The Protectorate of Despondency is a colossal, safe nation, remarkable for its suspicion of poets. The hard-nosed, hard-working population of 4.646 billion Despondencyians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The medium-sized government prioritizes Law & Order, although Defense, Education, and Healthcare are also considered important. The average income tax rate is 24.2%.

The Despondencyian economy, worth 214 trillion Delta Eagles a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Soda Sales, and Woodchip Exports. Average income is 46,150 Delta Eagles, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.7 times as much as the poorest.

Foreign policy is mostly just to smile and hope for the best, economists claim no news is good news, all government communication requires the imprimatur of the Truth Police, and guide dogs for the blind have been seen using government websites. Crime is almost non-existent, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Despondency's national animal is the Kitsune, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Despondency is ranked 136,831^st in the world and 1,807^th in eta for Most Eco-Friendly Governments, scoring 502.07 on the Dolphin Recycling Awareness Index.