The Republic of Bastok

In the southern reaches of Quon lies the Republic of Bastok, a nation founded by President Todd Jolly. The president, elected from among the population every few years, takes an active role in leading the government.

Bastok was originally built on the wealth gained from the mining of mythril, a precious metal. But with recent developments in metal refining and processing techniques, Bastok has become famous as a craftsman's town. The southern area of the capital is home to many miners. They have made valuable contributions to the expansion of the mines, but despite this, there is a deep-seated tension between the miners and the government.

Surrounding the city of Bastok is the inhospitable Gustaberg region, an unforgiving land of sparse vegetation.

Culture
Beyond the refinement of iron, the craftsmen of Bastok have made numerous breakthroughs with new kinds of metal, such as mythril, darksteel, and cermet. The research of Cid, a genius engineer, has led to the development of engines that utilize crystal energy and allow rapid advances in technology.

Living Standards
In recent years, the remarkable nation of Bastok has had the largest population explosion of any country, but due to limited space for residential buildings, the average citizen's home is small and uncomfortable. Also, most of the profit made from ore export is consumed by the need to import large quantities of food. For most inhabitants of Bastok, daily life can be a struggle--and food shortages are becoming a serious problem.

Climate
With practically no rainfall during the course of the year and all of the groundwater concentrated under the city of Bastok, the surrounding environs are a barren, desolate landscape. Besides potatoes, very little can be grown; the Republic of Bastok must rely heavily on imported foodstuffs. However, a ready supply of copper, iron, silver, gold, and mythril ore provides a bountiful source of wealth for the industrial town.