List of countries

Many countries have been seen throughout the Sonic the Hedgehog series, on Sonic's version of Earth, all of which are based on real-world locations. Some are minor and appear in only one game, and some are vastly important and appear multiple times.

United Federation
This is the country featured in nearly every game in the series since Sonic Adventure. It is based on the United States of America, with a republican government and a President who lives in the capital, Central City. Its military force is the Guardian Unit of Nations, or G.U.N., which has two known bases: Prison Island and the G.U.N. Fortress. It can be assumed that Empire City is located in the United Federation, as both are based on America. It is worth noting that the United Federation doesn't appear to be a 'World State'; in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Soleanna is strongly implied to be a wholly independent nation with its own monarchy. G.U.N. doesn't seem in too much of a rush to help the inhabitants of Monopole during Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity either.

Notable Locations

 * Station Square
 * Blue Ridge Zone
 * Mystic Ruins
 * Central City (capital)
 * Emerald Town, Night Babylon, Gimme Shelter (Sonic Battle)
 * City Escape, Mission Street, Radical Highway, Route 280, Route 101 (Sonic Adventure 2, although the city featured in that game is never explicitly named as Central City)
 * Westopolis
 * Lethal Highway
 * Empire City (presumably)
 * GUN Fortress
 * Hang Castle
 * Mystic Mansion
 * Cryptic Castle
 * Frog Forest
 * Lost Jungle
 * Rail Canyon
 * Bullet Station
 * Casino Park
 * Bingo Highway
 * Grand Metropolis
 * Power Plant
 * Future City
 * Metal City/Night Chase, SEGA Carnival/SEGA Illusion, Egg Factory/Ice Factory
 * Monopole
 * Megalo Station/ Nightside Rush, Botanical Kingdom/Snowy Kingdom, MeteorTech Premises/MeteorTech Sparkworks, Aquatic Capital/Tempest Waterway, '80s Boulevard/'90s Boulevard
 * Prison Island
 * Iron Gate, Metal Harbor, Prison Lane, Weapons Bed, Security Hall, White Jungle, Green Forest
 * The Space Colony ARK was also a United Federation project until it was shut down fifty years ago, though it now lies abandoned and inhabited by nothing but Artificial Chaos.

Appearances

 * Every game from Sonic Adventure, unless specifically stated otherwise, can be assumed to be here.

Eggman Empire
Otherwise known as Eggmanland or Robotnikland, is a dream Doctor Eggman aspires towards, using threats such as destroying the United Federation with the Eclipse Cannon should they refuse to give him control. With the help of Dark Gaia in Sonic Unleashed, he temporarily succeeds in his goals, although it was destroyed following Sonic's victory, leaving only the capital Metropolis remaining. During a final raid on the Metropolis two years before Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, that, too, was destroyed. At the end of Sonic Chronicles, Eggman has remade his empire with no resistance, as Sonic and friends were gone in another dimension for what appeared to be a very long time in Earth.

Notable Locations

 * Metropolis
 * Eggmanland

Appears in:

 * Sonic the Hedgehog 2
 * Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
 * Sonic Unleashed

Soleanna
The first location to be absolutely confirmed not to be a part of the United Federation, aside from the mostly uninhabited Angel Island. Soleanna is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by those called either Duke or Princess, rather than King or Queen. The current ruler is Princess Elise the Third, daughter of the previous Duke of Soleanna, who died ten years prior. Its main industries are tourism and precision machinery. Soleanna's major religion appears to be a worship of the Sun God Solaris. It is unknown if the other people of the world follow this religion, or if it is exclusive to Soleanna.

Soleanna's capital city is also named Soleanna, though it is sometimes called the City of Water. Two-hundred years into the future, the nearest city to the capital, the more modern New City, becomes the site of the Iblis' attacks, and is known as Crisis City to the few survivors.

The appearance of the capital city is based on Venice, Italy.

Notable Locations

 * Soleanna
 * White Acropolis
 * Wave Ocean
 * Dusty Desert
 * Kingdom Valley
 * New City/Crisis City
 * Flame Core (Iblis future only)

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Apotos


A country influenced by the Cyclades of Greece and located on a peninsula on the same continent as Spagonia, Apotos is the first level in Sonic Unleashed. Sonic crash-lands here following the opening of the game, and meets Chip. It is famous for its ocean side view, big windmills, and its Chocolate Chipped Cream Sundae Supreme, which Chip loves.

Notable Locations

 * Bell Square
 * Windmill Isle
 * Ice Cream Cart
 * Water Palace

Appears in:

 * Sonic Unleashed
 * Sonic Rush

Spagonia


The world's art capital, located on the same continent as Apotos. Spagonia houses a university, which holds the lab of Professor Pickle. Its appearance is based on many locations in Western Europe, most notably Italy, with features like clock towers, aqueducts, and cathedrals. Sonic speeds around the rooftops during his adventures here.

Notable Locations

 * Spagonia University town
 * Professor Pickle's lab
 * Gaia Temple

Appears in:

 * Sonic Unleashed
 * Sonic Generations

Mazuri
A locale based on various places in Africa, Mazuri is known for its reddish-brown soil, sandy citadels, desert expanses, and its large baobab trees, particularly the gigantic one near the village Sonic visits. Dr. Eggman comes to Mazuri in search of the Gaia Temple there, only to be thrown out by the locals (with Sonic's help). The continent in which Mazuri is located is also the first continent to be restored by Sonic after he defeats the Egg Beetle.

Notable Locations

 * Savannah village
 * Savannah Citadel
 * Gaia Temple

Appears in:

 * Sonic Unleashed

Holoska


The northern-most country at the North Pole based on Antarctica and the Inuit villages of the Arctic, Holoska is gripped with extreme cold and covered in snow. The natives dress warmly for the harsh weather. The region features houses built out of ice, colonies of penguins, bobsled rides, and giant whales.

Notable Locations

 * Village that Sonic and Chip visit
 * Cool Edge region
 * Gaia Temple

Appears in:

 * Sonic Unleashed

Chun-nan


This nation is inspired by Chinese culture and appearance with foggy mountains and waterfalls, giant dragon statues, bamboo groves, and lily pad-covered rivers and ponds. There are also brick structures that are identical to the Great Wall of China. The mountain town Sonic and Chip come to has a pork bun recipe that's been passed down for generations. The town's mayor, Zonshen, had disappeared at the time of Sonic's arrival. Sonic later finds him passed out in front of the Gaia Temple after he had most likely been attacked by the temple's guardian, the Dark Gaia Phoenix.

Notable Locations

 * Mountain Town
 * Shrine Gate
 * Dragon Road
 * The Black Gate
 * Gaia Temple

Appears in:

 * Sonic Unleashed

Shamar


Based on the Middle East, Jordan in particular, Shamar is a sandy desert landscape with several rocky valleys and numerous ruins (one ruin in particular resembles the monastery carved into rock at Petra, Jordan). The desert town Sonic visits is host to the Hallowmoon Festival (also called Feast of Moon and Sun), a festival where the people of Shamar switch their daily life to nocturnal. The celebration is to honor the moon and the morning sun. Sonic arrives in Shamar after Professor Pickle tells him that he decided to pack up and move his lab there, as the Gaia Manuscripts say a lot about the town.

Notable Locations

 * Desert town
 * Professor Pickles' secondary lab
 * Arid Sands desert
 * Gaia Temple

Appears in:

 * Sonic Unleashed

Adabat


A tropical island nation inspired by Southeast Asia, most likely Thailand and Cambodia, Adabat features Buddhist statues, stilt houses, and a thick jungle filled with high cliffs, waterfalls, and many ancient ruins. It is here where Sonic finds the second-to-last Gaia Temple after dealing with Eggman in his Egg Lancer, and discovers Chip's true identity as Light Gaia.

Notable Locations

 * Seaside town
 * Jungle Joyride region
 * Gaia Temple

Appears in:

 * Sonic Unleashed

Standalone Areas
These places are either not ruled by any one government, far enough from their ruling government to not be labeled under that section, or the government ruling them is never stated.

Christmas Island
This island is mentioned in the Japanese manual of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) as the place of birth of Sonic the Hedgehog. Apart from that, no other info is given about the island. It is one of the few areas in Earth that is actually named after a real-world location.

South Island
The island which houses the famed Green Hill Zone. South Island is where it all began, as it is the first of many areas attempted to be taken over by Dr. Eggman and his robotic minions, and Sonic has stopped him each time ever since then.

Notable Locations

 * Green Hill Zone
 * Marble Zone
 * Spring Yard Zone
 * Labyrinth Zone
 * Star Light Zone
 * Scrap Brain Zone
 * Bridge Zone
 * Jungle Zone
 * Sky Base Zone
 * Under Ground Zone
 * Sky High Zone
 * Aqua Lake Zone
 * Gimmick Mt. Zone
 * Scrambled Egg Zone
 * Crystal Egg Zone
 * Turquoise Hill Zone
 * Gigalopolis Zone
 * Sleeping Egg Zone
 * Mecha Green Hill Zone
 * Aqua Planet Zone
 * Electric Egg Zone

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
 * Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)
 * Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)
 * Sonic Chaos
 * Sonic Drift
 * Sonic the Fighters
 * Sonic Adventure 2
 * Sonic Battle
 * Sega Superstars Tennis
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl
 * Samba De Amigo Wii
 * Sega Splash Golf
 * Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
 * Sonic Generations

Angel Island
The island that floats in the heavens thanks to the power of the Master Emerald. Once part of the area in the present-day United Federation that is now the Mystic Ruins, Angel Island houses the remains of the ancient society of the Knuckles Tribe. The sole sentient being on the island is Knuckles the Echidna (aside from the animal friends). Although it should be victim to every stray wind, it appears to stay above the Mystic Ruins at most times.

Notable Locations

 * Master Emerald Altar
 * Angel Island Zone
 * Hydrocity Zone
 * Marble Garden Zone
 * Carnival Night Zone
 * Ice Cap Zone
 * Launch Base Zone
 * Mushroom Hill Zone
 * Flying Battery Zone (took place above Angel Island)
 * Sandopolis Zone
 * Lava Reef Zone
 * Hidden Palace Zone
 * Sky Sanctuary Zone
 * Red Mountain
 * Chaos Angel
 * Holy Summit

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog 3
 * Sonic & Knuckles
 * Sonic Adventure
 * Sonic Adventure 2 (presumably)
 * Sonic Advance
 * Sonic Advance 2 (presumably)
 * Sonic Advance 3
 * Sonic Battle
 * Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
 * Sonic Generations

Little Planet
Appearing in the skies over Never Lake for one month a year, the Little Planet is a temporal anomaly. It houses the Time Stones and Time Posts, capable of sending someone either forwards or backwards in time. This was used by Dr. Eggman during Sonic the Hedgehog CD in an attempt to create the Eggman Empire. The planet makes a return in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, where Eggman makes a second attempt to create his Empire once again.

Notable Locations

 * Palmtree Panic
 * Collision Chaos
 * Tidal Tempest
 * Quartz Quadrant
 * Wacky Workbench
 * Stardust Speedway
 * Metallic Madness

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog CD
 * Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

Space Colony ARK
Shut down fifty years ago, the ARK is a space colony in near-Earth orbit and is property of the United Federation. It was the workplace of Professor Gerald Robotnik, the home of Maria Robotnik, and the birthplace of Shadow the Hedgehog and the Biolizard, who are both Gerald's creations (the latter being the prototype of Shadow). Gerald created an extension of the ARK, the Eclipse Cannon, in order to destroy the Black Comet when it returned in fifty years time. However, the Guardian Units of Nations raided the ARK, believing that the space colony crew's experiments were a threat to humanity. During the raid, Maria was killed trying to save Shadow, which caused Gerald to spiral into irrational thinking. He then reprogrammed the Eclipse Cannon to use it as a means of revenge on the world, as it sent the ARK hurtling towards the Earth when fully activated 50 years later by Dr. Eggman. Sonic and Knuckles then used the Master Emerald to negate the effects that the seven Emeralds had on the Eclipse Cannon before the Biolizard fused with the ARK to carry out Gerald's plans. In the end, Super Sonic and Super Shadow destroyed the Biolizard and used Chaos Control to stop the ARK from smashing into the planet, although at the price of Shadow's life, who was believed to have died after falling back to Earth.

During the Black Arms attack on the Earth, they took over the ARK by using an amnesic Shadow to get through its defenses. They used the Eclipse Cannon to terrorize the Earth by destroying the White House, the capital of the United Federation. After Charmy Bee had struck the terminal of the ARK's main computer room, a hologram of Prof. Gerald (before he went insane) appeared. It told Shadow about how he needed help from Black Doom, leader of the Black Arms, in Shadow's creation, how Doom only helped in return for Shadow retrieving the Chaos Emeralds for him upon his return, and how Gerald created the Eclipse Cannon as a defense after he found out Doom's ulterior motives of world domination. The message motivated Shadow to confront Black Doom, who he defeated before using the Eclipse Cannon to finally destroy the Black Comet.

Notable Locations

 * Gerald's lab
 * Eclipse Cannon's Core
 * Colony Bridge
 * Meteor Herd
 * Mad Space
 * Cosmic Wall
 * Lost Colony
 * Eternal Engine
 * Crazy Gadget
 * Final Rush
 * Final Chase
 * Space Gadget
 * Lost Impact (flashback)
 * Cosmic Fall

Appearances

 * Sonic Adventure 2
 * Shadow the Hedgehog

West Side Island
The birthplace and home island of Tails and setting of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Not much is known of it beyond that, but it seems to be home to a population of fox natives, as Tails was bullied by them.

Notable Locations

 * Emerald Hill Zone
 * Chemical Plant Zone
 * Aquatic Ruin Zone
 * Casino Night Zone
 * Hill Top Zone
 * Mystic Cave Zone
 * Oil Ocean Zone
 * Metropolis Zone
 * Sky Chase Zone (took place above West Side Island)
 * Wing Fortress Zone (took place above West Side Island)

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Nocturne
The home of the Nocturnus Clan ruled by Imperator Ix, the only Echidna people alive besides Knuckles. Following the destruction of the Knuckles Clan, Nocturne was forcibly thrown into the Twilight Cage, a dimension where time passes differently inside than out.

Notable Locations

 * Ix's Palace
 * Gizoid labs

Appearances

 * Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

Echidna City
Never officially given a name, this is the capital of the Knuckles Tribe. Ruled by Pachacamac, it was destroyed by Chaos thousands of years before the events of the current Sonic storyline, and eventually became the Mystic Ruins while part of it lifted into the sky to become Angel Island.

Notable Locations

 * Central temple

Appearances

 * Sonic Adventure
 * Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood