The Republic of Forlem is a tiny, pleasant nation, notable for its burgeoning wolf population. The hard-working population of 8 million Forlemians 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 juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 20.5%.

The Forlemian economy, worth 335 billion marks a year, is led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Uranium Mining, Furniture Restoration, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 41,945 marks, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.6 times as much as the poorest.

Crime is relatively low, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Forlem's national animal is the wolf, which can occasionally be seen sifting through garbage in the nation's cities.

Forlem is ranked 112,543^rd in the world and 8^th in The Intergalactic Frontier for Highest Unexpected Death Rate, scoring 32.82 on the Bus Surprisal Index.