However, their confidence in their own greatness and competition for resources with the other nations led to a rise in xenophobic sentiment, a decline in spirituality, and the beginning of imperialist ambitions. The Fire Nation's increasing industrialization also greatly strengthened the country, and they were the leading power in the beginning of the world's technological renaissance. Eventually, the Fire Lords began to gradually disempower the noble clans, resulting in them become true autocrats, but also powerful enough to implement new policies to the benefit of all within their nation. Periodically, the Fire Nation became strong enough to threaten the other nations. Power struggles within the royal family and among the noble clans repeatedly plunged the Fire Nation into civil war, yet the country's expansionist and progressive outlook helped to transform it into a economic and military powerhouse despite repeated crises. Eventually, the Fire Lords took power away from the Fire Sages, installing themselves as secular monarchs. However, the warlord period continued to influence the Fire Nation's trajectory, as the warlords' descendants became the nation's noble clans and maintained private armies as well as autonomous fiefs.

The country was united under the first Fire Lord after a long period of violent warlord rule, ushering into a period of religious government headed by the Fire Sages. Historically, the Fire Nation experienced a substantial amount of internal strife. Before the foundation of the United Republic and the following global technological revolution, it was also the strongest and most advanced country in the world. The Fire Nation is the second-largest nation in terms of area, following the Earth Kingdom, while its economy is the most powerful in the world its strong industrial sector and extensive technological developments not only enabled the Fire Nation to create an extremely powerful military, but also initiated worldwide modernization and globalization. The people of the Fire Nation are referred to as 'Fire Nationals'. Its capital is simply known as the Fire Nation Capital.

Geographically, the nation is located along the planet's equator in the western hemisphere and is composed of several islands, named the Fire Islands. It is an absolute monarchy led by the Fire Lord and home to most firebenders. The Fire Nation is one of the world's four nations and five sovereign states.

World map of avatar the last airbender