Amestris (Fullmetal Alchemist)
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Amestris is the nation-state that serves as the principal setting of the anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist. Culturally and technologically similar to World War I 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 (annexed by Amestris 14 years earlier) 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 "Führer." King Bradley (King here is a first name, not another title) is the Führer throughout the series. It is unclear how long he 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 Nazis during World War II. The relationship between Drachma and Amestris is also similar to the one between Nazi Germany and Communist Russia.
Due to Amestris's many aggressive militaristic acts, 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, Aerugo, 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. 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 have come 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." Also, it is shown near the end of the anime that the world of Amestris is a parallel world to Earth, a theme played on in the movie.
In the manga, it is revealed in chapter 67 that Amestris was founded in the year 1558 of the common calendar, and grew larger by conquering its neighbors.
One may note the use of Winchester Lever-action rifles, Colt 1911's, and MP-40's, all of which are firearms present during the early 1900's.
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[edit] Notable Locations
- Central
Built on the site of an ancient city that vanished centuries ago, Central is the seat of government in Amestris. The National 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 Lior, Resembool, and Marcoh's hometown, making it a sort of central hub for some of Ed and Al's early adventures.
Officially 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.
The 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.
- 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 element. They sold their wares far and wide, gaining great wealth, but when the gold was exhausted, the town fell into disrepair. The land-baron Mugwar 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 Tringum, stopped his plan.
- New Hiessgart (video game only)
A city founded and governed by Professor Wilhelm Eiselstein, a member of the Ten Alchemists, when Hiessgart was overrun by chimeras. The city is relatively new and lies somewhere between Resembool and Central City. It appears only in the first video game, Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel, where it acts as the story's primary setting.
- Siam-Sid (video game only)
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 are often referenced in the anime, but are 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.
- Xerxes (manga only)
Though 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. (Name origin: In the real world, Amestris was the queen of the Persian emperor Xerxes.)
- Briggs (manga only)
The northern base of Amestris located in a mountain range, commanded by Major General Olivia Mila Armstrong. It is a huge underground complex housing thousands of soldiers who regularly go out on patrols, as well as the centre for the development of non-alchemic weapons. Most if not all the soldiers there are extremely paranoid, accusing anyone whom they do not know of being spies from the nation of Drachma to the north. Apparently, only one incident involving patrolling soldiers successfully being attacked occurred over a period of a month about twenty years before the arrival of Major General Armstrong; the attacker was identified to be a woman, though not a spy from Drachma. Gaiden chapter "Tales of the Master" revealed that the woman was actually a young Izumi Curtis.
[edit] Flags
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.
[edit] Conspiracy
In the manga, recent developments have led to a horrifying discovery: the very existence of Amestris is due to alchemy and genocide.
Approximately 350 years before the present date, alchemy was taught to the then-tiny country of Amestris by a mysterious man from the East now known as "The Eastern Philosopher". Amestris almost immediately transformed into a military dictatorship and began conquering its neighbors, most likely through the use of destructive alchemy.
Since then, there have been nine incidents of mass murder in Amestris-- all in annexed areas, and all involving the military. Marking these locations on a map and connecting them in concentric circles creates a pattern-- the alchemic array discovered under the Fifth Laboratory used to create Philosopher's Stones. The nation of Amestris itself was founded in secret simply to create this array.
The ultimate purpose of this gigantic array is as of yet unknown, but one thing is certain: when it is activated, it will kill every living thing in Amestris. And only one area remains to be marked-the Briggs mountain range.
[edit] External links
- Amestris Map from the official Fullmetal Alchemist Perfect Guidebook 2
- Fullmetal Alchemist World Map provides a graphical representation and descriptions of Amestris and its surrounding countries/areas.
| Fullmetal Alchemist | |
|---|---|
| Common characters: | Edward Elric • Alphonse Elric • Roy Mustang • Maes Hughes • Winry Rockbell • Scar • Izumi Curtis • Hohenheim • Minor characters of Fullmetal Alchemist |
| Anime-only characters: | Dante • State Military • Homunculi • Minor anime characters |
| Manga-only characters: | Father • State Military • Homunculi • Ling Yao • Minor manga characters |
| Media: | Anime (Episode list • Voice casts) • Manga • OVAs • Conqueror of Shamballa • Video games (characters) • Trading cards |
| Items/Concepts: | Alchemy • Automail • Chimera • Equivalent Exchange • Gate of Alchemy • Philosopher's Stone • State Alchemist • Transmutation circle |
| Locations: | Amestris • Ishbal • Lab 5 • Lior |
