Five great nations (Earth-3813)

"Fire is the element of power. We from the Fire Nation have desire and energy and drive to achieve what we want. Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom. The Land of Wind and the Land of Lightining either detached themselves from worldly concerns to find peace and freedom or found themselves into a cluster of problems... Water is the element of change. The people of the Land of Water are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

- - Iroh to Korra

The five great nations are the five largest countries on Earth. They are led by Great Secretariats, whose political position vary from governors to monarchs. The nations are distributed through three of Earth's five known continents; the Fire Nation in the centre, the Land of Lightning in the Northeast, the Earth Kingdom in the Northwest, the Land of Water in the East, and the Land of Wind in the Southeast. Each of the nations is culturally unique and are named after their association with one of the bending techniques: waterbending, earthbending, firebending, and airbending.

Nations
The even distribution of the countries preserves the balance in the planet, and the mere increasing or decreasing of strength from one nation can disrupt the balance. Numerous factors determine the strength and development of the nations, including the political balance, economics, social order, and spirituality. Two of the greatest threats in recent history were the Hundred Year War and the Second Hundred Year War, where the nations fought for power and influence, leading to millions of deaths across the five great nations, although smaller nations had the most losses.

The five great nations are home to powerful villages, those being the hidden villages of Rock, Cloud, Mist, Sand, and Leaf. They are the only ones to possess a Kage as their village heads.

While the five nations are equal in military and economic power, the Fire Nation, the biggest benefactor and stratetic winner of the Hundred Year War, is considered to be the most powerful and influential among them. Thus, the Fire Nation's bending village, the Hidden Leaf Village, is considered to be the most powerfull of all villages. Indeed, Konoha is seen as the pinnacle of the developed world, from culture, to security, and society.

After the end of the Second Hundred Year War in 168 AG, the five great nations allied together to form the United Republic of Nations, an intergovernmental organization tasked to secure cooperation between the countries and ensure no other long-term conflict would take place. While holding official great power, the United Republic proved innefective duo to widespread corruption and bureucracy.