Grand Theft Auto World: Difference between revisions

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*'''[[wp:Hawaii|Hawaii]]''' is mentioned in a [[Weazel News]] segment on the radio in GTA IV.  
*'''[[wp:Hawaii|Hawaii]]''' is mentioned in a [[Weazel News]] segment on the radio in GTA IV.  
       Canada is mentioned by Roman Bellic in GTA IV and by pedestrians in the GTA IV era games.  
       Canada is mentioned by Roman Bellic in GTA IV and by pedestrians in the GTA IV era games.  
{{Infobox country
|native_name              = Australia
|conventional_long_name  = Commonwealth of Australia
|common_name              = Australia
|image_flag              = Flag of Australia.png
|official_languages      = None{{Ref|official languages|N2}}
|languages_type          = [[National language]]
|languages                = [[wp:English language|English]]<br />([[wp:de facto|de facto]]){{Ref|official languages|N2}}
|capital                  = [[wp:Canberra|Canberra]]
|largest_city            = [[wp:Sydney|Sydney]]
|currency                = [[wp:Australian dollar|Australian dollar]]
}}
'''[[wp:Australia|Australia]]''' is a country in the southern hemisphere, a neighbour to [[New Zealand]].


The country's [[OFLC]] provides the age classification of all media in the country, including [[Grand Theft Auto]] releases. The majority of the GTA series is rated MA15+, however some editions of the games have drawn the RC rating ("Refused Classification"). [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]] was famously re-rated after the [[Hot Coffee]] debacle, the OFLC changing its original MA15+ rating to RC. The re-release of San Andreas saw it obtain the the MA15+ rating again, after the Hot Coffee material was edited out. Rockstar produced a different version of [[Grand Theft Auto IV]] for retail in the Australian/New Zealand market to meet Australian OFLC MA15+ guidelines -- no blood pools form beneath dead bodies, prostitute 'services' are shown from an obscuring angle (and no options are available), and injury decals are not shown on the protagonist or on NPCs when they are wounded. Copies of the game acquired from online retailers (Steam, Gamestop etc) are the international version of the game, even if downloaded within Australia. The international version of GTA IV was eventually submitted for rating in New Zealand by a retailer, and was passed with an 18+ rating, allowing the uncensored version to be sold there.
Media that receive a "Refused Classification" rating are banned from sale; it is particularly easy for games to receive this rating, as there is no 18+ classification for games. Games which do receive this rating must be edited to meet MA15+ standards to obtain an Australian release.
Note that the OFLC do not decide ratings policy, but merely enforce it -- changes to the classification system, such as providing an 18+ rating for games, must be authorised with a unanimous vote from all state attorneys-general. Attorney General [http://www.agd.sa.gov.au/about_us/ministers.php Michael Atkinson] of South Australia is the lone dissenting vote regarding an 18+ category for video games.
==Australia within the Grand Theft Auto games==
In the [[GTA III Era]] games, references are made to a war between the [[United States]] and Australia. It is first referenced in [[Grand Theft Auto III]] when a caller in [[Chatterbox FM]], [[Colonel James P.]], talks about his experience in the [[Australian-American War]], which [[Lazlow]] claims it did not happen. References appear in later GTA games, usually in [[Ammu-Nation]] commercials and radio advertisements. It can be presumed that Australia lost the war -- San Andreas Ammu-Nation promotions mention weapons "from when we whooped Australia's ass".
The [[GTA IV Era]] games continues the references to the Australian-American War. A commercial for Babies Overnight adoption service mentions "...an Australian baby, which loves to play war but always loses." On the website "[[Ilovetoblow.org|www.ilovetoblow.org]]", there is also another reference to Australia losing the war.
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|thumb|right|200px|The Canadian maple leaf flag]]
[[Grand Theft Auto]] games in '''Canada''' arrive typically around the same day as copies released to the [[United States of America]].
Some stores in the East Coast don't get the newest releases until 6 weeks after they are released in the West Coast. People in Ontario and Quebec traditionally get their games 3 weeks after they are released in Victoria and Vancouver.
==References in the Grand Theft Auto series==
;GTA IV
* [[Roman Bellic]] lists "''scared Canadians" ''as one of the many types of females to hit on in [[Liberty City in GTA IV Era|Liberty City]].
* Many pedestrians exclaim "''I'm going back to Canada!''", "''proud to be Canadian!''" or "''Canada's way safer than this!''" when something threatening happens around them.
==External Links==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada Canada on Wikipedia]
'''Colombia''' is a South American country which is the origin point for the [[Colombian Cartel]]. The illicit drug [[SPANK]] is manufactured here and sent to [[Liberty City in GTA III Era|Liberty City]] via sea transportation. It is unknown whether other places are affected by SPANK or only Liberty City is targeted.  In real life, Colombia is one of the world's chief suppliers of cocaine and suffered a drug war from 1979-1993. GTA games are released in Colombia without controversy (despite featuring a Colombian drug cartel) and receive no rating because Colombia has no rating board.
{{Wikipedia|France}}
[[File:france flag.png|thumb]]
'''France''' is a country in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. There are a few but subtle references to France in the [[Grand Theft Auto series]].
== References in GTA ==
===GTA III===
* There is a French flag in the Orbit Building in east of [[Belleville Park]], [[Staunton Island]].
===GTA Vice City===
* [[Pierre La Ponce]] is from France.
* In the mission [[Mall Shootout]], [[Colonel Juan Garcia Cortez]] sends [[Tommy Vercetti]] to retrieve some guidance chips used in French missile technology. The deal goes awry and is ambushed by French law enforcement.
* The [[GIGN]] ([[wp:Groupe_d%27Intervention_de_la_Gendarmerie_Nationale|Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale]]) and DGSE ([[wp:Direction_G%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale_de_la_S%C3%A9curit%C3%A9_Ext%C3%A9rieure|Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure]]) make two appearances, once in the mission [[Mall Shootout]] when intercepting the deal between Tommy Vercetti and Pierre La Ponce, and a second time in the mission [[All Hands On Deck]] when they attempt to capture/kill Colonel Juan Garcia Cortez.
=== GTA Liberty City Stories ===
* On the [[LCFR]] radio station, there is an interview with a French cook who explains how to make ''Cock-o-Vin.''
=== GTA IV ===
* Some pedestrians speak French.
* Paris can be seen on the television channel [[CNT]].
* The [[Statue of Happiness]] was given to [[Liberty City]] in [[1886]] from the French to mark 100 years free of British food and spelling.
* The presidant of France is requesting during [[2008]] that the statue be returned, this is in retaliation to American presidant, [[Joe Lawton]], renaming all french maid outfits as  "slutty Halloween costumes".
=== The Ballad of Gay Tony ===
*[[Arnaud]] is from France. [[Luis Fernando Lopez]] has two [[Random Encounter |random encounters]] with him. Once in [[Algonquin]] where they converse and Luis eventually drives him to a massage parlour in [[Chinatown]], and a second time in [[Bohan]].
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|thumb|right|200px|The Flag of Germany]]
'''Germany''' (in German: '''Deutschland''') is a country in [[Europe]]. The country uses the [[USK]] rating system to rate all [[Grand Theft Auto]] releases, with the majority of the series being rated USK 16+.
Since Germany is quite strict on ratings, after paranoia over violent video games, a number of the GTA games (since [[Grand Theft Auto III|GTA III]]) have suffered cuts or edits. Some examples include: the removal of blood, pedestrians no longer dropping money when killed, no headshots, some missions removed, some weapons missing or lack additional functionality.
==In Grand Theft Auto IV==
Several background characters can be heard saying German phrases like "Scheiße!" (shit), "Entschuldigung" (excuse me), "Er hat eine Waffe" (he has a gun), "Er will mich töten" (he's trying to kill me), "Was wollen Sie von mir" (what do you want ?), and "Gehen Sie!" (Go Away !).
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|thumb|right|200px|The Flag of Japan]]
[[File:Flag of Japan (bordered).png|thumb|right|200px|Flag of Japan (with border)]]
'''[[wp:Japan|Japan]]''' is a country in Eastern Asia. The country uses the [[CERO]] rating system to rate all [[Grand Theft Auto]] releases, with so far all of the series being rated Z (18+). Japan received Grand Theft Auto releases at a much later time, as it has taken a long time for [[Rockstar Games]] to localize them, which is done by [[Rockstar Japan]]. The GTA games are published in Japan mainly by [[Capcom]] which had released the following games:
*[[Grand Theft Auto III]] (September 25, 2003)
*[[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]] (May 20, 2004)
*[[Grand Theft Auto Double Pack]] (July 29, 2004 Xbox version, February 27, 2007 PS2 version)
*[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]] (January 25, 2007)
*[[Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories]] (July 26, 2007 PSP version,  September 6, 2007 PS2 version)
*[[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories]] (December 6, 2007)
*[[Grand Theft Auto IV]] (October 10, 2008)
[http://www.cyberfront.co.jp/ CyberFront] has released recent GTA games:
*Grand Theft Auto IV (March 20, 2009)
*Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (September 24, 2009)
[[File:Mexico flag.png|200px|right|thumb|Flag of Mexico.]]
[[wp:Mexico|Mexico]] is a country in North America, south of the US and north of Guatemala and Belize and west of Cuba. Various gangs, especially in GTA SA, have their origins from Mexico. Mexico is referenced in various games. In Mexico, Grand Theft Auto games are not edited and are generally released in that country without controversy. Technically, the ESRB is recognized in the country, but their decisions are not legally enforced. Grand Theft Auto games in Mexico are usually released the same day as in the United States.
[[Image:Flag of New Zealand.png|thumb|right|200px|The Flag of New Zealand]]
'''New Zealand''' is a country whose [[OFLC (NZ)|OFLC]] (Office of Film and Literature Classification) rating system is sometimes considered to be slightly harsher than that of the Australian [[OFLC]]. For example, Australians can buy [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]] at the age of 15, while New Zealanders must be over 18 to purchase or rent the game. It should, however, be noted that New Zealand ''has'' an 18+ rating for games -- Australia lacks this outright, meaning that particularly violent or sexually explicit games may be refused classification and banned from sale. New Zealand sells the full version of [[Grand Theft Auto IV]], while Australia has a censored version.
[[Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.png|thumb|right|200px|The Union Flag]]
'''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''' is the setting for [[Grand Theft Auto: London 1969]] and [[Grand Theft Auto: London 1961]]. The city of [[London|London, England]] is the centerpiece of those two video games.
The [[Grand Theft Auto]] games are developed in the United Kingdom, more specifically in Scotland, where [[Rockstar North]] is based. The games are first shipped to the [[United States of America]] and [[Canada]], before they are made available in the UK and the remainder of continental [[Europe]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], and the rest of the world.
The UK is currently home to four Rockstar studios:
*[[Rockstar North]]
*[[Rockstar Leeds]]
*[[Rockstar Lincoln]]
*[[Rockstar London]]
The United Kingdom is also home to the ''[[BBFC]]'' rating system, which has been the harshest on the [[Grand Theft Auto]] series.
==GTA IV==
*[[Gay Tony]] mentions that he has clubs in London.
*Some pedestrians in GTA IV have British accents.
{{Infobox country
|common_name              = United States of America
|image_flag              = Flag of the United States.png
|official_languages      = [[wp:English language|English]]
}}
The '''[[wp:United States|United States of America]]''' is a country located in [[North America]] composed of 50 states in the [[Grand Theft Auto World]] in which the main [[Grand Theft Auto]] games take place. Most of the locations in the games are based on cities and states found in the actual [[wp:United States|USA]]. For example, [[Liberty City]] is based on the city of [[wp:New York|New York]], [[Vice City]] is based on the city of [[wp:Miami|Miami]] and the [[wp:Florida Keys|Keys]] located in South Florida, and the [[State of San Andreas]] is inspired by the actual states of [[wp:California|California]] and [[wp:Nevada|Nevada]], comprised of fictional cities based on real cities in those states.
Bullworth is a town in [http://bullygame.wikia.com/wiki/Bullworth New England], and is where the game [http://bullygame.wikia.com/wiki/Bully Bully] takes place, apparently in the GTA IV Era. GTA IV contains references to Bully.
The State of San Andreas, which contains 3 large cities and huge rural areas with small towns between, is located in the southwest, considering it has large deserts. The [[GTA III Era]]'s [[Liberty City in GTA III Era|Liberty City]] is located somewhere in the north, since it snowed in the mission [[Saint Mark's Bistro]] in [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]], while the [[Grand Theft Auto IV]] rendition of [[Liberty City in GTA IV Era|Liberty City]] is in [[Liberty City State]]. Note that the GTA III and GTA IV Era's do not follow the same canon. Vice City is located in the state of Florida down south, and this is directly said to be true by [[Salvatore Leone]] in [[The Introduction]] video for [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]], and [[Tommy Vercetti]] refers to the residents of the city as "dumb Florida morons" early after his arrival. Various NPC's also confirm that Vice City is in Florida.
In all the games, the cities are always located on several islands connected by bridges. They appear to be isolated islands in the middle of the sea, but this is down to game limitations. Rockstar Games have stated that they avoid placing unreachable peices of land within the games to keep the complete feel to the game. There are multiple islands, and every game starts with certain bridges blocked, restricting the player from exploring the entire city at the start of the game. There is always a story as to why the bridges are shut, sometimes relative to the location of the game, for example; the bridges in Vice City are shut due to hurricane warnings, while in Liberty City they are blocked due to to terrorist threats against the city (GTA IV Era). These restrictions are lifted as the story progresses, with the earlier reason for them being closed having blown over.
Even though the Grand Theft Auto video games are made in the [[United Kingdom]], specifically Edinborough, Scotland, they are released first in the United States of America, and subsequently [[Canada]] followed by the UK and Europe. The games are primarily based on American popular culture, and nearly all have been set in fictitious (or copied) locations on the American mainland. The music, the clothes, the slang, and the abundance of vehicles in the game are considerably of American origin.
During the mission 'Practice Swing' in The Ballad of Gay Tony, Tony refers to Rocco as being under the age of consent in Utah, thus confirming the State of Utah's existence in the GTA universe.
New Austin, Nuevo Paraiso, and West Elizabeth, regions of [http://reddead.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Dead_Redemption| Red Dead Redemption], are unknown to be in the same universe, as there are no references to indicate this, but nothing to contradict it either.
==Leadership==
The writers of the game seem to have liberal political beliefs, as they often parody conservatives in a negative light. Most of the Grand Theft Auto titles are set during a Republican presidency (Apart from GTA 1, GTA 2, Advance and Liberty City Stories, all during the Clinton administration.)
GTA III Era:
*'''1961-1963: John F. Kennedy''': In [[Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas|San Andreas]], set in 1992, [[The Truth]] mentions John F. Kennedy and his assassination.
*'''1963-1969: Lyndon B. Johnson''':Real-life President
*'''1969-1974: Richard Nixon''':Real-life President
*'''1974-1977: Gerald Ford''':Real-life President
*'''1977-1981: Jimmy Carter''':Real-life President
*'''1981-1988: Ronald Reagan''' ([[Grand Theft Auto:Vice City|Vice City]]): on [[V-Rock]], Cousin Ed mentions "Reagan Rules!".
*'''1989-1992: George H.W. Bush''' ([[Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas|San Andreas]]): On [[Radio Los Santos]], the 2Pac song "Just Don't Give A Fuck" mentions "fuck you to the B-U-S-H", which referred to George H.W. Bush having been president in 1992, although it is not clear whether the song is meant to be canon with the game.
*'''2001-?: George W. Bush''' ([[Grand Theft Auto: 3|GTA III]]): The [[Liberty Tree]] article "The W Comes To Town" shows George W. Bush having just been elected president at the time of GTA III, entirely canon with real life events.
*1986 ([[Grand Theft Auto:Vice City|Vice City]]): [[Alex Shrub]], a fictional right-wing Florida congressman whose name and mannerisms are based on George H.W. Bush, voices his intention to run for president, although he fails after his affair with porn star [[Candy Suxxx]] becomes public (all of this happening in 1986). Said affair became a very public spectacle, even across the country in San Andreas where photos of Shrub and Suxxx are seen on Carl Johnson's wall.
GTA IV Era:
*'''Unknown: [[Joe Lawton|Joe Lawton's]] father'''
*'''2001-2008: [[Joe Lawton]]''' ([[Grand Theft Auto IV|GTA IV]]): A parody of then-president George W. Bush. It is also mentioned that Joe Lawton's father was president, a reference to the aforementioned George H.W. Bush.
*There are two men running for governor of the State of Liberty: [[John Hunter]] (left wing) and [[Michael Graves]] (right wing).
==Known Towns, Cities, States and Regions==
'''[[Liberty State]] (New York/New Jersey, GTA IV Era)'''
*[[Liberty City]] (New York City)
*[[Carcer City]]
*Capital City (Albany)
'''[[Alderney]] (New Jersey, GTA IV Era)'''
*[[Acter]]
*[[Acter Industrial Park]]
*[[Alderney City]] (Jersey City)
*[[Alderney State Correctional Facility]] (GTA IV map enlists as it's own municipality)
*[[Berchem]]
*[[Leftwood]]
*[[Normandy]]
*[[Port Tudor]]
*[[Tudor]]
*[[Westdyke]]
'''[[State of San Andreas]] (California/Nevada, GTA III Era)'''
*[[City of San Andreas|'''San Andreas City''']]
*'''[[Bone County]]'''
**[[Area 69]]
**[[Fort Carson]]
**[[Las Brujas]]
**[[Las Payasadas]]
*'''[[Flint County]]'''
*'''[[Las Venturas]] (Las Vegas)'''
*'''[[Los Santos]] (Los Angeles)'''
*'''[[Red County]]'''
**[[Blueberry]]
**[[Dillimore]]
**[[Montgomery]]
**[[Palomino Creek]]
*'''[[San Fierro]] (San Fransisco)'''
*'''[[Tierra Robada]]'''
**[[Aldea Malvada]]
**[[Bayside]]
**[[El Quebrados]]
**[[Las Barrancas]]
*'''[[Whetstone]]'''
**[[Angel Pine]]
'''[[wp:Florida|Florida]]'''
*[[Vice City]] (Miami)
== External Links =='''
[[wp:New England|New England]] (GTA IV Era)'''
*[http://bullygame.wikia.com/wiki/Bullworth Bullworth]
'''[[wp:Midwestern United States|Midwest]] (mentioned in GTA IV Era)'''
*[[wp:Chicago|Chicago]]
*[[wp:Minneapolis|Minneapolis]]
* [[Wikipedia:United Kingdom|United Kingdom on Wikipedia]]
*[[USK]]
{{wikipedia|Colombia}}
[[es:Colombia]]
[[Category: Countries]]
[[es:Florida]]
[[es:Florida]]
[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Grand Theft Auto]]
[[Category:Grand Theft Auto]]

Revision as of 15:20, 12 December 2010

The Grand Theft Auto World is a fictional world containing the settings or otherwise-mentioned locations of all the GTA games (for example, Liberty City, Vice City, Carcer City, and the State of San Andreas). It is assumed that the rest of the real world exists within the fictional world, although possibly without some of the major cities to which the GTA locations are analogous (Liberty City/state of Liberty may replace New York City/state of New York, for example). Continuity is generally retained throughout the games, creating a coherent fictional universe.

A map selection screen in the first Grand Theft Auto game reveals that the contemporary renditions of Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City are located in or near New York, California, and Florida respectively. It is unclear whether these locations are canon with the rest of the series, however it is known that Vice City is located in Florida. Furthermore, during one mission in GTA San Andreas, the player could fly a plane eastwards and arrive, after a cutscene, in Liberty City. This relationship is similar to the real-world geographical placing of the states of California and Nevada (upon which San Andreas is based) to New York (upon which Liberty City is based). This does involve crossing a vast body of water, but bodies of water are used to isolate game-worlds in the GTA series, and do not necessarily indicate that these game-worlds are truly islands.

In between game eras, the recurring locations of GTA are represented very differently. Liberty City appeared in Grand Theft Auto 1 and GTA III with almost no similarities other than that they were both broadly based on New York City. Liberty City retained continuity throughout the GTA III Era (compare GTA III's rendition to that of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto Advance), however GTA IV introduced a new Liberty City created from scratch.

Liberty City

File:New LC.jpg
Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV

Liberty City, based on New York City, is a location that has appeared in GTA 1, GTA III, GTA Vice City, GTA San Andreas, GTA Advance, GTA Liberty City Stories, GTA IV and GTA Chinatown Wars. It is generally depicted as a large city with a sizeable population (4 million in GTA III, double that in GTA IV), featuring a complete transportation infrastructure of roads and railways, and is located on a geographical configuration of shorelines and islands, similar to that of New York City. The city has been described as one suffering heavily from crime and corruption, with the presence of organized crime, feuding street gangs, petty criminals, and rampant misconduct among city officials and law enforcement. Due to its ever-growing crime statistics (the highest in the U.S.), it has been repeatedly voted as "The Worst Place In America".

Liberty City is located in the state of Liberty, a parody of the state of New York. It is likely that all the other cities in the real state of New York exist in the state of Liberty. It is unknown if Liberty City is the capital of it's state, afterall New York City is not the capital of New York.

See: Liberty City
Liberty City in GTA 1
Liberty City in GTA III Era
Liberty City in GTA IV Era

New Guernsey/Alderney

File:Alderney City Skyline.png
Alderney City in Grand Theft Auto IV

New Guernsey, based on New Jersey, is a location that appeared in GTA 1. It consists of Guernsey City (based on Jersey City), Fort Law (Fort Lee), Schlechberg (Gutenberg), Hackenslash (Hackensack) and Eaglewood (Englewood).

In Grand Theft Auto IV, New Jersey was used as a location again, alongside Liberty City, but was renamed to Alderney. Although Alderney is an entire state, it appears to be the size of a borough (about the same size as Algonquin), and is treated as a borough of Liberty City (although this may be due to technical limitations -- Alderney foot police, for example, are seen wearing different uniforms to the LCPD, although LCPD vehicles patrol Alderney). Alderney contains neighborhoods that are based on different cities and regions in New Jersey, such as Weehawken, Englewood, Jersey City, Newark, Kearny, and Elizabeth, among others.

Vice City

File:NeonVice.jpg
Vice City

Vice City is a city that appeared in GTA 1, GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories. It is based on Miami, Florida. In the GTA III era games, it consists of two major islands and six smaller islands; both main islands separated by a large body of water similar to that of Biscayne Bay (separating Miami Beach from mainland Miami). Each major island is divided into several districts. The population of Vice City is given as around 1.8 million. Unlike Liberty City and the state of San Andreas, Vice City has no railway or rapid transit systems, and all islands are connected by road and pedestrian bridges.

In the games, Vice City is based on Miami, but it has been confirmed to be in the real state of Florida, therefore it's possible that Vice City replaces Miami within the GTA World.

See: Vice City
Vice City in GTA 1
Vice City in GTA III Era
Vice City in GTA IV Era

San Andreas

File:LosSantosSunrise.jpg
Los Santos during dawn

San Andreas, which is intended to be based in the West Coast of the United States, has appeared as two different entities in the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series of video games.

Los Santos is the largest city in San Andreas. It is based on real life Los Angeles, California. It borders Red County to the north and Flint County to the west.

File:SanFierro.jpg
View of San Fierro from Tierra Robada.

San Fierro is the smallest city in San Andreas, based on San Francisco, California. San Fierro is located in the western part of San Andreas. South of the city lies the massive Mount Chiliad, and to the north lies the county of Tierra Robada. San Fierro Bay lies to the north, and The Panopticon to the east.

Las Venturas is based on Las Vegas, Nevada. Like its real life counterpart, Las Venturas is a gambling city located in the desert region. The city is also notable for its sizeable freeway system.

Towns There are thirteen small towns in the State of San Andreas, in addition to the cities: Palomino Creek, Montgomery, Dillimore, Blueberry, Angel Pine, El Quebrados, Bayside, Las Barrancas, Fort Carson, Las Payasadas, Valle Ocultado, Aldea Malvada and Las Brujas, (the latter two being ghost towns).

In GTA IV

San Andreas has not physically appeared in the GTA IV era as of yet, but it is referenced heavily. Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas all exist, as do some of the towns, but it is unknown if they are within the State of San Andreas. In GTA IV, San Andreas is never mentioned by name, and the three cities are also never implied to be situated there. It is possible that in the GTA IV era, San Andreas is not a state, but rather a city. For example, it may be that Los Santos and San Fierro are now standalone fictional cities in the real state of California, replacing Los Angeles and San Francisco. Similarly, Vice City is a fictional city in the real life state of Florida, possibly replacing Miami.

File:Anywhere City Concept Art.jpg
Concept art of Anywhere City.

Anywhere City

Anywhere City is the setting of Grand Theft Auto 2. It is presumably called this as it is set in the near future, and doesn't bear any resemblance to any real life city in particular. It is divided into 3 separated parts - Commercial, Residential and Industrial (similar to the nature of the three main districts in GTA III). The infrastructure of Anywhere City is primarily composed of roadways and footpaths, but in later versions of the game released for the PC, a light rail transit system was provided.

London in real life

London

London, England, was the city used in both the mission packs available for the original Grand Theft Auto - Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961. Manchester appears as a multiplayer map in the second. To date, these are the only real-life cities to be used in a GTA game.

Carcer City

Carcer City

Carcer City is a location featured in Rockstar's Manhunt; references are made to it in various GTA games, suggesting that it exists within the GTA world. According to the 'Miles Traveled' system on the statistical screen on GTA IV, Carcer City is around 50 - 100 miles away from Liberty City.

Mentioned Locations

     Canada is mentioned by Roman Bellic in GTA IV and by pedestrians in the GTA IV era games.
Commonwealth of Australia
Australia
CapitalCanberra
Largest city Sydney
Official language(s) NoneN2
National language English
(de facto)N2
Currency Australian dollar

Australia is a country in the southern hemisphere, a neighbour to New Zealand.

The country's OFLC provides the age classification of all media in the country, including Grand Theft Auto releases. The majority of the GTA series is rated MA15+, however some editions of the games have drawn the RC rating ("Refused Classification"). Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was famously re-rated after the Hot Coffee debacle, the OFLC changing its original MA15+ rating to RC. The re-release of San Andreas saw it obtain the the MA15+ rating again, after the Hot Coffee material was edited out. Rockstar produced a different version of Grand Theft Auto IV for retail in the Australian/New Zealand market to meet Australian OFLC MA15+ guidelines -- no blood pools form beneath dead bodies, prostitute 'services' are shown from an obscuring angle (and no options are available), and injury decals are not shown on the protagonist or on NPCs when they are wounded. Copies of the game acquired from online retailers (Steam, Gamestop etc) are the international version of the game, even if downloaded within Australia. The international version of GTA IV was eventually submitted for rating in New Zealand by a retailer, and was passed with an 18+ rating, allowing the uncensored version to be sold there.

Media that receive a "Refused Classification" rating are banned from sale; it is particularly easy for games to receive this rating, as there is no 18+ classification for games. Games which do receive this rating must be edited to meet MA15+ standards to obtain an Australian release.

Note that the OFLC do not decide ratings policy, but merely enforce it -- changes to the classification system, such as providing an 18+ rating for games, must be authorised with a unanimous vote from all state attorneys-general. Attorney General Michael Atkinson of South Australia is the lone dissenting vote regarding an 18+ category for video games.

Australia within the Grand Theft Auto games

In the GTA III Era games, references are made to a war between the United States and Australia. It is first referenced in Grand Theft Auto III when a caller in Chatterbox FM, Colonel James P., talks about his experience in the Australian-American War, which Lazlow claims it did not happen. References appear in later GTA games, usually in Ammu-Nation commercials and radio advertisements. It can be presumed that Australia lost the war -- San Andreas Ammu-Nation promotions mention weapons "from when we whooped Australia's ass".

The GTA IV Era games continues the references to the Australian-American War. A commercial for Babies Overnight adoption service mentions "...an Australian baby, which loves to play war but always loses." On the website "www.ilovetoblow.org", there is also another reference to Australia losing the war.

The Canadian maple leaf flag

Grand Theft Auto games in Canada arrive typically around the same day as copies released to the United States of America.

Some stores in the East Coast don't get the newest releases until 6 weeks after they are released in the West Coast. People in Ontario and Quebec traditionally get their games 3 weeks after they are released in Victoria and Vancouver.

References in the Grand Theft Auto series

GTA IV
  • Many pedestrians exclaim "I'm going back to Canada!", "proud to be Canadian!" or "Canada's way safer than this!" when something threatening happens around them.

External Links


Colombia is a South American country which is the origin point for the Colombian Cartel. The illicit drug SPANK is manufactured here and sent to Liberty City via sea transportation. It is unknown whether other places are affected by SPANK or only Liberty City is targeted. In real life, Colombia is one of the world's chief suppliers of cocaine and suffered a drug war from 1979-1993. GTA games are released in Colombia without controversy (despite featuring a Colombian drug cartel) and receive no rating because Colombia has no rating board.

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France is a country in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. There are a few but subtle references to France in the Grand Theft Auto series.

References in GTA

GTA III

GTA Vice City

GTA Liberty City Stories

  • On the LCFR radio station, there is an interview with a French cook who explains how to make Cock-o-Vin.

GTA IV

  • Some pedestrians speak French.
  • Paris can be seen on the television channel CNT.
  • The Statue of Happiness was given to Liberty City in 1886 from the French to mark 100 years free of British food and spelling.
  • The presidant of France is requesting during 2008 that the statue be returned, this is in retaliation to American presidant, Joe Lawton, renaming all french maid outfits as "slutty Halloween costumes".

The Ballad of Gay Tony

The Flag of Germany

Germany (in German: Deutschland) is a country in Europe. The country uses the USK rating system to rate all Grand Theft Auto releases, with the majority of the series being rated USK 16+.

Since Germany is quite strict on ratings, after paranoia over violent video games, a number of the GTA games (since GTA III) have suffered cuts or edits. Some examples include: the removal of blood, pedestrians no longer dropping money when killed, no headshots, some missions removed, some weapons missing or lack additional functionality.

In Grand Theft Auto IV

Several background characters can be heard saying German phrases like "Scheiße!" (shit), "Entschuldigung" (excuse me), "Er hat eine Waffe" (he has a gun), "Er will mich töten" (he's trying to kill me), "Was wollen Sie von mir" (what do you want ?), and "Gehen Sie!" (Go Away !).

The Flag of Japan
Flag of Japan (with border)

Japan is a country in Eastern Asia. The country uses the CERO rating system to rate all Grand Theft Auto releases, with so far all of the series being rated Z (18+). Japan received Grand Theft Auto releases at a much later time, as it has taken a long time for Rockstar Games to localize them, which is done by Rockstar Japan. The GTA games are published in Japan mainly by Capcom which had released the following games:

CyberFront has released recent GTA games:

  • Grand Theft Auto IV (March 20, 2009)
  • Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (September 24, 2009)
Flag of Mexico.

Mexico is a country in North America, south of the US and north of Guatemala and Belize and west of Cuba. Various gangs, especially in GTA SA, have their origins from Mexico. Mexico is referenced in various games. In Mexico, Grand Theft Auto games are not edited and are generally released in that country without controversy. Technically, the ESRB is recognized in the country, but their decisions are not legally enforced. Grand Theft Auto games in Mexico are usually released the same day as in the United States.

The Flag of New Zealand

New Zealand is a country whose OFLC (Office of Film and Literature Classification) rating system is sometimes considered to be slightly harsher than that of the Australian OFLC. For example, Australians can buy Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas at the age of 15, while New Zealanders must be over 18 to purchase or rent the game. It should, however, be noted that New Zealand has an 18+ rating for games -- Australia lacks this outright, meaning that particularly violent or sexually explicit games may be refused classification and banned from sale. New Zealand sells the full version of Grand Theft Auto IV, while Australia has a censored version.

The Union Flag

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the setting for Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961. The city of London, England is the centerpiece of those two video games.

The Grand Theft Auto games are developed in the United Kingdom, more specifically in Scotland, where Rockstar North is based. The games are first shipped to the United States of America and Canada, before they are made available in the UK and the remainder of continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the rest of the world.

The UK is currently home to four Rockstar studios:

The United Kingdom is also home to the BBFC rating system, which has been the harshest on the Grand Theft Auto series.

GTA IV

  • Gay Tony mentions that he has clubs in London.
  • Some pedestrians in GTA IV have British accents.
Official language(s) English

The United States of America is a country located in North America composed of 50 states in the Grand Theft Auto World in which the main Grand Theft Auto games take place. Most of the locations in the games are based on cities and states found in the actual USA. For example, Liberty City is based on the city of New York, Vice City is based on the city of Miami and the Keys located in South Florida, and the State of San Andreas is inspired by the actual states of California and Nevada, comprised of fictional cities based on real cities in those states.

Bullworth is a town in New England, and is where the game Bully takes place, apparently in the GTA IV Era. GTA IV contains references to Bully.

The State of San Andreas, which contains 3 large cities and huge rural areas with small towns between, is located in the southwest, considering it has large deserts. The GTA III Era's Liberty City is located somewhere in the north, since it snowed in the mission Saint Mark's Bistro in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, while the Grand Theft Auto IV rendition of Liberty City is in Liberty City State. Note that the GTA III and GTA IV Era's do not follow the same canon. Vice City is located in the state of Florida down south, and this is directly said to be true by Salvatore Leone in The Introduction video for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Tommy Vercetti refers to the residents of the city as "dumb Florida morons" early after his arrival. Various NPC's also confirm that Vice City is in Florida.

In all the games, the cities are always located on several islands connected by bridges. They appear to be isolated islands in the middle of the sea, but this is down to game limitations. Rockstar Games have stated that they avoid placing unreachable peices of land within the games to keep the complete feel to the game. There are multiple islands, and every game starts with certain bridges blocked, restricting the player from exploring the entire city at the start of the game. There is always a story as to why the bridges are shut, sometimes relative to the location of the game, for example; the bridges in Vice City are shut due to hurricane warnings, while in Liberty City they are blocked due to to terrorist threats against the city (GTA IV Era). These restrictions are lifted as the story progresses, with the earlier reason for them being closed having blown over.

Even though the Grand Theft Auto video games are made in the United Kingdom, specifically Edinborough, Scotland, they are released first in the United States of America, and subsequently Canada followed by the UK and Europe. The games are primarily based on American popular culture, and nearly all have been set in fictitious (or copied) locations on the American mainland. The music, the clothes, the slang, and the abundance of vehicles in the game are considerably of American origin.

During the mission 'Practice Swing' in The Ballad of Gay Tony, Tony refers to Rocco as being under the age of consent in Utah, thus confirming the State of Utah's existence in the GTA universe.

New Austin, Nuevo Paraiso, and West Elizabeth, regions of Red Dead Redemption, are unknown to be in the same universe, as there are no references to indicate this, but nothing to contradict it either.

Leadership

The writers of the game seem to have liberal political beliefs, as they often parody conservatives in a negative light. Most of the Grand Theft Auto titles are set during a Republican presidency (Apart from GTA 1, GTA 2, Advance and Liberty City Stories, all during the Clinton administration.)

GTA III Era:

  • 1961-1963: John F. Kennedy: In San Andreas, set in 1992, The Truth mentions John F. Kennedy and his assassination.
  • 1963-1969: Lyndon B. Johnson:Real-life President
  • 1969-1974: Richard Nixon:Real-life President
  • 1974-1977: Gerald Ford:Real-life President
  • 1977-1981: Jimmy Carter:Real-life President
  • 1981-1988: Ronald Reagan (Vice City): on V-Rock, Cousin Ed mentions "Reagan Rules!".
  • 1989-1992: George H.W. Bush (San Andreas): On Radio Los Santos, the 2Pac song "Just Don't Give A Fuck" mentions "fuck you to the B-U-S-H", which referred to George H.W. Bush having been president in 1992, although it is not clear whether the song is meant to be canon with the game.
  • 2001-?: George W. Bush (GTA III): The Liberty Tree article "The W Comes To Town" shows George W. Bush having just been elected president at the time of GTA III, entirely canon with real life events.
  • 1986 (Vice City): Alex Shrub, a fictional right-wing Florida congressman whose name and mannerisms are based on George H.W. Bush, voices his intention to run for president, although he fails after his affair with porn star Candy Suxxx becomes public (all of this happening in 1986). Said affair became a very public spectacle, even across the country in San Andreas where photos of Shrub and Suxxx are seen on Carl Johnson's wall.

GTA IV Era:

  • Unknown: Joe Lawton's father
  • 2001-2008: Joe Lawton (GTA IV): A parody of then-president George W. Bush. It is also mentioned that Joe Lawton's father was president, a reference to the aforementioned George H.W. Bush.

Known Towns, Cities, States and Regions

Liberty State (New York/New Jersey, GTA IV Era)

Alderney (New Jersey, GTA IV Era)

State of San Andreas (California/Nevada, GTA III Era)

Florida

== External Links == New England (GTA IV Era)

Midwest (mentioned in GTA IV Era)

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