Spotlight on:

“Eine Regierung, für das Volk, ein Volk für das Reich. ”

The Ever-Glorious Holy Reich of Zirconim is a huge, economically powerful nation, renowned for its punitive income tax rates. Its hard-nosed, hard-working population of 678 million are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, pro-business government stops and the rest of society begins, but it is mainly concerned with Defence, although Religion & Spirituality and Law & Order are secondary priorities. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of New Pittsburgh. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 53%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing, Soda Sales, and Automobile Manufacturing industries.

'Mountain Doobie' is widely regarded as the nation's favourite drink, Zirconim has been recently classified as an international menace after 'liberating' several nearby territories, research into 'designer babies' is banned, and the streets are increasingly clogged with poverty-stricken beggars. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is crippling. Zirconim's national animal is the Zirconian Bird, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the ebic.

Zirconim is ranked 11th in the region and 53,657th in the world for Most Godforsaken.