The Republic of Mushroom Union is a huge, cultured nation, renowned for its prohibition of alcohol, state-planned economy, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, democratic population of 435 million Shroomers are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Mushroom Port. The average income tax rate is 70.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The strong Shroom economy, worth 26.5 trillion Nelphs a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Information Technology, and Trout Farming. Average income is 61,017 Nelphs, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Rebuilding efforts for a recently destroyed cathedral aren't expected to be completed for another century, the Shroom Babysitters Club has proven to be a huge relief to stressed-out parents across the nation, the diplomatic corps stinks, and ministers browse Alright! magazine for fashion tips. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Mushroom Union's national animal is the Goombas, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Mushroom Union is ranked 38,850^th in the world and 569^th in Europe for Most Beautiful Environments, with 754.52 pounds of wildlife per square mile.