The Holy Empire of Varkhaze is a small, genial nation, remarkable for its barren, inhospitable landscape, compulsory military service, and restrictive gun laws. The compassionate, hard-working, cynical population of 40 million Varkhazeans are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The relatively small, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Welfare, and Education. The average income tax rate is 11.9%.

The Varkhazean economy, worth 2.61 trillion Eshonisian rubles a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Automobile Manufacturing, Woodchip Exports, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 65,190 Eshonisian rubles, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.9 times as much as the poorest.

A dictator has seized power and outlawed elections, military spending is on the increase, the best way to get the government to U-turn is to squick out Leader, and nobody looks each other in the eye at neighborhood block parties any more. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, despite the fact that it is difficult to make it through a day without breaking one of the country's many laws. Varkhaze's national animal is the eagle, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution.

Varkhaze is ranked 98,556^th in the world and 4^th in Chordis for Highest Poor Incomes, with 31,513.93 Standard Monetary Units.