The Frozen Peasants of Polynyas is a gargantuan, orderly nation, ruled by Sir Ernest Shackleton with an iron fist, and remarkable for its daily referendums, hatred of cheese, and suspicion of poets. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 22.97 billion Polynyasians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic government juggles the competing demands of Industry, Law & Order, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Scott. The average income tax rate is 67.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Polynyasian economy, worth a remarkable 5,324 trillion Ices a year, is broadly diversified and mostly comprised of black market activity, especially in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Retail, and Soda Sales. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an amazing 231,780 Ices, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.7 times as much as the poorest.

Government employees have reverted to carrier pigeon due to never-ending virus scans, soldiers on first dates introduce themselves only by their ranks and serial numbers, talking during class is a gateway to lifelong drug addiction, and a cyber-war between file sharers and the music industry formats hard drives across the country. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Polynyas's national animal is the Narwhal, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to heavy metals seepage into national waterways, and its national religion is Atheism.

Polynyas is ranked 192,113^th in the world and 6,841^st in Lazarus for Most Armed, with 0.27 weapons per person.