Bikini Bottom

Bikini Bottom, USA

Location	Under Bikini Atoll, Pacific Ocean
Former Names	Bikini Bottomshire, Planktopolis, Bikini Gulch/Dead Eye Gulch
Main Industries	Franchising, retail, automaking, film making, manufacturing, publishing, banking, computers, airplane manufacturing, telecommunications, petroleum, chemicals, food packaging, fashion, pharmaceuticals
Population	46,857+

Bikini Bottom is a fictional city that appears in the Nickelodeon animated television series, SpongeBob SquarePants. Located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, it is where the series' main characters live, and where most of the episodes take place.

Bikini Bottom is similar to an average American city. The city consists of various businesses, including restaurants, stores, and manufacturers. The city has a stable economy, a balanced education and health systems, a structured government, and a firm law enforcement system. There are even stadiums, amusement parks, and other recreational facilities.

Geography

Bikini Bottom's geography is shown as consisting of mountains, dense forests, lakes, lagoons, caves, grasslands, reefs and rivers. In "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie", volcanoes, trenches and deserts are shown in the surrounding region.

Major geographic features have colorful names including Goo Lagoon, Goo Lagoon Sea Caves, Sand Mountain, Flounder Hill, Guppy Mound, Kelp Forest, Kelp Swamp, Kelp Caves, Kelp Vines, Jellyfish Fields, Jellyfish Lake, Spork Mountain, The Brain Coral Fields, Make Out Reef, Mount Climb-Up-and-Fall-Off, Mount Kabloovious (volcano at the nearby town of Palm Bay), Rock Bottom (a separate city located at the bottom of a trench), Ancient Mariner Valley, Mermalair (a man-made underground cavern) and Atlantis.

Location

Bikini Bottom is located at the bottom of the Pacific ocean, next to its signature island, Bikini Atoll, according to Stephen Hillenburg. There are many instances of proof on the show: After being scared off by ghosts, Sandy evacuated to Texas. She was seen flying east from the Pacific Ocean. In the Employee of the Month computer game, a fish mentions that Bikini Bottom is located in the Pacific Ocean. In The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, when SpongeBob was singing the "Goofy Goober Rock", the camera rose out of the water into outer space. When it did, it came out of the Pacific Ocean. In the TV commercial "Plankton's Holiday Hits", Bikini Bottom is revealed to be part of the United States, and its residents Americans. Bikini Bottom is placed beneath its namesake island, Bikini Atoll, in the Pacific Ocean. Bikini Bottom's location at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean is mentioned or referred to in several different episodes, and in the movieThe SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

Cityscape

General Map of Bikini Bottom mostly based on the Battle for BIkini bottom video game.

The city is divided into various districts, including Downtown Bikini Bottom, Goo Lagoon, Rock Bottom, Sand Mountain, Jellyfish Fields, Kelp Forest, the Flying Dutchman's Graveyard, Residents' Row (SpongeBob's / Patrick's / Squidward's homes), Make Out Reef, Ancient Mariner Valley (the location of Neptune's Paradise.) and Palm Bay.

The city is divided by its main road, Conch Street, which runs from downtown and past the homes of SpongeBob, Squidward, and Patrick, through the Krusty Krab restaurant, the Chum Bucket and the Reef Theatre cinema. The road intersects with Barnacle Road and Coral Avenue. Anchor Way is not far off from Conch Street. Conch Street runs north-south as revealed in the SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom video game. Downtown Bikini Bottom is located in the northernmost point of the city, while SpongeBob, Squidward, and Patrick's House are on the southern part of the road. Goo Lagoon is located west of the road, while Jellyfish Fields is to the east. Other establishments are located more southerly, including Sandy's house, Shady Shoal's, the Krusty Krab, the Chum Bucket, and the Movie Theater. The Kelp Forest is located more southerly.

The county line is the boundary of Bikini Bottom and in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie video game, it is very close to downtown Bikini Bottom. This is very fitting, given that it serves as the northernmost district of Bikini Bottom, according to the SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom video game.

In every episode in which the skyline of Bikini Bottom is shown, features such as buildings, houses, and anchors can be seen. This is most likely Mr. Krabs's house. In earlier episodes of the series, a red flower arch can be seen, which now no longer appears in the skyline. The Sea Needle, which is the tallest point in Bikini Bottom, is oddly never seen in the skyline. The Sea Needle only appears in two episodes of SpongeBob, Pre-Hibernation Week and Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II. The Sea Needle also appears in the video game, Battle for Bikini Bottom where it is shown just outside of downtown Bikini Bottom. In some episodes, a lighthouse appears in the skyline, most likely Mrs. Puff's Boating School. Other episodes feature the Krusty Krab's Marquee. A fan-shaped structure, most likely a propeller from a ship, is seen in some episodes.

In the center of Bikini Bottom the citizens work and live in large, grey or multi-colored, funnel-shaped buildings that are made of metal. There are some other forms of buildings, mostly aquatic-themed as seen above. Further out from the town citizens need to use whatever is available and easy to live in, such as Patrick's rock, SpongeBob hollowed-out pineapple, and Easter Island Head Squidward lives in.

Climate

Since Bikini Bottom is in the Pacific Ocean below Bikini Atoll, it should have a sunny subtropical climate. It receives rain and snow from the nearby icebergs and having its own ski resort which sometimes receives snow. The clouds are shaped like flowers, which SpongeBob does not notice until "Pressure" where he says "You know what that cloud looks like? A flower", and Sandy replies "They all look like flowers, SpongeBob, all the time."

Inhabitants

Population

The population of Bikini Bottom is uncertain. The creator of the show, Stephen Hillenburg, confirmed that Bikini Bottom is a large city. Before almost leaving the city, Sandy Cheeks sang a song about the city, describing it as "crowded and smoggy," which are the characteristics of Los Angeles, although the physical look & feel of Bikini Bottom suggests that it is in fact a much smaller city. A one-time, Pretty Patties joint created by SpongeBob attracted 46,853 customers. Almost everyone from the city is there, which may suggest a population of around 50,000. In the episode Squilliam Returns, Squidward mentions Bikini Bottom is a "hick town", meaning it is probably quite small like most hick towns. Also, in Krusty Towers, Squidward mentions Bikini Bottom is in the middle of scenic nowhere, which could mean it's very small, which is the criteria of isolated cities. After years of wondering, it's finally discovered in What Ever Happened to SpongeBob? that the population is 538.

Demographics

Bikini Bottom's populace, like that of the rest of the series, consists of various anthropomorphic fish, whales, crabs, sponges, octopuses, starfish, anchovies, lobsters, sharks, and most other forms of sea life, including sea monsters. Some forms of sea life, like jellyfish, seahorses, snails, and worms aren't sentient however, and are treated like pets or wild animals. An example of this is SpongeBob's pet snail, Gary. The first known land creature to live in Bikini Bottom was the Dark Knight, an ancestor of Sandy Cheeks, before the 12th century (Bikini Bottom was then known as Bikini Bottomshire). Sandy Cheeks, a squirrel from Texas, is (along with Jerry the Snail and Wormy the caterpillar) the only land creature seen living in modern Bikini Bottom.

Animals

In Bikini Bottom, animals are similar to those "animals" in the real world. Some are treated as pets, while others live in the wild.

A majority of "animals" live in the wild. First and foremost, jellyfish are similar to bees. There are many types of jellyfish that live in Bikini Bottom. Pink are the most common, blue are uncommon, green are rare, purple are very rare and only one albino jellyfish exists. White and orange jellyfish are seen in the videogame Lights, Camera, PANTS!. Jellyfish reside mainly in Jellyfish Fields, which has a population of four million jellyfish. They make and live in hives, another similarity to real-world bees. In earlier episodes, jellyfish were plain pink, but later on, more jellyfish began to appear with spots, but plain pink ones still exist. Jellyfish are similar to cows in that they can be "milked" for their fresh jellyfish jelly. Second, scallops are similar to birds. They are usually found in groups at Goo Lagoon, particularly acting as seagulls. Scallops are usually orange or purple. There is also a colossal clam named Clamu in the Bikini Bottom Stadium. It's currently a mother of one. Third, seaslugs were seen in the video game, SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge. They are known to dislike everyone. Fourth, seahorses, which are similar to horses, can be ridden and are very interested in food. Fifth, the Alaskan Bull-Worm is a large, omnivorous worm that attacked various parts of Bikini Bottom in its sleep in "Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm". It eventually went on to destroy the entire city. Sixth, sea urchins, which are small "bug-like" creatures whose bites cause severe itchiness (a possible similarity to fire ants or mosquitoes). Seventh, Nematodes which are worm like creatures that travel in groups and consume common objects by eating or drinking them (a possible similarity to termites). They once destroyed SpongeBob's house by sucking the pineapple juice out of it. Other "animals" are treated as pets. Two well-known "pets" are snails and worms. Snails are similar to cats and are common as pets, but they are also known to lurk in alleys and forests. A well-known character Gary the Snail is one of them. Worms are similar to dogs, and are also common as pets. At one point SpongeBob also owned a worm and a jellyfish.

History

The history of Bikini Bottom can be traced back to the Permian period (which looked more like the Tertiary period in the prehistoric Bikini Bottom). During a time travel, Squidward Tentacles accidentally made his way to this era, and inadvertently invented the sport of jellyfishing. Years later, in a more advanced prehistoric time (possibly the Cretaceous era, since a pterodactyl was seen flying at the opening scene; however, the prehistoric Bikini Bottom looked more like the late Quarternary era), SpongeGar, Patar, and Squog (possible ancestors of SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward, respectively) discovered fire.

A scene from "Dunces and Dragons" (2006) that depicts Bikini Bottom in the Middle Ages, as a village known as Bikini Bottomshire

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A later scene from "Dunces and Dragons" (2006) that depicts an overview of Bikini Bottomshire from the bottom of Planktonomor's tower.

In the Medieval Era, Bikini Bottomshire was under the rule of King Krabs (ancestor of Eugene H. Krabs) and was under attack by the evil wizard, Planktonomor (ancestor of Sheldon J. Plankton). SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star were transported to this time after a jousting accident. They were expected to arrive in this era because they were the "prophecy." According to Princess Pearl, "the prophecy" was that they (SpongeBob and Patrick) were the ones to save the kingdom. Princess Pearl (daughter of King Krabs) was kidnapped by Planktonomor's fire-breathing jellyfish, and taken hostage at Planktonomore's tower. Fulfilling the prophecy, SpongeBob and Patrick along with Squidly (Ancestor of Squidward Tentacles) and the Dark Knight (Ancestor of Sandy Cheeks) saved Princess Pearl and defeated Planktonomor. Later, during a parade while celebrating SpongeBob and Patrick's heroic deeds, King Krabs invented the Krabby Patty, which would be passed down through the Krabs family, and the formula being kept secret.

The modern era is very quite similar to the real world, in that sporting events began, as well as the establishment of businesses, and the growth of the city. In the early 20th century, about 1902, a sporting event called the "Great Snail Race" was started, and Lightning Larry Luciano won the first race. However, not much more information about the Great Snail Race is known, until 102 years later. Around the 1920s and 1930s, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were born. Mermaid Man first used his utility belt around 1937. From there on, he used his belt to protect Bikini Bottom from evil. He would later join with Barnacle Boy to fight crime together.

On November 30, 1942, Eugene H. Krabs was born. In his childhood, he immediately became a financial genius as he is known today. In 1947, his father gave him a dollar, in which he loved so much; however he spent it on a soda, which was upsetting to him. Soon he went to Posiden Elementary and met a friend, Sheldon J. Plankton. The two opened up a restaurant and after accidentally killing someone with their tainted patty, they had an argument and became bitter rivals, inventing the Krabby Patty secret formula in the process. Not long after, a war occurred, in which the events are unknown. After the war, Mr. Krabs fell into a deep depression, which seemed endless; however, a bankrupt retirement home, the Rusty Krab, gave him hope. Mr. Krabs decided to buy the building, rename it, marking the establishment of the Krusty Krab. A famine in 1959 wiped out the chum crops, causing Mr. Krabs to give his employees a break. It was about 1977 when Plankton first tried to steal the secret formula. Mr. Krabs and Plankton competed against each other in the Fry Cook Games, which started around 1981. Mr. Krabs won gold one year for lifting two barrels of pickles. Plankton won a gold medal one year himself for performing an Onion Ring routine sporting a broken antenna.

On July 14, 1986, SpongeBob SquarePants was born. In his early childhood, he received Gary as a pet, and Patrick as a friend. He attended school, and one of his teachers was Mrs. Shell. Sandy Cheeks arrived in Bikini Bottom around 1998. Her mission was to conduct scientific experiments, in her treedome. She brought Christmas to Bikini Bottom, and it was Squidward who saw it through. About 2001, in the 21st annual Fry Cook Games, Mr. Krabs and Sheldon J. Plankton were represented by their loyal fry cooks for the first time since they first competed against each other. SpongeBob SquarePants for the Krusty Krab and Patrick Star for the Chum Bucket. Around 2002, Mr. Krabs and Plankton celebrated 25 years of their rivalry. Plankton acquired help from his family, which was eventually foiled by Mr. Krabs. The 102nd running of the snail occurred about 2003. Lighting Larry Luncino, still living, lit the torch of good sportsmanship, and the games began. The race resulted in Rocky (Owned by Patrick Star) winning. In 2017, while trying to hide from SpongeBob and Patrick, Squidward Tentacles froze in the Krusty Krab freezer, staying there for 2000 years, but eventually coming back.

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Bikini Bottom Evacuation route in "Once Bitten"

In the present time, Bikini Bottom has had various occurrences of destruction. In Dying for Pie, a bomb pie fell on Squidward's face, causing a nuclear explosion (with Squidward dead center). The bomb directly refers to the US American series of nuclear bomb tests off the Bikini Atoll from 1946 to 1958, and brief footage of the oft-used Crossroads Baker explosion of 25 July 1946 at Bikini is shown. In "Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm", an Alaskan Bull Worm struck Bikini Bottom, which made Sandy hunt it down. Bikini Bottom was moved away, but the worm crushed it. In "Wormy", while Sandy was out of town SpongeBob and Patrick were given the duty of taking care of her pets, one of which was a caterpillar named Wormy. Wormy grew into a butterfly overnight, which caused SpongeBob and Patrick to freak out, thinking Wormy's dead. They then proceeded to cause a mass hysteria that lead to the city's destruction. Global warming also took effect in the short, "The Endless Summer." Bikini Bottom was also once invaded by robots, as shown in Battle for Bikini Bottom.

Years later, Mr. Krabs opened a second restaurant, namely the "Krusty Krab 2." Plankton initiated his evil Plan Z, and stole King Neptune's Crown, thereby framing Mr. Krabs. He was frozen because of this; however, SpongeBob and Patrick set out toward Shell City to retrieve Neptune's crown, and then saved the day. These events are depicted in the SpongeBob SquarePants film.

In 41st century, Squidward was unfrozen from the freezer, and found out that Bikini Bottom was advanced and painted entirely of chrome. He used a time machine, but accidentally went back too far, to the early prehistoric era.

In the 51st century, aliens are living in Bikini Bottom and the Circle of SpongeBob Stones is still standing.

In the next eternity, Squidward Tentacles and SpongeBob SquarePants are still alive, working at the Krusty Krab as skeletons.

Government

Bikini Bottom's government, although uncertain, is set up just as they would be in the real world. Three different types of governments rule over Bikini Bottom: Monarchy, Republic, and Totalitarian (although temporarily). Presidents, mayors and kins share power

The monarchy has been a political system in Bikini Bottom since at the Medieval era. There have been three families, or dynasties, ruling Bikini Bottom. The earliest known King was from a dynasty, which was the House of Krabs. His name was King Krabs, an ancestor of Eugene H. Krabs, the owner of the Krusty Krab. He ruled over Bikini Bottomshire (as Bikini Bottom was known as at that time) in the 11th and/or 12th century. His daughter, Princess Pearl, was the heir to the throne. It is unknown whether or not she became queen. It is unknown what happened to the Krabs royal family. The next known ruling family was the Neptunes. It is possible that the Krabs family married into the Neptune family, which would justify the change of houses. Either that, or the Krabs family was overthrown.

The earliest Neptune family monarch was Naptune I. It is unknown how many generations of the Neptune family ruled over Bikini Bottomshire, before the family of King Ameoba and Queen Mildew were in power. It is possible that the Neptune family married with the families of Amoeba or Mildew, or that Ameoba is descended from the Neptune family.

King Amoeba and Queen Mildew ruled Bikini Bottom in the 1800s. In a family tree seen in the episode "Rule of Dumb," both Amoeba and Mildew have full monarch titles. This could indicate that Amoeba died first, and his wife took the throne until their child was eligible for the throne. On the family tree, their four children are listed as either prince or princes, indicating that their children did not asend the throne.

The next known monarch is Neptune XIV, during the present. Most likely, this monarch's ancestor took the throne after Amoeba and Mildew held it. Neptune was descended from Neptune I. Neptune XIV's rule ended just before the episode, "Rule of Dumb" occured. Patrick Star was told that he was next in line for the throne, being a great great grandson of King Amoeba and Queen Mildew. Traditionally, when one ascends a throne, they are usually the direct heir, in which their direct ancestral line has desceased. With that fact, it could be possible that Patrick's father, paternal grandmother, and great grandmother have desceased by the tiem the episode took place. Also, since his father was the secodn son, it could indicate that his uncle, Sluggo, has also deceased. Patrick Star acsended the throne, only to be hated by his subjects, as he became a tyrant. It was later discovered that he was not the direct heir to the throne. Instead, it was discovered that Sluggo had a son, Gary, ironically, SpongeBob's pet snail. Gary ruled Bikini Bottom for an unknown amoutn of time.

Bikini Bottom's republic form of government contains two known positions: the Mayor and the President. The elected mayor, (whose name is uncertain), has been known to open an unfinished bridge and attend the 102nd Annual Great Snail Race. The president is elected by the residents of Bikini Bottom. Squidward Tentacles thought that he was elected president once, but it turned out he was the president of "The Good Neighbor Lodge".

After initiating his evil Plan Z during the rule of King Neptune XV, Plankton brought Bikini Bottom's populace into slavery. He renamed Bikini Bottom as Planktopolis, and became its dictator. He created a Totalitarian form of government. By then, Plankton ruled the city as King Neptune XV was too busy worrying about his "thinning" hair and both the mayor and president were presumably under Plankton's control. However, SpongeBob and Patrick Star soon put a stop to this and Plankton was arrested for his actions. Control was then restored to the president, the mayor, and King Neptune XV.

Law

These are some of the laws in Bikini Bottom, which are similar to that of United States laws, against the following actions: stealing, parking in a No Parking Zone, parking next to a fire hydrant, littering, driving blindfolded, public nudity, stealing, running through red lights whether driving or actually running, and others.

Bikini Bottom has a courthouse, in which trials take place like any American city court except there was no prosecutor. The only known three trials shown were Krabs vs. Plankton", "Driven to Tears" and "The Krusty Sponge." Plankton sued Mr. Krabs for falling on the Krusty Krab floor when there was no wet floor sign. Plankton sued for everything of what Mr. Krabs had. The trial was headed by Judge Stickleback, and due to a fall, Defendant Eugene Krabs' lawyer was unable to defend. SpongeBob LawyerPants became Mr. Krabs' new lawyer. The trial resulted in a victory for the defendant. In The Krusty Sponge, Mr. Krabs was arrested for poisoning his customers with the Spongy Patties. The jury reached a 'guilty' verdict but after seeing the judge with a SpongeBob gavel, Mr. Krabs asked for permission to approach the bench. The scene cuts to the judge in the Krusty Sponge train with Squidward riding. Mr. Krabs tells the judge that he can go around as many times as he wanted.

Military/Defense

Besides the Bikini Bottom Police Department, Bikini Bottom has two known forms of defense. It probably has a military for in the episode Good Neighbors a military tank can be seen with a soldier inside. It is also unknown if Bikini Bottom has any military installations. Mr. Krabs served in the Navy, and the Navy has been mentioned in a few episodes, and assumably served as some part in World War 2, as mentioned in the Krusty Krab Training Video

Education

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Bikini Bottom Elementary as seen in "SquidBob TentaclePants"

The public education system in Bikini Bottom consists of four Known schools which are Bikini Bottom Elementary, Poseidon Elementary, Bikini Bottom Middle school and Bikini Bottom High (which features prom night in the gym). There are two schools which cater for driver's education. Those boating schools are run by Mrs. Puff (who is the major boating school teacher in Bikini Bottom) and Mrs. Flounder (who runs classes on Monday mornings). The best boating instructor, according to Mr. Fitz (The Superintendent) is Sam, with his boot-camp like school. Bikini Bottom also has a Community College, where Patrick Star and Flatts the Flounder once attended. Alternatively, adults attend the Adult Learning Center (where Squidward Tentacles was temporarily an art teacher) in Bikini Bottom.

Transportation

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Bikini Bottom traffic light.

Bikini Bottom has a wide array of different transportation systems. As in the real world, roads and highways serve Bikini Bottom's buses, taxis, and boats (boats are the underwater equivalent of cars). An airport is seen in Bikini Bottom, as well as a lighthouse near the edge of the Goo Lagoon; helping to avoid late night accidents.

Bikini Bottom's main road is Conch Street. Conch Street runs from SpongeBob's, Patrick's, and Squidward's houses, past the Krusty Krab and the Chum Bucket, and stretches as far as downtown Bikini Bottom. It intersects with Coral Avenue, which is located in downtown Bikini Bottom. A series of highways run just on the outskirts of the city, and in the middle of downtown, a thruway is present. A road leads from Atlantis to Bikini Bottom, as seen in the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Another road leads from Bikini Bottom to Rock Bottom which goes past the Glove World Theme park. An interesting feature of this road is that for a distance it runs straight down a cliff. The only ways up from the bottom are by bus or with a balloon. Other roads include Albatross Avenue, Anchor Way, Barnacle Road, Seashell Street, Shallow Grave Road, and Stormy Way.

The name of the city bus service is Snailways, a pun on "Trailways", whose buses are fashioned from red submarines. This bus service stops at almost anywhere in Bikini Bottom and beyond (much like a Greyhound Bus). Sandy Cheeks mentioned in a deleted scene of SpongeBob SquarePants Movie that buses run from Shell City to Bikini Bottom, although SpongeBob and Patrick took alternative transport by riding David Hasselhoff. Like any city Bikini Bottom has a huge traffic issue, with roads and highways clogged up even in the afternoon. It is very common for somebody coming back from work to be stuck in traffic.

Another mode of transportation is by train. Trains in Bikini Bottom are only seen twice in the entire series. They are briefly seen in "Pest of the West" and "Blackened Sponge"

Bikini Bottom also has a ferry which only so far goes to Chum World theme park as seen in Revenge of the Flying Dutchman.

Crime

Bikini Bottom Police HQ.

Bikini Bottom has its fair share of criminals such as Plankton and the Tattletale Strangler. Mr. Krabs has been known to steal, or "borrow" as he calls it. Mrs. Puff or Squidward are always blamed for the crimes actually committed by SpongeBob or Patrick and are either arrested or fined to do community service. At one point, a bomb exploded in the Krusty Krab, blowing a hole in the rear of the building. The bomb itself, which had the total energy of a nuclear bomb had been made in a factory, or so the pirates who sold it to Squidward said. There is also the punishment of execution by King Neptune, such as for stealing his crown. Bikini Bottom has two prisons: The Institution for the Criminally Tiny and Bikini Bottom Jail for everyone else. The underwater city has its own courthouse, headed by a female fish judge. In future episodes, the judge is a male. The Bikini Bottom Police Department is a reasonably fair organization, despite arresting citizens for no real reason whatsoever, and has been known to imprison SpongeBob and Patrick for their crime of stealing balloons and then releasing them to tell the two that it was National Free Balloon Day. They also once arrested SpongeBob for not inviting them to his party. In the game SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab, the army makes an appearance, it seems the army is made out of Helicopters with giant nets (used to capture Plankton), tanks that shoot blue flames, Special laser machines, Electric fields, and Bomb throwing tanks. The SWAT team has also been mentioned a few times in SpongeBob like in the episodes "Fungus Among Us", when Squidward calls the SWAT team to take SpongeBob away and "The Thing" when SpongeBob and Patrick help Squidward escape from his zoo cage.

Economy

Little is known about the economy in Bikini Bottom. Its currency is based off the U.S. Dollar. There is one bank, First Nautical Bank, in which checking and savings accounts are used. There is a credit card company, called Master Carp, a parody of Mastercard. The level of commerce in Bikini Bottom is high. There are thriving stores, restaurants, recreational facilities, and even a 3-story mall.

Health

Bikini Bottom Hospital.

The healthcare in Bikini Bottom is uncertain; the Bikini Bottom Hospital has been able to cure or have a cure for any patient, with the exception of food poisoning and eating bombs (There have been 11 cases). Many different sicknesses have been cured, such as the Suds, car accident recovery, cash-coma, and others. In the episode, "No Weenies Allowed", it is revealed that there is another hospital, specifically for weenies, entitled Weenie Hut General. Dr. Gill Gilliam is the most well-known doctor in Bikini Bottom. He always appears on the scene when a health issue is involved. There are also health insurance agents, which contributes to the health system, as mentioned by Mrs. Puff. Additionally, SpongeBob was recommended by a physician at the Bikini Bottom Hospital, Dr. Gilliam, to be admitted into Weenie-Hut General, which is a hospital for weenies. The Bikini Bottom's healthcare system also applies to pets and even objects. A Vet Hospital is located on Conch Street, where the Doctorfish is also a veterinarian. The veterinarians can sometimes mistake Squidward's clarinet playing for a dying animal. Ambulances usually appear the moment someone gets injured, which can be indicative of good healthcare.

Environment

Bikini Bottom is shown to be quite a clean city. Littering is highly prohibited, and the areas around Bikini Bottom are pristine. Some citizens may also be vegetarians, as Hillenburg revealed that they'd b cannibals if they ate meat, and it is possible that they could be using the underwater currents to produce electricity (as no coal-fired power plants have been seen yet). Most of the buildings are also made of recycled material. The only problem is that with high population and the amount of automobiles Bikini Bottom can become very smoggy, as mentioned by Sandy in Chimps Ahoy, and cheap products have also been a problem, as lightbulbs have constantly been seen burning out, and products have been seen turning against their owners (such as Le Spatula refusing to flip a krabby patty). Global warming has also affected Bikini Bottom, as seen in the educational short, "The Endless Summer." The industrial park is an area of Bikini Bottom consisting of factories and manufacturers, which produce toxic chemicals and pollution. For a while, Bikini Bottom appeared polluted in "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" when it was known as Planktopolis.

Culture

The culture of the city is a caricature of contemporary American culture.

The Arts give Bikini Bottom a better outlook on knowledge and creativity. Bikini Bottom houses two museums: The Fry Cook Museum and the Fish Hook Museum. Bikini Bottom also has a music hall, a convention hall, and an Art Society. Squidward Tentacles contributes highly to many of the arts and music Bikini Bottom has to offer.

Entertainment in Bikini Bottom contributes to the social interaction within the city. There is the Bubble Bowl,Glove World, Goofy Goober's Ice Cream Party Boat (for the kids), Weenie Hut Jr., Super Weenie Hut Jr., and the Salty Spittoon club (for strong people only), the Thug Tug and Tough Tavern bars (for tough men only) and The Reef Theatre (cinema). The Krusty Krab houses entertainment with shows such as the Annual Squidward Tentacles Talent Show (featuring the unpopular Squidward Live segment), The Komedy Krab and "Live Nude Pranksters", which featured an unclothed SpongeBob and Patrick. In addition, a popular band called "Ned and the Needlefish" started in Bikini Bottom.

Media

Bikini Bottom has many forms of media. News, magazines, radio, and television contribute to Bikini Bottom's wide spread of news and entertainment.

Bikini Bottom News Flash.

• The city paper is called the Bikini Times. It features the regular news, as well as daily comics. One of the comics is called The Wisenheimers. There is another newspaper that is called the Bikini Bottom Inquirer, which is a parody of The National Inquirer.

• There are two science magazines called Fake Science Monthly and Boring Science Digest. Another magazine is called Fancy Living Digest. There is another magazine that is called Long, Tan and Handsome. There are two dance magazines: Dance Now and Interpretive Dance Quarterly. Another magazine is Frown Digest. Other magazines include Lobster Home Journal, Jellyfish Weekly,Krusty Bottom Weekly, Urchin Weekly, Octopolian, CarpNews, Snow Tires Weekly, Clams (a business magazine),and "Mime Weekly" (In a SpongeBob comic).

• There are four radio stations in Bikini Bottom, which are called WH2O (Hot Adult Contemporary, presumably) whose main DJ is Al BaCore (aka "The Tuneful Tuna"), KRUM (CHR/Dance music) and KOLD (Classic Hits/Standards in the morning), which goes by the slogan "Your All-Oldies Station". There also appears to be boy bands and rock bands; the first being "Boys Who Cry" (an R&B that Pearl enjoys), "Stingray 5000" (presumably Album Rock), and "Ned and the Needlefish", who appear in "Wigstruck".

• It is unknown how many television stations there are in Bikini Bottom. There is only One known channel. It is "Bikini Bottom News," aparrently a cable news channel with Perch Perkins and the Realistic Fish Head. We do know that there are programs such as Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy and The New Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy cartoons, ' Retirement House Girls Gone Wild, Bikini Bottom Car Wash, The Coconut, The Rockfish Files, Bikini Bottom Live from Bikini Bottom and the list goes on. It is known that there is a separate channel featuring somebody playing the Goofy Goober guitar (as featured on SpongeBob's TV in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie computer game), a kids station (featuring cartoons), a sports station (football was only seen), a science channel, an exercise program with a sea anemone and a boxing channel (both featuring boxes, seen in the episode Idiot Box) and an adult program featuring real life organisms dancing. The final channel was featured on "The Secret Box", it is actually the TV coloring station that is hard to access on all televisions, but SpongeBob refers to it as his "Secret Channel." There also appears to be a comedy program featuring a live-action royal gramma in one episode.

Religion

The main religion in Bikini Bottom is uncertain; the citizens of Bikini Bottom might possibly worship the Roman god of the sea, Neptune. The movie shows this, and there is evidence in the episodes, all though the evidence isn't substantial. There are phrases such as "Oh Neptune!", "Neptune's Preserver", "Neptune's gentle creatures", "Where in the name of Neptune", and "Neptune's mother's stockings", althpugh that doesn't mean that they worship him. In the episode "SpongeHenge", a fish argues that Poseidon is the ruler of the undersea. This suggests diferent religions in Bikini Bottom. However, Sandy may be Christian since she is a land creature from Texas, and she brought Christmas down to Bikini Bottom (even though Santa Claus did not come and Squidward had to give away everything but his new clarinet instead). In the episode "Enemy In-Law", Mr. Krabs is shown stealing a hat from a church.

Sports

It is most likely that in Bikini Bottom, most of the citizens enjoy American football. SpongeBob frequently watches the sport in his spare time. Squidward had dreams of becoming a Wide Receiver. Sporting events occur in Bikini Bottom, such as the Fry Cook Games (parody of the Olympic Games), the Great Snail Race, and the Anchor Toss Competition.

• Every year Bikini Bottom has the Fry Cook Games (a spoof of the Olympic Games but with fast food). The Fry Cook Games are held at Bikini Bottom's Fast Food Coliseum. The first annual competition was held in 1980. Eugene H. Krabs and Sheldon J. Plankton went head to head against each other until the 21st Fry Cook Games in 2001. There, The Krusty Krab was represented by SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Chum Bucket was represented by Patrick Star. In the 21st Fry Cook Games, there were 8 events (The chocolate high dive, bun toss, butter skating, giant ketchup bottle toss, hurdles, while carrying platters, riding giant spatulas and samba dancing). The tie breaker was bun wrestling. The winner was never determined.

• The Great Snail Race is an annual race between snails at Oyster Stadium, which is located in the Bikini Bottom Zoo. At the pre-game ceremony, of the 102nd Running of the Snail, Lightning Larry Luciano (The winner of the first race) lights the Torch of Good Sportsmanship (although very slowly). After the torch is lit, the games begin. The first snail to make it across the finish line, wins. The result of the 102nd race ended with Rocky (won by default, owned by Patrick Star, actually a Pet Rock) in first place, Snellie (owned by Squidward Tentacles) in second place, and Gary (disqualified, owned by SpongeBob SquarePants) in last place, disqualified due to the coach running on to the race track. Patrick had the trophy engraved to Squidward Tortellini (mistaken for Squidward Tentacles), because he had wanted to win very badly.

• The Anchor Toss Competition is a contest of strong ocean dwellers tossing a large anchor on a 510+ yard field. A referee goes and measures the distance between the tosser and the anchor, but is constantly hit by it. SpongeBob was part of the contest, along with Sandy Cheeks, Don the Whale, and Larry the Lobster.

• Jellyfishing is a fictional sport that is similar to fishing.The first episode with jellyfishing was Tea at the Treedome but the sport's name wasn't revealed.Jellyfishing involves hunting jellyfish using a wooden net and a plastic jar. The sport was first introduced in the episode "Jellyfishing." In the episode, the characters SpongeBob and Patrick take their neighbor Squidward to Jellyfish Fields, where many episode plots involving jellyfishing would be set in. Nickelodeon, the cable TV network that owns the rights to SpongeBob SquarePants, has released two products based on the sport. They are slumber bags and wall borders.

• 'Bubble blowing is another hobby in Bikini bottom. But the only bubble blowers known are SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star, although Squidward has blown bubbles before. SpongeBob once set up a Bubblestand and charged 25 cents for bubble blowing; 25 cents for lessons. There is a special technique to bubble blowing: "First go like this, spin around. Stop. Double take 3 times: 1, 2, 3. Then, PELVIC THRUST. Stop on your right foot, DON'T FORGET IT. Then bring it around town. Then you do this, then this, and this, then this, then that, then this and that." Some awkward shapes of bubbles include an elephant (Patrick: It's a Giraffe!), butterflies, worms, among others. Two bubble-themed episodes are "Bubblestand" and "Bubble Buddy." SpongeBob finds bubble-blowing tobe quite useful as he can clean things up and send messages in them.

Other sports include those that are played by people in the real world, such as weight lifting, swimming, volleyball, karate, and hot dog eating contests. Weight lifting is very popular at Goo Lagoon. There are even weight lifting competitions at Goo Lagoon. SpongeBob even has a small fitness center at his house. However, instead of weights, SpongeBob uses stuffed animals (rabbits) as weights. SpongeBob has used a stick with two marshmallows attached to it, which he could not lift. Swimming is a very popular sport at Goo Lagoon. There are small circular pools elsewhere in the city. Volleyball Just like the real sport. In Bikini Bottom, volleyball is played at Goo Lagoon. Karate is a popular sport for SpongeBob and Sandy. Some Karate moves include the Double Overhand Squirrel Knot and the Squirrel and the Tin Cans. Two Karate-themed episodes are "Karate Choppers" and "Karate Island." A hot dog eating contest is briefly shown during the episode "SpongeGuard on Duty". Bowling also seems to be a sport since a bowling alley was shown in the PC version of "Battle for Bikini Bottom".

Holidays

Bikini Bottom has its share of holidays. It has five main holidays, as in the real world: Valentine's Day (February 14); Halloween (October 31); Christmas (December 25); Easter; and Independence Day (July 4). Three minor holidays are celebrated in Bikini Bottom, which humans know of. These are Opposite Day (January 25), April Fools Day (April 1), and Leif Erikson Day (which the show claims SpongeBob made up) (October 9). Other holidays are not known in the real world, but are known in Bikini Bottom: Annoy Squidward Day (January 15), Bikini Bottom Zoo Annual Free Day, Best Friends Day, National Free Balloon Day, and Starfish Day.

Events

There are popular events that take place in Bikini Bottom. Most of these events take place at Goo Lagoon. Such events include the Anchor Toss Competition, Hotdog Chug Contest, Sand Castle Competition, Surfing Competition, and the Weight Lifting Competition. An Art Contest occurs at the Bikini Bottom Art Society. Sporting events such as the Great Snail Race takes place at Oyster Stadium; the Fry Cook Games take place at the Fast Food Coliseum. The Bubble Bowl, a musical event in which the Bikini Bottom Super Band plays at takes place in a human football stadium. Bikini Bottom has a carnival, as well as an annual Scavenger Hunt, in which SpongeBob has won three times in a row.

Anthem

Bikini Bottom has its own "national" anthem, which goes as follows:

Oh, Bikini Bottom, we pledge our hearts to you!

As faithful, as deep, as true, as blue!

Oh Bikini Bottom, we love you!

Features

Bikini Bottom contains most of the features and landmarks found in a typical American city, though presented in an aquatic style; the citizens, for instance, drive wheeled boats instead of cars. Buildings in Bikini Bottom often resemble aquatic items such as wooden ships and anchors. Most of Bikini Bottom's citizens live in simple gray, cylindrical metal houses made from parts of sunken submarines and boats. However, the homes of the series' main and supporting characters tend to be more distinctive. Water ways, such as rivers and lakes in which the citizens fish and swim in, are in the form of goo instead of water.

Other places

There are places and features outside Bikini Bottom. Most of them appear in video games.

Other towns and cities in SpongeBob SquarePants include Rock Bottom, Bass Vegas, Ukulele Bottom,Apple World, Atlantis, Leisure Village, Tentacle Acres, Palm Bay and Bottoms Up/Waverly Hills, plus Bikini Atoll on the surface. Shell City (also on the surface) is six days away through a long and dangerous route beyond the County Line (the boundary of Bikini Bottom).