#i did my best but i'm no expert so please correct me if my terminology etc is wrong!

[ventresses]

Is Ryloth based on Algeria?

A while back, some friends and I had an interesting discussion about why Star Wars has the Twi'lek speak with French accent, and the implication that Ryloth could perhaps be inspired by a country formerly colonized by France.

We discovered there were A LOT of parallels between Ryloth and the country of Algeria

Political History & Colonialism

Algeria became a colony of France after they invaded it in 1830. Their conquest of Algeria has been called a genocide, and they perpetrated countless atrocities- starvation, epidemics, retaliation for resistance, etc. During that time period, there were popular revolts against the French occupation, and insurgent groups, guerilla warfare, etc., particularly in the decade prior to their independence, which Algerians finally won in 1962.

Ryloth's rulers/most powerful political official(s) are always shown as off-world, corrupt, disconnected from the life and struggles of its people, and allowing the people and resources of the planet to exploited. First, this is under Senator Orn Free Taa, then Separatist occupation, then the Empire.

Throughout that same history of oppression and exploitation, we also see armed resistance movements and guerilla fighters, like the Twi'lek Resistance and the Free Ryloth Movement.

Geography

Algeria is the largest country in Africa. It contains a significant portion of the Sahara Desert, and hosts many impressive rock formations.

Ryloth is a large planet on the Outer Rim. Whenever we see Ryloth on-screen, it almost always shows the desert, is peppered with incredible rock formations, gorges, etc.

Architecture

The homes and structures we see on Ryloth are reminiscent of traditional &/or vernacular mud-brick architecture in Algeria and its neighbor, Morocco. For example:

The Syndulla House

Numa's Village (from The Clone Wars S1E20)

The Capital City (from The Clone Wars S1E21)

Interior Design

We also see themes and details that are strongly reminiscent of Islamic architecture in, for example, the design of the Syndulla family's home.

This is also true of simpler homes, like the ones in Numa's village from The Clone Wars, which utilize subtle geometric motifs and Arabesque patterned windows.

Art

Mosaic art was one of the hallmarks of Roman and Byzantine and Islamic Empires, all of which Algeria was part of, and had their history and culture influenced by.

The Syndulla family portrait is a mosaic.

Head Coverings

The vast majority of Algerians identify as Muslim. It's very common practice for Muslim women to wear the hijab, which covers their hair.

Every time we see a female Twi'lek on-screen she is wearing a head-band or head-covering. We very rarely see male Twi'lek do so.

Language and Accents

As a remnant of the legacy of French colonialism, French is widely spoken and understood in Algeria, though its official language is Arabic.

Many Twi'lek speak Galactic Basic, and do so with a French-sounding accent, though Twi'leki is their native language.

Anything else?