The Earth Kingdom is the largest country in the world in both population figures and land area. Thus, it is an ethnically diverse country, with wide variance in customs between different provinces and tribes. It also has a large economy based on agriculture and limited industry, though it is not as powerful as the technologically advanced Fire Nation. Unlike the Air Nomads and Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom has not suffered a heavy loss of life or any sort of extinction in civilization or its Earthbenders during the war.
The Earth Kingdom long withstood encroachments on their borders in the Fire Nation's century-long imperialist war. Other than the Avatar, the Earth Kingdom was the only real obstacle between the Fire Nation and complete world domination, as the Water Tribes only demonstrated the ability to defend their own lands, the poles. Though the Water Tribes aided the Earth Kingdom in the war, the conflict progressed poorly and took a heavy toll on them as the years passed. This continued until the Coup of Ba Sing Se, when the Fire Nation princess, Azula, took control of the Earth Kingdom capital city, Ba Sing Se. By the following summer, it was occupied by thinly spread Fire Nation forces which were plagued by rebellions, warranting the decision to burn the Earth Kingdom upon the arrival of Sozin's Comet.
During the arrival of Sozin's Comet at the very end of the summer, Ba Sing Se was liberated from Fire Nation control by the Order of the White Lotus, effectively ending the Fire Nation occupation of the city. This, in combination with the decisive defeat of Phoenix King Ozai, effectively liberated the entire Earth Kingdom.
Appearance
Citizens of the Earth Kingdom tend to have black or brown hair, green, brown, or gray eyes, and are often tanned, though the complexions of the nobility are often much lighter.
Fashions in the Earth Kingdom vary greatly; in the West and South, men typically wear their hair in a topknot, ornamented with various holders and pins, and often have beards and/or mustaches. Women wear their hair down or piled on top of their head. In Ba Sing Se, women usually wear their long hair wrapped around a support, ornamented with tassels or flowers; men usually don a queue. Omashu citizens typically wear tunics over a long robe or pants, with their hair hidden by a small turban or hat. Farmers and other laborers typically wear conical straw hats secured to the head by string.
Members of the army wear green and beige uniforms that may have yellow touches to them. Traditional colors worn throughout the kingdom range from vibrant greens and yellows to more muted beiges and browns, though outfits of other colors can be seen, especially in Ba Sing Se. Their clothing and architecture seem to reflect Chinese and Korean influences.
National Emblem
The national emblem of the Earth Kingdom is a square inscribed with a circle, at the center of which is a much smaller square (like a Chinese coin). The insignia symbolizes both the literal and figurative depth of the Earth Kingdom. It represents the immeasurable layers of deep rock and minerals which Earthbenders manipulate to maintain their great cities, as well as the depth of the inhabitants' commitment and strive towards the effort of a peaceful and productive way of life. This emblem can be seen on the helmets of Earth Kingdom troops.
Large "coins" of this design made of rock or earth are sometimes used as weapons by Earthbenders, as shown extensively in "The Avatar State" and in "Zuko Alone".
Earth Kingdom currency consists of gold, silver, and bronze pieces of varying sizes used by Earth Kingdom citizens to purchase goods and services; they are fashioned in the shape of the national emblem, though gold pieces have four notches on the edge, giving them a flower-like shape.
Based on Toph's passport in "The Serpent's Pass", Earth Kingdom is written in Chinese as "土國" (tǔ guó). Coincidentally, this is also the Chinese word for the country Turkey.
