Venezuela Quadrant
Estimated Population: ~12,000,000
The Venezuela Quadrant encompasses the former nations of Venezuela, Columbia, Guyana, Surinam, and French Guiana. Although decimated in the planetary assault, it recovered quickly during the Reconstruction and its coast is dotted with towns, cities, and industry while the inland areas are predominantly farmland. The former nations of Guyana, Surinam, and French Guiana have banded together into a democratic republic called Guyanas, which also includes some former Brazilian territory. The people and government of Guyanas are dedicated to the United Earth Government. Columbia is also a separate nation in this quadrant. The presence of the RDF brought many survivors back to the Columbia region, which helped spur reconstruction efforts. With the departure of the RDF, it now appears likely that Columbia will splinter into several smaller nations and baronies as local warlords are growing in power and the central government is diminishing. The remainder of the Quadrant, encompassing much of the former nation of Venezuela, has devolved into a collection of small towns and villages, with most of the population concentrated in the coastal areas and along the Orinoco River. Overall the Quadrant is a strong supporter of the United Earth Government.
- Maracaibo: the largest and most prosperous city in the Quadrant and a major seaport. Maracaibo boasts a population of almost 500,000 and is also the site of the South American Headquarters of the Army of the Southern Cross.
- Cali: with Bogota and Cartegena both destroyed in the Zentraedi assault, Cali became the capital of the new Columbia.
- Orinoco Base: a medium-sized military base manned by the Southern Cross Jungle Squad.
- Cayenne: the former capital of French Guiana, this city's recovery has been spurred by the presence of a major TASC/CU base near the old ESA space launch facility at Kourou.
- Jari: the provincial capital of Guyanas, Jari is the second largest city in the Quadrant. Former site of the RDF headquarters for the region, the city still has a strong military presence in the form of a major Southern Cross base.
Brazilia Quadrant
Estimated Population: ~6,500,000
This Quadrant is still struggling to recover from the devastation of the Zentraedi planetary assault. With the exception of the city of Federale and a handful of coastal towns, Brazilia is generally composed of peasant farmers, cattle ranchers, fishermen and laborers living in small villages or farms. Technology has nearly reverted to a pre-Industrial Age level, though communication and transportation systems have improved over the last decade or so. The Southern Cross Jungle Squad and Tactical Air Force armies maintain several small bases scattered across the Quadrant. Officially, the Quadrant is allied with the United Earth Government, but most of the population could care less.
- Federale: when the Federal District Capital of Brasilia was wiped out in the Zentraedi assault, a distant suburb on the edge of the district became the shelter for survivors. From this grew the city of Federale, the new capital of the Brazilia Quadrant. It is a relatively modern city, but suffers from over-crowding due to a flood of refugees. Federale has evolved into a city with a central, modern core surrounded by miles of slums and shantytowns.
West Brazilia
Estimated Population: ~3,500,000
Though originally considered part of the Brazilia Quadrant, West Brazilia was separated from the rest of the Quadrant by the jungles and the Zentraedi Control Zone. Eventually the area came to be recognized as its own separate region. West Brazilia is a regional name, not any specific political entity. The area is split into numerous small baronies of varying power. The most powerful of these baronies is in the south, centered around the city of La Paz.
- La Paz: this city escaped major damage during the Zentraedi assault and grew into a major political force during the Reconstruction, mostly through trade with the hardy Indian tribes of the high Andes. The military forces here maintain control of Lake Titicaca and the mountain passes. The city, and barony, are well defended and weathered the Malcontent Uprisings to emerge stronger than ever.
Zone-Z (former Zentraedi Control Zone)
Estimated Population: ~9,000,000
After the defeat of Dolza's Zentraedi armada, the South American jungles became a haven for militant Zentraedi still dedicated to wiping out the "Micronians" (humanity). The RDF and other Earth military forces were stretched thin, trying to maintain order and rebuild their shattered world and were unable to muster the numbers to combat the Zentraedi threat directly. Instead Earth's military forces opted to contain the Zentraedi. Perimeter bases were erected quickly along the borders of what came to be called the Zentraedi Control Zone. With no means of incarcerating the giant aliens, authorities often deported Zentraedis who were captured elsewhere to the Control Zone. At its peak, just before the start of the Malcontent Uprisings, conservative estimates put the rogue Zentraedi population in the Zone at over half a million. By the time of the Uprisings, the global situation had stabilized and the combined might of Earth's military forces were finally able to end the Zentraedi threat. Officially there are no Zentraedi left in the area, now known as Zone-Z, but it is suspected that some may remain hidden in the dense jungles. Today the population of the Zone lives in small towns and villages at the edge of the jungle. The networks set up by hi-tech bandits and rebels that worked with the Malcontents is still intact and the Zone is still a haven for human criminals. Though nowhere near as strong as it was during the Malcontent Uprisings, there is still a military presence in the area and the Zone is patrolled regularly by the Southern Cross Jungle Squad.
- Manaus: at the close of the First Robotech War, a damaged Zentraedi cruiser from Dolza's armada crash-landed in the center of the city of Manaus. The Zentraedi forces quickly seized control of the city and enslaved the population. The city was transformed into a fortified military installation and became the unofficial "capital" of the Control Zone, a refuge and stronghold for Zentraedi survivors. Eventually the Zentraedi had to cooperate with some humans, namely the hi-tech bandits and other criminals that established themselves in the Zone to work with Zentraedi. The city was finally liberated during the Malcontent Uprisings, however many of the micronized Zentraedi escaped by blending in with the human populace. The city itself is now firmly under the control of the criminal organizations that once operated there and is still a haven for people on the run. Today the city has a large, but hidden, micronized Zentraedi population that has connections with the handful of remaining full-size Zentraedi hiding in the deep jungles.
- Brazilia Base: before the First Robotech War, this location was the site of the (never completed) second Grand Canon space defense base. Badly damaged in the planetary assault, the base was taken over by Zentraedi forces that had taken refuge in the jungles. In late 2014 the base was recaptured by RDF forces under the command of Veritech ace Max Sterling. A massive fortification was constructed and became Brazilia Base, the central headquarters for military forces in the Control Zone. It was from here that the final offensives of the Malcontent Uprisings were launched to remove the Zentraedi from the Zone. Today the base is still manned, but at a fraction of its peak capacity, and it serves as the main headquarters for the Southern Cross Jungle Squad forces that patrol Zone-Z.
Argentine Quadrant
Estimated Population: ~10,000,000
The Zentraedi planetary assault took its toll on the lower third of the continent. On the west coast the nation of Chile vanished and a mix of bandit kingdoms and fortified towns has arisen in its place. The survivors from Argentina fled to neighboring countries, encountering little resistance in Paraguay where the infrastructure had not survived the planetary bombardment. Uruguay however had been barely touched by the bombardment and the government attempted to turn away the flood of refugees at its borders. Violence erupted and the country fell into two years of chaos. Eventually one group of refugees emerged victorious in the war and created the independent nation now known as the Merchant Republic. The northeastern coastal region of the Quadrant is fairly civilized, consisting of various cities, towns, and villages who have signed a mutual defense pact. This loose political district (sometimes called The Highlands) is strongly allied with the United Earth Government, an alliance forged during the Malcontent Uprisings. The region of the Quadrant south of the former Control Zone is mainly agricultural and is the single largest food producer for South America. Because of its importance, the Upper Argentine region enjoys a strong Southern Cross military presence. Even before the Zentraedi assault, the Argentine Desert (at the southern end of the Quadrant) was a vast wasteland. The orbital bombardment only succeeded in doubling the region's size and making it even less hospitable.
- Juaquin: the most advanced city in the Quadrant, Juaquin is a manufacturing and shipping center acting as the distribution hub between the rest of the Argentine Quadrant (and the Merchant Republic) and the Brazilia Quadrant. Since the end of the Malcontent Uprisings and liberation of the Control Zone, there have been concerted efforts to open up overland routes to the Venezuela Quadrant, opening up even more markets for trade for the city. Juaquin was home to a major RDF air force base, but the base was closed down in the early 2020s after the departure of the REF.
- New Patagonia: formerly known as Curitiba, this city was partially destroyed in the Zentraedi onslaught. The influx of Argentinean refugees to the area created a large labor pool and the city was rebuilt within a few years. The city became home to a major RDF mecha repair/manufacturing center and provided critical support during the Malcontent Uprisings. In the 2020s the Merchant Republic attempted to annex the city in order to obtain the mecha facilities but the Southern Cross took control of the factories before this could happen. The military presence in New Patagonia is minimal, but the proximity of the major ASC base at Ascendance City is enough of a deterrent to keep the Merchant Republic from trying to take the city by force.
- Campo Grande: the capital of the Upper Argentine region, this city grew in importance because of its proximity to both the Ascendance City military base and the RDF's Brazilia Base. Troops from both bases were always passing through or taking their leaves in the city. The decline in military presence in the area since the end of the Malcontent Uprisings has slowed the city's growth, but Campo Grande remains one of the most prosperous cities in the Quadrant.
- Ascendance City: built just on the outskirts of the old city of Asuncion, Ascendance City is considered by many to be the birthplace of the Army of the Southern Cross. In the aftermath of the Zentraedi planetary bombardment, the survivors from the South American Grand Cannon Base (now Brazilia Base) trekked overland through the devastated landscape in search of shelter. Led by Anatole Leonard, the surviving senior officer, the refugees were traveling blind as the Zentraedi had annihilated all the communications and navigation satellites. With only the stars as a guide, Leonard used the constellation Crux (the Southern Cross) to keep the group on course, eventually leading them to the site that is now Ascendance City. Leonard's group formed a militia that was able to keep the new settlement relatively safe amongst the chaos caused by the influx of Argentinean refugees into the region. When a semblance of order was restored, the RDF established a major base at Ascendance City to be used as a staging area for attacks into the Control Zone. Leonard's militia was given official sanction by the UWG and the Army of the Southern Cross was born. Though the RDF is gone and the Southern Cross has moved its primary headquarters to Monument City, there is still a major military presence in the city.
- Tucuman: built over the ruins of the old provincial capital, this small city is a major agricultural center for the Quadrant.
- Santa Cruz Base: this remote Southern Cross outpost has the dual responsibility of patrolling the southern coastal areas of South America as well as the badlands of the Argentine Desert.
Merchant Republic
Estimated Population: ~16,000,000
The arrival of hordes of Argentinean refugees into Uruguay after the Zentraedi planetary bombardment plunged the country into civil war. After two years of turmoil one man, Argentinean General Alfonso Mendoza emerged the victor. The General consolidated his power and gained a new homeland for the refugees he had led out of the ruins of Argentina. The country forged by General Mendoza and his followers, corresponding roughly to the old borders of Uruguay, was named El Vencedor, literally "The Victor" and it swiftly became one of the most industrialized urban concentrations in the Argentine Quadrant. With the creation of the Zentraedi Control Zone, El Vencedor (with its modern industrial base) became the unofficial international Zentraedi Buffer Zone. Every sector, quadrant and nation in the world established an embassy in Montevideo and military equipment and personnel from all over came to the country to participate in major offensives against the Zentraedi. This mix of peoples, mercenaries, wealth ,technology and activity created a thriving no-man's land of villainy and virtue. The Argentine Quadrant, specifically El Vencedor, quickly became the world leader in high-tech piracy and black marketing, specializing in mecha. And at the center of it all was the charismatic General Mendoza. However, with the end of the Zentraedi conflict in 2020 prosperity turned to despair. Suddenly foreign aid disappeared, embassies closed, and the RDF withdrew from the region. With his once prosperous nation in jeopardy, General Mendoza forged an alliance with the most powerful criminal kingpins and El Vencedor was transformed into a new independent nation, the Merchant Republic. With the RDF in preparation to leave for space, and the Southern Cross still experiencing growing pains, no one could prevent the creation of this new country, despite vocal opposition from the UWG. The EBSIS instantly recognized the Merchant Republic, as the country's black market was their main source of mecha. Other smaller nations for whom the Merchant Republic was the sole source of weapons were also quick to acknowledge the new nation. Today the Merchant Republic is the weapons broker of the new world, selling arms, vehicles, manpower and technology to the planet's warring feudal states. At the head of it all is the alliance of underworld organizations, and watching over them as always is the charismatic General Mendoza.
- Montevideo: the center of public and commercial life in the Merchant Republic. Montevideo is the largest Metropolis in South America and is still the point of entry for most foreign interests coming into the continent. The city is the capital of the Merchant Republic and serves as a hub of political intrigue. A number of foreign embassies are still located here and there is much political maneuvering and power brokering occurring in the shadows. The airport and large harbor were designed to handle the transport of the large amounts of military hardware and personnel that came through to participate in assaults against the Zentraedi Control Zone and still see a lot of trade in these goods.
