Granada

Granada (グラナダ, Guranada) was a major lunar city located in Mare Imbrium that served as the Principality of Zeon’s primary military and industrial base on the Moon during the One Year War. As one of Zeon’s most important strategic locations, Granada functioned as manufacturing center, military headquarters, and symbol of Zeon’s lunar dominance.

Strategic Importance

Granada’s value to Zeon stemmed from multiple factors:

Industrial Capability

Major mobile suit manufacturing facilities
Weapons production and development
Ship construction and repair yards
Resource processing from lunar mining operations

Military Headquarters

Command center for Zeon lunar operations
Fleet anchorage and resupply base
Staging area for operations throughout Earth sphere
Communications hub for Zeon forces

Geographic Position

Located in strategically significant Mare Imbrium
Protected by Moon’s defensive geography
Access to lunar resources (helium-3, minerals)
Difficult for Federation forces to assault directly

Granada’s combination of industrial capacity, military infrastructure, and strategic location made it essential to Zeon’s war effort.

One Year War

Zeon Dominance

During the One Year War, Granada served as:

Primary Zeon base for lunar operations
Alternative headquarters when A Baoa Qu was threatened
Manufacturing center producing mobile suits and vessels
Symbol of Zeon’s control over lunar territory

The city’s facilities produced numerous mobile suits and vessels that fought throughout the war, making it vital to Zeon’s military capability.

Federation Inability to Assault

Despite its importance, the Earth Federation could not successfully assault Granada:

Zeon’s defensive preparations were extensive
The city’s position on the Moon made conventional assault difficult
Federation lacked resources for major lunar offensive whilst fighting on Earth and space
Attacking Granada would consume forces needed elsewhere

Granada thus remained in Zeon hands throughout most of the One Year War.

Post-War Status

After the One Year War, Granada’s status evolved:

Occupation and Control

Eventually came under Federation control
Remained strategically important in post-war period
Continued as major lunar industrial center
Base for various factions throughout Universal Century

Continuing Presence

Granada appeared in multiple UC works:

Zeta Gundam – Continued as important lunar base
ZZ – Neo Zeon operations
Char’s Counterattack – Neo Zeon presence

The city’s continued importance demonstrated that strategic locations retained value across conflicts.

Facilities

Granada’s infrastructure included:

Military:

Mobile suit hangers and maintenance facilities
Vessel docks
Command and control centers
Defensive weapons emplacements

Industrial:

Mobile suit manufacturing plants
Weapons production facilities
Ship construction yards
Parts manufacturing and assembly

Support:

Residential areas for workers and military personnel
Life support systems
Resource storage
Communications arrays

Significance

Granada represented several important elements:

Strategic Depth

For Zeon, Granada provided:

Industrial capacity distributed beyond homeland (Side 3)
Alternative command center if A Baoa Qu fell
Continuing military capability even if main bases were threatened
Demonstration of Zeon’s extended reach throughout Earth sphere

Lunar Industrialization

Granada showed:

Humanity’s expansion throughout the solar system
Industrialization of the Moon
How space colonies and lunar cities supported warfare
The Moon’s transformation from exploration target to industrial/military territory

Persistent Geography

The city’s continued importance across multiple UC conflicts demonstrated:

Strategic geography remains valuable across different wars
Industrial infrastructure outlasts specific conflicts
Locations can change hands but retain importance
That wars are fought over real places with continuing significance

Behind the Scenes

Granada was created for Mobile Suit Gundam as Zeon’s major lunar base, representing the reality that future warfare would involve fighting over strategic locations throughout the solar system. The name “Granada” connected to Spanish/Mediterranean influences in Zeon naming conventions.

The city’s continued appearances in later UC works demonstrated its permanent importance in the timeline’s geography – like real-world strategic cities, Granada remained important regardless of which power controlled it.

Appearances

External links

Granada on the Gundam Wiki