The Empire of Midshire is a gargantuan, safe nation, ruled by Princeps with an even hand, and notable for its multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, smutty television, and pith helmet sales. The hard-nosed, hard-working, humorless population of 26.052 billion Midshireans enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The tiny, liberal government prioritizes Education, with Industry, Environment, and Healthcare also on the agenda, while Spirituality and International Aid aren't funded at all. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of New Dundee. The average income tax rate is 47.5%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Midshirean economy, worth an astonishing 13,476 trillion pints a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Arms Manufacturing. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is a breathtaking 517,279 pints, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Excessive wheelchair ramps on government buildings have been compared to theme park attractions, political spontaneity takes a lot of planning, the media seems excessively interested in what Princeps is wearing this season, and the government is washing its hands of alleged corruption. Crime is totally unknown. Midshire's national animal is the worm, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Midshire is ranked 150^th in the world and 1^st in Gay Equality for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 1,552.04 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.