The People's Republic of Balush is a very large, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its punitive income tax rates, restrictive gun laws, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 424 million Balushians love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Trash Island. The average income tax rate is 82.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The powerhouse Balushian economy, worth 39.5 trillion bills a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Beef-Based Agriculture, Tourism, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 93,164 bills, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Getting an abortion takes less hassle than writing a letter, citizens are required to report any and all incidents of prayer to their local Religious Affairs Officer, captains must wait until all rats are safe before jumping ship, and over a third of the seats in sports stadiums have been removed to make room for female-only commodes. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Balush's national animal is the Pallas's cat, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Balush is ranked 191,696^th in the world and 307^th in Starlight for Largest Cheese Export Sector, scoring 1,063.34 on the Mozzarella Productivity Index.