Location: the Pacific

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Rogue Nation of Xarkas is a huge, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Azraed Zelhophi with an even hand, and notable for its museums and concert halls. Its hard-nosed population of 959 million are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt government stops and the rest of society begins, but it is mainly concerned with Defence, although Education and Social Welfare are secondary priorities. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Tyras City. The average income tax rate is 93%, 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.

The government is spending millions on renovating the public transportation system, the mining industry is making inroads into environmentally sensitive areas, most of the military's funding goes into researching space-age weaponry, and the 'kind of scrawny' 500 meter hurdle is a popular event. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Xarkas's national animal is the Black Bear, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Tyde.

Xarkas is ranked 3,940th in the Pacific and 94,652nd in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -26 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and