Location: The New Pirate States

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Fiefdom of Ursh is a huge, safe nation, renowned for its compulsory military service. Its cynical population of 811 million are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it concentrates mainly on Law & Order, although Education and Defence are on the agenda. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Boggrad. The average income tax rate is 59%, 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.

Ursh has designated Boggrad as its capital city, school uniforms are compulsory, heavy industry grinds to a halt as new equipment must be biked in, and the words 'private' and 'enterprise' must never appear in the same sentence. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ursh's national animal is the Fidelis, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Aurea.

Ursh is ranked 1st in The New Pirate States and 27,020th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -10 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and