Location: Lazarus

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Republic of Icemenistan is a gargantuan, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Ingólfr Arnarson with an even hand, and notable for its ban on automobiles. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 11.303 billion enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it is mainly concerned with Social Welfare, although Education and the Environment are on the agenda. The average income tax rate is 91%, and even higher for the wealthy. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.

Eminent domain has been abolished, the nation is ravaged by daily union strikes, national parks have long lines of different gender-specific 'Porta-Pottys', and pharmacies close down as medicinal drugs are sold freely by the government. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is crippling, probably because of the country's utter lack of prisons. Icemenistan's national animal is the ardvark, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the dollar.

Icemenistan is ranked 386th in Lazarus and 13,201st in the world for Most Influential, scoring 32 on the Soft Power Disbursement Rating.

NationStates by Max Barry, author of and