Fictional Countries
The Blue Lotus mentions two fictional countries, the first of several in the Tintin books. However, while fictional countries such as Syldavia play major recurring roles in other stories, the two nations mentioned in The Blue Lotus are not referred to again in the series.
- Pilchardanian Republic: A European Republic, which resembles the pre-World War II French Third Republic. It was mentioned during a newsreel, when Tintin hides in a movie theatre. Its name derives from an alternative word for the sardine, which is a type of fish.
- Mitsuhirato and his men capture a man they believe to be Tintin wearing a huge fake beard and wig. However it turns out to be genuine hair and beard: the man is in fact the consul for Poldavia.
The term "Poldavia" had been popularised a few years earlier in 1929 when several left-wing members of the French parliament had received letters urging them to aid the oppressed people of Poldavia. Some of them had written back expressing support and requesting further details, but the whole thing was a prank instigated by journalist Alain Mellet, a member of the extreme right-wing Action Française.
Read more about this topic: The Blue Lotus
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