The Ostentatious Grand Duchy of Markreich is a gargantuan, safe nation, ruled by Mark with a fair hand, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, pith helmet sales, and smutty television. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic, cheerful, devout population of 37.077 billion Markreichians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The minute, outspoken government, or what there is of one, juggles the competing demands of Education, Defense, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Old Markburg. Income tax is unheard of.

The frighteningly efficient Markreichian economy, worth an astonishing 15,022 trillion Marks a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Book Publishing, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is an amazing 405,175 Marks, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.4 times as much as the poorest.

Babies are a small but significant export, exorbitant spending on icebreakers breaks the ice at every budget meeting, major cities run on potato batteries, and fur coats have become the latest fashion trend. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Markreich's national animal is the Neon Tetra, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is The Old Believers.

Markreich is ranked 11,575^th in the world and 1^st in The Village for Most Popular Tourist Destinations, with 1,616.76 Tourists Per Hour.