The Setting

[Ayame Kouhei]

Code Geass is set in an alternate universe where three superpowers, the Holy Britannian Empire, the Chinese Federation, and the European Union have divided up control of the world (with the exception of an independent Australia) and maintain a tentative balance for the first part of the series. The balance shifts in the second season as the E.U. has much of its territory conquered by Britannia while Lelouch engineers a revolution in the Chinese Federation and creates a new alliance of countries, the United Federation of Nations, reducing the number of superpowers to two.


Holy Britannian Empire

The Holy Britannian Empire (神聖ブリタニア帝国 Shinsei Buritania Teikoku?) is an imperial monarchy and the most prominent superpower within the world of Code Geass, controlling over one-third of the world at the start of the series, based in North America with Pendragon as its imperial city. Britannian society is an aristocracy run according to a caricature of Social Darwinism, with a hierarchy of competing nobles at the top and the peoples of conquered territories (referred to either by their area number or as "Numbers") living in poverty or as unequal Honorary Britannians.

During season one, the Britannian Empire controls the entire Western Hemisphere (both American continents), New Zealand, and recently conquered Japan, as well as the recently conquered "Area 18"[7] in the Middle East region. During season two, Britannia successfully conquers about half of the rival "Euro Universe" superpower; taking over France, Spain, the western half of Africa, and Russia.[8]

The series' history diverges with Julius Caesar's invasion, with a Celtic "super-king" being elected (similar to the Arverni chieftain Vercingetorix), who successfully resisted the invasion and began the Britannian imperial line of absolute monarchy (referred to in the establishment of the Britannian calendar era, "Ascension Throne Britannia" (a.t.b) or the Imperial Calendar in the English dub, fifty five years earlier than the Gregorian calendar).

The English monarchy was then identical to our timeline until the death of Elizabeth I in 1603. However, in this world, she had an illegitimate son "Henry IX" who took the throne instead of the House of Stuart's James I. In its early nineteenth century, "Elizabeth III" died after losing the British Isles to Napoleon (and the capital moved to the American territories), and a new royal line was established by a prominent North American noble family. It is also speculated that the 13 North American Colonies never became the United States of America in the Code Geass universe, but instead, seized control of the United Kingdom and renamed themselves The Holy Britannian Empire.

Japan
Japan is the source of over 70% of the world's supply of the high energy mineral sakuradite. Britannia conquered it to gain control over that mineral. Japan was renamed Area 11 under Britannian rule. Through his alter-ego, Zero, Lelouch attempts to restore Japan's independence as the "United States of Japan", as a step in his quest to overthrow Britannia.

Chinese Federation
The Chinese Federation (中華連邦 Chūka Renpō?) is an imperial monarchy that spans the Asian and Pacific regions, including Central, South, East, and Southeast Asia, with Sakhalin and the Korean Peninsula and is the most populous (and poverty-stricken) of the three superpowers.

Its political structure and organization appears to resemble the former Empire of China, with the Emperor regarded as a living divinity and holding absolute political power, though under Empress Tianzi, it has been reduced to a figurehead for the advisory "High Eunuchs" (大宦官 Dai Kangan?) (similar to the feudal era Emperors of Japan). The Vermilion Forbidden City (朱禁城 Shu Kinjō?) is the seat of the Chinese Emperor and the government of the Federation is a large palace situated in the capital city of Luoyang.

In the first season, the Chinese Federation attempts unsuccessfully to invade Japan on the pretext of "liberation" using exiled former Japanese officials. The resistance movement in India lends Zero's Black Knights their lead weapons designer, Rakshata, in hopes that an independent Japan will in return aide them in gaining independence from China. In the second season, a Chinese consulate is established with the agreement of the local Britannian authorities and negotiations are held by Eunuch Gao Hai to the end of obtaining a solid Chinese foothold within the colony. After the Black Knights are exiled from Japan, they are granted control of Horai Island (蓬萊島?), a fictional artificial land mass built off the coast of China to generate electricity through tidal activity. The Black Knights destabilize and overthrow the government, returning control to the Empress. Shortly after, the Federation collapses and its former member states are incorporated into the new United Federation of Nations.

Euro Universe
The Euro Universe (ユーロ・ユニバース Yūro Yunibāsu?), or E.U., is a democratic union encompassing all of Europe (including Great Britain), Africa, and Russia and long in conflict with Britannia. In the second season, Schneizel leads the Britannian forces against the E.U., successfully conquering almost half of their territory, including Portugal, Spain, France, half of Africa, and the whole of Russia.[9] Following this, former member nations Italy, Austria, and Poland (among others) join the forty-seven founding nations of the United Federation of Nations, leaving only Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Belarus and an area of Africa near the Congo.

United Federation of Nations
Following the collapse of the E.U. and the uprising in the Chinese Federation, most of the remaining territories not under Britannian control join forces and form the United Federation of Nations, a new coalition to counter the Empire's advance as the sole other superpower. The U.F.N. flag is a white dove with three circles merging at the point where the wings and body meet, over a yellow background.

The U.F.N. is composed of forty-seven countries spread across parts of Central and Eastern Europe, Eastern Africa, and the majority of the Asian continent. Decisions in the U.F.N. are determined by a two-thirds majority vote by the leaders of each country, with the population of each country determining their voting percentage. The individual armies of the member nations are abolished and replaced by a new supranational military force under the Black Knights' control.