The country is called Manto and it is located in Southeast Asia, near Japan. The climate is generally mild, with warm summers and cool winters. A little more than half of Manto is surrounded by the Pacific, and there are many small islands near the coastline, most of them official property of the Mantonese government. There are many forests in Manto, which gives it a common geographical trait with some European countries like Germany and Great Britain. Most of Manto (that isn’t the coastline) is surrounded by mountains, giving it a somewhat isolated geographical position, similar to Japan’s. There are three rivers, which created an advantage for the ancient Mantonese farmers and allows cities to trade with each other. Approximately 40% of Manto is forest terrain, which is quite large considering Manto’s size (about ½ the size of Russia). The natural resources are mainly metal-based, and include gold, iron, copper, and coal. Obviously, timber is also a main resource. What Manto desperately lacks is oil. Fortunately, Saudi Arabia and several other Middle Eastern countries possess that invaluable resource and are more than willing to trade for Mantonese resources.
Perhaps because most of Manto consists of forests, the people are mainly Taoist, and are very enthusiastic about nature. However, due to some cultural influence from Tibet and Korea, approximately 23% of the population is Buddhist. Taoism is a very natural and spiritual religion, and because of this Manto is still very clean and most of the forests are preserved. The Buddhists in Manto are usually not natives, or have Korean, Tibetan, or Indian ancestry. Due to the pacifistic nature of the religions, the people are very peaceful and Manto does not possess a large army. Fortunately, it is fairly isolated because of the geographic features previously mentioned. Buddhism and Taoism are very different from some of the world’s main religions (such as Christianity or Islam), which are both monotheistic and create a hierarchal system. And while Taoist’s main value is nature, the other religion’s main values generally are related to the human soul or their god.
A famous historical figure named Gandhi was born in Manto, and he was a very peaceful man. He later went to South Africa, and after experiencing discrimination there, he moved to India and resisted the British. Eventually, all his pacifistic efforts led to the independence of India from Britain. He felt pity for the Indian people, because India is divided with the caste system. Manto, on the other hand, has a Communist government. The agricultural and industrial strength of Manto is very well-balanced, which allows the farmers to share their yield with the workers and vice versa. Due to requirement of everyone contributing to society, the unemployment rate is 0% (excluding infants, children, the elderly, and the disabled). The military exists for the purpose of defending against possible invading foreign nations. A large military is not required, because Manto is very well-defended by mountains and the surrounding islands. Also, the country has many allies, which would attack any oppressors. The military is led by the general, who, arguably, has the most influence in society (the only individual with more influence than the rest of the population). The general is therefore elected by the people every 5 years. This government is influenced by the ideas of Marxism and some Democracy.
There are no social divisions in Manto (excluding the aforementioned general), because there is no economy. Women are completely equal to men, dissimilar from the Mideast, where they have almost no rights. There are many woman writers as well. A formidable amount of literature in Manto is philosophy, and some is Marxist in nature. There is some literature, however, that one would not expect from the Mantonese people. An example is Sun Tsu’s Art of War, which was written by a famous Mantonese general long ago (he was not Buddhist or Taoist). Manto was also influenced by some Islamic styles of art, mainly calligraphy.
Since agriculture and industry are generally divided evenly, Manto has progressed sufficiently in the technological area. It has also contributed with its ancient inventions, such as the wheel (originally used for pottery), and the first alphabet (cuneiform). As previously mentioned, Manto is large in size and much of it is habitable, making for a formidable population. Currently the population is approximately 286,994,668 (Nov 04 est.). Manto tends to stay out of world affairs, especially wars. When foreign countries attempt to oppress Manto, it retaliates with its small but powerful military. The only major trade occurring is between Manto and Saudi Arabia, for use of oil. The isolationist policy is comparable to North Korea, with the vital exception being that North Korea has an oppressive government, while Manto has a peaceful one. It is completely opposite from the U.S policy of interfering with virtually every major foreign affair.