The Democratic Highland Republic of Ardu is a massive, efficient nation, ruled by Alexandre Beaumont with a fair hand, and notable for its state-planned economy, devotion to social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 1.519 billion Arduans are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The large, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Ardaven. The average income tax rate is 79.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Arduan economy, worth 203 trillion DFS a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is fairly diversified, is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Beef-Based Agriculture, and Basket Weaving. Average income is an impressive 133,744 DFS, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The government is spending more on exports to Brasilistan than it's receiving from tariffs on the imports, enemy navies sail within bombardment range of major coastal cities with impunity, nine-year-olds are discovering that they can grow gardens in real life too, and soldiers are now trained how to make sandwiches properly. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ardu's national animal is the Bandit Shark, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans, and its national religion is A nameless religion that pre-dates Ardu.

Ardu is ranked 189,553^rd in the world and 122^nd in Eladria for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring 15.6 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.