Location: Balder

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Colony of Cerebell is a massive, genial nation, notable for its national health service. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 4.132 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 Healthcare, Education, and Public Transport. The average income tax rate is 58%, and even higher for the wealthy. A robust private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing, Trout Farming, and Cheese Exports industries.

Graffiti graces every city's streets, Red Cross demand for body bags are rising while sutures are decreasing, people are now classified as male, female, or genderqueer, and citizens are encouraged to report friends, family members or co-workers who seem depressed to the government for "counselling". Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Cerebell's national animal is the cat, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the sterling.

NationStates by Max Barry, author of and