Location: The North Pacific

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Dictatorship of The Wilhelm Union is a huge, safe nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, cynical population of 827 million 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."

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defence, and Education. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Wilhelmgrad. The average income tax rate is 69%, 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 Uranium Mining.

Mandatory daycare is provided by the government, the number of students attending university has reached a record high, all marriages are arranged by the government, and a fashion designer has been arrested for inciting hatred after claiming redheads couldn't pull off vermillion. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. The Wilhelm Union's national animal is the Balrog, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the Neuro.

The Wilhelm Union is ranked 3,315th in The North Pacific and 69,734th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -14 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and