Fire Nation colonies

The Fire Nation Colonies are a system of colonies governed by the Fire Nation. Most of them are 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. 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 in an Agni Kai, 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 the desire to support frontline troops. They often took advantage of living in a prosperous land like the Earth Kingdom.

Avatar Aang and his friends visited one of these colonies in "The Deserter", 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 Avatar and his allies liberated the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se and 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.

Culture
The Fire Nation Colonies' cultures are very much like that of their home nation. They celebrate the various Fire festivals, support the war effort, are fed by propaganda, eat traditional Fire Nation foods, etc. However, these colonials are often looked upon with disdain back home, as evidenced in "The Headband". This is probably because these citizens are Earth Kingdom-born, and therefore not considered true citizens. This in turn results in unruly treatment towards colonials in the homeland and fewer opportunities for a solid education.