Location: The Commonwealth of Greater Nations

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Holy Liberal Empire of Urkadia is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Armas Sinista-Verta with an iron fist, and notable for its museums and concert halls. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 2.976 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."

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of the Environment, Education, and Defence. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of 1st Hierarchy of Majakka. The average income tax rate is 82%, and even higher for the wealthy. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.

Abortion is only legal in unusual circumstances, the new hit series "Urkadia's Got Trauma" has corporate executives fleeing the country, the elderly live on a steady diet of canned beans in dreary government housing, and terrified tympanists are finding themselves on the front lines armed only with kettledrums. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Urkadia's national animal is the White Falcon, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, its national religion is The Church of Kaisaariism, and its currency is the Parem.

Urkadia is ranked 52nd in The Commonwealth of Greater Nations and 92,433rd in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -23 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and