List of Forgotten Realms Nations - Calimshan

Calimshan is modeled after Ottoman Turkey, and to a lesser extent, the Kingdom of Morocco during medieval times.

The Calim desert covers a sizable area of Calimshan, and dominates much of Calimshan's life and outlook as a result. The lands bordering it are only slightly more fertile. In Calimshan, wealth is of the utmost importance, which is sought after so that the seeker can lead a life of leisure. While few attain this goal, most Calimshanites aspire towards it. Gadgets and magical items are commonly found in Calimshan, where they are widely used as labor-saving devices. Magic-users are held in high esteem, being the providers of the much-sought-after magical devices. Calimshan is ruled by the Pasha in Calimport, although each city governs itself in practice, with the Pasha being unable to carry out any major actions without the permission of at least some of the cities' viziers. The magic-users of Calimshan have accidentally or intentionally summoned and released a substantial number of other-planar beings; after a good time running amok through their summoners’ homes and villages, those planar beings who are unable to undertake the return trip home on their own gravitate toward the Calim Desert, which they find greatly to their liking.

Successor of Coramshan, Calimshan's capital is the sprawling port-city of Calimport, home of the assassin Artemis Entreri, known for his longstanding feud with Drizzt Do'Urden in a number of novels by R.A. Salvatore. Other major cities includes Memnon and the coastal city of Schamedar.

Calimshan covers the southern corner of Faerûn, including the Calim Desert and the Spider Swamp.

This is a powerful empire; trading rivals with Waterdeep; ruled by emperor; has many powerful and wealthy "nobles" called pashas.

Jim Bambra notes that "Calimshan is a good place for magical research".