The Merchant States of North Covenant is a titanic, efficient nation, ruled by Msia Nsuku with an even hand, and renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, anti-smoking policies, and sprawling nuclear power plants. The hard-nosed, hard-working, humorless population of 12.124 billion Covenetians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The tiny, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Education, Defense, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Chagu. The average income tax rate is 5.7%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Covenetian economy, worth a remarkable 2,858 trillion Holds a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a large, well-organized, broadly diversified black market in Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, Book Publishing, and Furniture Restoration. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is an amazing 235,790 Holds, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

People with hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia faint upon diagnosis, it is often said that only Msia Nsuku could bring down Dàguó, colonies are told they'll get their sovereignty back when they finish supper, and unshaven men are viewed with suspicion in courts of law. Crime is a problem, perhaps because of the country's complete lack of prisons. North Covenant's national animal is the Whale, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is The Covenantian Pantheon.

North Covenant is ranked 21,174^th in the world and 3^rd in The Charter for Most Corrupt Governments, with 103.23 kickbacks per hour.