Countries in Strong Badia the Free
From Homestar Runner Wiki
In Strong Badia the Free, various parts of Free Country USA are established as sovereign countries by the various characters. Strong Bad's goal is to unite them all as part of his own country, Strong Badia.
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Bleak House
Named after the novel by Charles Dickens, Bleak House is ruled by Strong Sad and consists of the House of the Brothers Strong. Strong Sad crowns himself king of this constitutional monarchy. He bases the legitimacy of his new nation on the national flag he designed for it and two national documents he authored: a constitution and a bill of rights. Its flag has three stripes, the top and bottom are dark gray with a light gray stripe between them, and a black and white coat of arms with images of two bats and a house. Strong Bad derisively calls the country "Blecch House". Strong Bad conquers it by burning the flag, the constitution, and the bill of rights.
The Cheat and Tirerea
The Cheat and Tirerea is a secessionist territory in Strong Badia ruled by The Cheat, consisting of the area near the tire. Strong Bad considers its name to be the nastiest he's ever heard. Its flag consists of a Powered By The Cheat drawing of The Cheat giving the tire a high five on a green background.
The name (at least, the Tirerea portion) may be a reference to Eritrea, an African country which broke away from Ethiopia in the early 1990s. It may also be a reference to Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the countries formed in the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Coachnya
Coachnya is ruled by Coach Z. Its location is unknown as it is never visited, but it is likely to be around either the race track or the gymnasium, as Coach Z says it has a scoreboard. Coachnya buys up all the weapons from Concessionstan's black market in order to defeat the Fhqwhgadi rebels. Marzipan states that it is not a "developed country", no doubt due to having to fight off the rebellion.
The name of the country refers to Chechnya, an autonomous republic of the Russian Federation, notable for its attempts to break away from Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Concessionstan (Concessionstantinople)
Conncessionstan, also known as Concessionstantinople, is ruled by Bubs and consists of his concession stand. Bubs describes it as an autonomous commonwealth. Its form of government is unclear, but Bubs asserts that it is neutral territory. Therefore, Strong Bad cannot conquer it (nor is it necessary to do so to win the game). Its flag features yellow images of the concession stand, a bear, a grenade, and an organ against a red background, a design similar to the flags of many communist states.
"Concessionstan" references several places in Central and Southern Asia that use the suffix "-stan", which essentially means "place of"; its usage to refer to the concession stand is both alliterative and accurate. "Concessionstantinople" is more alliterative, referring to Constantinople, presently known as Istanbul (and referenced by both names in a song that's been performed by They Might Be Giants).
Country
Country is ruled by Strong Mad, and is located at the stone bridge. Papier-mache skulls litter the landscape, and a giant Taranchula (cardboard cutout), which an unseen announcer claims to be Country's most endangered species, also occupies the area. It seems to always be night here. Strong Mad is described as the nation's "brutal but just warlord". Its flag is simply the word "COUNTRY" written by Strong Mad in all-capital black letters on a white background. Strong Bad is not impressed by the country's name or its flag.
To Strong Mad's credit, he spelled "Country" correctly.
Homsar Reservation
- See main article: Homsar Reservation
The Homsar Reservation is ruled by Homsar, although what form of government it has is unclear. Indeed, little is known about the area or its inhabitant except that they speak a language no one understands. It is implied that the territory is a developing country, as Strong Sad is unsure if the water is safe to drink or if there is modern health care (though it turned out that they had subsidized healthcare). Its flag consists of Homsar's bowler hat and his "parents", a cup of coffee and a Chipwich, against a blue background. An unseen announcer calls it "The Dark Continent", an outdated reference to Africa.
Marzistar/Homezipan
The name of the country ruled together by Homestar Runner and Marzipan is under debate. Marzipan insists on Marzistar, but Homestar prefers to call it Homezipan. The country consists of Marzipan's front and back yards, and possibly her house. Marzipan says that "Marzistar is a hostile territory", while it seems that Homestar is a bit too concerned over declaring fruit. Marzipan refers to the country as a Free People's Republic, which might suggest that it is a communist state; however, she also talks about having "queening" to do, and some of her and Strong Bad's dialogue refers to Homestar as a king, suggesting that the country is a monarchy. After disputes regarding the Homestarmy, Homestar and Marzipan split the country into East Marzistar (the front yard) and East Homezipan (the back yard). The flag consists of a divided yellow and blue background, and bears the images of a peace sign, Marzipan's ponytail, and a duck.
Pompomerania
Pompomerania is ruled by Pom Pom, and appears to consist of Club Technochocolate (although Strong Bad refers to the club as being in the nation's capital, suggesting the possibility that the country has additional territory). Pom Pom is referred to as a shogun, a type of Japanese warlord. Bubs and (after conquering The Cheat and Tirerea) The Cheat can also be found here, tending the bar and serving as DJ, respectively. Its flag consists of a circle colored like Pom Pom against a white background, resembling the flag of Japan.
The name refers to Pomerania, a historic region on the shores of the Baltic Sea, currently divided between (and historically contested by) Germany and Poland.
Poopslovakia
Poopslovakia is ruled by The Poopsmith. Its location is unknown, and it is never visited during the game. Its currency is hinted to be the "poopee", a reference to The Legend of Zelda's rupees or the Indian currency of the same name. Bubs claims that 100 quesos is at least a million poopees.
The end of the name is a reference to the European country Slovakia, although the full name may be a reference to the former Czechoslovakia.
Strong Badia
- See main article: Strong Badia
Minor Countries
While these countries are discovered in the game and have flags, they do not figure into the end of the game.
- Frontzeatserland/Hatchbackistan — Name based on Switzerland and Pakistan.
- Snapshakland — -land is a relatively generic country suffix. For example, Thailand and Finland.
- 50% Off Apple Pie Charts — A non-sequitur.
- Sticktenstein — Name based on Liechtenstein, a small country in the Alps.
- Union of Soviet Socialist Repubricks — A pun on the official title of Soviet Russia, "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics".
- The People's Republic of Front-au-Fence/Backfence Revolutionaries — Port-au-Prince is the capital of Haiti.
Other Countries on the Maps and Minions Board
These countries are not visited or otherwise elaborated on during the game, but appear on the game board as part of the Strong Badian Empire.
- Dullsville
- Stink's Reach — Originally the name of a hypothetical TV show from underlings, but has since become a real place.
- The Nameless Lands
- Scalding Lake — Rather Dashing goes on vacation there before the start of Peasant's Quest.
- Place — A location Monkey D sends a postcard from in different town.
- Rotten Egglünd — The nickname that Strong Bad uses for Strong Mad's room in Sick Day.
- The Embittered Crag
- An Open Field — If The Cheat lands on this space during a game of Maps and Minions, he will find a costume beret as a prize.
- The Cave — There is a cave bordering the Homsar Reservation. Oddly, in the game, the cave is depicted as the passage to Marzistar/Homezipan to the south, while on the game board, it is positioned to the north of "Homsar".
