Zanzibar Land

Zanzibar Land was a heavily fortified state in Central Asia, located between the former Soviet Union, China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

The south of the country was mainly desert, while the north was comprised of steppe, mountains, and plateaus. The climate was arid, with a large temperature difference between daytime and nighttime.

Background
The area was formerly Zanzibar Province, an autonomous zone of the USSR. Opposition to the old regime mounted in the early 1990s, after the secession of the Baltic states. The period of crisis inspired nationalism in the area's leaders, who proclaimed independence in 1997.

Despite the intervention of major powers from both the Eastern and Western blocs, and possibly the CIS, the small tribal nation was able to win its sovereignty. Primary credit for the success was generally given to the mercenaries from around the world that participated in the war. Because of this, Zanzibar Land's war of independence was also known as the "Mercenary War," bringing back to global attention the profession of the gun for hire.

After the war, Zanzibar Land became a heavily fortified nation. It soon began to invade nuclear disposal sites across the world, seizing those weapons that were still intact, and armed itself with nuclear weapons. With Metal Gear D and an army comprised of mercenaries, Zanzibar Land became one of the world's only nuclear powers at a time of disarmament and peace.

In 1999, Solid Snake was sent to Zanzibar Land to retrieve a kidnapped biologist, during the Zanzibar Land Disturbance. However, his mission ended up becoming a lot more complicated.

Following the apparent death of Big Boss, Zanzibar Land's army collapsed and the soldier nation disintegrated.

Personnel

 * Big Boss (Commander-in-Chief)
 * 40,000 Zanzibar Land infantry troops (Note: in the month prior to Operation Intrude F014 personnel numbered around 30,000, indicating that there had been a 30% increase by the time of the operation.)
 * 24,000 guards (60% of Zanzibar Land troops)
 * Mercenaries:
 * Gray Fox
 * Black Ninja
 * Running Man
 * Red Blaster
 * Four Horsemen
 * Jungle Evil
 * Night Fright

Weapons

 * Enfield L85A1. Standard-issue up to 1998.
 * Steyr AUG. Standard-issue 1999 onwards. Two ammo magazines are attached to the rifle to hasten reload time.
 * M68 shrapnel grenades. Rarely used due to the topography of the Zanzibar Land fortress, resulting in the use close quarters combat only, but the soldiers carry them as a sort of "talisman."
 * Combat knife

Uniform

 * Camouflage fatigues. (Worn during normal duties, such as guarding). Brown woodland pattern, well suited for the highland, marshland, desert, and jungle areas of Zanzibar Land.
 * Red beret w/ Zanzibar Land emblem. Worn during normal duties.
 * Camouflaged helmet. Worn during real operations or when absolutely necessary. Made from a new aramid plastic fiber, which is eight times as sturdy as iron, and two times as nylon, per unit of weight.
 * Bulletproof vest. Like the helmet, it is only worn during real operations.
 * Combat boots

Equipment

 * Multi-protective goggles. Protects the eyes from UV light and dust, and includes a telescope, with magnification up to 60x. Can also be used as infra-red/night-vision goggles. A "nap prevention system" subjects the wearer to a subtle electric shock to the sides of the head, if the eyes remain closed for more than 0.04 seconds.
 * M18-A2 gas mask. Voice emitter installed to enable audible speech. Filter lasts up to around seventy days. It is also water permeable, allowing the wearer to drink water with the mask on. This is mandatory fo soldiers when working in gassed areas, such as in the bio-research center.
 * Equipment harness
 * Pouch
 * Ammo case
 * Water bottle
 * Wireless transciever
 * Pocket-sized buzzer

Zanzibar Land Tactical Army

 * two Heavy Tank Divisions
 * 31 tanks per division
 * Goliath
 * FV4034 Challenger 2
 * Melkapa-4
 * M1 Abrams
 * Others
 * two Light Tank Divisions
 * 30 tanks per division
 * MOWAG Piranha
 * Aggress
 * Type 90
 * Others

Zanzibar Land Strategic Air Force

 * 15 Assault Helicopters
 * Mil Mi-24 Hind D ZL helicopter gunships
 * Hind E helicopter gunships
 * Others
 * 25 fighters
 * Su-29 "flankers"
 * Mig A "Fulcrums"
 * Others
 * 5 Aerial Scouts
 * RF-4C Phantoms
 * Others
 * 29 Cargo/multi-purpose
 * Hercules C130
 * Gigant cargo helicopters
 * Others

Miscellaneous

 * Transport trucks

Zanzibar Land Tactical Army

 * three Mechanized Infantry Divisions
 * 45 mass-produced Metal Gear G's per division
 * three Special Task Force Divisions
 * 10 Metal Gear units per division
 * 7 nuclear-equipped Metal Gear D's and one infantry unit.
 * An Assistance Scout section comprising three Metal Gear G's and one commander.
 * three sub-units of infantrymen and one transport truck for supplies
 * three sub-units of infantrymen and one transport truck for caterers

Other weapons and equipment
For a more detailed list of weapons used during Operation Intrude F014, see here.
 * Ingram MAC-11 submachine gun
 * Beretta M92F handgun
 * Suppressor Used for handguns and SMGs
 * Stinger missiles Used on the Hind D gunships
 * M47 Dragon remote control missile
 * ABC-M25A2 gas grenade
 * M5A1 C4 plastic explosive
 * M-79 Anti-personnel mine
 * Oxygen tank
 * Mine detector
 * Camouflage mat (Phantom 07)
 * Binoculars (NIKOS F500)
 * B1, B2, and B3 combat rations
 * Mouse (Jerry 2) A small robotic drone used for remote surveillance and investigation of potential traps

Facilities
See Zanzibar Fortress

Wildlife

 * Zanzibar Wood Owl: An owl native to Zanzibar Land. It often hoots around dusk, which gives the Detention Camp personnel a clue in regards to when to shut down the security. It is often a specimen at the biologic weapons lab.
 * Zanzibar Snake: A boa-like snake native to Zanzibar Land. While non-venomous and harmless, it is often considered a pest to soldiers as it has a taste for combat rations. It is often a specimen at the biologic weapons lab.
 * Zanzibar Hamster: A rodent native to Zanzibar Land. It is a highly venomous animal and a pest to the extent that soldiers often put out sulfuric acid in order to cull their numbers. Apparently its favorite food is cheese.

Alternative histoy
Zanzibar Land was originally known as Tselinoyarsk, the Soviet region in which Big Boss carried out Operation Snake Eater during the 1960s.

Behind the scenes

 * In reality, the closest location meeting Zanzibar Land's description is Badakhshan, a Central Asian region between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
 * One of Zanzibar Land's natural resources is Pegimin-H, a fictional drug from the 1960s Japanese sci-fi show, Ultra Q.
 * In the original Metal Gear Solid, all references to Zanzibar Land were erroneously referred to as simply Zanzibar, the name of an unrelated region in Tanzania, East Africa.
 * In Gray Fox's trophy for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Zanzibar Land was mistakenly referred to as Zanzibar Island.