to the real name, see what sort of thing it is based on, then choose something similar - as people are doing with the names for US states. “Israel” is based on resurrecting the name of an actual Jewish nation from the past. So, why not resurrect another actual Jewish nation from the past? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/56 "2018-06-06T17:41:30Z")
West Palestine. Or maybe East Palestine. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/57 "2018-06-06T17:54:35Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > But what if they wanted to do a random Jewish country and didn’t want to use Israel? What would be a good made up name for a Jewish country? How about a fake Scandinavian country? I’ve never heard of a fake East Asian country either on TV or movies. How about if you wanted to use a fictional, peaceful, wealthy Western country much like Canada, but didn’t want to say, “Canada”? English speaking countries can be created by just appending “New” to a place in England. New Wales, there, we’ve created one. Fr a Scandinavian country, throw a “Mark” on the end of some random phoneme, like “Tussmark.” “Aramia,” “Tel Ammon” and other stuff like that works for a Jewish country. Take a name that actually exists in Israel and mix it up a little. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/58 "2018-06-06T17:55:11Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Yeah, the US is so huge that even our home grown comedians can’t help making tributes to parts of it: [Massachusetts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvUMV1N7eGM) (Minor NSFW warning in the middle of the song.) I’m disappointed. I thought this would be the wonderful song about driving in Massachusetts as featured on Car Talk. _sigh_ I don’t see it on the Youtubes. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/59 "2018-06-06T18:21:50Z")
Is Fremont anywhere near Jefferson? :dubious: > **[Jefferson (proposed Pacific state)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_(proposed_Pacific_state))** > > The State of Jefferson is a proposed U.S. state that would span the contiguous, mostly rural area of southern Oregon and Northern California, where several attempts to separate from Oregon and California, respectively, have taken place. The region encompasses most of Northern California's land but does not include San Francisco or other Bay Area counties that account for the majority of Northern California's population. > The name "Jefferson" is of uncertain origin.\[n 1\] It has been historically u... There have also been attempts by the upper peninsula of Michigan to obtain statehood. It would be called Superior. _ **Designated Survivior** _ came up with some bizzarely creative names for fictional countries. North and South Korea became East and West Something-or-other. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/60 "2018-06-06T18:49:48Z")
The Transformers cartoon had a Middle Eastern country called “Carbombya”. Hyuk hyuk [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476.md?page=4)