Earth Kingdom

The Earth Kingdom is a collective term for a nation of people in the fictional universe of the Nickelodeon animated television series "." One of the series' "," the Earth Kingdom is a large continent taking up most of the planet's eastern hemisphere. The Earth Kingdom is home to an order of men and women who practice earthbending, the mystical art of geokinesis.

According to Uncle Iroh, Earth is the element of substance; its people are proud and strong, virtually immovable, as reflected in Earthbending.

The Earth Kingdom has long withstood encroachments on their borders in the Fire Nation's century-long imperialist war. Though the Water Tribes aid the Earth Kingdom in the war, the conflict continues to progress poorly. Other than the Avatar, the Earth Kingdom was the only real obstacle between the Fire Nation and complete world domination, as the Water Tribes have thus far demonstrated that they can only defend their own lands, the poles. However, by the conclusion of Book Two, the Fire Nation princess, Azula, had taken control of the Earth Kingdom capital city, Ba Sing Se. By the following summer, it is firmly occupied by Fire Nation forces.

Appearance

The people of the Earth Kingdom express wide variety in their appearances throughout the vast lands of the empire. Those residing in the rural areas often wear clothes similar to those of peasants. Royals and the wealthy, as illustrated by Toph Bei Fong, as well as the rest of the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, usually wear robes similar to Japanese-style kimonos, Korean Hanbok, or traditional Chinese hanfu, especially during parties and events. Men may grow beards and/or mustaches; younger men may have the same style but wear their hair down. Their skin complexion is usually fair, tan or brown, uniquely various throughout the Kingdom, especially compared to the homogeneous appearances of the other bending groups. They most typically express light brown, deep brown or green eyes. They usually wear green, yellow-green, tan or brown clothing, though they have been seen wearing outfits of other colors.

National emblem

The national emblem of the Earth Kingdom is a square inscribed with a circle, at the center of which is a much smaller square (like a Chinese coin). The insignia symbolizes both the literal and figurative depth of the Earth Kingdom. It represents the immeasurable layers of deep rock and minerals which Earthbenders manipulate to maintain their great cities, as well as the depth of the inhabitants' commitment and strive towards the effort of a peaceful and productive way of life. [cite book
last = Teitelbaum
first = Michael
title = The Lost Scrolls: Earth (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
publisher = Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon
year = 2006
pages = pp. 20
isbn = 1416918779
ref = Avatar The Last Airbender The Lost Scrolls: Earth] This emblem can be seen on the helmets of Earth Kingdom troops.

Earth Kingdom currency, coins, are composed from metals such as copper shaped into the fashion of the national emblem.cite episode | title = The Waterbending Scroll | episodelink = The Waterbending Scroll | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2005-04-29 | season = 1 (Book 1) | number = 09] The design is also applied to certain large, stone "coins" which are used as weapons by earthbending soldiers.

Based on Toph's passport seen in "The Serpent's Pass," Earth Kingdom is literally written as 土國 (tǔ guó).

Culture

From the technology-driven refugees under to the initially isolationist inhabitants of Kyoshi Island, the culture of the Earth Kingdom is far less monolithic than those of the other nations. This is likely due to its size. The common aspect of these different cultures is their rather simplistic and somewhat archaic nature, especially in comparison to the more industrialized Fire Nation.cite episode | title = Bitter Work | episodelink = Bitter Work | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-06-02 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 9]

But the fact that they are tough doesn't mean they don't have any games or attractions. In Omashu, the game first played by Aang and invented by King Bumi is based on the mail delivery system of Omashu, which Bumi has referred to as "The World's Greatest Superslide." In Ba Sing Se, an apparently common game played in alleys is a form of football that employs earthbending. Also, an attraction in Ba Sing Se is the Zoo.

Season

Each of the Four Nations is influenced by their own distinct, dominant season; the Earth Kingdom's is spring, the time when most living things on Earth are reborn. To this effect, more Earthbenders are born during the spring than any other time of year and their powers are at their strongest during the springtime. [cite book
last = Teitelbaum
first = Michael
title = The Lost Scrolls: Earth (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
publisher = Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon
year = 2006
pages = pp. 21
isbn = 1416918779
ref = Avatar The Last Airbender The Lost Scrolls: Earth]

Natural Resources and Foods

Though at first glance they would appear to be the most simple of substances, rock and stone turn out to be the Earth Kingdom's greatest natural resources, as such are widely used and manipulated into just about everything, from small tools to entire metropolises. While the Earth Kingdom as a whole does not make use of fossil fuels nearly as much as the industrialized Fire Nation, coal is mined in certain villages for fuel. The timber of their forests also serve as fuel along with being lumbered for building.

As a result of the various minerals it contains, an ample amount of vegetables manage to sufficiently grow within the rich, fertile soil of the Earth Kingdom, while fruits and nut trees are equally as abundant. Wild game and domesticated animals thrive in the lush forests and farmlands, adding beef and poultry to the Earth Kingdom citizens' diet. [cite book
last = Teitelbaum
first = Michael
title = The Lost Scrolls: Earth (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
publisher = Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon
year = 2006
pages = pp. 22
isbn = 1416918779
ref = Avatar The Last Airbender The Lost Scrolls: Earth]

Government

The Earth Kingdom is a large nation divided into provincescite episode | title = Zuko Alone | episodelink = Zuko Alone | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-05-12 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 7] and major cities which are subdivided into smaller townships or separate towns. The capital of the Earth Kingdom formerly is Ba Sing Se. While there is a central ruler of the Earth Kingdom, known as the The Earth King, who resided within Ba Sing Se, some larger cities, such as Omashu, have kings of their own; the exact nature of this hierarchy is unknown. However, the Earth Kingdom's central form of government is a Confederate Monarchy. At one time, proud warrior-kings ruled their lands personally and often brutally, but over the generations, the Earth Kings ceded more and more control over the day-to-day operations of their city to the byzantine governmental structure that sprang up around them. The Earth King now is little more than a figurehead who lives a lavish lifestyle surrounded by sycophants, lending one of his royal seals to whatever decrees and laws his advisers suggest.

It is eventually revealed that the Earth King has little true power, being little more than a figurehead. While he is greatly revered, possibly even worshiped, most of the governmental power in Ba Sing Se is trusted to various advisers and counsels such as Long Feng, the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se & Head of the Dai Li. It is also implied that the Ba Sing Se government chooses to make use of little power beyond its own fortified city, which perhaps explains the dire situation in much of the Earth Kingdom.

The government in Ba Sing Se is incredibly oppressive, similar to a system of fascism. All of the power is focused on a single dictator, Long Feng, and the level of control exhibited on the population ranges from severe economic and social regimentation and segregation, feelings of superiority over others, and forcible elimination of opposition by methods such as brainwashing. The government of Ba Sing Se is also incredibly bureaucratic, an illustration of this is the fact that processing a request to meet with the Earth King may take up to 6-8 weeks or that proper clearance is required for posting up something as simple as a lost animal flier.cite episode | title = Lake Laogai | episodelink = Lake Laogai | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-11-03 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 17] Its leaders also make use of sixty-seven different seals, each used on various occasions, for the approval or processing of documents and orders.

Military

Since the Earth Kingdom is geographically the largest of the four nations, it possesses a large variety of combat organizations and personnel.

Army

Due to the majority of its territory being landlocked and segregrated by mountainous terrain, the Earth Kingdom is most dependent on its land-based army forces. Like the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom armies consist of benders and normal foot soldiers. Soldiers, both benders and non-benders, carry a wide variety of weapons, from spears, swords, and other various polearms, to more unusual weapons such as hammers, axes, and sickles. Nonbending soldiers typically wear a helmet shaped like a mix of a Conical straw hat and a spinning top, along with a neck guard underneath, are more heavily armoured, and wear boots. Earthbenders' helmets are pointed and are decorated with the Earth Kingdom emblem. They are also barefooted, as called for by a principle of earthbending. Officers wear yellow armor in place of the regular green armor.

Earth Kingdom soldiers in various parts of the Earth Kingdom tend to wear slightly different colored uniforms than that of others. For example, the guards at the gates of Omashu wore slightly different uniforms than other Earthbenders in other parts of the Earth Kingdom. The Earthbenders who captured Iroh in "The Spirit World" wore yellow and light brown. General Fong's soldiers wore light green, the ferry guards of Full Moon Bay wore brown on tan uniforms, and the personal guards of the Bei Fong family wore a cream colored uniform.cite episode | title = The Blind Bandit | episodelink = The Blind Bandit| series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-05-05 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 6] The non-bending soldiers of Omashu wear leaf-green colors, while other non-bending soldiers across the Earth Kingdom wear a drab olive green. At Ba Sing Se the soldiers on the walls have more diverse uniforms, with black and gold colors.

The cavalry consists of , which can vertically climb short distances and run at high speeds. They are also used as civilian transports.

Earthbenders use stones shaped like the Earth Kingdom emblem as artillery and catapult projectiles. These person-sized round coins are invaluable weapons to the Earthbenders. The coins can be lined up side by side to make a defensive mobile wall, or stacked to make an impromptu lookout tower. Skilled Earthbenders can use these coins as a vehicle and "ride" in the hole in the middle of the coins.

By consulting with various Earthbenders, the Earth Kingdom inventor the Mechanist was able to design and perfect metallic, multi-segmented, earthbending-powered tanks which were actively used in the Fire Nation invasion. The Earth Kingdom tanks are piloted by a crew of four Earthbenders who work to move the caterpillar-like vehicle by pushing off the ground with their feet. Thanks to their multiple segments, the tanks are able to navigate on uneven terrain and even climb over elevated obstacles. Hatches on the sides of the tank open and close, allowing Earthbenders to fire stone projectiles at the enemy.

Navy

Not much is known about the Earth Navy, save that it is likely inferior to that of the Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom's explicitly stated that invading the Fire Nation with its ships would be suicidal.cite episode | title = The Avatar State | episodelink = The Avatar State | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-03-17 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 1] Zuko also mentioned that his ship crashed into an Earth Nation ship, to use as an excuse for the damage done to it when he sent it for repairs at 's harbor.

Dai Li

The Dai Li are the cultural enforcers of Ba Sing Se. They are under the direct command of Long Feng, the culture minister, and function as a sort of secret police; arresting and re-educating anyone who breaks regulations concerning mention of the war.cite episode | title = City of Walls and Secrets | episodelink = City of Walls and Secrets | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-09-22 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 14] In addition to distinct uniforms, they are notable for sporting stone gloves and shoes, which can be used to great effect as weapons through Earthbending. Though they serve the Earth King, they are loyal only to Long Feng. However, after the events of the coup d'état led against the Earth Kingdom capital, they have pledged loyalty to Azula. It is the Dai Li who are responsible for tearing down Ba Sing Se's walls to allow the entrance of the Fire Nation army invasion force and the eventual firm occupation of the capital city. The Dai Li are seen again during the series finale, where they are summoned by Firelord Azula. Azula, unsatisfied with their performance and fearing that they will eventually betray her, banishes the Dai Li from the palace. They are not seen again afterward.

According to the online flash game, "Escape from the Spirit World," the Dai Li was created several centuries before the start of the story by avatar to preserve the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se. This was in response to a peasant uprising against the government and the forty-sixth Earth King. She currently regrets having created the Dai Li, as she had no idea how corrupt they would become at the time. [ [http://www.nick.com/all_nick/tv_supersites/avatar2/escape/ Avatar Escape From The Spirit World Online Flash Game] ]

They appear to be modeled after the government agents of Qing Dynasty China, generally known as the Dai Li (in Cantonese) The organization may also be named after Dai Li: the feared Spymaster of Chiang Kai-Shek before and during the Second World War. ( _zh. 大内; Pinyin: dà nèi)-- which literally means "Greater-Inner" and refers to those who serve in the Greater Inner Sanctum of the Forbidden City.

Kyoshi Island Warriors

The Kyoshi Island Warriors are an all-female group of fighters led by on Kyoshi Island. Their fighting style and clothing honor that of their founder, , although the most current fighters do not implement any of the bending arts in their physical movements. Clad in ornate, green armor and Kabuki-like makeup, designed to intimidate opponents, Kyoshi Island Warriors use metal fans as their primary weapons, [cite book
last = Teitelbaum
first = Michael
title = The Lost Scrolls: Earth (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
publisher = Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon
year = 2006
pages = pp. 45
isbn = 1416918779
ref = Avatar The Last Airbender The Lost Scrolls: Earth] but it is later revealed the warriors additionally utilize katana and wrist shields.cite episode | title = Appa's Lost Days | episodelink = Appa's Lost Days | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-10-13 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 1] Holding the fans like extensions of their own arms, they aim to turn the strength of their opponents against them, a principle also hinged upon in waterbending. Traditionally, only women are trained as Kyoshi Warriors, however there have been exceptions over the years.

Although Kyoshi Island had long remained neutral in the war, following the Avatar's arrival on the island, the Kyoshi Island Warriors were inspired to assist the Earth Kingdom army in its attempts to resist the Fire Nation. They accomplish this not by serving on the front lines, but serving as guards for refugee ferries to Ba Sing Se.cite episode | title = The Serpent's Pass | episodelink = The Serpent's Pass | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-09-15 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 12] The warriors appeared again in "Appa's Lost Days" where they struggled to protect Appa from capture at the hands of Princess Azula, , and Ty Lee. Following the confrontation, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee infiltrate the city of Ba Sing Se disguised as members of the Kyoshi Warriors, confirming the real Kyoshi Warriors' defeat. They did however succeed in saving the life of Appa, one of the greatest aids to the Avatar that any other characters had performed. They appear again in the series finale after being freed from prison. Ty Lee is now a member of the Kyoshi Warriors and it is implied they now know Ty Lee's chi blocking techniques.

Council of Five

The Council of Five is a group of five high-ranking Earth Kingdom Generals, including Generals and , who decide the best use of their armies fighting outside the walls of Ba Sing Se. It is the Council of Five who designs and implements any war plans, which includes the best means of protecting the capital city as well as the proposed invasion of the Fire Nation.cite episode | title = The Guru | episodelink = The Guru (Avatar: The Last Airbender) | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-12-01 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 19] In addition to this, the Council also controls the Kings Guards, an elite force of guards who protect the king. The Council of Five has been together for as long as there has been a king of Ba Sing Se, and up until Long Feng came into power, it has always worked hand in hand with the Earth King to ensure the city's well being.

Under Princess Azula's execution of the coup d'état against the capital, all members of the council have been taken captive by the Dai Li and are currently being held under house arrest. It is assumed that they were rescued when the White Lotus members liberated Ba Sing Se.

Kings Guards

These royal, earthbending guards of Ba Sing Se are affiliated with neither the Dai Li nor the military, and instead serve as personal protectors of the Earth King. There seem to be hundreds of them guarding the Royal Palace. The guards use specialized surface-to-surface rocks against invaders approaching on foot, but the projectiles are displayed to be able to also serve as surface-to-air rocks against airborne intruders.cite episode | title = The Earth King | episodelink = The Earth King | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-11-17 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 18] Sporting dark green armor and feather-topped helmets, the guards have also been shown as the gate keepers of the outer and inner walls of Ba Sing Se. cite episode | title = The Tales of Ba Sing Se | episodelink = The Tales of Ba Sing Se | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-09-29 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 15] .

Light Industry

Architecture, farming, carpentry, hunting, and mining are among many significant Earth Kingdom industries. Its citizens have managed to develop an advanced trade and commerce system so that almost all may benefit. [cite book
last = Teitelbaum
first = Michael
title = The Lost Scrolls: Earth (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
publisher = Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon
year = 2006
pages = pp. 22
isbn = 1416918779
ref = Avatar The Last Airbender The Lost Scrolls: Earth] From the complex sewage and postal system of Omashu, to the Ba Sing Se metro transit stations, and various inventions and their inventors, such as , all serve as demonstration of the Earth Kingdom's surprisingly sophisticated society.

Cities and locations

Kyoshi Island

One of the islands off the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, Kyoshi Island is an island founded in the South Sea by in an effort to protect her people from invaders. Having born the Avatar over four hundred years ago, the island has a shrine (formerly a temple) dedicated to Kyoshi that contains her relics, including her kimono, metal fans, metal headdress, and her boots. Supposedly, these relics still embody some of Kyoshi's spirit.. Predominately a fishing port, travelers and traders favor the island as a stopping point. In the nearby sea, there are , which serve as the island's main source of commerce, and a giant eel known as the . The denizens of Kyoshi Island's dwell scattered amongst several small villages found all around the island. Each village has its own leader and is served and protected by a band of female Kyoshi Island Warriors, who fight with metal fans in the same techniques as the island's namesake Avatar, as well as a fighting style that emulates the Waterbender's philosophy of using the opponents' force against them.Due to holding no significant military advantage and retaining very few Earthbenders, Kyoshi Island has managed to stay out of the Fire Nation's war for nearly a century — until Zuko recently attacked it looking for Aang.cite episode | title = The Warriors of Kyoshi | episodelink = The Warriors of Kyoshi | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2005-03-04 | season = 1 (Book 1) | number = 4] Nevertheless, the inhabitants of the island have no intention of inviting unwanted attention, and the warriors often find themselves dealing with disorderly traders and travelers who, after a night of drinking in the port of Kyoshi, stumble into the villages and cause trouble. As a result, the villagers are quite hostile towards outsiders, often fearing the possibility of Fire Nation spies. However, inspired by the Avatar Aang's arrival on the island, the citizens have gained new hope and have adopted a more welcoming attitude since then. Additionally, the Kyoshi Island Warriors recently left to join the war effort in hopes of making a difference.

During the time of Avatar Kyoshi, a warlord known as "Chin the Great" was enveloping the entire Earth Kingdom in his armies and ruthless dictatorship. Kyoshi managed to keep her people safe from invasion by using a combination of different bending techniques to separate their peninsula from the mainland and form an island. This left a cliff at Chin's feet, where he fell to his death as the rock beneath him collapsed. The village of Chin was founded near the cliff and was known to be very antagonistic towards all reincarnations of the Avatar, believing that they killed their glorious leader. Only recently when Aang, the current Avatar, saves the village from rhino-riding Fire Nation soldiers do they put their qualms aside and reinvent their effigy-burning "Avatar Day" into a more friendly celebration. This day is known as Kyoshi Day on Kyoshi Island and celebrates the day of its founding.cite episode | title = Avatar Day | episodelink = Avatar Day | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-04-28 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 5]

Omashu

Omashu was the Earth Kingdom's first city.The city of Omashu sits within a mountain range, surrounded on all sides by steep canyons and an enormous gorge, with the only way to its gates being a narrow path over the chasm. The cities' three gates are composed from massive stone, each five feet thick and towering over thirty feet high, accessible only by Earthbenders who guard its lone entrance. [cite book
last = Teitelbaum
first = Michael
title = The Lost Scrolls: Earth (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
publisher = Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon
year = 2006
pages = pp. 43
isbn = 1416918779
ref = Avatar The Last Airbender The Lost Scrolls: Earth] It is ruled by and holds the place of being the Earth Kingdom's second largest city. Omashu's main industry was producing weapons and supplies for the war effort, and had developed a complex and efficient mail system used to transport goods throughout the city that employed Earthbending and gravity using extensive ramps and chutes. [http://www.nick.com/all_nick/tv_supersites/avatar2/ Official Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender website] ] As children, Bumi and Aang used the ramps as slides.cite episode | title = The King of Omashu | episodelink = The King of Omashu | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2005-03-18 | season = 1 (Book 1) | number = 5] At the beginning of Book Two, Aang and his friends travel to Omashu once more so that he may learn Earthbending under King Bumi. On their journey, they pass through the Cave of Two Lovers where it is revealed that the city was founded many millennia ago and named for Oma and Shu, a "Romeo and Juliet" pair from two warring villages who became the first Earthbenders.cite episode | title = The Cave of Two Lovers | episodelink = The Cave of Two Lovers | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-03-24 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 02]

Since Aang, Katara, and Sokka's last visit, Omashu had surrendered to the Fire Nation, who had developed metal, extending bridges to bypass the gorge. The entire city is displayed to be undergoing massive reconstruction to better suit the Fire Nation occupation, complete with a huge statue of Fire Lord Ozai built at the highest peak of Omashu. Most notably altered is the palace, the original of which was completely leveled and replaced with the metal pagoda architecture favored by the Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom citizens and remnant soldiers had managed to find refuge within the sewer systems beneath Omashu and eventually are able to escape the city under the guise of an epidemic shortly after Aang arrives. Soon after, the city of Omashu is renamed "New Ozai" by Princess Azula.

In The Series Finale it is shown that King Bumi escaped his metal cage, destroyed all of the factories and fire nation made structures (Including a statue of Ozai) and retook his city from Fire Nation Control during the Solar Eclipse.

Based on the ancient writing in "The Cave of Two Lovers," the modern way to write Omashu is 奥瑪舒. Ào mǎ ( 奥 瑪 ) mean "mysterious carnelian," while shū ( 舒 ) means relax. Carnelian is a semiprecious stone consisting of an orange or orange-red variety of chalcedony.

Ba Sing Se

Ba Sing Se is the capital of the Earth Kingdom. Probably modeled after the Great Wall of China, Ba Sing Se is impenetrable and isolated from the rest of the world. It withstood a six-hundred day siege led by the Fire Nation's General Iroh,cite episode | title = The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 1) | episodelink = The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 1) | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2005-04-08 | season = 1 (Book 1) | number = 7] which ended after Iroh's son, Lu Ten, died on the front lines and Iroh was in too much in grief to continue. As shown in the Comic Convention 2006, Ba Sing Se is an enormous city with several rock-like monorails, similar to the ones in Omashu although greatly scaled up and more sedate. The "cars" are moved by Earthbending. Following the events of the Season 2 finale, the government of Ba Sing Se was deposed through an internal army led by Azula.cite episode | title = The Crossroads of Destiny | episodelink = The Crossroads of Destiny | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-12-01 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 20] With the fall of Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom lost its last great stronghold to the Fire Nation.cite episode | title = The Awakening | episodelink = The Awakening (Avatar: The Last Airbender) | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2007-09-21 | season = 3 (Book 3) | number = 1]

Ba Sing Se's greatest secret to its staying power in the war is the farmland behind its outer wall. These vast fields supply the entire city with food to enable them to survive a siege of any duration, so long as the outer wall remains intact. Only on two separate occasions has the great wall ever been penetrated. It was apparently breached during Iroh's six-hundred day siege, however, the city survived, as the siege broke shortly thereafter. The city's wall is nearly penetrated once again by a large drill-like invention created by for the Fire Nation. However, with Sokka's ingenuity, Aang, Katara, and Toph manage to disable the drill and ruin the Fire Nation plans. Soon after this victory, Azula entered the city and with a coup d'état - forced by the Dai Li - Azula took over power. The Great Wall of Ba Sing Se was broken down and the army of the Fire Nation occupied the city. cite episode | title = The Drill | episodelink = The Drill | series = Avatar: The Last Airbender | network = Nickelodeon | airdate = 2006-09-15 | season = 2 (Book 2) | number = 13] In the series finale, Iroh, along with the other members of the White Lotus secret society, retakes the city in the name of the Earth Kingdom.

Culture of Ba Sing Se

The main characters do not reach Ba Sing Se until "City of Walls and Secrets," where the culture is at first revealed. The city is divided into various levels based on social class, with the ghettos of the poor and refugees being walled off from the rest of the town (mirroring the strict societal rules of class interaction that governed ancient China). It is also revealed that society is heavily controlled, and that the war is not allowed to be mentioned inside the walls (this is similar to China, where the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 are not to be mentioned in the country). This was meant to maintain order and the cultural heritage of the city, making it the only remaining "utopian" society in the world. It is eventually revealed that the Earth King is actually mostly a figurehead, with great ceremonial power, but little authority. The political leader of the city is Long Feng, the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and the Head of the Dai Li. He and the Dai Li maintain strict control of the people and the culture, and prefer to pretend the war does not exist. This is most likely the result of Ba Sing Se's safety - the people of the city consider it impenetrable, and thus feel they can delude themselves into pretending all is fine in the rest of the Kingdom. Those who attempt to disrupt this fantasy are promptly brainwashed by the Dai Li into believing that the war doesn't even exist. This is perhaps most powerfully shown in "The Drill," where they maintain the belief in their safety even when the city is threatened---and which also shows the city may not be as strong as believed.

In "The Drill," the name Ba Sing Se is revealed to mean "Impenetrable City," as an Earth Kingdom general jokes that it is not named "Na Sing Se" (meaning "Penetrable City").

Fauna

The Earth Kingdom is home to many exotic creatures:

* reside in the caves. They are blind, but "see" with Earthbending. It is said that they taught the first Earthbenders. They have a touch for music. If one were to play the right music, they could be induced to do almost anything. The Earth Kingdom regards the Badgermole as a symbol similarly to how the Fire Nation perceives the Dragon, the Air Nomads regard the Air Bison, and the Water Tribes regard the Moon.
* roam the lands, and are domesticated and mounted by Earth Kingdom citizens as transports.
* In the great Si Wong desert, Buzzard-wasps make their home in the Si Wong Rock. They make a honey like liquid that they feed to their young. It is said that this liquid tastes like rotting penguin meat, though Appa seemed to enjoy it (likely from being so hungry).
* Singing Groundhogs attract tourists from everywhere. They are able to respond to any musical note.
* reside in the sewers of Omashu. They have five eyes and legs and attach themselves to those they come in contact with. When tickled into letting go, they leave behind distinctive sucker marks.
* s are found in the forests of the Earth Kingdom. They usually live in caves, lay eggs and protect the eggs and their young. Mature Platypus bears are as ferocious as actual bear, especially when they are with young.
* are fearsome animals of the Earth Kingdom forests. They have large tusks and large antlers. At a young age, they appear to be herbivores, and are hard to identify, as the antlers and tusks have not yet grown in, but as they mature they may become carnivorous.
* In the caves of the Earth Kingdom, are territorial carnivores. They are as large as wolves and can fly.
* Various kinds of are farmed here. Sheep, Rooster, Chicken, and Cow pigs are seen.
* Large, insectoid creatures called inhabit the Great Divide.

Notable figures

* Toph Bei Fong
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Haru

See also

* Earthbender
* Water Tribe
* Fire Nation
* Air Nomads

References

See also

* List of minor Earth Kingdom locations
* Earthbending
* Water Tribe
* Fire Nation
* Air Nomads