Location: The North Pacific

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Ninja's Planet Pirate Ship of HigeMaru is a gargantuan, socially progressive nation, ruled by The Dojankiest Nogmanimal with an even hand, and notable for its parental licensing program. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population of 17.296 billion are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.

There is no government in the normal sense of the word; however, a small group of community-minded, corrupt, pro-business individuals juggles the competing demands of Defence, Commerce, and Law & Order. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Arbentant Moltock. Income tax is unheard of. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Automobile Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Arms Manufacturing industries.

A large percentage of the poor live from cradle to grave in subterranean wage slavery, the "Underwear of Women in Power" issue of The Arbentant Moltock Times is sold out, university graduates and new home-owners toil in labour camps to work off their debts, and commercial jingles have been ham-handedly forced into world renowned symphonies. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is crippling. HigeMaru's national animal is the Spelunking Gopher, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, its national religion is a joke, and its currency is the Steve.

HigeMaru is ranked 4,788th in The North Pacific and 95,223rd in the world for Most Compassionate Citizens, scoring -1,074 on the Kitten Softness Rating.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and