Location: Ionia

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Blue Water Bay of Meldrum is a gargantuan, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Primier Manager with an even hand, and remarkable for its punitive income tax rates. Its compassionate, hard-working, intelligent population of 19.669 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 is mainly concerned with Social Welfare, although the Environment and Education are secondary priorities. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Bonny Dune. The average income tax rate is 55%, 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.

Abortions are routinely performed in Meldrum's hospitals, the tenet of free speech is held dear, schoolchildren have twice-weekly sex education classes, and the country's famous rainforests are being bulldozed by the mining industry. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Meldrum's national animal is the deer, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the dollar.

Meldrum is ranked 373rd in Ionia and 109,487th in the world for Largest Mining Sector, scoring -3 on the Blue Sky Asbestos Index.

NationStates by Max Barry, author of and