Fire Nation colonies

The Fire Nation Colonies were a system of colonies governed by the Fire Nation. Most of them were located within the Earth Kingdom.

History
Over 140 years prior to the present-day, the ambitious leader of the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Sozin, began to dream of a global empire comprised of the Four Nations all under Fire Nation domination. It was intended to be a prosperous unity that would "share" the wealth and prosperity that the Fire Nation was enjoying while under Sozin's rule. As time went on, Sozin's desire for control of the globe grew drastically, and his rule became increasingly dictatorial. Although he had been warned by his long-time friend, Avatar Roku, not to seek control of the globe, Sozin ignored this and launched the first invasion of the expansive Earth Kingdom.

In his conquest of the globe, Sozin and his peers decided to establish a permanent population of Fire Nation citizens across the other three nations, as he expected to establish permanent Fire Nation control over the planet. He invaded a number of Earth Kingdom villages and created puppet governments to oversee their development and economies. When Roku discovered this, he confronted Sozin and after defeating him, he warned him not to continue with his plans. It is unknown what became of the existing colonies after Roku's warning.

37 years later, and 12 years after Roku died, Sozin launched his invasion of the Four Nations, initiating the century-long war. After eradicating the Air Nomads through the use of Sozin's Comet, Sozin focused his energies on the Earth Kingdom, establishing new colonies across the continent as his forces encroached the country's numerous territories. These colonies grew into prosperous villages that supported the Fire Nation's war effort through the supplement of food and war supplies, and were rarely attacked by the besieged Earth Kingdom forces.



By the present-day, dozens of these colonies were established across the continent. It is unknown if any existed in the deserted Air Nomad territories, where the Air Nomads no longer reigned. Like most of the population back home, these Fire Nation citizens supported the War effort, and were fed with the various forms of propaganda needed to instill support with the frontline troops. They often took advantage of living in the prosperous Earth Kingdom.

Avatar Aang and his friends visited one of these colonies on the day of one of the Fire Nation's various festivals. Unfortunately, as they explored the town, Aang accidentally revealed his identity, forcing the group to escape. They were assisted in their efforts by Chey, a Fire Nation rebel opposed to the War and a follower of Jeong Jeong, a Firebending master who would give Aang his first lesson in Firebending.

Eventually, the War ended when the Order of the White Lotus liberated the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se and the Avatar overthrew Fire Lord Ozai. It is unknown what is to become of these colonies. They may be abandoned or remain as the only Fire Nation presence in the Earth Kingdom. However, given the fact that the Fire Nation ravaged so much of the kingdom during the War, it is likely that the Earth Kingdom will seek the removal or repossession of these colonies.

Culture
The Fire Nation Colonies' cultures were very much like that of their home nation. They celebrated the various Fire festivals, supported the War effort, were fed by propaganda, ate traditional Fire Nation foods, etc. However, these colonials were often looked upon with disdain in the Fire Nation mainland. This was probably because these citizens were Earth Kingdom-born, and therefore not considered true citizens. This in turn resulted in unruly treatment towards colonials in the homeland and fewer opportunities for a solid education.