Location: Antarctica

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Kingdom of Runopa is a gargantuan, devout nation, ruled by Wombaticus with an iron fist, and remarkable for its punitive income tax rates. Its compassionate, hard-working, cynical population of 13.366 billion are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Religion & Spirituality, Law & Order, and Defence. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Taros. The average income tax rate is 100%. A substantial private sector is dominated by the Uranium Mining industry.

The national Police Academies have dedicated infant wings, unstable couples are known to break up over which one gets parental leave, elections have become procedural nightmares due to voters persistently rejecting candidates, and all judiciary cases are decided in the court of public opinion. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Runopa's national animal is the penguin, which is also the nation's favorite main course, its national religion is Roman Catholicism, and its currency is the polar crown.

Runopa is ranked 93rd in Antarctica and 98,979th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -35 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and