Spotlight on:

“Swartaz Prevails!”

The Socialist People's Republic of Swartaz is a massive, safe nation, ruled by General Henrik Jansen with an iron fist, and renowned for its keen interest in outer space. Its hard-nosed, cynical population of 3.171 billion 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.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Defence, Law & Order, and Healthcare. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Göteborg. The average income tax rate is 100%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing, Gambling, and Automobile Manufacturing industries.

The country's famous rainforests are being bulldozed by the mining industry, the government has begun breaking all large businesses into thousands of mom-and-pop general stores, government-run screening operations remove embryos with severe genetic disorders, and criminals are executed and their property seized. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Swartaz's national animal is the Hawk, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, its national religion is Atheism, and its currency is the Saasmaik.

Swartaz is ranked 1st in the region and 1,150th in the world for Most Dedicated Public Healthcare.