Spotlight on:

“A mind is a mind”

The Royal Protectorate of The Mountains Of Alba is a colossal, socially progressive nation, renowned for its irreverence towards religion. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population of 7.939 billion hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and the Environment. The average income tax rate is 100%. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising fourteen-year-old boys selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.

Government officials frequently cut taxes as a distraction from antics with their secretaries, citizens are regularly found digging for treasure in their gardens, senior citizens can usually be found doing heavy manual labour, and scientists regularly clone human beings for research purposes. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is relatively low, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. The Mountains Of Alba's national animal is the scantily clad female, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the serous help .

The Mountains Of Alba is ranked 7th in the region and 2,603rd in the world for Most Godforsaken.