Location: The Olympic Toehold

Overview • People • Government • Economy • Trend • Analysis

The Free Land of Zyrgyxstan is a huge, socially progressive nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population of 568 million enjoy some of the most opulent lifestyles in the region, unless they are unemployed or working-class, in which case they are variously starving to death or crippled by easily preventable diseases.

There is no government in the normal sense of the word; however, a small group of community-minded, liberal, pro-business individuals concentrates mainly on Commerce, although Law & Order and Education are on the agenda. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Spockville. Income tax is unheard of. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Automobile Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Soda Sales industries.

All streets are privately owned toll roads, truth is often impossible to tell from fiction on the evening news, wealthy parents-to-be can select their perfect baby, and violently opinionated speakers can be heard preaching their hateful views on every street corner. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is crippling. Zyrgyxstan's national animal is the Unicorn, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Xyrg.

Zyrgyxstan is ranked 2nd in The Olympic Toehold and 8,467th in the world for Shortest Average Lifespan, scoring 3 on the Bus Surprisal Index.

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NationStates by Max Barry, author of and