Spotlight on:

“Some kind of kingdom”

The Kingdom of Shizuchan is a massive, socially progressive nation, notable for its anti-smoking policies. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 3.32 billion love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The large, corrupt government concentrates mainly on Education, although Healthcare and the Environment are on the agenda. The average income tax rate is 41%, but much higher for the wealthy. A healthy private sector is dominated by the Tourism industry.

The government's official stance on religion is that it is so very silly, school uniforms are compulsory, surveillance cameras are banned, and recruitment posters proclaim the army to be both fabulous and fashionable. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Shizuchan's national animal is the cat, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the tass.

Shizuchan is ranked 96th in the region and 48,590th in the world for Most Armed.