Location: YBAST

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Borderlands of SButter is a gargantuan, economically powerful nation, ruled by Leader with a fair hand, and renowned for its absence of drug laws. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population of 10.282 billion live in a state of perpetual fear, as a complete breakdown of social order has led to the rise of order through biker gangs.

There is no government in the normal sense of the word; however, a small group of community-minded, liberal individuals devotes most of its attentions to Education, with areas such as Defence and Law & Order receiving almost no funds by comparison. The average income tax rate is 1%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Book Publishing industry, followed by Woodchip Exports and Uranium Mining.

Members of Parliament are often found living in cardboard boxes, legislation sometimes has to battle through weeks of filibustering to pass, anti-government web sites are springing up, and a typical fast food menu item could serve a small army. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is crippling, and the police force struggles against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. SButter's national animal is the shrimp, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the syrup.

SButter is ranked 1st in YBAST and 2,681st in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring 25 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and