The Commonwealth of Amsterdam VIII is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its ban on automobiles, sprawling nuclear power plants, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate population of 461 million New Amsterdamers enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Constantinople. The average income tax rate is 37.5%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The Amsterdam VIIIian economy, worth 19.7 trillion francs a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Beef-Based Agriculture industry, with major contributions from Trout Farming, Book Publishing, and Tourism. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 42,719 francs, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Major cities shut down as their local sports team takes to the field every day, annulments are on the rise as couples discover their ancestors were born in the same hospitals, grinding bureaucracy has the international wheels of justice turning slowly, and children spend all morning taking out a comma and all afternoon putting it back in again. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Amsterdam VIII's national animal is the bison, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Amsterdam VIII is ranked 202,767^th in the world and 6,245^th in the South Pacific for Highest Wealthy Incomes, with 53,822 Standard Monetary Units.