The Technocratic Federation of Laudesia is a gargantuan, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Director Luther Cook with an even hand, and remarkable for its multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, smutty television, and daily referendums. The hard-nosed, humorless population of 18.339 billion Laudesians 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, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Education, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Holmond. The average income tax rate is 95.0%.

The frighteningly efficient Laudesian economy, worth a remarkable 8,687 trillion Gold Sterlings 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 an enormous, deeply entrenched, broadly diversified black market in Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, Retail, and Tourism. 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 an amazing 473,733 Gold Sterlings, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.9 times as much as the poorest.

The government funds large training centres to turn Giant Squids into functioning members of society, all footpaths have tollbooths, new pilots are regularly reminded that they are more expendable than their planes, and janitors and factory workers are often better educated than the bosses they work for. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Laudesia's national animal is the Giant Squid, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Atheism.

Laudesia is ranked 1,595^th in the world and 95^th in The North Pacific for Healthiest Citizens, with 29.89 bananas ingested per day.