The State of Jardine is a titanic, genial nation, ruled by First Minister Luc Darlan with an even hand, and notable for its ritual sacrifices, ubiquitous missile silos, and compulsory military service. The compassionate, hard-working, devout population of 10.707 billion Jardineans 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 relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Spirituality, Welfare, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Hautetour. The average income tax rate is 15.0%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The Jardinean economy, worth 594 trillion euromarks a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Pizza Delivery, and Cheese Exports. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 55,482 euromarks, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.2 times as much as the poorest.

Livestock mutilations are on the rise, captains must wait until all rats are safe before jumping ship, nuclear warheads are frequently launched into space as a warning to invading meteoroids, and the amount welfare recipients spend on fertilizer has exploded. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Jardine's national animal is the rooster, which can occasionally be seen sifting through garbage in the nation's cities, and its national religion is New Avalon Catholic Church.

Jardine is ranked 75,291^st in the world and 2^nd in A Rather Large Puddle for Largest Welfare Programs, scoring 1,691.28 on the Safety Net Mesh Density Rating.