Location: Quebec

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Belles Histoires of Pays d en Haut is a massive, safe nation, ruled by Séraphin Poudrier with an even hand, and notable for its hatred of cheese. Its hard-nosed population of 1.247 billion are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The government -- a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, socially-minded morass -- devotes most of its attentions to Religion & Spirituality, with areas such as Social Welfare and Defence receiving almost no funds by comparison. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Sainte-Adèle. The average income tax rate is 30%, but much 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.

The populace harbors a fierce hatred of the metric system, appendix transplant figures have recently doubled, racoons deemed dangerous to the public are shot and hanged by the town hall as a warning to others, and houses and businesses are bulldozed to make way for ever-expanding cemeteries. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force. Pays d en Haut's national animal is the racoon, which is also the nation's favorite main course, its national religion is Catholicism, and its currency is the Piastre.

Pays d en Haut is ranked 14th in Quebec and 71,766th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -15 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and