The Republic of Charles 9 is a huge, genial nation, remarkable for its state-planned economy, parental licensing program, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, devout population of 548 million Charles 9ians are prohibited from doing almost everything except voting, which they do timidly and conservatively.

The large, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Defense. The average income tax rate is 56.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The strong Charles 9ian economy, worth 39.4 trillion Coins 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 black market in Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, Cheese Exports, and Woodchip Exports. 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 71,862 Coins, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.6 times as much as the poorest.

The relatives of suicide victims tend to be angry rather than sad, cotton candy made from genuine cotton cellulose doesn't quite satisfy, reflection is vital for badly behaved politicians, and it is well recognised that you can't sustain communism without a bit of spirit. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Charles 9's national animal is the Animal, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Charles 9 is ranked 45,722^nd in the world and 380^th in the Rejected Realms for Most Eco-Friendly Governments, scoring 2,085.99 on the Dolphin Recycling Awareness Index.