Location: Lui Letterenland

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The United Socialist States of Waterschei is a massive, safe nation, remarkable for its sprawling nuclear power plants. Its quiet, industrious population of 2.516 billion have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Education, Defence, and Law & Order. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Mijn Kot. The average income tax rate is 94%, 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.

Waterschei's schoolchildren are manufactured into a segregated bunch of soldiers, religious zealots, and computer technicians, legislators work 24/7 due to an influx of single-issue bills, the police have been swamped with requests to stay up past bedtime, and citizens are only allowed to view government-approved TV shows. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Waterschei's national animal is the sheep, which is also the nation's favorite main course, its national religion is Atheism, and its currency is the Belgian Beer.

Waterschei is ranked 16th in Lui Letterenland and 99,149th in the world for Largest Trout Fishing Sector, scoring -7 on the Nemo Depletion Efficiency Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and