Detailed account of my personal Utopia [OLD]

NOTE: THIS WAS WRITTEN OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND IS CURRENTLY OUTDATED.

My personal utopia would take place in the form of an entire nation, the only one on its continent with a land area of 1,000,000 square miles (2,590,000 square kilometers) and a population of 56,000,000 people. A mix of several different cultures, each one dating back hundreds or thousands of years, exists in various regions of the continent, each with its own background and traditions, though English is spoken by everyone regardless of cultural background as an auxiliary and primary business language.

Geography and climate
The geography of the continent is varied, with a wide range of landforms and ecosystems. Latitudes range from 13*N at the southernmost point to 37*N at the northernmost point. The northern peninsula is rather rugged and hilly, with a large lake where it connects to the mainland that is very popular for recreational activities. There are two moderately large islands located off to the northwestern corner, shaped roughly like Great Britain and Ireland. The middle of the continent contains a mountain range, with the highest peaks reaching around 4,000 feet (1,200 m). There are three peninsulas that make up the southern portion below 22*N, separated each by narrow water features, and a large island off to the southeastern corner. The majority of the country is forested and home to beautiful natural features and a wide range of exotic species. Most of the eastern third has not been heavily explored by humans, and this region is known as "The Untamed Forests" for this reason, though there is one large city known as New Moscow.

The climate of the northern portion is cool in the winter and very warm in the summer. New Moscow at 35*N has an average high and low in January of 63*F (17*C) and 46 (8), rising to 93 (34) and 73 (23) in July. Europe City, on the other hand, at 14*N on the east coast of the southwestern peninsula, is warm throughout the year, with average January highs and lows of 84 (29) and 64 (18) respectively, rising to 93 (34) and 75 (24) in July. Summer average temperatures are similar throughout the continent at comparable elevations, though locations along the west coast may be slightly cooler (average summer highs in the mid to upper 80s [30-32] in the mid-latitudes). Higher elevations may average as much as 10*F (6*C) cooler than sea-level locales at comparable latitudes and positions. Precipitation is moderate throughout the continent year-round, with most areas averaging between 30" (760 mm) and 60" (1530 mm) of rainfall over the year. With the exception of the northwestern and southeastern corners, the months of April through July are slightly wetter than the rest of the year; in those two locations it's the opposite.

Government
The autocratic leader of the continent is known as the Dictator, although a constitution dating back over 1200 years prevents the Dictator from getting too powerful or corrupt. The country is divided into 12 regions, each one roughly corresponding with a cultural boundary, and the regions do enjoy some autonomy, though not enough to categorize the government as a truly federal system. The government as a whole corresponds to the libertarian ideal of the "nightwatchman government", which provides just military and police, to prevent people from getting killed, robbed, or otherwise severely screwed over, while still protecting everyone's individual freedom. (Actually, as Utopia is a nation of pacifists, with few potential aggressors or targets, there is no standing military.)

Political parties are pretty much nonexistent, and candidates are chosen based on merit. Civil and economic freedoms are excellent, with an almost completely free market (though this also includes strict requirements for welfare eligibility). Freedom of speech, press, and religion are held very dear. The best equivalent classification for my utopia on NationStates is "Capitalizt" (high civil rights, high economic freedom, medium political freedom), though without the crippling income inequality that usually accompanies capitalizt nations.

The dictator is an important and very popular figure throughout the country, with each dictator doing his best to continue strengthening the economy and improving intra-national and international affairs. He serves as a key figurehead to represent the nation, and he serves as a moderator of the police force and has full executive and legislative power, often using referendums and initiatives to gauge public opinion of policies, and enacting laws and programs to maximize personal and economic freedom of citizens, protect people from harm, and foster greater progress for the nation as a whole. Income tax rates are low, at only 10-15% on average, and most people are in general very happy with the government. If the dictator has been found to be unconstitutionally corrupt, using his powers for his own selfish whims or amusement rather than bettering and maintaining the status of the people, a referendum can be authorized for his removal.

People
The total population of Utopia is 56 million as of the most recent census, distributed rather evenly across the western two thirds of the continent, while the Untamed Forests are less densely populated. The people are very kind, sincerely concerned with the plight of their fellow men, and most would never think to hurt anyone or screw anyone over. They may seem cold at first, as they are generally unwilling to make small talk and will avoid an awkward catch-up encounter with someone they know at the grocery store in the middle of an aisle, for example, and they rarely smile other than as an honest expression of happiness or amusement, but they open up quickly and easily and embody the phrase "totally rad", regardless of race, region of origin, or cultural background.

Just because it is utopia also does not mean life there is boring. There are endless nature trails, parks, and preserves for exploring, and there is partial "right to roam", with people allowed to walk or cycle anywhere they so choose on any public or private land, so long as it's not within the direct vicinity of someone's house or where the owner has posted signs saying "no trespassing". (Laws in that regard are similar to those in Finland, as outlined in this document.) One can easily explore the beautiful Untamed Forests, world-class beaches around the country's coastline, ancient ruins in the southern peninsulas, or cenotes in the Taco Kingdom.

Cities provide a wide range of amenities and entertainment options: any city of significant size will contain a wide range of restaurants, discos, cultural activities, and parks. The people are fun-loving and make the most of their time and surroundings, and staying inside all day is considered exceedingly "square" and is something that would only ever be done by an ignorant tourist. In the United States, "if you're bored, you're boring" is an overused cliche; in utopia, it's the truth.

Most people are also quite intelligent and conventionally attractive; the average IQ is about 110, and most people are at least a 4/6 for attractiveness: tall and fit with good hygiene and personalities to match. If you pull an average person off the street, odds are he or she will be the type of person I'd like to hang out with. Everyone is also hard-working and reliable; the archetype of the lazy bum who is 35 years old and spends his entire life playing video games in his parents' basement does not exist. The employment rate is very high, with most people working 40-hour work weeks, but the pace of life is quite slow in general, so few people work much more than that, and burnout is virtually unheard of.

Due to excellent healthcare and the low-stress lifestyle, the aging process is considerably slower in utopia than on Earth, with the average person living to the age of about 130. Suicide is unheard of, and unnatural deaths are very rare. The race of people who inhabit utopia also do not require sleep, meaning they are able to make the most of all 24 hours of the day; standard full-time work hours are 7:00 to 15:00 or 16:00, with the evenings, nights, and early mornings being completely free for most people.

Independence is something else that people strive for; most people leave their parents' nest in their late teens, becoming working adult members of society with lives and often families of their own at a young age. Compulsory education ends at age 16-17 depending on when one's birthday falls, and by age 22 the percentage of people still living with or financially dependent on parents or guardians is negligible, with about 30% of people already being married by that time.

Education
The schools of utopia are among the best in the world, and while standardized testing and Common Core standards are absent, there is only about a 4% achievement gap between the best and worst schools. Children begin compulsory education at the age of five; grades one through eight (ages 5-12/13) are at primary school, in which students stay in one room with one teacher for most of the day. Teacher-student relationships are almost always very good, and by the end of primary school, students are up to what would in the United States be considered a 10th-11th grade level in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and one foreign language.

After this comes high school, which consists of grades nine through twelve (ages 13-16/17). In high school, students are allowed to choose courses more appropriate for their own intended career paths, though it is still mandatory and tuition is very low or nonexistent, a mix of American high school and college. At graduation, people are now considered adults, being granted rights including full emancipation from parents or guardians and the right to get married, get a job, drink alcohol, and vote. People may now snag a full-time job in their chosen field and make a living for themselves; there are some occupations, however, such as teachers, doctors, and lawyers, for whom a couple of extra years of post-secondary education would be necessary.

The school year runs from early or mid September through mid May, with five months off for summer vacation (as utopia is located on a planet with a year of 400 days, accounted for in an extra month called Dave, located between June and July), and homework is minimal; however, due to the atmosphere of cooperation, good student and teacher relationships, and minimization of distractions and time-wasting activities, the students achieve more and are far more intelligent than in other countries where the school day and year are much longer.

Technology
Healthcare is state-of-the-art and constantly advancing, with people able to live longer and healthier than ever before. However, many technologies are decidedly stuck in the past, and so is popular music: new wave, similar to ours of the 1980s, is still a very popular genre to this day. Personal computers and the Internet do not exist, and the closest thing they have to a computer would be a circa-1990-style word processor. Calculators are quite rad, however; their equivalent of the TI-83, TI-84, and TI-89 have been around for a couple of decades now.

Vehicles are generally human-powered: a lot of transportation is done on foot or via bicycle, though special bicycles have been developed that can seat six people and a decent amount of stored stuff and can reach maximum speeds of 55 mph (90 km/h). These devices may not be operated by anyone under the age of 12, and many parks restrict traffic to pedestrians and vehicles that seat only one person. The highway system across the country is excellent, however, and modeled on the United States' Interstate system. Traffic congestion, even in the largest of cities, is minimal, and traffic accidents involving death or injury are quite rare, even in spite of (or perhaps due to) the lack of speed limits on rural roads.

If anyone has questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to let me know!