Location: the West Pacific

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Empire of VAGRAK is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Leader with a fair hand, and notable for its suspicion of poets. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 3.951 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 is mainly concerned with Education, although Law & Order and Social Equality are on the agenda. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Capital City Funland. The average income tax rate is 76%, 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.

Members of Parliament are often found living in cardboard boxes, VAGRAK's children are widely acknowledged as the most foul-mouthed in the region, a referendum must be held in order for any new law to be passed, and the government is avowedly atheist. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. VAGRAK's national animal is the Troll, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Vagrak.

VAGRAK is ranked 3,654th in the West Pacific and 83,387th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -18 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

Preview

NationStates by Max Barry, author of and