Location: Islam

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Islamic Republic of West Vandengaarde is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by the Most Glorious Caliph with an iron fist, and renowned for its complete absence of social welfare. Its hard-nosed, cynical population of 2.868 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, moralistic government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Education, Law & Order, and Defence. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Talvaran. The average income tax rate is 63%, 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.

A crusade against barbaric religious practices has begun, poets and writers are regularly rounded up and shot for entertainment, newspapers cannot report anything about politicians without their explicit consent, and public loudspeakers constantly tell citizens they are "happy people". Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. West Vandengaarde's national animal is the Great Crested Faroloc, which is also the nation's favorite main course, its national religion is Islam, and its currency is the vandero.

West Vandengaarde is ranked 32nd in Islam and 85,858th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -19 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and