Finnish Twilight 2000 sourcebook: the World situation in 2000

[John Farson]

Russia and the CIS: The war accelerated the disintegration of the Russian Federation, a process that had already begun with the fall of the Soviet Union. The nuclear strikes of 1997, coupled with the enormous geographical distances, have made it almost impossible for the government to function properly.

The entire Caucasus region is effectively independent, as are the Central Asian republics and the Baltic states. Government above that of the local level no longer exists apart from a region extending a couple of hundred kilometers east of the Urals. Local industrial areas in Siberia, such as Novosibirsk, are still organized. The rest of Siberia is mostly wilderness. In Ukraine the Kiev puppet government is still loyal to Moscow, as are many small districts that consist of military cantonments, but they are surrounded by a sea of anti-government areas. The rest of Ukraine is mostly terrorized or disputed.

[John Farson]

The Middle East

Iran: The Kurds, Baloch and Armenians are effectively independent. The rest of the country is in anarchy due to the US-Russia war. Both countries have military cantonments and small, organized areas in the south and north.

Israel: The pre-war government is still in power (organized, military cantonment), but the peace between the various sectarian and political groups is slowly eroding.

Arabian Peninsula: Most of the oil industry in the Peninsula has been destroyed and production is less than 10% of pre-war levels. The coastal cities are organized, but the desert in the interior is in anarchy. The grip of the various nations in the region has begun to slip and only extremely tough measures can keep the powers-that-be in control.

[John Farson]

Africa

Apart from oil-producing regions the continent avoided nuclear attack, but events preceding the war combined with the international chaos have exacted a toll. The artificial borders created by the colonial powers have vanished and Sub-Saharan Africa has disintegrated into countless small, squabbling tribes. These regions vary between organized, independent, isolated and anarchic areas. The areas that lie between are in turn disputed, terrorized or destroyed.

The coastal states of North Africa have descended into almost complete destruction and anarchy. Small urban communities clustering around ports are the closest thing to a government. They also function as military cantonments for the sea traders/pirates that have started to plague the western Mediterranean. The few oil wells in North Africa still produce a trickle of oil, but no one is able to properly utilize it due to the fact that the nearest functional refinery is in Romania.

[John Farson]

Central and South America

The oil-producing states of the Caribbean suffered greatly in the war as they were attacked in order to deny their resources to the enemy. The war and global depression have removed almost all foreign influences, resulting in civil war nearly all the time. Guerrilla groups like Peru’s Shining Path have taken advantage of the opportunity provided to them – and some have even succeeded.

Cuba: Upon his retirement in the mid-1990s, Fidel Castro was replaced by the more moderate Miguel Hernandez. As the Sino-Russian War began Hernandez sided publicly with Russia. When Germany invaded Poland he became ever more nervous and began to fear the wrath of the US due to the presence of Russian troops on the island. In 1998 the partially Marxist PRI/PPS coalition came to power in Mexico, providing the Cubans an opportunity to be rid of their unwanted guests in the form of the Russian “Division Cuba”. The PPS offered Division Cuba a chance to get home in return for a small favor, which the Cubans eagerly supported.

Cuba’s harbors and oil industry suffered in the fighting of 1998-99, but the worst internal problems arose as a result of the mass exodus from the cities in 1998. After a short period of chaos Cuba transformed into an oppressive but functioning system in the name of national survival. The country is organized apart from the cities, which are in anarchy or destroyed. The US base at Guantanamo Bay was evacuated in 1999 and the Cuban Army occupied it in a couple of days. Nowadays it is a large military cantonment.

Nicaragua: Nicaragua survived the war intact, but the economic chaos has taken its toll. Although the government remains a western-oriented democracy, it has been forced to rely upon ever more draconian measures in order to preserve public order. The country is organized, but there are disputed or anarchic areas in the mountains.

Argentina/Brazil: The Argentines tried to seize the Falklands from its nominal British garrison in 1996. Argentina withdrew upon the outbreak of war with Brazil in 1998. After a small-scale nuclear exchange both nations were well on their way towards chaos. The national governments have dissolved and both countries are semi-feudal areas ruled by military juntas or local government representatives.

Other nations: The Amazon region is in anarchy and the coastal communities are usually isolated, while industrial cities are destroyed. Peru is under martial law (military cantonments, isolated and terrorized areas) or under the control of the Shining Path (military cantonments, disputed and terrorized). Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and other countries are organized, isolated, terrorized, disputed or in anarchy.

[John Farson]

Australia

Australia survived the nuclear exchange almost intact, but the resulting global panic left its mark in the cities and the countryside. A large part of the countryside is currently in anarchy, terrorized or isolated, but the major cities are organized and controlled by the government. Australia fought a short war with Indonesia after the latter had invaded Papua New Guinea, Australia’s ally. The Indonesian offensive quickly halted largely due to logistical problems, but before that happened most of Australia and Indonesia’s modern naval vessels and planes were either destroyed or severely damaged in several naval battles.

The Pacific

The Pacific islands were hardly touched by the war apart from nuclear strikes on Hawaii and a couple of strategically important islands. Conditions on the islands are generally tolerable, but some islands are facing problems due to overpopulation and insufficient food production. In practice, the population will decrease significantly, though taking into account the global war the numbers involved are small. Most islands are organized (The Caroline Islands, the Marshall Islands), terrorized (Hawaii, Tahiti) or in anarchy (Oahu), depending on the pre-war population levels.

[John Farson]

And that's the world situation in 2000 according to the Finnish sourcebook.