Spotlight on:

“Set me down in your Warm Arms”

The Field Marshall of Cities of the World is a colossal, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its complete lack of prisons. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population of 5.172 billion hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The large, corrupt, liberal government devotes most of its attentions to Social Welfare, with areas such as Law & Order and Education receiving almost no funds by comparison. The average income tax rate is 22%, but much higher for the wealthy. A substantial private sector is dominated by the Information Technology industry.

Citizens are bombarded with advertising from their compulsory minature radios, elevator music has been replaced by thrash metal played at maximum volume, a ban on unsolicited cold calling in all forms is in effect, and anti-government web sites are springing up. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is pervasive, probably because of the country's utter lack of prisons. Cities of the World's national animal is the phoenix, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the tree.

Cities of the World is ranked 55th in the region and 23,901st in the world for Best Weather.