Location: European Union

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Commonwealth of Espern is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its suspicion of poets. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 597 million are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt government stops and the rest of society begins, but it concentrates mainly on Law & Order, although Defence and Education are on the agenda. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Nurn. The average income tax rate is 46%. A powerhouse of a private sector is dominated by the Information Technology industry.

A government program is underway to revitalize Espern's beaches, only 'organics' are permitted to be citizens, prime real estate is devoted to wind farms and solar energy generators, and organ donation is compulsory. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Espern's national animal is the Black Bear, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the dollar.

Espern is ranked 28th in European Union and 10,243rd in the world for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring 4 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and