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| Babar's Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| 'The Story of Babar' location | |
.jpg) Flag of Babar's Kingdom | |
| Created by | Jean de Brunhoff |
| Genre | Children's books |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Monarchy |
| Locations | Celesteville (capital) |
Created by Jean de Brunhoff between 1931 and 1937, Babar's Kingdom, also known as the Elephant Country (French: le pays des Éléphants), is a fictional country supposedly in West Africa with French characteristics that is composed of elephants and other animals, which are usually bipedal and "civilized". As its name implies, it is ruled by its first civilized citizen, Babar himself. The political regime is an elective monarchy, as described in the book The Story of Babar, which explains his election as king after the previous king dies from eating a bad mushroom. The court consists of King Babar, Queen Celeste, Royal Princes and Princesses (Pom, Flora, Alexander, Isabelle, and Badou), Arthur, Pompadour, Troubadour, and Cornelius, who also serves as Secretary of Defense and a Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Old Lady and her monkey Zephyr complete the court.
The capital is Celesteville, which was built by Babar and named after his Queen. The name of the city is sometimes used for the country.[1]
A neighboring country is Rhino Land, ruled by the (sometimes) tyrannical King Rataxes. The relations between Celesteville and Rhinoland have occasionally flared into war, although it is usually just a statement and peace is restored before much damage or casualties are suffered. The elephant army is under the direct command of King Babar (and likewise the rhino army is under the command of Rataxes). Some stories feature the two countries working together against common threats, such as when the area is infiltrated by poachers, and the two will help each other during times of need or crisis. In the television series, after working together to defend the region against a group of poachers, the two countries, along with other nearby animal-controlled territories, form a united jungle coalition, a concept similar to the United Nations, which prevents major conflicts between the animal countries thereafter. The militaries of the countries are considered simple and rely mostly on simple hand weaponry, such as spears and staffs. Guns are strictly forbidden by all the animals, due to their disgust with the poachers who would use the weapons. Not even Rataxes dares to think of arming his country with such things after seeing their effects first-hand.
The countries do seem to have at least some trade and commerce with each other, as well as with other kingdoms and countries, both animal- and human-controlled.
- ^ Mehren, Elizabeth (1989-12-24). "A Legendary Elephant King of the Forest Has Taken Up U.S. Residency With His Growing Family and His Illustrator". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-12-14.