Other Nations – Part 1

I will delve in more detail into each of the major world powers at a later date.  At this time I merely wish to introduce each nation and offer a brief overview of their place in the world.

Three of the great powers of the world today formed around common religious beliefs: the Nation of Deseret, the Papal Empire, and the Great Caliphate.

The Nation of Deseret:

Deseret, located in the western half of North America, was one of the very first of the new nations to form, because of the already present and highly organized Mormon Church.  The strength of their community and the extent of their preparations allowed them to not only feed and provide for their church members but for everyone willing to contribute to the “United Order.”  They survived the Collapse and the Winter with relatively few casualties to hunger and conflict, giving them the population and manpower to expand their area of influence.

Deseret is primarily an agrarian society, with the majority of its citizens involved in food production.  Their industrial and military capabilities are sufficiently strong, however, to protect their territory from raiders.  They have a fairly liberal trading policy, and are quite willing to cooperate with and support other groups and organizations, as long as their intentions are peaceful.  We currently have a quite profitable arrangement with them, trading equipment and ideas for grain, food stores and good will.

The Papal Empire:

Similar to Deseret, the Papal Empire rise to power was predicated on the strength and numbers of Catholics in Europe.  The unification and communal attitude was slower to form, however, meaning that many people died of hunger and conflict before order was obtained.

The high pre-Collapse population concentration largely undone, about half of the Papal Empire’s citizens live an agrarian lifestyle, while others live in the cities, rebuilding an industrial base.  Much of our raw material and minerals come from trade with the Papal Empire.

The Papal Empire’s politics are largely shaped by their memory of better days when Europe was a major world power.  As such, they are quite expansionistic and often clash with their neighbors to the south, the Great Caliphate.

The Great Caliphate:

With the near utter destruction of the Islamic countries of Arabia and Asia during the War, it was a great surprise to Minerva to discover an Islamic Caliphate forming in the northern parts of Africa.  Our communications with the Caliphate have been limited due to the treacherously radioactive countryside separating us.  Most of our information on them has come from the Papal Empire, and is thus highly suspect.

What little we do know however, leads us to believe that the Caliphate follows a much less radical version of Islam than the type that was preached leading up to and during the War.  With an emphasis on establishing peace, it is likely that any relationship with the Caliphate would be a beneficial one.