The Wintery Iceland of Taeshan is a gargantuan, efficient nation, ruled by Jeremiah Llama with a fair hand, and remarkable for its daily referendums, prohibition of alcohol, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-working, democratic population of 31.333 billion Taeshanis enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The medium-sized, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Public Transport, Defense, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Atlantea. The average income tax rate is 31.0%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming Taeshanian economy, worth a remarkable 1,957 trillion Mercurals 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, highly specialized black market in Book Publishing and Information Technology. 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 62,489 Mercurals, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.5 times as much as the poorest.

Record sales of 'child-whacking sticks' have been recorded, dog breeding has been banned in accordance with recent animal experimentation laws, voting is voluntary, and the government has ordered a moratorium on referenda. Crime, especially youth-related, is a serious problem. Taeshan's national animal is the Falcon, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Taeshan is ranked 123,131^st in the world and 37^th in Rushmore for Nicest Citizens, with 12 average smiles per day.