Location: Syria

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Republic of Asma Al-Assad is a massive, safe nation, notable for its punitive income tax rates. Its hard-nosed, cynical population of 2.48 billion are ruled with an iron fist by the dictatorship government, which ensures that no-one outside the party gets too rich. In their personal lives, however, citizens are relatively unoppressed; it remains to be seen whether this is because the government genuinely cares about its people, or if it hasn't gotten around to stamping out civil rights yet.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Defence, Social Welfare, and Education. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Asma Al-Assad City. The average income tax rate is 69%, and even higher for the wealthy. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.

Citizens are allowed to rise or fall based on their own merits, the government has instituted 'traveller reservations' across the country, it is illegal for police officers to carry out searches due to strict privacy laws, and Asma Al-Assad has designated Asma Al-Assad City as its capital city. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Asma Al-Assad's national animal is the Eagle, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Pound.

Asma Al-Assad is ranked 6th in Syria and 94,874th in the world for Stupidest Citizens, scoring 12 on the Average Edu-UNtellignce® Test Score.

NationStates by Max Barry, author of and