The Republic of Unterkrain is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its state-planned economy, compulsory military service, and parental licensing program. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 370 million Unterkrainers 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 medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Rudolfswerd. The average income tax rate is 44.7%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The strong Unterkrainer economy, worth 28.6 trillion marks a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient, broadly diversified black market in Arms Manufacturing, Uranium Mining, Automobile Manufacturing, and Information Technology. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 77,231 marks, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.1 times as much as the poorest.

Twins move across the country to avoid being accused of the other's crimes, Unterkrain has designated Rudolfswerd as its capital city, signs at the border tell international drivers where they can put their cars, and pootling steam trains carry delighted tourists and frustrated businessmen from city to city at a snail's pace. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Unterkrain's national animal is the sewer rat, which can occasionally be seen sifting through garbage in the nation's cities.

Unterkrain is ranked 24,735^th in the world and 1,103^rd in Balder for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring 5,444.12 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.