The Republic of Apple Tree is a fledgling, genial nation, notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic, devout population of 5 million Apple Treeans are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The large, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Spirituality, and Education. The average income tax rate is 54.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The basket case Apple Treean economy, worth 57.0 billion Apples a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Uranium Mining, Woodchip Exports, and Information Technology. Average income is 11,393 Apples, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The nation's new foreign policy of 'very disproportionate retribution' has its neighbors on edge, high-income earners pay a 100% tax rate, euthanasia is legal, and prisons are filled with the cackles and sobs of a deranged inmate population. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Apple Tree's national animal is the Parrot, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution.

Apple Tree is ranked 97,301^st in the world and 177^th in Forest for Lowest Crime Rates, with 68.39 law-abiding acts per hour.