The Republic of Nightmare Shark is a colossal, efficient nation, remarkable for its prohibition of alcohol, ritual sacrifices, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical, devout population of 5.735 billion Nightmare Sharkians are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 57.2%.

The frighteningly efficient Nightmare Sharkian economy, worth 740 trillion Cards 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 large, well-organized, fairly diversified black market in Arms Manufacturing, Tourism, Uranium Mining, 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 an impressive 129,144 Cards, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 4.0 times as much as the poorest.

The nation's atlases tend to go out of date every few weeks, the nation forgives those who are big enough to admit they made a mistake, black tea is only available on the black market, and organ donation is compulsory. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Nightmare Shark's national animal is the Kuriboh, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Nightmare Shark is ranked 304,872^nd in the world and 3,719^th in Suspicious for Smartest Citizens, with 15.85 quips per hour.