The United Socialist States of The Socialist Peoples Republic of Merka is a gargantuan, genial nation, remarkable for its daily referendums, smutty television, and keen interest in outer space. The compassionate, cheerful population of 17.641 billion Merkans enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Environment, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Washington DC. The average income tax rate is 99.3%.

The frighteningly efficient Merkan economy, worth a remarkable 3,099 trillion Dollars a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing and Tourism. Average income is an impressive 175,705 Dollars, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Stranded mountaineers can watch livestreamed footage of their rescues, mothers are routinely abandoning their children in the name of women's rights, the government has adopted a "Lightning Never Strikes Twice" approach to dealing with natural disasters, and relations with Dàguó have warmed from frosty to chilly. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. The Socialist Peoples Republic of Merka's national animal is the Eagle, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

The Socialist Peoples Republic of Merka is ranked 65,574^th in the world and 729^th in the Pacific for Most Patriotic, with 21.46 flags saluted per person per day.