The Sea of Mermaids is a massive, genial nation, notable for its punitive income tax rates, devotion to social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The democratic population of 1.574 billion Mermaids are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The large, liberal, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Education, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 51.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but stagnant Mermaid economy, worth 29.3 trillion Sea Shells a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient black market in Tourism, Basket Weaving, Trout Farming, and Pizza Delivery. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 18,643 Sea Shells, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Mermaids's national animal is the Blue Whale, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Mermaids is ranked 39,690^th in the world and 4^th in Devon for Safest, scoring 105.73 on the Bubble-Rapp Safety Rating.