The Republic of May 31 is a very large, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service, complete absence of social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The quiet, industrious population of 278 million May 31ians are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Spirituality. The average income tax rate is 40.4%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but inefficient May 31ian economy, worth 11.9 trillion Cards a year, is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Trout Farming, and Door-to-door Insurance Sales. Average income is 42,812 Cards, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

New pilots are regularly reminded that they are more expendable than their planes, pet owners must make a payment if their charges leave a deposit, foreign musicians that Leader dislikes are turned away at the border, and weird kids who eat bugs are breaking the law. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. May 31's national animal is the Card, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

May 31 is ranked 198,719^th in the world and 40^th in Calendar for Largest Pizza Delivery Sector, scoring 25.26 on the Pepperoni Propulsion Productivity Index.