The geopolitical State of Super Marios Mushroom Universe

Großartige Retrogame-Politik-Nerdery, eine ausführliche Antwort auf Quora auf die Frage: What is the political situation in the Mario universe? (via Jason Kottke)

Mushroom World contains at least 202 separate zones or jurisdictions. These include (but are not limited to) examples of:

- Imperia, e.g. The Linguine Empire
- Oligarchies, e.g. Mekanos
- City-States, e.g. Syrup Castle
- Proletariat Collectivism, e.g. Robo Land
- Theocracies e.g. Yoshi’s Island. Although NB: you could also argue that Yoshi’s Island is a:
- Necroarchy, or “rule by the dead”, e.g. Boo Woods, which itself is a sub-type of an:
- Absolute Monarchy, e.g. the Mushroom Kingdom, Banana Fairy Island and the Beanbean Kingdom. Monarchies are the most common form of political organisation on Mushroom World, with the Mushroom Kingdom representing the main superpower currently, in much the same way that the US fulfills this role on Earth, and with the same precarious dominant status.
- Areas with no political organisation at all, and contested by various warlords, e.g. Big Island.

A variegated planet therefore, analogous to Earth in medieval times with an equivalent variety of types of rule and organisation: think of the kingdoms of feudal Europe with contemporaneous empires in China, Japan, Mezoamerica and theocracies, city states (e.g. Venice) etc. Of all these jurisdictions, the Mushroom Kingdom is by far the most significant, although it’s prime position is under constant threat.

The Mushroom Kingdom is currently ruled by Princess Peach, who is a member of the minority human population. As the least numerous faction, humans in the Mushroom Kingdom are under constant threat from within and without. Internal threats include a significant terrorist faction led by Bowser, the leader of the Koopas; one of the most populous species in the Kingdom.