Location: Polis

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Empire of The land of spiked trees is a huge, genial nation, renowned for its punitive income tax rates. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 816 million love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Social Welfare, Education, and Religion & Spirituality. The average income tax rate is 52%, and even higher for the wealthy. Private enterprise is illegal, but for those in the know there is a slick and highly efficient black market in Beef-Based Agriculture.

The controversial show 'Who Wants to be an Immigrant?' has become wildly popular, anyone who doesn't attend Official Governmental Religious Services is fined, the tenet of free speech is held dear, and shanty towns are forming in the suburbs of major cities. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. The land of spiked trees's national animal is the Wolf, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Kaiserin's Sovereign.

The land of spiked trees is ranked 28th in Polis and 47,680th 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