The Federal Republic of Respidon is a colossal, safe nation, ruled by Alice Forsyth with a fair hand, and notable for its soft-spoken computers, keen interest in outer space, and irreverence towards religion. The compassionate, democratic population of 3.152 billion Respidonians love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The large, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Respidonia. The average income tax rate is 80.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The thriving Respidonian economy, worth 368 trillion Respidates a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Furniture Restoration, and Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 116,796 Respidates, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

There has been a rapid increase of noise complaints over the sound of buzzing bees, juries deliberate more than magic 8-balls, the news is showing footage of Alice Forsyth bullying an old man to the point of tears, and commuters are denied boarding for attempting to bring packed lunches onto trains. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Respidon's national animal is the dolphin, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Respidon is ranked 269,651^st in the world and 3,424^th in the South Pacific for Rudest Citizens, with 20.3 insults per minute.