[b][u]West Africa[/u][/b]

Western Africa was caught in a back and forth of clashes between tribal, ethnic and religious groups across the countries that made up the region. Crashing economies and rampant government corruption were characteristic of the region. 
UN peacekeeping forces and foreign military intervention was frequent in the area throughout the 1990s in efforts to mediate the rampant civil wars and atrocities that occurred regularly in the area. 
Crime was also rife, especially in the form of illegal mining, smuggling of precious metals and stones, arms smuggling and dealing and other such activities. 
Political stability was virtually unknown in the region, with military coups and government corruption running rife. 

When the Heavenfall came, the tidal activity devastated much of the coastal regions, including a lot of built-up and heavily urbanised areas where much of the population was concentrated. Following the disaster, the region was ravaged by disease and in the throes of crippling devastation. With other countries already strained, aid was long in coming. 
In the meantime, warlords set themselves up in positions of power, using their influence to provide for those that rendered service to them, supplying them with what little they could by raiding others, and turning the anger and frustration outward. Piracy and other raiding practices became common, and the ethnic and tribal violence continued, and these bands grew bolder and more brazen in their assaults. These would-be countries also sought aid and all from and rendered assistance to groups such as the CAA and the ISL. 
Finally tiring of the increasingly aggressive actions toward their civilian and military shipping and against their allies in the region, the N/UN mobilised their forces and PMC's to engage key targets in the region, before moving battlegroups into the area and launching a full amphibious invasion, with the intent of subduing resistance and occupying the area until a functional government could be installed to facilitate the rebuilding of the various countries in the region into a functional economic, independent state. 

This goal was hampered by interference from the NCAA and its' forces, which have harassed N/UN forces and covertly - and overtly - supplied aid, training and materiel to the independent warlords in the region, and have attempted to force the N/UN to negotiating tables with the forces already in the area. 

[b]Megafloat[/b]
Sitting approximately mid-way between the Canary Islands and Bermuda is the largest man-made island and free-floating structure ever built. The result of a collaboration between several nations, the 'megafloat' as it was named, was originally intended as a military and civilian facility for the resupply and refuge of ships and aircraft crossing the Atlantic Ocean, especially in the event of an all-out war. It was to act as a staging point for Western-block convoys across the Atlantic, in an attempt to avoid the 'wolfpack'-style raids of the Second World War, and maintain the superiority of the Atlantic for NATO and Western forces. 
Constructed under much objection from the Eastern Bloc and their allies, it nonetheless persisted. 
Construction itself is a marvel of engineering; utilising skills and techniques - as well as reserves of capital and raw materials - thought to be infeasible and impossible. 
However, the project stalled and faltered, and by the early years of the 21st century, progress had slowed to a crawl, with private contractors bought in to bring the project back on track.
The Heavenfall caused further delays, and left the bare bones of the floating island intact. 
In the post-Heavenfall era, it received new attention as various peoples took refuge on the floating construction. Boat peoples, displaced people, criminal elements, private corporations and eventually national interests all ended up contributing to the development and construction of the platform, expanding it well beyond its' original purposes and into a kind of multinational 'free zone', with its' own laws and ideals. 
While there are international military presences on Megafloat, even they are no guarantee of security, and the place is almost like a modern-day pirates haven, like the Tortuga of years past. 
While it is a more lawless and rough place, outright criminal activity such as theft, murder, assault and other such openly criminal actions are punished with the harshest justice. Other more questionably legal activities are more welcome, even if not openly discussed. Sales and trade of items that are 'restricted' elsewhere openly take place with few questions asked about their origins. Gambling is rife, as is the consumption and dealing of narcotic substances - although, there are harsh punishments for providing unsafe or impure product. Slavery and human trafficking is outlawed and punished by execution as well, and [i]any[/i] crime against children is punished in the same way. Of course, without a formal government, police, or judicial system, many of these crimes are hard to prosecute and act upon, and 'not getting caught' or simply being more powerful and wealthy enough to pay the hired enforcers to look the other way can sometimes be enough - if you know the right people.
Megafloat's ruling body is a council of those with the highest stakes and presence in keeping the place running, a coalition of private individuals who are smart, cunning, and ruthless enough to make decisions and to have taken power where needed. They are not at all necessarily bad, or untrustworthy people. In fact, many of them are people who have stood up for various communities or groups that have arisen. However, they have their own forms of law and governance, and it can be a dangerous place, especially to assume things. 
 
The pseudo-nation welcomes, or at least tolerates, the presence of international military and other vessels, as they bring business, and their using of the platform acts as a guarantee of its' usefulness and necessity, and is an insurance for existence, despite the arguably disagreeable acts that happen there. 
Megafloat has no military forces of its' own, but has a permanently stationed or employed PMC of its' own, Trident, who act as security and protection for the floating city-state, and are relatively well equipped and capable.