The Theocracy of Respectener is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by Benedict the Wise with an even hand, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, disturbing lack of elderly people, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, humorless, devout population of 33.291 billion Respians are prohibited from doing almost everything except voting, which they do timidly and conservatively.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded morass — juggles the competing demands of Spirituality, Law & Order, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Sacrosanct Settle. The average income tax rate is 79.7%.

The all-consuming Respectenerian economy, worth a remarkable 2,205 trillion Dupondiuses a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity. The industrial sector, which is extremely specialized, is mostly made up of the Basket Weaving industry, with significant contributions from Furniture Restoration. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 66,257 Dupondiuses, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.9 times as much as the poorest.

Children get arrested for floating paper boats on lakes, owning a really cute pet is grounds for immediate investigation, Respectenerian politicians are often described as having more style than substance, and some are born loving old plays and some have old plays thrust upon them. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force. Respectener's national animal is the Resplendent Quetzal, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its national religion is The Worthy Struggle.

Respectener is ranked 288,665^th in the world and 1,294^th in Europeia for Highest Food Quality, scoring 3.79 on the Meeshlin-Starr Index.