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The Incorporated States of Mercanta is a gargantuan, orderly nation, ruled by That Famous Dude with an iron fist, and remarkable for its prohibition of alcohol, strictly enforced bedtime, and pith helmet sales. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless, devout population of 29.699 billion Mercants 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 tiny, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized government is primarily concerned with Defense, although Law & Order, Industry, and Healthcare are also considered important, while Social Policy and Welfare receive no funds. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Mercantopolis. The average income tax rate is 3.3%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Mercanti economy, worth a remarkable 7,883 trillion Credits a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Retail. Black market activity is rampant. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an amazing 265,453 Credits, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.4 times as much as the poorest.

Those who investigate UFOs tend to wake up delirious on abandoned roads, migrating birds in the nation's airspace are considered a violation of national sovereignty, the national colors help to make everyone look slimmer, and ships are encouraged to deliberately run aground onto Mercanti beaches. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, despite the fact that it is difficult to make it through a day without breaking one of the country's many laws. Mercanta's national animal is the thylacine, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Glorification of That Famous Dude.

Mercanta is ranked 2,119^th in the world and 10^th in Commonwealth of Sovereign States for Largest Furniture Restoration Industry, scoring 13,262.54 on the Spitz-Pollish Productivity Index.