The Republic of XLII is a mid-sized, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its compulsory vegetarianism, state-planned economy, and sprawling nuclear power plants. The compassionate, cynical, devout population of 87 million XLIIsians 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 government juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Education, and Welfare. The average income tax rate is 14.5%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The XLIIsian economy, worth 5.46 trillion Orps 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 Tourism, Information Technology, Furniture Restoration, and Soda Sales. 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 62,810 Orps, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.6 times as much as the poorest.

Leader claims to be the epitome of family values, students are known to arrive at school in their pyjamas, discarded pennies litter the streets, and scientists are terrified of fabulous new breakthroughs. Crime is well under control. XLII's national animal is the Octopus, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

XLII is ranked 105,651^st in the world and 39^th in Kerbals of the North for Most Eco-Friendly Governments, scoring 817.73 on the Dolphin Recycling Awareness Index.