Tsuchi no Kuni

Tsuchi no Kuni, Political Map

Tsuchi no Kuni; The Country of Earth

• Also See Five Great Shinobi Countries

Tsuchi no Kuni, or as it is referred to by many who are not from it, 'The Country of Earth', is one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, and has traditionally been seen by the world as a calm and steady place with much stability, and one of the five great shinobi countries, because it holds both a normal military and also it's own hidden village, Iwagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in Stones.

A rich agricultural and mining base, Tsuchi no Kuni is known for its stability. The landscape here is quite harsh, with very few trees, and the horizon is constantly split by mountains as far as the eye can see. Travel here is quite difficult, due to the below-average rainfall and craggy landscape, but it is by no means impossible. The country is widely known for its capital city, Metropolis, which has carved out its own space in the land as being both and economic and tourist hub. (Though, it is argued that Metropolis attracts tourists by default, as Tsuchi no Kuni is so bland otherwise that there is nowhere else to visit.) Iwagakure no Sato is located in the southern half of the country, nestled in a deep valley and sheltered by the mountains that create its backdrop.

Because of the size of the nation and it's complexity there for, each important subject will be discussed here.

Politics

The politics of Tsuchi no Kuni can be broken into two categories. The first is the role of the military, which is what is known by most ninja with the leader of the organization being the Tsuchikage. The second is the government of the entire country, lead by the Prime Minister of the Country of Earth. Though technically the Tsuchikage is suppose to report to the Prime Minister, this has not historically been the case. Instead, the two are seen by the people as being near equals, with tasks for the country being split between them. As well, often if you were to ask a citizen who the leader of their country was it would depend on the state of the country. If they were in a time of peace they would often say the Prime Minister, though if they were in a state of war they would answer with the Tsuchikage. There are other roles in the country that hold political power, listed below with short descriptions.

• Prime Minister - The leader of the entire Country of Earth. Responsibilities include negotiations with other countries, passing of legislature and addressing the people of the country. They are the head of the government as a whole.

• Tsuchikage - The military leader of the country. They are the one in charge of all ninja in the country and are called to the front of the government in times of war. A good Tsuchikage has also been known to be used for politics even when in times of peace.

The Council of Iwagakure meet with the Tsuchikage

• Council of Tsuchi no Kuni - The meeting body of Daimyo, Mayors and other leaders of providences throughout the country. Though normally the group meets in Metropolis, the council has met in Iwagakure no Sato when the situation called for military action. Because the Council meets regularly, often the leaders will send delegates to represent their interests, often having them live in Metropolis for long periods of time for convenience. This is very common for those who have lands far to the north and west where traveling to the city could be a week long journey.

• Foreign Relations - This is the person who is responsible for being at the head of neighboring relations and will often work behind the scenes to keep peace and trade with the other countries in the known world. Because of the state of the world and constant threat of war and conflict, this position is incredibly valuable.

• Admiral of the IAF - A relatively new position, this person is in charge of all of the IAF actions and personel, and report directly to the Tsuchikage.

• Daimyo/Mayor - These are the leaders of specific villages or settlements throughout the countryside. All of these leaders, regardless of what their title is in their lands, reports to the Prime Minister's office at least once a year on progress, taxation and other legal dealings.

• Council of Iwagakure - This is a council of thirteen ninja or former ninja members that meet and advise the Tsuchikage. Their most well known responsibility is the choosing of a new Tsuchikage, but they also are responsible for maintaining the day to day workings of the village as a whole. It is traditional that the Tsuchikage not be a member of these thirteen once appointed, but it is not uncommon for the Tsuchikage to be selected from among these thirteen. Each member of the Council of Iwagakure is given a golden ring with a crimson seal of Iwagakure on it that signifies their station and can be used as a seal that is only outstripped by the Tsuchikage's own seal.

Economy

Being a country with a large amount of land, and quite a bit of it arable, Tsuchi no Kuni does quite a bit of farming and herding. It farms more than enough to be able to export due to the sparse population of the country, and much of the crops it exports are wheat, barley, potatoes, tomato, watermelon, and other lesser vegetables. In terms of hearding, the most significant portion are cows and bulls, followed as well by goats and to a lesser extent, sheep. Goat milk is a large portion of the average diet for a Country of Earth citizen.

The single largest export from the country is potatoes, followed closely by beef. Between the two they account for approximately 40% of the countries total exports. Potatoes account for approximately 22% of these with beef coming in with 18%.

In addition, the country is well known for its extravagant mining operations and gem collections. Though the majority of gems are kept within the country, trading between villages and sold to citizens even in Metropolis, the Country of Earth does have a very small handful of jewelry exporters who specialize in international trade. However, their stock is all rather small and the gems are much more expensive than the same type that is available within the country itself. It is because of this that the gems of Tsuchi no Kuni are known as rare and exotic pieces of treasure.

Military

The military within the Country of Earth is made of two distinct areas. The first is obviously the ninja forces that come from Iwagakure no Sato and the second being the Iwagakure Air Federation (I.A.F.). The I.A.F. is a border control and defensive military force that is trademarked by its use of air ships and its mixture of ninja and regular enlisted citizens. Follow the links below for more information concerning these two forces.

• Iwagakure no Sato
• Iwagakure Air Federation

Architecture

Architecture example from Earth Country.

Within the country buildings are predominately stone buildings or stone supports with a wooden surrounding structure. More 'western' influenced building styles than other countries. Many of the buildings made of stone make use of a 'stacked' type of roof structure in which stone slabs art stacked to make a step like appearance. Windows are usually small and tall, allowing the stone to keep its strength for holding the heavy rooftops. Archways are used often in these structures and throughout the streets as to distribute the weight of the heavy ceilings and buildings properly. Because many villages, including the hidden village, are built on uneven ground and even in mountains at times, bridges are in numerous finding throughout the country.

In many smaller villages, houses can be made up of a mixture of stone, clay and wood. Shorter structures with only a single floor allow for more freedom in windows and doorways as the weight being born on the walls is not nearly as great than others. Because of the distance between many villages, the architecture between each can vary greatly based entirely on what is available to then community. In the west where there are more forests some villages have houses made entirely of wood on stone foundations. In the northern mountains the houses tend to have a traditional stone setting while near the ocean to the north east and along riverbeds clay is more often used as it is readily available.

Terrain

Rocky terrain of Tsuchi no Kuni.

The majority of Tsuchi no Kuni contains smaller villages than other countries, mining villages and agricultural villages that are spread throughout the country. Large distances exist between each of these settlements which contain mountains or rocky plateaus and terrain. Trees are very sporadic, no dense 'woodland' with the exception of some mountainous terrain and in the west portions of the country that are less habitable. Though on a map, the vast expanses of land that spread out across the Country of Earth may look flat and easy to pass through, they are actually quite the opposite. Loose gravel and rock make every hill a danger, making road clearing a socially and economically important job. Men from villages will often clear the roads leading to their village so that caravans can more easily access them.

In addition, there are many sudden drops and crevasses because of severe tectonic shifts over the decades. These shifts are due to the proximity of two major mountain ranges within the country that will often shift against each other and cause breaking in the ground. Though hazardous as this may sounds, there are not often earthquakes of significant strength. The terrain is a result of hundreds of thousands of years of tectonic movements.

New agriculture community in the west

In the north eastern areas of the country the Northern Sea borders a signficant coast for the country. Much sea trade and smaller fishing villages exist along the coast, and there is a rather signficant road from the coast to Metropolis for the importing and exporting of goods. The coastline is rocky and unsightly, very few beaches exists and the ones that do are cold except in the summer months. Because of this the coast is not a popular internation vacation spot, though within the country many have been known to travel to the coast during the summer.

The land in the west of the country has many forests, though they are no where near as dense or full as those found in Hi no Kuni or the other more southern nations. The land is rocky as always and where trees can get roots in you will often find multiple trees in large patch. Some valleys in this part of the country are lush with life and have extremely active and important farm communities, the turn over each harvest being well worth the distance they must travel to sell the excess goods they create. With the advent of air ships in the country, much of this untapped terrain is beginning to be accessed, allowing new communities to spring up nearly overnight in some of the most fertile land in the nation.

Culture

Nomadic and self sufficiency beliefs dominate the country. Hermit style living with the large distance between villages and harsh terrain and conditions. Traveling is harder for these reasons as well, as such many villages develop their own 'miniature cultural hubs'. Culinary skills are a mixture of the major exports of the country as well as spiced with interesting imports from around the world. Meat is plentiful as animals are harvested for food in plenty with the large amount of open area that is unlivable for vegetation. Beef is by far the favorite meat of the country, followed by chicken as a second.

A prevailing sense of group serves as an undercurrent to all Tsuchi no Kuni natives. While they pride themselves on individual ability, they also have a deep belief of belonging to whatever small society they hail from. "Your will is the strongest bedrock in the world" and "Alone we are but a single stone, but together we are strong" are two commonly held beliefs. And while the two may be said in different words in different regions, these two core principles define the people of the nation. Many people of Tsuchi no Kuni therefore hold a strong sense of pride, but with the knowledge that they themselves are just one of many many stones in the world.

Religion in the Country of Earth is mostly a following of Shinto-esque beliefs that loosely tie around the belief in many small gods of particular walks of life. Those there is no strong centralized religion in the country, due heavily to the distance and difficulty of travel between different regions. There are many small sects that individualize themselves by their Shinto beliefs, but still get along with each other and share many understandings. There is a minority that believe in a monotheistic religion, one God that created all. While a minority, it is one of the more zealous belief systems and can be found primarily in the most western mountain regions. This religion is represented by a cross (✚) which believers often carry on themselves.

Weather

Due to the size of the country and the fact that only parts of it have a large flow of water, temperatures can go from very warm in summer to very cold in winter. Residents are use to changes in temperature and adjust regularly. Rainfall is below world average in most portions of the country aside the north eastern corner where the country borders the Northern Sea.

Transit

Merchants Traveling through Tsuchi no Kuni

The country has a system of railroads. Unfortunately, because of the lacking population in most small villages, many are left off the routes. In fact, there is little use of the trains for travel within the country. The most common use of the train is to ship exports and other materials from central villages to the capitol or to other country through the Country of Coal. The trains run rarely between smaller village areas to pick up shipments of minerals and food, possibly once every other week. Trains run frequently between Metropolis and other countries, which helps to create Metropolis as such a centralized source of the country.

Recently, with the creation of the I.A.F., the use of air ships has been used as a mode of transit. However, only members of the I.A.F. or government officials are allowed to ride these crafts, due to the lack of numbers to allow transit for normal day to day travel.

Hidden Village

• (See Iwagakure no Sato)

Metropolis, Capital of Tsuchi no Kuni

Metropolis, Skyline at Twilight

The cultural and technological peak of the country. When someone talks of visiting the Country of Earth this is what they mean. There are very little choices aside for tourists to visit aside small coastal villages in the north east. The city is massive and as it has no competition from any other city in the country, it is where everyone goes to make themselves successful. Often just referred to as 'the city' by the residents of the country, the city is surprisingly advanced considering the nomadic feel of the remaining countryside. Hosting world festivals and large events, as well as large industrial corporations, the city is actually one of the largest cities in the world. There are tall buildings, yes, though only in the city center, but mostly it consists of one to three story buildings extending around the center for miles. It has wide avenues, plentiful parks, and bars and taverns on every street corner. It is interesting to note that while the city is quite old, it is constructed around a single artifact at least a quarter the size of the city itself and older that the hills, it seems; it was there before the city was ever planned. This artifact is a vast tower, a mile across at the base, which, while taller than anything built since and indeed the tallest thing as far as the eye could see, was obviously incomplete. The name of this tower has been lost to time, and the inhabitants now more or less ignore it.

Notable Locations in The Country of Earth

• Manji Village (Contested)
• Seyyad Ridge

Important Events of The Country of Earth

• Akatsuki Invasion (2104)
• Kumogakure Invasion (2107)
• Metropolis Music Festival Battle (2109)
• Yukigakure Invasion (2109)
• The Rakurai Pact Project (2110)
• Tsuchi Yuki Border Agreement of 2113 (2113)
• Western Earth Invasion (2114)
• Tsuchi Yuki Aggression Declaration (2114)
• Iwate-Ichinohe Tunnel Disaster (2115)
• Tsuchi Terrorist Attacks of 2115 (2115)
• War of Yukigakure Aggression (2115)
• Hyakuseizen Breach (2116)

Notable People of The Country of Earth

• Alchem Sanji [I.A.F. Head of Research and Development]
• Alchem Syaoran [Tsuchikage, Hachinin]
• Daniel Hollows [Prime Minister]
• Koizumi Hikado [Former Tsuchikage] (Deceased)
• Junichiro Damjaou [Foreign Relations]
• Loyola Nine [Admiral of the I.A.F.]
• Marijus Vick [Vice Admiral of I.A.F.]
• Matas Holland [Rear Admiral of I.A.F. (Lower)]
• Park Sung Hyo [Rear Admiral of I.A.F. (Upper)]
• Shinzo Redpah [Head of Police Force; ANBU Captain]
• Tsukishi Maomi (Deceased)