Ruritania

Looking through my copy of Space 1889 Soldiers Companion
I ran across this nation, took a while to realize that it was
from the novel "Prisoner Of Zenda"
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Once upon a time - long, long ago - there existed a kingdom, a
nation which has now disappeared off the map without a trace.
By many it was regarded as a beautiful, romantic land, with
castles, palaces, a place of fairy-tales. Words like honor and
romance were held in deep regard. In a word, Ruritania
was an idyllic land.
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However, by others it was believed to be a place of dread, of
small-minded pettiness, a country ruled by despotic, nationalistic
leaders who often use the word 'honor' but have no real concept of
it. In this country, racial strife and ethnic tension are a daily
occurrence. In a word, this Ruritania was an oppressive state.
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Although the concept of Ruritania was invented by the writer
Anthony Hope and sold to the world most famously in The
Prisoner of Zenda, there is a great possibility that this concept
- the idea of such a region - existed in the minds of Europeans
for a long period of time. The idea probably still exists.
Commentators often talk of Europe 1 and Europe 2 - those who
joined before and those who joined after.
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What the above two descriptions of Ruritania tell us is that this
place was/is a fantasy, or rather a place of extremes, intense
emotions and vivid occurrences. Ruritania is often posited
somewhere in Eastern or Central Europe. Ruritania
encompasses a great part of what the Poles fondly refer to as
the Kresy, 'Borderlands', as well as parts of Eastern Poland,
Western Ukraine and Western Belarus.
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I think this makes for an interesting nation to build.