Both Denisia and Miketon have tried to enter this hallowed hall and both have failed. But in a new damning report, Congressional Parliament argues that Gorditas and Siggary are not true Great Powers and do not deserve their status, raising the hopes of new candidates of greatness and indicating how far these two nations have fallen behind.

The report is based on the new 'R-Index', a linear equation taking into account the population, standard of living, financial health, trading power, and military might of a nation. By these measures, only Lindsholm, Marcusburg, and Rattanjeetland lead the Mapp and are fit to be great.

Surprisingly, Siggary and Gorditas come in sixth and seventh respectively, knocked out of the top five by Octavton in fourth and Pauldelphia in fifth. The news has led some to call for the immediate demotion of Siggary and Gorditas, others to question the legitimacy of the R-Index, and still others to call for the enlargement of the Great Powers Forum.

An examination of these seven countries follows:

Once a balanced economic and military powerhouse, this country is mired in a serious depression. Amidst endemic claims that the government neither listens nor cares, voter apathy hit a record low in recent national elections and turnout promises to be lower next time around. Without strong leaderhship, Gorditans instead prefer to shop their worries away, propping the economy afloat as the rest of the world passes them by.

The most militaristic of the Great Powers, Lindsholm has drifted without direction ever since the collapse of the Phoenix Confederacy and the Jaredian abdication. Past economic improvements, performed with surgical precision, maintain the country's high standard of living to this very day. Many analysts firmly believe that this country is in decline, and that Lindsholm can soon no longer afford to live off an obsolete economic and political platform designed years ago.

Although the strongest and most respected of the Great Powers, Marcusburg is reeling from the sudden incorporation of three million Denisians into its domain. In spite of this country's long history of warmly accepting newcomers, extrmely rapid growth has led to crime and violence spiralling out of control, the onset of urban decay, and a growing disparity between rich and poor. Recent attempts to ease the transition through generous social programs have drained the treasury while a vast and far-flung empire has recently proven to be more of a detriment than a benefit.

Undisputed statesman and champion of Terra Exortus, Octavton is a rising star that has continuously shown it is a force to be reckoned with. Not even a year old, the country boasts over a million inhabitants and leads an economic alliance it founded - the Terra Exortus Exchange - which has a market the size of which any country would clearly envy. Furthermore, Octavton is head of the Octavton Community, which controls Shannli and Lebrianon, two other countries which it helped turn around.

By far the richest country on the Mapp, strong economic fundamentals and an ironclad commitment to peace have set the foundation for continued strong economic growth. This has given the Imperatore the opportunity to pursue other interests such as poetry and statistics at the cost of his people, leading to stinging accusations of negligence. Indeed, many Pauldelphians claim that their country can do much more and their leader is doing nothing but squandering the country's power and influence.

Once the weakest and most maligned of the Great Powers, under the Ethnarch's steady competent leadership the Empire has been renewed to become a leading force on the Mapp. With the Congressional Presidency firmly in its hands, Rattanjeetland is successfully spreading its vision of a peaceful and prosperous world throughout the Mapp. Painful economic reforms brought in long ago have finally paid off. Only the Riksholm Treaty prevents this country from moving ahead even faster.

This economic titan has lost its lustre. Social reforms and even a new space program have failed to kickstart the country's ailing morale. The people complain that while the Siggarian government is bathed in money, the country has fallen to become the weakest and smallest of the Great Powers. Some speculate that with global admiration of Siggarian pacifism and neutrality fading as the country itself fades in light of competition from Terra Exortus, Siggary may soon find it doesn't have what it takes to justify greatness anymore.