Location: Tetrakon

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Republic of Rethend is a huge, economically powerful nation, renowned for its hatred of cheese. Its hard-nosed, hard-working population of 681 million 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 juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defence, and Commerce. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Courai. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 60%. 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.

Newspapers cannot report anything about politicians without their explicit consent, tourists are kicked out if they express interest in their national sport, schools have extensive counseling programs for troubled students, and military service is compulsory. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force. Rethend's national animal is the Rethene Deer, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Rethene Coin.

Rethend is ranked 31st in Tetrakon and 84,209th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -19 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and