The Republic of North Blackstream is a mammoth, cultured nation, ruled by president Rutherford Willis with a fair hand, and remarkable for its zero percent divorce rate, free-roaming dinosaurs, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 7.31 billion North Blackstreamers enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The medium-sized, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Silverplate. The average income tax rate is 61.1%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient North Blackstreamian economy, worth a remarkable 1,349 trillion iscors a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Book Publishing, and Retail. Black market activity is extensive. Average income is an impressive 184,623 iscors, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The most notorious criminals are given the Consequences of Your Actions Award, the free market's hand is quite visible, 'The Anti-Government Hour' is a popular programme on many of North Blackstream's radio stations, and dog owners proudly declare that their pups can predict when the mailman will arrive. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. North Blackstream's national animal is the catfish, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

North Blackstream is ranked 16,929^th in the world and 80^th in the Pacific for Largest Black Market, with 229 trillion Standard Monetary Units.