Zanzibar Land

Zanzibar Land, also spelled Zanzibarland, or simply Zanzibar, 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. It was also composed of large quantities of forests with an abundance of species unique to Zanzibar Land. In addition, two traits of the people of Zanzibar Land are naivete and honesty.

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 military intervention by members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), formed around Russia, 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 state. It soon began to invade nuclear disposal sites across the world, seizing dismantled weapons, reassembling them, and arming itself with those nuclear weapons. It then began to invade its neighboring countries at will. With Metal Gear D and an army comprised of mercenaries, Zanzibar Land became the world's only nuclear power, thanks to the efforts of Diamond Dogs, who had previously disarmed every nuclear weapon in the world.

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 state disintegrated.

Fortress
The fortress of Zanzibar Land was a large military compound located within the mountains and was the headquarters of the Zanzibar Land government and armed forces. Sensors were placed around the cliffs to detect possible intruders attempting to scale the mountain. The fortress was comprised of the Zanzibar Building, the Maze Wood, a swamp, the Nariko Desert, the Tower Building, the Bridge of Sorrow, the highlands, and the detention camp.

The cliffs to the south of the fortress were sharp and at a nearly ninety degree angle. The southern portion of the Fortress contained jungle and swamp environments that expanded northwards, as well as a desert environment (where the temperature difference between day and night was vast) in the center, a crevice north of the Tower Building, and highlands in the northern portion of the fortress. The fortress was also constantly under the highest alert condition (Level 1).

The fortress's doors were also controlled by a central computer, requiring a specific IC card to open a door.

Zanzibar Building
The Zanzibar Building was the main stronghold of the Zanzibar Fortress. It was a four-story building that was constantly under 24 hour alert, with full support provided by the various facilities housed within it. The main entrance was to the south of the building, protected by a series of wired fences. The main entrance was also locked and on guard, presumably due to the entire fortress being on high alert. In addition, the ventilation shafts also generated a jamming signal for radar.

First Floor (1F) The first floor housed the central command, the hangar, and the factory. This was the central processing floor of the Zanzibar Building, with important production and communication facilities concentrated in the area.

The factory was on the west side of the floor, where Goliaths, Hind Ds, and other large war machines were constructed. These vehicles were also maintained, refueled, and repaired here.

The central command room monitored all intel in Zanzibar Land, as well as processing and relaying orders to troops. In essence, this was the proverbial brain of Zanzibar Land. The command room also contained a large central monitor that displayed a map of the entire layout of the fortress. A few instances, a PA will activate requesting for the soldiers to stand at attention as the Zanzibar Land national anthem plays in the background.

The eastern side of the floor contained an immense door with a hallway within that contained a room carrying the Hang Glider. Most of the guards stationed there are actually mannequins, although there is one that is an actual guard near the door.

Second & Third Floor (2F & 3F) The second floor was the deck, which was used to watch over the first floor. The two floors were not actually separated, but an elevator was required to move between them.

The third floor was utilized for R&D purposes, and was used to store specialized equipment such as night-vision goggles and mine detectors. Some of the areas on this floor were gassed, so personnel were always equipped with gas masks.

Fourth Floor (4F) The fourth floor housed the living quarters for the soldiers, and as such, many allowances were provided to ease the weariness of their duties.

One of the rooms was the mess hall. It was equipped with three full sets of tables and stools, and two 40 inch TVs mounted on the walls for brief entertainment at mealtimes. The menu provided meals of carefully calculated calorie balance, with the taste adjusted for each soldier, depending on his homeland, to help ease the divide of ethnicity, culture and religion. This was also the only part of the fortress where soldiers were allowed to smoke.

To the east of the mess hall was the freezer, for storage and supply of food. Cooling was possible down to a minimum temperature of -100 oC.

Adjoining the mess hall, on the southeast area of the floor, were both men's and women's bathrooms. The Gentlemen's was of a sound blue color while the Ladies' was of pale pink. Both were equipped with non-dust toilets from GA-INAX Co., which automatically cleansed and dried the occupant, via a gale of warm air, so there was no need for soldiers to remove their weapons. Since there were no female Zanzibar Land guards, the women's bathroom was used to house a secret elevator to the third floor basement, through which the confinement cell in the Maze Wood could be accessed. The bathrooms at night, however, scared several of the children at Zanzibar Land.

To the southwest of the floor was a hallway filled with an immense number of mannequins that resembled the Zanzibar Land soldiers. Real soldiers also guarded this area.

Bedrooms were located to the northeast of the floor. 16 beds were provided in total, and the floor was made from wood, for human comfort.

The locker room was to the east of the bedrooms, where personnel could change their clothes before going to the sauna or to bed. They were equipped with locks, with seven provided for soldiers to store their belongings. One of the lockers, however, was used as a temporary repository for trash. Sometimes the Zanzibar Land children play hide and seek in the lockers.

South of the bedrooms was a sauna, used to ease the fatigue of soldiers. This was the only place where soldiers were allowed to remove their combat gear.

North of the bedrooms was the infirmary, which gave care to sick or wounded soldiers. They also kept cases of cold medicine in case the soldiers got sick with the common cold.

First Floor Basement (B1) The first floor basement housed an armory, which contained weapons and equipment for infantry, ranging from grenades and submachine guns, to camouflage mats and body armor. It also contained the powder house.

Second Floor Basement (B2) The second floor basement housed the main power plant, waste disposal center, and water treatment and processing facility. The fortress utilized hydroelectric power, using a drainage ditch. The water circulated within the tunnels, via certain chemical reactions, at around 30 km/h, supplying electricity to the whole fortress. The water was also purified in this area for consumption. There was also a disposal processing room, equipped with a large trash compactor. It used built-in pressure sensors to automatically process and burn trash and feed the heat energy back into the fortress as a secondary power source. Dust chutes were used to process trash from certain floors. The waterways also contain some aquatic mines, and used jetstreams to quickly circulate water between the Zanzibar Building and the Tower Building. The water itself, however, was very cold, to the extent that anyone who went through the water would risk catching the common cold. There also used to be a veranda to the south, but the passage leading to it ended up buried.

Third Floor Basement (B3) An old sewer ran within the third floor basement, acting as an underground route between the Zanzibar Building and the crevice, north of the Tower Building. The area was maintained by several automated sweepers, which provided a hazard to anyone caught in their paths. The sewer could only by accessed by the secret elevator located in the women’s bathroom, on the fourth floor.

Maze Wood
The Maze Wood (also known as the Lost Woods) was a forest within the Zanzibar Fortress. It was virtually unnavigable to anyone unfamiliar with the area (as its name implied), with only certain soldiers knowledgeable of the correct pathway through, and how to reach the hidden confinement cell. Minovsky particles were often used here to cause electronic jamming, making navigation even more difficult.

Confinement Cell The confinement cell was a hidden building located within the Maze Wood. Presumably, this was where prisoners of important strategic value were held. It contained two cells. In addition, the walls between the two cells were made of Chobham armored plates, which was presumably designed that way in order to prevent breakouts via explosives.

Swamp
The swamp was an area directly north of the Zanzibar Building. Soldiers often warned the children not go into the swamp, as it was deep enough to cause grown men to sink and drown. However, trucks were known to have driven through here, implying that there were areas shallow enough to travel across safely.

Armory There was an armory located to the northeast of the swamp. The mercenary Running Man guarded this area, since he was fast enough to cover the entire area. Like other parts of the fortress, nerve gas was released when an intruder was detected. It was also a frequent stop for various transport trucks, due to its storage status.

Nariko Desert
To the north of the Maze Wood/swamp was the Nariko Desert. The desert was named after the Nariko Singing Sand that was used in the central part of the area, imported from the Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. It acted as a natural security system, as the sand squeaked when stepped on, making it difficult for intruders to sneak by unnoticed. The south of the desert also made use of land mines. It was possible that the area was used for desert warfare training, as trucks were constantly deployed there, and some of the items within them were ammunition containers. The desert also experiences a vast difference in temperature during the day and the night.

Helicopter Landing Pad The main landing area for helicopters such as the ZL Hind Ds, Hind Es, and other gunships.

Tower Building
The Tower Building was a thirty-story building, approximately 600 meters high, in the central area of the Zanzibar Fortress. It was the main government building, high enough to look out over the whole of Zanzibar Land, as well as the location of offices for the various personnel within the fortress. The building was built specifically to give various soldiers the ability to oversee the entire location of Zanzibar Land. The Tower Building contained three elevators: The Northern Elevator went up to the 10th floor, the Central Elevator went to the first basement as well as up to floor 20, and the Southern elevator went up to floor thirty. It was located a few kilometers north of the Zanzibar Building.

On the twentieth floor was a veranda that was used for parachute jump training. Should the central elevator become inoperable, the tenth floor could be used to reach the twentieth floor via an external circular staircase. The roof could also be accessed by a similar staircase from the thirtieth floor. The door that led to the rooftop was painted shut in an attempt to dissuade trespassers from accessing it, although it was jury-rigged and vulnerable to well-placed explosives.

The first floor basement was connected to the second floor basement of the Zanzibar Building, via the drainage ditch, since they both used the same source of water.

Bridge of Sorrow
The Bridge of Sorrow crossed the large crevice to the north of the Tower Building, a natural boundary that separated the main buildings of the Zanzibar Fortress from the detention camp and other top secret areas. The Bridge of Sorrow was the only way to cross the crevice by foot.

Highland
The highland was a natural area in the northern section of the Zanzibar Fortress, it was mainly grassland with some rocky outgrowths used for stealth operation exercises. Jungle Evil guarded this area.

Biological Research Lab The biological research lab was the primary area for the study of biological materials, which included genetic engineering, and possibly warfare. The area was gassed when an alert was raised, so personnel within this facility were always equipped with gas masks. Two animals native to Zanzibar Land were known to be studied in this area, the Zanzibar wood owl and the Zanzibar snake.

Detention Camp
The detention camp was, as the name implied, used to detain prisoners and other objectors to Zanzibar Land’s rule. A sweeper was often deployed to maintain some areas (and possibly deter intruders). At night, the power to the detention camp was turned off, along with the laser fences. Also, some guards relied on the Zanzibar wood owl's hoots to tell when it was about to get dark out.

Most of the buildings were occupied by either children hiding from the soldiers (as they often snuck into the detention camp to play around night time, something the guards wouldn't have allowed) or ammunition, but the building to the northeast had three basement floors. The third floor basement housed the prison where Kio Marv was held, as well as the locker in which he hid the OILIX formula. The prison was guarded by the stealth-camouflaged mercenary Night Fright. This same building was also where Metal Gear D was stationed, in a secret base further underground.

The prison was often infested with rats (actually the highly poisonous Zanzibar hamster), so the soldiers put out sulphuric acid to try and get rid of them. This provided a further obstacle to intruders, but the acid could be rendered harmless by neutralizing it with chocolate contained in B2 rations.

Behind the detention camp was a large stretch of forest, with a clearing to the north.

Security systems

 * Visual systems
 * Surveillance cameras
 * P46pulse.gifr systems
 * Infrared sensors
 * Pattern infrared
 * Stationary infrared
 * Pulse sensors
 * Pressure sensors
 * Noise sensors
 * Nariko "Singing" Sand
 * "Bush Warbler" floor
 * Footstep reverberating material
 * Other
 * Nerve gas release valves

Personnel

 * Big Boss (President)
 * 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) Note: they work in shifts, and are lightly armed compared to other troops because their primary concern is staying alert.
 * Mercenaries:
 * Gray Fox
 * Black Ninja
 * Running Man
 * Red Blaster
 * Four Horsemen
 * Jungle Evil
 * Night Fright
 * Scientists:
 * Drago Pettrovich Madnar

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 of close quarters combat only, but the soldiers carry them as a sort of "talisman."
 * Combat knife
 * Note: During the events of Operation Intrude F014, the importing, in-purchasing and development of weapons and gunpowder had increased by 30% going by comparisons between December's figures and figures from the month prior to Operation Intrude F014.



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
 * Balaclava



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.
 * M18A2 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 for soldiers when working in gassed areas, such as in the bio-research center.
 * Equipment harness
 * Pouch
 * Ammo case
 * Water bottle
 * Radio
 * Pocket-sized buzzer

Zanzibar Land Tactical Army

 * two Heavy Tank Divisions
 * 31 tanks per division
 * Goliath
 * FV4034 Challenger 1
 * 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-27 Flankers
 * MiG-29 A "Fulcrums"
 * Others
 * 5 Aerial Scouts
 * RF-4C Phantoms
 * Others
 * 29 Cargo/multi-purpose
 * Hercules C-130
 * Gigant cargo helicopters
 * Others

Miscellaneous

 * Transport trucks (approximately 30)

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

 * Ingram MAC-11 submachine gun
 * Beretta M92F handgun
 * Suppressor Used for handguns and SMGs
 * Stinger missiles (to have been fitted on the Hind D gunships)
 * M47 Dragon remote control anti-tank missile
 * ABC-M25A2 gas grenade
 * M5A1 C4 plastic explosive
 * M79 Anti-personnel mine
 * Oxygen tank
 * Mine detector
 * RKG-3 antitank grenades (used by Red Blaster)
 * 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

Wildlife

 * Zanzibar Wood Owl: An owl native to Zanzibar Land. It was about 20 centimeters long and was found primarily in Central Asia. It laid white eggs every 2 to 7 days, with incubation carried out exclusively by the female. With genetic modifications, the eggs could hatch in a few days. Because the owl was nocturnal and always hoot right after sunset, people in Zanzibar Land used it to tell the time. It was often a subject of study at the Zanzibar Land biological research lab.


 * Zanzibar Snake: A species of boa constrictor native to Zanzibar Land. While non-venomous and harmless, it was often considered a pest to soldiers as it had a taste for combat rations. It was often a subject of study at the Zanzibar Land biological research lab.


 * Zanzibar Hamster: A rodent native to Zanzibar Land belonging to the order Rodentia, family Cricetidae. Ranging from 25 to 28 centimeters, it was a highly venomous animal and a pest that often stole the soldiers' belongings to use as their nests. It was such a pest that soldiers often put out sulfuric acid in order to cull their numbers. It was speculated to have descended from hamsters adapted to living around human dwellings. Their diet consisted mainly of cheese. Besides Zanzibar Land, the Zanzibar Hamster's habitat also extended from Western Europe to remote places such as Iraq and Serbia.

National anthem
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The national anthem of Zanzibar Land was a military style patriotic musical composition. Whenever the anthem was broadcast, all soldiers in the vicinity would immediately cease all activity and stand at attention. It was often played within the central command room of the Zanzibar Building. The composition sounded vaguely similar to the English carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." In late 1999, a cassette tape containing a recording of the national anthem was held within a locker in Zanzibar Building's living quarters.

Unconfirmed history
Zanzibar Land was originally known as Tselinoyarsk, the Soviet region in which Big Boss carried out Operation Snake Eater during the 1960s. Following the Soviet Union's dissolution, Russia was unwilling to allow Tselinoyark to secede, due to its strategic position as a religious cushion between neighboring Muslim states. Russia sent its armed forces to invade, but failed to prevent the emergence of the newly independent Zanzibar Land.

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Zanzibar Land is the setting of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. In reality, the closest location meeting Zanzibar Land's description is Badakhshan, a historic Central Asian region divided between Afghanistan and Tajikistan. In the game's manual and introductory cutscene, Zanzibar Land is incorrectly described as being in the Middle East, although later sources give Central Asia as its location. However, modern sources still claim that it borders the Middle East, despite being separated from the region by both Pakistan and Afghanistan. The country shares the name "Zanzibar" with that of an unrelated region in Tanzania, East Africa.

The Previous Operations section of Metal Gear Solid states that it was the CIS and Russia who were opposed to Zanzibar Land's formation, rather than major powers of both the Eastern and Western Blocs.

One of Zanzibar Land's natural resources is Pegimin-H, a fictional drug from the 1960s Japanese sci-fi show, Ultra Q. GA-INAX CO, mentioned as the manufacturer of the cubicles in the Zanzibar Building bathrooms, appears to be a reference to the Japanese anime studio, Gainax, that is associated with the otaku community. In the MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2, Minovsky particles are mentioned by Campbell as being responsible for jamming Snake's radar in the Maze Wood, a reference to the technology of the same name in the anime series Gundam.

The Zanzibar Land forces' logo is stylized similarly to that of the Schutzstaffel (otherwise known as the SS), a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party during World War II. Coincidentally the Outer Heaven logo from Metal Gear also features Swastikas which were the symbol of Nazi Germany so this appears to be a running theme in regards to Big Boss's mercenary companies.

If the player contacts Holly White, one of the radio conversations has her telling Snake that the elevators operate differently in Zanzibar Land compared to Outer Heaven. This is a reference of the change in controls for the elevators. In Metal Gear 2, the player operates it by using the two control panels inside; in the original Metal Gear, the player must manually move the elevator between floors by inputting the up/down commands.

Other appearances
In the English version of Metal Gear Solid and its instruction manual, Zanzibar Land is referred to as simply "Zanzibar," while the 2004 remake The Twin Snakes refers to the country by its full name. The Previous Operations section included in the two games uses both names.

In Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the Soviet territory of Tselinoyarsk features similar terrain to Zanzibar Land, and is located in the same approximate region. The Project Itoh novelization for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots claims that the two are actually the same.

In Gray Fox's trophy for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Zanzibar Land is mistakenly referred to as Zanzibar Island.

Zanzibar Land appeared in the Versus Battle feature on the series' official website, where it competed for votes against Mother Base.

"STRENGTHS: Heavily Fortified Home of METAL GEAR D WEAKNESSES: Land-Locked FEATURED FACT: A Central Asian manifestation of Big Boss’s vision of Outer Heaven, Zanzibar Land was a military nation state carved from the land and armed to the teeth FEATURED GAME: METAL GEAR SOLID: THE LEGACY COLLECTION"

- Zanzibar Land in Versus Battle

Appearances

 * Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
 * Metal Gear Solid (mentioned)
 * Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (mentioned)