Spotlight on:

The Burnt World of Athas

“Only The Strong Survive”

Overview • Policies • People • Government • Economy • Rank • Trend • Cards

The Burnt World of Athas is a gargantuan, efficient nation, ruled by Tithian of Mericles with an iron fist, and notable for its punitive income tax rates, compulsory gun ownership, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless population of 19.252 billion Athasians are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government is primarily concerned with Defense, with Industry, Environment, and Education also on the agenda, while Welfare and Social Policy are ignored. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Tyr. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 91.4%.

The frighteningly efficient Athasian economy, worth a remarkable 8,106 trillion gold pieces a year, is mostly comprised of black market activity, especially in Gambling, Arms Manufacturing, Retail, and Tourism. Average income is an amazing 421,080 gold pieces, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 2,178,113 per year while the poor average 44,226, a ratio of 49.2 to 1.

Ministers are now allowed to put suggestions in the governmental suggestion box, surrealist houses shaped like mushrooms and volcanoes dominate the wealthiest neighborhoods, male cubicle workers stand up every time a woman enters the room, and libraries are now installed with jacuzzis and mini-bars. Crime, especially youth-related, is so common that it is unusual to encounter someone following the law, with the police force struggling against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Athas's national animal is the Thri-kreen, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Psionics.

Athas is ranked 3,407^th in the world and 1^st in Athas for Largest Governments, scoring 45.71 on the Bureaucratic Comprehensiveness Rating Scale Index.

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