The Grand Duchy of Noukia is a huge, cultured nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service, punitive income tax rates, and restrictive gun laws. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 283 million Noukians 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 government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized morass — prioritizes Law & Order, with Defense, Healthcare, and Education also on the agenda. The average income tax rate is 74.3%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Noukian economy, worth 5.26 trillion Noukian Marks a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is led by the Cheese Exports industry, with significant contributions from Uranium Mining, Book Publishing, and Arms Manufacturing. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 18,590 Noukian Marks, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Military instructors tire of being asked for another bedtime story by seven-year-old conscripts, black market eau de toilette is made in bathroom labs across the nation, the most popular stadium acts are one-off performances, and the institution of marriage is held sacred and strictly enforced. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Noukia's national animal is the Northern Pintail Duck, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Noukia is ranked 240,827^th in the world and 51^st in Byzantion for Largest Populations, with 283 million capita.