Does Equestria resemble Britain or America?

[Bro1997]

By looking at the climate, government, culture, and everything that makes Equestria a unique country more like the United Kingdom (Britain) or the United States (America)?  I say that because there are elements that remind me of both, as if the United States was a monarchy or something. That's what life in Equestria is basically like to me. Like living in 1850s America as if it was a constitutional, elective monarchy. When America was founded in 1776, one of the cabinet members wanted the US to be an elective monarchy (Like have George Washington being the King of the United States). I think it would've been interesting and better if America went that route. After all, monarchies can be good if they are run by the best leader.

[AaronMk]

No. It is grosse Deutsches Kaisereich.




Heil die kaiser[en], baby.

[Midnight Breeze]

It's a merging of the USA and Canada.

[Chishio Kunrin]

Geographically, it resembles the North American continent. The icy north is Canada, and the rest of Equestria is the USA, especially when you take the towns into consideration. Manehattan is Manhattan, Los Pegasus is Los Angeles with Applewood being Hollywood, there's even a town that's a horse pun on a town in, I think, Canada.

Spoiler: As for Bro1997's comment about elective monarchy for America • show

From a historical standpoint, I'd like to point out that America went with a representative democracy government because of the problems they had with England's monarchy. The king did whatever he wanted to them without letting them have a say in how their colonies were run, and if they disagreed with him, they would be punished. They couldn't even say anything negative about him without being arrested. So, when America gained its independence, they decided that no leader of America would have enough power to oppress the citizens. The citizens would hold the power to be able to stand against the leader if he or she was behaving in a corrupt and oppressive way. Congress and the House of Representatives would act as a balance to keep the leader in check.

Even if the monarch would be elected, you don't know what a person is truly like upon first meeting them and knowing them for a few months or a year, especially if you don't personally spend time with them. People have layers. It takes time to get through the multitude of layers that make up a person's personality and nature. Someone can appear to be a great person on the surface, but deep down, there could be corrupt tendencies waiting for the right amount of power to abuse. They, themselves, might not even know that it's there.

Humans are imperfect. We all have our weaknesses, flaws, things that could cause us to do something bad or stupid.
Even ponies are imperfect. Even alicorns are imperfect. Look at Luna. She became overcome with her envy, which caused a darkness to grow deep in her heart and eventually turn her into Nightmare Moon.

We don't have Elements of Harmony to zap away our Nightmare Moons, unfortunately.

I'm not saying you're wrong for feeling that America would be better with an elective monarchy. I'm just pointing out the reasons why the founding fathers decided against it.

[AaronMk]

And as far as "Elective" monarchies go then you shouldn't look much further than the HRE. But then it took a guy with a giant red beard to keep the Electors from fighting each other. And in the end based Hapsburg house locked down the Emperor title for themselves until the end.

[Dream Bolt]

Hmmm... I would have to say I have that the government is its own unique thing. It's kind of a diarchy, not a common type of government. And while lesser nobles seem to be put in place, (I can only assume by bloodline, as I can't honestly see anypony voting for Prince Blueblood,) in a fashin similar to the British monarchy, the "high princesses", those who are put in positions of highest power, are alicorns, a state which, by all show canon to date, is something that is earned through virtue and a deep understanding of the power of love and friendship. (To stem the inevitable alicorn debates, Lauren Faust claimed this herself, as well as the other show writers. I could debate the matter further, but that's not what this post is about, so please don't debate it here.)
Regardless, the title of "high princess", (one who is an alicorn,) is one that is earned. Whatever forces determine the ascension of a princess are the guiding force, adding a touch of theocracy to the mix. So as for government, I would say that Equestria seems to have its own thing going, although it does lean more strongly on European monarchies.

Culture is, from what we have seen so far, widely dominated by a mix of European for the unicorns, (largely English, but with a great deal of French, along with some Russian, German, and smatterings of numerous other European countries,) American for the earth ponies, and Greco-Roman for the pegasi. I can't really say which culture is the more dominant, but they appear to have an equal balance so far.

Geographically, it.... er, actually, I stink at geography. But taking a look at the climate, it seems rather European. Or maybe Middle Earth. And most of the indigenous mythical creatures seem to be of Greco-Roman origin, so I suppose that must be taken into account.

My final conclusion is that Equestria is... well, it's kind of it's own thing. Not entirely English, not entirely American, not entirely Greco-Roman, but a balanced mixture of the three.

[Chishio Kunrin]

Geographically, it.... er, actually, I stink at geography. But taking a look at the climate, it seems rather European. Or maybe Middle Earth. And most of the indigenous mythical creatures seem to be of Greco-Roman origin, so I suppose that must be taken into account.

For the geographical part, I referred to the official map of Equestria, which has a lot of reference in layout to the North American continent.

The Frozen North is Canada. It even has Vanhoover in place of Vancouver. They also have Neighagra Falls, a play on Niagara Falls.

Los Pegasus and Applewood are on the west coast toward the south much like Los Angeles and Hollywood.

The northeast has Manehattan, and Manhattan is also situated in the northeast.
They also have Fillydelphia (Philadelphia) and Baltimare (Baltimore).

To the south is a lot of desert, much like the people of places like Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico, and part of Texas have to deal with. In the southeast, there are swamps, kind of like how states like Louisana and Florida have swamps in various areas.

[cloudwilk]

I think it's supposed to be based off of a magical pony America. They're not humans here, so things are going to be different... and with magic now in the world things have to be handled differently. Physically, it's as if thousands of years on Earth have passed by and the tectonic plates started shifting. I'm not going to talk about a probable apocalypse theory because those have just been run into the ground, but it can fit with the no humans and similar geographical locations, plus the technology seems to be reminiscent of a clash of early American culture and modern American, which always lead to the discussion of how modernized is Equestria.

I just think it's its on its own playing field at this point sort of in its own place in the universe. Subtle correlations to places we know today are also most likely made for the children and isn't exactly mean't on a serious note, hence also why I think it more resembles America. The show is primarily directed towards American children and will thus reference things they can relate to more often and when its all cut and dry, that was the primary objective. Not build a utopian world but to appeal to an audience.

[Midnight Breeze]

I made a really, really bad map edit of my take on the subject. You can tell how the geography loosely matches up.



By my calculations, Ponyville is the Equestrian equivalent to...Detroit.

[AaronMk]

I made a really, really bad map edit of my take on the subject. You can tell how the geography loosely matches up.




By my calculations, Ponyville is the Equestrian equivalent to...Detroit.

No. Ponyville is St. Louis. Which means Ferguson is nearby! Or Ponyville is Ferguson and Canterlot is Saint Louis.

Both cities are too central in the nation to be anywhere closely related to Michigan.

[NightWish]

To me it seems like an example of Plato's definition of a utopia, defined in his book Republic. Basically it says, people's jobs aren't based on credentials or pay or education, but their own natural talents. In this, not only are the people happy with their jobs, but they are also skilled at them. The government, which is trained through a 50-year education on political mumbo jumbo(which they themselves volunteer for, since it is something they are interested in) takes a very hands-off approach when dealing with the citizens, giving them pretty much free reign. Wars aren't fought by the citizens(unless they volunteer), but by either hired mercenaries from the more war-centered nations surrounding or through the many allies they make by acting generous and hospitable to any nations outside of them.

I believe this defines Equestria pretty well. The war thing hasn't been explained at all through canon, but the rest of it seems legit.

[Midnight Breeze]

To me it seems like an example of Plato's definition of a utopia, defined in his book Republic. Basically it says, people's jobs aren't based on credentials or pay or education, but their own natural talents.

That doesn't sound like a utopia, it sounds like an unfair caste system where people are stuck in the position they were born in with no opportunities for advancement. Pretty crappy economic system in my opinion.

[AaronMk]

To me it seems like an example of Plato's definition of a utopia, defined in his book Republic. Basically it says, people's jobs aren't based on credentials or pay or education, but their own natural talents.

That doesn't sound like a utopia, it sounds like an unfair caste system where people are stuck in the position they were born in with no opportunities for advancement. Pretty crappy economic system in my opinion.

A caste system implies you're born into a social strata with no way for your children or your kin to leave it. In such a system if you're born to the priests, you will be a priest. Or if born to a soldier, you will be a soldier. Your merit or your skill in other fields does not dictate where you will go later in life. Plato's social structure isn't really much of an unbroken caste system, or if it is is one of the more liberal caste structures from classical antiquity.

As opposed to the concept of caste which may have existed in classical Judea or India, there is a chance of getting your children out of your position and to something more economically promising by getting them training or nurturing an early developmental interest in something "better". If such a system were to work right, then your little minion will undoubtably test well enough in the thing he likes the most and get a job in his community doing that.

Of course I imagine in such a place work-arounds may at some point be implemented. If my knowledge of Plato's Utopia is right I don't believe it's really been put into operation as it intended. But I can imagine local economic disparities when no one does well enough to be a doctor and the entire town dies from the flu because everyone's whipping pigs with a stick. In that interest I would hope that they'd allow someone to retake it on the presumption that if they studied on something they're passionate about or the local despot decides they need more of X they can open something up to guide along social mobility.

But those whole concepts I don't think ever really flourished - at least in detailed writing circulated among the literary masses - until the 19th century and from the successive economic theories from then on. But that's more economics and less social philosophy: that'd get re-examined in full in Europe during the Enlightenment.

[NightWish]

That doesn't sound like a utopia, it sounds like an unfair caste system where people are stuck in the position they were born in with no opportunities for advancement. Pretty crappy economic system in my opinion.

It has nothing to do with being born into anything. Just because both of your parents were good at, say, football, doesn't mean you will become a football player as well. Maybe you're better at being a doctor. You'll become a doctor.

It isn't expanded in his book, but I believe if this were ever to be implemented--and there hasn't been anyone to try it yet, since new nations are very rarely going to base their entire governmental system on a hypothesis--they would perform a series of aptitude tests to see what your natural skill is, how much you enjoy it, etc. and then will provide the training necessary. If this were to be true, it'd fit with how Equestria functions as well. The Wonderbolts have their own academy for people who want to be professional stunt fliers, Celestia owns a school for unicorns with an aptitude for magic, and I'm willing to be those aren't the only examples of it.

[Snow Crystals]

Canterlot looks like an empire and Ponyville like the settlers like thanks giving pilgrims although Manhattan looks like New York style because of the tall buildings.

[Cryptic-Dash]

Honestly I think that it resembles America and Canada in many ways, however I think there are similarities to the UK like the monarchy and how royalty rules and couple of other similarities with the architecture in say ponyville looking very victorian englandy (thats right I said englandy  ), (then again I'm from the UK so time to be biast  )

[annosrules]

Vanhoover is a pun on Vancouver, it's even on the correct coast. When I discovered it I felt my nationalism go up a bit.

[Chishio Kunrin]

And Los Pegasus is a pun on Los Angeles. Pegasi have wings, angels have wings. Los Pegasus is supposed to be their Los Angeles, and it even has its own Hollywood, called Applewood, near it on the official map.

Manehattan is a pun on Manhattan.

Fillydelphia is a pun on Philadelphia.

Baltimare is a pun on Baltimore.

[Sunshine Smash]

And Los Pegasus is a pun on Los Angeles. Pegasi have wings, angels have wings. Los Pegasus is supposed to be their Los Angeles, and it even has its own Hollywood, called Applewood, near it on the official map.

Manehattan is a pun on Manhattan.

Fillydelphia is a pun on Philadelphia.

Baltimare is a pun on Baltimore.

Seems kinda unfair that only Pegasus can get into Las Pegasus and Cloudsdale.

Not saying I don't like it though. Just seems kinda odd how they have cities only for one particular race.

[Chishio Kunrin]

Seems kinda unfair that only Pegasus can get into Las Pegasus and Cloudsdale.

Not saying I don't like it though. Just seems kinda odd how they have cities only for one particular race.

I like to think that Los Pegasus has areas on the ground for earth ponies and unicorns, too. That way it's open for all kinds of ponies to be actors, and it's widely available for tourists.