Amestris (Fullmetal Alchemist)
This article is about the fictional country in the anime Fullmetal Alchemist. For information on the Persian queen, see Amestris. |
Flag of Amestris' military government |
Amestris is the
nation-state that serves as the principal setting of the
anime and
manga series
Fullmetal Alchemist. Culturally and technologically similar to turn-of-the-century
Europe, Amestris is quite large and diverse, both in terms of terrain and inhabitants. In the central and southern provinces the citizens seem to be of European extraction. The province of Ishbal in the East, recently annexed by Amestris, is ethnically and culturally distinct from the rest of country; it is populated by religious-minded tribes similar to the people of
India, North Africa or the
Middle East. A military dictatorship controls Amestris, with the head of state holding the official title of President but the political title of "
Führer." King Bradley is the Führer throughout the series. It is unclear how long King Bradley has been in control of the country, but his term at least precedes the Ishbalan War. Amestris shares some parallels with
Nazi Germany, especially considering the use of the title "Führer" as its leader and the human experiments during the Ishbalan War, paralleling the human experiments of the Nazi's during
World War 2.
Due to Amestris's aggressive militaristic views, it has shaky relations with most of its bordering countries. The country conquered and annexed the former country of Ishbal in the East, and the military is constantly engaged in border-clashes with Creta in the West and Aerugo in the South. Drachma, Amestris' neighbor in the north, has recently signed a non-aggression pact with Amestris after having border wars between the two countries, but diplomatic relations remain shaky--Amestris's government still considers Drachma to be populated by "barbarians." However, the two countries are separated by the Briggs Mountain Range, which aids in hindering another full-scale engagement. Far to the east, beyond Ishbal and the Great Desert, lies the country of Xing. Xing is ruled by an imperial government, and its people use alchemy strictly for medical purposes. At the moment, there have been no mentions of conflict between Xing and Amestris.
This would imply that Amestris is a land-locked nation, as it seems to be bordered completely by other countries (Creta, Aerugo, Drachma, and Xing). It is currently unknown what lies beyond the nations of Creta, Aeurgo, Drachma, and Xing, whether that's all there is to the continent or if there are more countries out there. Whether there are oceans or not is also unknown, though there do appear to be rivers and such, which would imply that there are oceans somewhere. As well, it is unknown if there are separate land-masses (continents) beyond the one that the current countries are on.
The name Amestris was believed to came from the name of the Persian Queen, who was the wife of King of Kings Xerxes I of Persia. In the manga, Xerxes is the name of the country which had been destroyed in one night because of alchemy. Its ruin are in the east, in the Great Desert. What relationship it shares with the country of Amestris is still unknown.
In the anime, the country's name is deliberately kept obscure; Amestris is simply referred to as "the State."
*Central Built on the site of an ancient city that vanished centuries ago, Central is the seat of government in Amestris. The State Library, Central Headquarters, and Laboratory 5 are all located in Central.
*East City Located in a backwater region near the desert, East City was the home base of Colonel Mustang and his entire outfit for most of the early portions of the anime. It's reasonably close to Liore, Resembool, and Marcoh's hometown, making it a sort of central hub for some of Ed and Al's early adventures.
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IshbalOfficially conquered and annexed by Amestris several years ago, Ishbal was the focal point of the Eastern Rebellion. Almost the entire region was wiped out by war, and the passing lives of its people were harnessed for the production of a Philosopher's Stone.
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LiorThe desert city of Lior is home to a unique ethnic group who, like the Ishbalans, hold religion in high regard. They were formerly under the control of Father Cornello, the so-called "Prophet", but he was deposed by the Elric brothers, leading to a period of civil war that nearly destroyed the entire city. It was the site where the Philosopher's Stone that later resides in Al's body was forged.
*Resembool This far-flung town is the home of the Elrics, and a great deal of important events happened here.In Episode 43, The Stray Dog, hints of a forgotten past can be seen by the river said to have once brought life from central into the town. (The rubble of what appears to have been a large stone building forms the stream's banks.)
*Xenotime (Note: Only appears in the anime and novel Land of Sand)Xenotime was once known as the "City of Gold", due to its rich deposits of said mineral. They sold their wares far and wide, gaining great wealth, but when the gold was exhausted, the town fell into disrepair. The land-baron Mugear attempted to use the toxic Red Water hidden in the mines to forge Red Stones, so that he could transmute gold and return the city to its former glory. However, the Elric Brothers caught on to him and, together with the sons of alchemist Nash Tringham, stopped his plan.
*Siam-Sid Once a gleaming metropolis, the former capital of Lebis is now little more than ruins. Long ago, the king of Lebis attempted to create the perfect human being, unleashing an untold horror which destroyed the entire civilization in a single night. The city and the fate of its residents is often referenced in the anime, but is only directly dealt with in the second video game,
Curse of the Crimson Elixir.
*The Underground City An old city that once stood on the site of what is now Central City. Four centuries ago, Hohenheim used the city's entire population to create a Philosopher's Stone, and pulled the city itself beneath the earth to keep the deed a secret, as well as perpetuate the myth. Dante used the city as her headquarters to create new stones. In the manga, it is a massive underground complex where the mysterious "Father" lives.
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XerxesThough not much detail is known, it was a city east of Ishbal that was destroyed long ago. As the manga depicted, the entire civilization was destroyed in a single night, with its entire population sacrificed to create the
Philosopher's Stone, which was in turn used to create Envy.
The official
flag of Amestris is green with the symbol of a rampant white
dragon. It appears twice in the course of the anime: one flag was draped over
Brigadier General Mäes Hughes' coffin, and another flag was shown being torn apart by an angry mob of
Ishbalans.
Appearing more frequently is the flag of the military government: a yellow-bordered green
gonfalon with the same dragon symbol. It can often be seen hanging from the façades of government buildings, most notably on the several regional military headquarters.
The dragon symbol also appears on the uniform of the State Military as a lapel insignia on the right collar. The person's rank is displayed after it. Also, the cover of the pocket watches carried by state alchemists, used to amplify their transmutations, has the gonfalon on its face.
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Amestris Map from the official Fullmetal Alchemist Perfect Guidebook 2
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Fullmetal Alchemist World Map provides a graphical representation and descriptions of Amestris and its surrounding countries/areas.
