The People's Republic of Stockhost is a colossal, orderly nation, ruled by Secrétaire général Volianof with an iron fist, and notable for its ubiquitous missile silos, frequent executions, and punitive income tax rates. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 3.218 billion Stockians are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The enormous, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Tiblich. The average income tax rate is 90.3%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The powerhouse STOCKHOSTIAN economy, worth 383 trillion Rouble Stockhostiens a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Trout Farming, Tourism, and Cheese Exports. Average income is an impressive 119,171 Rouble Stockhostiens, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Families returning from international vacations are unable to get their children back into the country, frequent fliers are obliged to submit to invasive security procedures by government security, river banks are having massive withdrawals, and phone taps are frequently carried out by the police. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Stockhost's national animal is the Grand Faucon, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Atheist State.

Stockhost is ranked 319,334^th in the world and 66^th in The Union of Democratic States for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -11.49 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.