Location: Cat Burglars

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Dictatorship of Shiny Obsidian Rocks is a massive, devout nation, notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 2.221 billion are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The large government is mainly concerned with Law & Order, although Religion & Spirituality and Education are on the agenda. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 22%. A substantial private sector is dominated by the Arms Manufacturing industry.

Crime -- especially youth-related -- is relatively low, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Shiny Obsidian Rocks's national animal is the Obsidian Something, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the Obsidian Dollar.

Shiny Obsidian Rocks is ranked 12th in Cat Burglars and 46,747th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -12 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and