The Holy Roman Varangian Empire of Blandowia is a titanic, cultured nation, ruled by Emperor Thrággheímm Skjýörhållssøn II with an iron fist, and remarkable for its deadly medical pandemics, anti-smoking policies, and conspicuous electricity pylons. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 11.486 billion Varangians 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, moralistic, well-organized government prioritizes Defense, although Law & Order, Education, and Industry are also considered important, while Environment and International Aid receive no funds. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Skálðrfjøŕð. The average income tax rate is 98.7%.

The frighteningly efficient Varangian economy, worth a remarkable 6,057 trillion Skjölls 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 an enormous, deeply entrenched, broadly diversified black market in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Beef-Based Agriculture. 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 a breathtaking 527,378 Skjölls, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 2,346,891 per year while the poor average 73,757, a ratio of 31.8 to 1.

Robotic spouses prove to be just as imperfect as flesh and blood ones, government statistics suggest 115% of the population love Emperor Thrággheímm Skjýörhållssøn II, cinemas play art-house movies to ever-shrinking audiences as film critics rule the industry, and diaper sales are up. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Blandowia's national animal is the Black-Hide Woolly Mammoth, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Orthodox Christianity.

Blandowia is ranked 5,255^th in the world and 12^th in Christians for Most Developed, scoring 94.33 on the Human Development Index.