Map of Mars

Seen here are the national boundaries of the generally recognized countries of Mars drawn over a false-color elevation map. Population centers are marked in red. Gray denotes uninhabitable areas.

My idea here is that Martian civilization developed in the deep valleys of X and then spread across the equator. Areas of low elevation became desirable as farmland, and there were several waves of invasions from the mountains to the lowlands. The lowlanders however, could grow more food than the highlanders, and so eventually developed armies that kept the highlanders in the mountains. In modern times, highland clans have combined to form nation-states, but they are still very fragmented. Lowland states are larger, more politically organized, and more advanced technologically, except in the northern latitudes, where civilization gives way to nomadic tribes. The big basin of Y was discovered relatively recently and settled by northern lowlanders. It, and the two lowland equatorial areas form the three big political powerhouses on Mars.

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The original discussion of the idea: ([link])
The design of a Martian: ([link])
Map of mars: ([link])
Continents of mars: ([link])
Martian races: ([link])
Martian religions: ([link])
Martian economic blocks: ([link])