Location: The East Pacific

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Republic of Zang0 is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by Elijah Baley with a fair hand, and notable for its prohibition of alcohol. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 3.029 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, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it concentrates mainly on Education, although Law & Order and the Environment are on the agenda. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Terminus. The average income tax rate is 70%, and even higher for the wealthy. A powerhouse of a private sector is dominated by the Tourism industry.

Elections have become procedural nightmares due to voters persistently rejecting candidates, the government is giving peace a chance, naturists are jailed regularly for indecent exposure, and military funding has been stripped back. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Zang0's national animal is the jaguatirica, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the zang paralelepípedo real.

Zang0 is ranked 4,186th in The East Pacific and 98,574th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring -34 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and