Molvanîa

Not to be confused with Moldova.

Molvanîa
Molvanîa: a Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry
Author(s)	Tom Gleisner; Santo Cilauro; Rob Sitch
Country	Australia
Language	English
Subject(s)	Fictional country
Genre(s)	Travel; comedy
Publisher	Jetlag travel guide
Publication date	November 2003 (Australia)[1]
Media type	Hardcover
Pages	176
ISBN	9781740661102
OCLC Number	56672262
Dewey Decimal	A827.4 21
LC Classification	PN6231.T7 C55 2003
Followed by	Phaic Tăn

Republic of Molvanîa
Flag
Map of Molvanîa
Source	Molvanîa: a Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry
Creator	Tom Gleisner; Santo Cilauro; Rob Sitch
Genre	Parody
Capital	Lutenblag (Lutnblaag)
Language(s)	Molvanian
Government	Dictatorship
- Prime Minister in Council	unnamed
Currency	Strubl (100 Qunts)

Molvanîa: a Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry is a book parodying travel guidebooks. The guide describes the fictional country Molvanîa, in Eastern Europe, a nation described as "the birthplace of the whooping cough" and "owner of Europe's oldest nuclear reactor". It was created by Australians Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Rob Sitch (of The D-Generation and The Panel fame).

History

The book became a surprise success after its initial publication in Australia, sparking a bidding war for the international publication rights. Qantas has even run the half-hour video segment produced in association with the book on its international flights.^{[citation needed]}

About Molvanîa

The Republic of Molvanîa is a composite of many stereotypes and clichés about Eastern Europe. The exact location of Molvanîa is never specified. It is said to border Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary and Romania, which in reality is impossible given the presented shape of the country.

The book describes the nation as having been a desolate wasteland for much of its history, torn by civil war and ethnic unrest. Eventually Molvanîa's various warring factions were united as a single kingdom, ruled by a series of cruel despotic kings. In the late 19th century the monarchy was overthrown, but the royal family remained popular in exile. During World War II the country was allied with Nazi Germany, and then afterwards was occupied by the Soviet Union who set up a Communist puppet government. After the fall of European Communism in the 1990s, the country became a dictatorship run by a corrupt government with heavy ties to the Mafia.

Molvanîa is described as a very poor and rural country, heavily polluted and geographically barren. The infrastructure is terrible, with necessities such as electricity, clean water, and indoor plumbing being rare finds, largely due to bureaucratic incompetence. Though the travel guide tries to suggest otherwise, there is little to do in the country, the hotels are tiny, filthy and dilapidated, the ethnic cuisine disgusting, and the "tourist attractions" boring and overpriced.

The Molvanîan people are portrayed as being generally rude, dirty, and at times slightly psychotic, with numerous bizarre and illogical beliefs and traditions. The country's patron saint is Fyodor.

Language

The fictional Molvanîan language is said to be so complicated that it takes an average of 16 years to learn. Not only is the tone in which one speaks important to the meaning, but also the pitch. It is a gendered language, with different articles being used depending on whether a noun is masculine, feminine, neutral, or a type of cheese. There are language schools for tourists to attend, which are described by the book as a "waste of time."

Communications

Molvanîa does not have a regulatory authority for wireless communications, therefore the use of any frequency is permitted. At least one maker of Wi-Fi equipment has included Molvanîa as a choice that permits operation over a wider frequency range than is normally possible.^[2]

Criticism

The book was criticized by the United Kingdom's former Minister for Europe Keith Vaz, who accused it of exploiting prejudices about Eastern Europe.

He said the book was a little "cheeky" because "it does reflect some of the prejudices which are taking root [in Europe]. He [Mr Gleisner] does try and show exactly where we are lacking in our knowledge, the sad thing is, some people might actually believe that this country exists."^[3]

Sequels

Subsequent travel guide parodies published examine Southeast Asian nation Phaic Tăn (published 2004) and San Sombrèro in Latin America (published in 2006).

See also

• Elbonia
• Zladko Vladcik

References

1. ^ "Laughs in land that dentistry forgot". Melbourne: The Age. 6 March 2004. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/05/1078464638783.html. Retrieved 30 September 2011. 
2. ^ "NS2 and Molvania or ComplianceTest". Ubiquiti Networks Forum. Ubiquiti Networks. 2009-07-10. http://www.ubnt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11584. 
3. ^ "Molvania spoof mocks travel books". BBC News. 2 April 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3592753.stm. Retrieved 30 September 2011. 

External links

• Official Site for Molvanîa