The Grand Duchy of Western Octothorpia
"Part of a complete breakfast."
UN Category: Corrupt Dictatorship
Civil Rights: Below Average
Economy: Developing
Political Freedoms: Few
Location: ALLIED CP
Regional Influence: Minnow
The Grand Duchy of Western Octothorpia is a tiny, safe nation, notable for its compulsory military service. Its compassionate, cynical population of 5 million are ruled with an iron fist by the dictatorship government, which ensures that no-one outside the party gets too rich. In their personal lives, however, citizens are relatively unoppressed; it remains to be seen whether this is because the government genuinely cares about its people, or if it hasn't gotten around to stamping out civil rights yet.
The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Social Welfare, and Education. The average income tax rate is 38%, but much higher for the wealthy. A small private sector is led by the Gambling industry, followed by Book Publishing and Soda Sales.
Crime -- especially youth-related -- is well under control. Western Octothorpia's national animal is the octothorpian lichen, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the ningi.