Spotlight on:

“Ex Populusque”

The Provisional Republic of Urcea is a colossal, economically powerful nation, ruled by Acting President Julius Nero with an even hand, and renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population of 7.649 billion are effectively ruled by a group of massive corporations, who run for political office and provide their well-off citizens with world-class goods and services. Their poorer citizens, however, are mostly starving to death while being urged to go out and get real jobs. The populace has reasonably extensive civil rights, although these are mostly aimed at allowing them to buy whatever they like.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, pro-business government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Defence, Law & Order, and Religion & Spirituality. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Urceopolis. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 88%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Automobile Manufacturing industry, followed by Arms Manufacturing and Information Technology.

Child adoption by homosexual couples has been outlawed, Members of Parliament are often found living in cardboard boxes, it is illegal for police officers to carry out searches due to strict privacy laws, and citizens are regularly found digging for treasure in their gardens. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Urcea's national animal is the Yellow Labrador, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, its national religion is Roman Catholicism, and its currency is the Urcean Dollar.

Urcea is ranked 8th in the region and 53,811th in the world for Most Dedicated Public Healthcare.