Earth

"Welcome to the Space Age. Humans have left Earth, but not abandoned it."

- Near Orbit

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. According to radiometric dating and other sources of evidence, Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago.

Overview
Earth is the home of humanity. The Corporations have taken over the world from their skyscraper fortresses, at the same time massive armies of cyborg killers roam the shattered urban ruins of deserted cities. Countries have collapsed in more ways than one, Corporate Wars have ruined the economies and rebuilt them again. The United States has divided, Japan is the biggest Empire on the planet, China has become a rising power, Soviet Union in fights, and the EEC is looking to the stars for expansion.

Corporations like Arasaka, Militech, SovOil, and many more are the rulers of Earth. It may be the homeworld of Humanity, but with companies like Orbital Air and Mitsubishi/Koridansu creating new worlds outside, they promise a new positive future for those who go off world.

Humans expansion into space started through the ESA (Euro Space Agency) building the Crystal Palace, the Soviet Union followed after with their presence in space being limited but noticeable. The ESA owns much of what can be found in space from the cities on Luna to the space stations. JAB also has a presence in space with many work stations being built by them.

United States of America
In 2045, although no longer a superpower, the USA is positioned in the same way as Europe and Asia are after the Fourth Corporate War. Combined Operations Groups maintain the government, but others have seceded from the US, and have become mercenaries, independent kingdoms, or act in their own self-interests. The US itself is reminiscent of the Wild West of the late 19th century, with a civilized East Coast and an uncivilized West Coast.

Central & South America
Central America emerged from the first and second Central American wars as a union of independent states working in mutual cooperation, having expelled the United States from most of the region. South America came out of the Forth Corporate War as a means for nationalist factions to bid for land and influence, shattering an alliance that had only begun to rebuild by 2045.

Eurotheatre
In 2045, despite being heavily affected by the Fourth Corporate War, the World Stock Exchange and Common Market remained stable, allowing most European nations, excluding Italy, Spain, and Greece, to maintain stable economies, having the corporations supplanted by European business barons. Great Britain suffered major economic troubles, amplified by immigration and antiquated technologies. The rest of Europe was recovering from the Fourth Corporate War, rebuilding financial and industrial hubs affected by the War. The USSR and the rest of New Russia had fallen to a point of being unable to feed the population, as well as a similar lack of modern technology.

Middle East
The Mideast Meltdown of 1997 left many Middle Eastern nations as radioactive wastelands, with only Egypt, Syria, and Israel surviving due to their ruined states, being left alone during the Forth Corporate War. By the Time of the Red, alliances and power blocs are being formed or reformed to ward off invading foreign nations wanting to mine the remnants of Meltdown-afflicted nations.

Asia
In 2045, the continent had been heavily damaged, recovering from various Fourth Corporate War actions, such as the biological attack and total destruction of Hong Kong and battles across the South China Sea and Mongolian Plateau for China, Japan was still recovering from the Arasaka Corporation's attempted coup, and North Korea collapsing into warlords and fiefdoms, with South Korea becoming isolationist. The Philippines and Australia had been damaged and isolated from the fighting as well.

Africa
New Africa had been reborn by the Fourth Corporate War as a space-dominant nation, being unified by the European nations of the Eurotheatre. The Highrider nation had formed, declaring their sovereignty and space control from the rest of the world, due to most space workers, spaceports, and construction areas being on African soil or otherwise African-related.

Countries

 * Countries of the Earth in 2013
 * Countries of the Earth in 2020
 * Countries of the Earth in 2045
 * Countries of the Earth in 2077

The View From Space
At the Near Earth Orbit Zones, the skies are crowded with much space traffic and very busy Orbital Transfer vehicles unloading cargo into space shuttles as well as spaceplanes docking the various spider-webbed girders of habitats and stations around planet Earth. There are nearly 200 factories in Orbit around Earth, some are owned by the powerful Japanese corporation Mitsubishi.

Not many corporations have entered orbit besides transportation that takes cargo from different parts of the planet. There are plenty of airport stations that will transport people to other colonies in the Sol System.

In Low Orbit
In the low Near Earth Orbit (LEO), the traffic is very light. Communications, weather and spy satellites shift from this zone to Geo-syn Orbit and back as their programmed routines dictate. LEO is also the domain of orbital space fighters and battle satellites, which require closer orbits and a much higher degree of movement.