: Help with writing a fantasy country? What things (specific & general) make up a country?(specifically, in a fantasy universe) To clarify, when I mean general I mean things such as the type

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First country that comes to mind is Macedon of Alexander the Great. It started out as a relative small militaristic state and grew to a large empire. If Alexander hadn't die the empire could have gotten far larger.

hierarchy of power: dictators and centralized government can make quicker decisions than demographic states. This means empires can grow faster.
Machiavellianism: if there were to be dilemma where a ruler has to choose between being loved and being feared, he or she should choose the latter.
propaganda: Adolf Hitler is known for his use of propaganda and populism while stigmatizing minorities. Propaganda is always present in politics. Would be interesting to attempt to create a world where there is no propaganda, perhaps a computer-governed world.
languages: in Ancient China, and current China, there were many languages and dialects. There have been many attempts to standardize the national language in order to unify the state.
infrastructure: Napoleon was successful as a strategist by building and using paved roads to move his troops. Genghis Khan had created the Silk Road which was used by merchants improving the economy. Also, the Silk Road empowered Genghis by having a diplomatic advantage.
natural resources or the lack of it: islands such as Japan rely more on overseas countries.
landscape: rivers and oceans can be problematic in a conquest. Also, they make up a natural border.
climate: Napoleon lost half of his troops on his to Moscow due to the cold weather.
demographics: in some countries the average life expectation may be 15 or lower. If that were to be true then children would be taught different things at a younger age.
stigmatization: Donald Trump downplays certain groups, not only minorities. Trump's main voters were 50-yo white males. The word 'stigma' finds its origin from the burn or cuts made in the skin of slaves, to set them apart from non-slaves. Quentin Tarantino depicted this at the end of "Inglorious Bastards". He stigmatized, literally, a nazi.

From a individual's point of view you might want to read the manga Arslan Senki.
One point I can clearly remember that slaves not always want to be freed. Being a slave, not having freedom, can actually gives some sense of certainty.
This also reminds of Plato's the Allegory of the Cave. People don't want to enlightened, or gain knowledge that will make them different. Other interpretations can be given to the Allegory of the Cave.

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Here are some thing I always like to add about certain empire or the country while writing:

1) Religion : Every country or empire is know for its culture but we also have to keep in mind that most of the culture that country has is derived from its religion. Adding a strong religion with some unique beliefs and cultures always adds to uniqueness of the novel.

2)History And Events: Each empire or country in fantasy world is know for their specific trade , event , or history. Citizens of the empire can be greatly influenced by the past events of the empire.

3)Allies and Enemies : Empires stability in the story also can create a lot of openings to write about.

4)Position: Unique position of the empire also matters in many situations.

5)Cause and Agenda: There are limitless possibilities in this section. An Empire can be founded by desire of Power , Freedom and so it does affects the ruling fraction and their intension!

I hope this helps!
cheers!

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