The Republic of IMAGE FRIEND is a small, orderly nation, notable for its state-planned economy, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The cynical population of 45 million FRIENDS are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The large, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 51.2%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The basket case FRIEND economy, worth 387 billion proteins a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient, quite specialized black market in Uranium Mining, Trout Farming, Cheese Exports, and Door-to-door Insurance Sales. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 8,608 proteins, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. IMAGE FRIEND's national animal is the cat.

IMAGE FRIEND is ranked 152,222^nd in the world and 40^th in Dark World for Most Rebellious Youth, scoring zero on the Stark-Dean Displacement Index.