Location: Antarctica

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Autocracy of Saliba is a gargantuan, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its parental licensing program. Its hard-nosed, hard-working population of 18.231 billion are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, pro-business government stops and the rest of society begins, but it concentrates mainly on Law & Order, although Education and Social Welfare are secondary priorities. The average income tax rate is 96%. A substantial private sector is dominated by the Gambling industry.

Marketing departments of corporate giants compete to sponsor little league teams, politicians constantly ring their voters to remind them how good a job they're doing, the 'kind of scrawny' 500 meter hurdle is a popular event, and the police have been swamped with requests to stay up past bedtime. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Saliba's national animal is the toucan, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the gold nugget.

Saliba is ranked 94th in Antarctica and 99,667th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -38 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and