10 Strangest Fictitious Countries

South America is a beautiful, exotic land filled with jungles mankind has only started to explore, but its countries are often as politically violent as its wildlife. The two have even sometimes converged, with notorious cartel runner Pablo Escobar's former herd of hippopotamus roving the Columbia countryside.

It's no surprise that it's been the staging ground for many an action film, particularly in the '80s, when Reagan's drug war waged its most outlandish battles. None were as absurd, or bullet-riddled, than Steven E. De Souza's Val Verde.

First glimpsed in the climax of Commando, the writer has used the South American dictatorship through five of his works, though it's rarely seen. The villainous General Ramon Esperanza in Die Hard 2 is also from the "Green Valley", and his comic Sheena is set there as well.

From what scant evidence there is, Val Verde is much like Guyana or Cuba. It's leaders, from Dan Hedaya in Commando to General Esperanza, are on their way to being deposed or shot (usually both), its economy is largely agriculture-based, likely farming, and the citizens are mostly impoverished but happy. It's clear they are under whatever propagandist sway their leader is pushing.

It has since made appearances outside of De Souza's writing, even joked about when Steve Hofstetter included it in one of his Edward Snowden parody videos.

De Souza believes, despite there being evidence to the contrary, that Predator also takes place in Val Verde (it doesn't, sequels state many times it was Guatemala).