The Amalan Ambassador to Eladria of Markintick is a massive, efficient nation, notable for its compulsory military service, enslaved workforce, and suspicion of poets. The compassionate, cynical population of 1.278 billion Markintickians 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 medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Industry. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 30.5%.

The all-consuming Markintickian economy, worth 136 trillion Dollars a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Basket Weaving, Arms Manufacturing, and Trout Farming. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 106,219 Dollars, with the richest citizens earning 8.7 times as much as the poorest.

If you go into the woods today you're sure of a big surprise, dentists routinely perform open heart surgery, the numbers on the latest spending report are reaching stellar levels, and muscular women are banned from competing in sporting competitions. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Markintick's national animal is the Markin Tick, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Markintick is ranked 72,489^th in the world and 65^th in Eladria for Most Developed, scoring 69.99 on the Human Development Index.