# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/81 "2018-06-10T11:23:20Z")
> [@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. Steven Universe has Delmarva (where most of the show is set), Keystone, Empire State (and Empire City) and Jersey (no New)… Aside from Delmarva they all seem to be simply different names for real-world states (taken from the nicknames of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey), though. (Delmarva may be the entirety of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, or it may just be the Delmarva peninsula and some other nearby portions of those states). ---
**Author:** ![Santelia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Santelia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santelia)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/82 "2018-06-10T14:37:56Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Ruthenia was an enclave located on the Ukrainian/Slovakian/Polish border. The demonym is “Rusyn” and Steve Ditko’s family came from there. I’ve heard of another Ruthenia in Moldava (about 100 miles away), and that it was the nationality claimed by Jews in Moldava before the Holocaust, but I can’t find anything online about this. THere is also “Carpathian Ruthenia” in Austria. This reminds me of [Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vanished-Kingdoms-History-Half-Forgotten-Europe/dp/0141048867) A darn good read:) ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/83 "2018-06-10T16:51:00Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > English speaking countries can be created by just appending “New” to a place in England. New Wales, there, we’ve created one. New Wapping Old Stairs? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/84 "2018-06-10T17:00:22Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > English speaking countries can be created by just appending “New” to a place in England. New Wales, there, we’ve created one. \ You’ll have to amend that to New _North_ Wales as Australia beat you to it. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/85 "2018-06-10T17:04:34Z")
Do you want the reader to be gulled into believing the fake country is real? With a miscellany of small countries in the Caribbean, Africa, Central Asia or Latin America fake names for those regions are easy. The Islamic Republic of Sawarak, Malaccan Federation or Emirate of Hejaz might do for a small Islamic state in SE Asia or the Middle East. A new small country in Europe requires greater care but is still doable. But for an imitation Canada or Israel I assume you expect the reader to know it’s a fake country, right? Try: Nova Mercia, Hudsonland, (Great) Caledonia, or the Commonwealth of New Britain. Imitation Israel is tougher. The State of Sinai and Zion? The Confederation of Judaea? How do you say ‘New Zion’ in Hebrew? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/86 "2018-06-10T17:22:59Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > You’ll have to amend that to New _North_ Wales as Australia beat you to it. New Newcastle ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/87 "2018-06-10T17:39:30Z")
> [@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. As a matter of fact, [there’s a wiki entry for those](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_states_of_the_United_States). My favorite is probably Callisota, home of Duckburg. (And there are numerous indictations, in various media, that Callisota is carved out of a section of Northern California) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/88 "2018-06-10T17:53:39Z")
[Otisburg?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWiwYApseDk) (The “s” is backwards.) ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/89 "2018-06-11T18:42:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I wonder if the people of Latvia get tired of being asked about Dr. Doom. For awhile I was wondering how Marvel could get away with making fun of Latvia until I realized the comic book country’s actual name is Latveria.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/90 "2018-06-11T18:52:54Z")
And it’s right next to Dilbert’s Elbonia. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/91 "2018-06-11T18:56:59Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Steven Universe has Delmarva (where most of the show is set), Keystone, Empire State (and Empire City) and Jersey (no New)… > > Aside from Delmarva they all seem to be simply different names for real-world states (taken from the nicknames of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey), though. (Delmarva may be the entirety of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, or it may just be the Delmarva peninsula and some other nearby portions of those states). Living in Maryland I tried to figure out which town Beach City was a parody of. Rehoboth was as close as I could come and in RL seems much too large. Of course trying to figure out the location of a cartoon city is as pointless as trying to figure out which state the Simpsons live in. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/92 "2018-06-11T23:45:00Z")
Can’t remember which book, but P.J. O’Rourke once made a passing reference to the middle eastern country of _Trashkanistan_. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/93 "2018-06-12T02:19:21Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Living in Maryland I tried to figure out which town Beach City was a parody of According to Steven Sugar, it’s not a reference to any one city, just to the beaches in the area the Sugar family visited when he and Rebecca were kids - including specific references to Rebohoth, Bethany, and Dewey Beaches. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/94 "2018-06-12T12:24:14Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Living in Maryland I tried to figure out which town Beach City was a parody of. H.L. Mencken used to disparage the Maryland Eastern Shore as “Transchoptankiana”. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/96 "2018-06-12T12:38:11Z")
Reported. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/97 "2018-06-12T12:49:24Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Some of the fakes have regional customary tropes to them. Fake Central American country the super easy way is pick a Spanish Saint’s name, San X, Santa Y (though it’s their cities, not countries, that are named so). It doesn’t follow the “San” format, but El Salvador is directly called God 🙂 (“Our Saviour”) Writers who do the “San” thing and manage to actually get the grammar and spelling right are extremely rare, sadly, even when a quick google could tell you that it’s _Santa Marta_ and not “San del Martha”. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/98 "2018-06-12T13:10:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **furryman** : > > For awhile I was wondering how Marvel could get away with making fun of Latvia until I realized the comic book country’s actual name is Latveria. Similarly, there’s a book in the amateur library I organize called _Crown of Dalemark_. I don’t know how many times I’ve reshelved that book before I realized that it’s a fictional country, not Denmark. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/99 "2018-06-12T13:45:48Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > H.L. Mencken used to disparage the Maryland Eastern Shore as “Transchoptankiana”. Delmarva should just be changed to “Downyoshun.” ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/100 "2018-06-14T20:38:15Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Glory to Artstozka! That one has confused me because I’m unfamiliar with the source. And now Nagorno-Karabakh has changed its name to Artsakh, which sounds a lot like it. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476/101 "2018-06-14T21:11:10Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Fictional Jewish nation: Gilboa, from the one-season television series Kings a few years ago. Thank you! I was going to look it up, because I remembered it being something like Gibeah or Gilead, but I wasn’t sure what. Two of my favorite Ruritania names are Vlatava and Modora, from DC Comics. Also Ruritania, of course. DC has a lot of little made-up countries, to the point they have had a couple of places nuked or otherwise completely destroyed for the sake of a story. Bill Willingham’s _Coventry_ was a horror comic book in the USA state of Coventry, which might be somewhere near Oregon, as I recall. Israel is too “unique” to allow “another Jewish country like it” to feel non-fantastic _in the present day._ But you could have a made-up Jewish community parallel to Litvaks, Yemeni Jews, or the like. Canada has a similar problem, because it’s so big and part of region notoriously divided between two powers. It’s like coming up with another Russia or China or USA. You could come up with a province, I suppose. For the Nordic region, you could just use a real local name, I suppose. Åland, Öland, Grenland (not the same place as Greenland), North Schleswig, Limberwisk, Estonia, etc. It works as an in-joke for those who know the real place. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-country-names/815476.md?page=6)