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For other uses of the term wasteland, see Wasteland (disambiguation). |
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The wasteland, or simply the wastes, is the name generally given to the landscape of the Earth following the catastrophic results of the Great War in 2077 and specifically used to refer to the post-nuclear North America that serves as the setting of the Fallout series.
Background
The culmination of the Resource Wars, on the day of October 23, 2077, in the mere two-hour span of the Great War, nuclear warheads were fired by military actors from both the United States and China, and the results changed the face of the planet and affected all life on it for many centuries to come. After the atomic fire had ceased, the surface of the Earth was very different. Millions of man-made buildings and cities were demolished or severely damaged, with only a few exceptions. Most of the plants that had once flourished died as the Earth was changed from a diverse landscape to a barren and hot desert, radiation becoming a serious threat to what little life remained. Functionally, the reset button had been pressed for humanity.
Countries such as the United States ceased to exist all together, their former territories turned into scorched wastelands filled with new dangers due to mutations in wildlife that altered many of the species. As the remnants of humanity began to spread once again, new violence was introduced in the form of differing factions with many choosing to become raiders and slavers to survive. They began warring against each other in the new world, slowing the already difficult progress of the reclamation of humanity. Overall, the wasteland remains a different, radioactive landscape, where everyday life is a struggle.
Known regions
New California - Comprised of California, Nevada, Oregon, and parts of Mexico.
Capital Wasteland - Comprised of Washington D.C. and parts of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
The Pitt - Comprised of the surrounding area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Point Lookout - Comprised of the surrounding area of Point Lookout State Park in Maryland.
Mojave Wasteland - Comprised of parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah
Sierra Madre - Comprised of the surrounding area of an unspecified location in the Southwest.
Zion Canyon - Comprised of the surrounding area of Zion National Park in Utah.
Big MT - Comprised of the surrounding area of an unspecified location in the Southwest.
The Divide - Comprised of the surrounding area of an unspecified location near the border between California and Nevada.
The Commonwealth - Comprised of the surrounding area of Boston, Massachusetts.
The Island - Comprised of the surrounding area of Mount Desert Island in Maine.
Nuka-World - Comprised of the surrounding area of an unspecified western valley in Massachusetts.
Appalachia - Comprised of parts of West Virginia and Virginia.
Skyline Valley - Comprised of the surrounding area of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
Notes
Fallout Shelter uses "the wasteland" as a generic name for its location.
Gallery
Fallout
Wasteland background in Fallout
A dead vault dweller in New CaliforniaFallout 3
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout 4
Fallout 76
Toxic Valley in Appalachia
Ash Heap in Appalachia
Cranberry Bog in Appalachia
The Mire in Appalachia
Fallout Tactics/Brotherhood of Steel
Jane with some of her raiders in the Texas WastelandFallout Shelter
