Location: Eutopia

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Republic of West Bratenahl is a gargantuan, genial nation, renowned for its keen interest in outer space. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 13.608 billion love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it devotes most of its attentions to Education, with areas such as Defence and Commerce receiving almost no funds by comparison. The average income tax rate is 47%, but much 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.

The mining industry is making inroads into environmentally sensitive areas, cars are banned from built-up areas, West Bratenahl's famous countrysides are shrouded by wind farms, and citizens are enjoying a recent large cut in taxes. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. West Bratenahl's national animal is the woodchuck, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the pound.

West Bratenahl is ranked 5th in Eutopia and 95,922nd in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -27 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and