The People's Republic of Stockhost is a colossal, orderly nation, ruled by Secrétaire général Volianof with an iron fist, and remarkable for its closed borders, fear of technology, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 3.286 billion Stockians 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 enormous, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, 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 Tiblich. The average income tax rate is 90.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The powerhouse STOCKHOSTIAN economy, worth 396 trillion Rouble Stockhostiens a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Trout Farming, Tourism, and Retail. Average income is an impressive 120,804 Rouble Stockhostiens, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Guilt tripped foreigners heavily dictate child hunger in Stockhost, Scrabble champions have been left scrambling for scraps, citizens living in underground cities have developed a healthy green glow, and traffic cops spend most of their work-hours calculating citizens' monthly income. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Stockhost's national animal is the Grand Faucon, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Atheist State.

Stockhost is ranked 317,376^th in the world and 74^th in The Union of Democratic States for Most Compassionate Citizens, scoring 14.13 on the Kitten Softness Rating.