The Federation of Silves is a huge, efficient nation, remarkable for its free-roaming dinosaurs, ritual sacrifices, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed population of 664 million Silvesians 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 government juggles the competing demands of Education, Defense, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Tortuga del Sol. The average income tax rate is 51.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The very strong Silvesian economy, worth 59.9 trillion lire 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 a slick, highly efficient, broadly diversified black market in Information Technology, Tourism, Arms Manufacturing, and Uranium Mining. 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 90,285 lire, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

50% of adverts on children's television are for clothes made of cotton wool, pareidolic SETI scientists swear there's a message from aliens hidden within pi, flatulent people are left to die of cancer at the end of hospital waiting lists, and harassed women are constantly hassled by guys who are "just giving them compliments". Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Silves's national animal is the turtle.

Silves is ranked 258,071^st in the world and 345^th in Colonia Apollonis for Most Patriotic, with 1.36 flags saluted per person per day.