The Earth Kingdom

The Earth Kingdom is one of the Five Kingdoms. It is known for its abundance of natural resources, in particular agriculture and mining industries. It is less of a unified kingdom and more of a series of disparate city-states, although they will gather under one banner for matters of international politics.

History
The Earth Kingdom fought in the Great Civil War that fractured the Five Kingdom. They contributed to the great stalemate through their control of much of the world's food supplies, effectively holding the ability to cut off and starve most of the opposing armies.

A King and Queen were originally named following the founding of the independent nation, but that did not last for long. Within ten years, the King and Queen realized that the various areas of the country were far too disparate for one ruler to be able to properly consider all of their needs and wants. As such, the royal family willingly relinquished control and created a city-state system in which each province is ruled by its own Duke and/or Duchess.

Economy
Although the agricultural and raw material markets of the five kingdoms have diversified over the years, much of the best food and natural resources are still derived from the Earth Kingdom. While the Iron Kingdom may have a monopoly of Mithral, most other rare metals are mined largely in the Earth Kingdom. Similarly, there are many valuable crops that are mostly or exclusively grown in the Earth Kingdom's farms.

Thanks to having the largest dwarf population in the Five Kingdoms, there are many prolific mining operations that provide most of the world with mundane materials like iron and bronze. The Earth Kingdom is also the best place to look for rare and valuable gems.

Thanks to the abundance of gemstones, the Earth Kingdom is also a chief cultural center, particularly in the areas of jewelry and fashion. Much of the most expensive and luxurious jewelry comes from Earth Kingdom jewelers, perhaps wrought in Iron Kingdom forges. Their connection to nature also makes for great art, and they are rivaled only by the Sun Kingdom in their entertainment exports.

Politics
Every city-state in the Earth Kingdom is free to decide how they elect their Duke or Duchess however they wish. This allows an individual population to decide if they wish to have their leaders tied to bloodline, election, or other forms of government. If a group strongly opposes the way their city-state handles its leadership, they are free to move to another that more closely aligns with their beliefs.

There is still an Earth Kingdom Parliament that is only called to order during times of national or international crisis. The leaders of all the city-states come together, with the old original Royal Family sitting as moderator for this great Congress. They will make decisions and issue decrees about issues of national or international importance, and then return to their homelands. It is not uncommon for entire generations to go by without a meeting of Parliament.