Nation/Hyderbourg

The United Powers of Hyderbourg is a massive, socially progressive nation, renowned for its unlimited-speed roads, smutty television, and ubiquitous missile silos. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic, devout population of 2.319 billion Hyderbourgians hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The tiny, outspoken government prioritizes Education, with Healthcare, Defense, and Industry also on the agenda, while Environment and Social Policy aren't funded at all. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Hyder City. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 6.6%.

The all-consuming Hyderbourgian economy, worth 285 trillion Hydes a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Arms Manufacturing, and Retail. Average income is an impressive 123,246 Hydes, with the richest citizens earning 6.9 times as much as the poorest.

Every new building project has to undergo a five-year environmental impact study before it can go ahead, commuters often break into synchronised para-para dancing for no reason at all, protests are legal but strictly supervised, and party affiliation is just as irrelevant as campaign promises. Crime is well under control. Hyderbourg's national animal is the Lion, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Islam.

Hyderbourg is ranked 15,090th in the world and 17th in Libertatem for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 213.3 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.