Location: The Byzantine Galactic Empire

Overview • Factbook • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Byzantine State of Austerland is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by Emperor Francis IX with an even hand, and remarkable for its punitive income tax rates. Its compassionate, hard-working, intelligent population of 2.362 billion have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Defence, Education, and Social Welfare. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Vienna. The average income tax rate is 68%, and even higher for the wealthy. A healthy private sector is led by the Automobile Manufacturing industry, followed by Information Technology and Woodchip Exports.

Rupert Bear is considered to be the most risqué TV programme in Austerland, there has been a series of riots between local cannibals and health food advocates, mothers are routinely abandoning their children in the name of women's rights, and the government has instituted 'traveller reservations' across the country. Crime is totally unknown. Austerland's national animal is the Black Eagle, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Imperial Krone.

Austerland is ranked 6th in The Byzantine Galactic Empire and 65,699th in the world for Largest Mining Sector, scoring 1 on the Blue Sky Asbestos Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and