The Republic of Polena is a tiny, orderly nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 7 million Polenans are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The relatively small, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Education. The average income tax rate is 13.0%.

The strong Polenan economy, worth 367 billion Złs a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Woodchip Exports industry, with major contributions from Trout Farming, Book Publishing, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is 52,467 Złs, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 4.5 times as much as the poorest.

Organ donation rates are among the lowest in the region, commuters are denied boarding for attempting to bring packed lunches onto trains, all major public areas are watched by police surveillance cameras, and it is illegal to make racist remarks in public. Crime, especially youth-related, is well under control, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Polena's national animal is the Beaver, which can occasionally be seen sifting through garbage in the nation's cities.

Polena is ranked 286,094^th in the world and 73^rd in The Invaders for Largest Welfare Programs, scoring 292.63 on the Safety Net Mesh Density Rating.