The Queendom of Mel is a mammoth, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its avant-garde cinema, daily referendums, and ubiquitous missile silos. The hard-nosed, devout population of 8.611 billion Melians are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Administration, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 39.9%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The Melian economy, worth 523 trillion florins a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Gambling, and Trout Farming. Black market activity is notable. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 60,767 florins, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Every day has been a surprise since weather reporters turned to consulting ancient totems for their seven-day forecasts, everyone wants to be on the guest list for diplomatic parties, odysseying merchant sailors swear that they've heard sirens in the western seas, and victims of crime are viewed as less trustworthy than politicians. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Mel's national animal is the kiwi, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Mel is ranked 208,179^th in the world and 2,494^th in Remembrance for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -2.45 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.