Location: Canada

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Democratic Dictatorship of Thuja is a massive, safe nation, ruled by The Grand Citizen with a fair hand, and remarkable for its parental licensing program. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 2.033 billion enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Education, the Environment, and Defence. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of The Thane. The average income tax rate is 75%, and even higher for the wealthy. A large private sector is dominated by the Furniture Restoration industry.

The 'kind of scrawny' 500 meter hurdle is a popular event, a niche industry catering to S&M enthusiasts has sprung up, the government has started a campaign to crack down on road rage and encourage alternate means of commuting, and the sound of wooden legs echo throughout Thuja after the recent introduction of the Foot Tax. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Thuja's national animal is the Sparrow, which is also the nation's favorite main course, its national religion is Pandeism, and its currency is the Thuj.

Thuja is ranked 106th in Canada and 89,129th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -21 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

Preview

NationStates by Max Barry, author of and