Location: The North Pacific

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Most Serene Republic of Spadestan is a colossal, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Leader with an even hand, and remarkable for its museums and concert halls. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 6.146 billion 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 Education, Healthcare, and Law & Order. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Spadestan City. The average income tax rate is 69%, and even higher for the wealthy. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Tourism industry, followed by Book Publishing and Gambling.

Eight year-olds can be seen lighting up in public areas, wildlife near farms is slowly becoming extinct, teams of painters are converting road signs from horse lengths to kilometers, and Members of Parliament are often found living in cardboard boxes. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Spadestan's national animal is the giraffe, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Spendme.

Spadestan is ranked 4,348th in The North Pacific and 95,054th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -26 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and