Spotlight on:

“For God, Empire, and Tsar”

The Empire of Volzgrad is a colossal, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Tsar Adrik Kavinkov II with an even hand, and remarkable for its hatred of cheese. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 5.482 billion 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 tiny, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defence, Law & Order, and Education. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Tsaringrad. The average income tax rate is 6%. A powerhouse of a private sector is dominated by the Arms Manufacturing industry.

Students who refuse to pray are expelled from school, cities are engulfed by smog, protesters are up in arms over new nuclear power stations, and all news sources are under strict government control. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force. Volzgrad's national animal is the Wolf, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, its national religion is Roman Catholicism, and its currency is the Blade.

Volzgrad is ranked 43rd in the region and 53,793rd in the world for Most Godforsaken.