The Zone of Northern Counties Special Zone is a colossal, cultured nation, ruled by Neil Blaney with an iron fist, and renowned for its multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, state-planned economy, and complete lack of prisons. The cynical, devout population of 3.892 billion Irish are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Industry, Law & Order, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Belfast. The average income tax rate is 33.8%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming Irish economy, worth 305 trillion Punts a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is fairly diversified, is led by the Retail industry, with major contributions from Uranium Mining, Arms Manufacturing, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 78,578 Punts, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.5 times as much as the poorest.

Police are arresting costumed characters at comic book conventions, retired racing Porpoises are served truffles for breakfast, books are often used as kindling, and blue bloods are welcome in Northern Counties Special Zone. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Northern Counties Special Zone's national animal is the Porpoise, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to heavy metals seepage into national waterways, and its national religion is Christianity.

Northern Counties Special Zone is ranked 55,620^th in the world and 4^th in The Warp for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring 4,426.94 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.