The Commonwealth of Pemberley Down is a small, socially progressive nation, renowned for its burgeoning Penguin population. The hard-nosed, cynical, devout population of 29 million Pemberley Downians 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 is primarily concerned with Spirituality, although Defense, Law & Order, and Healthcare are also considered important. The average income tax rate is 29.2%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but inefficient Pemberley Downian economy, worth 1.02 trillion Ingots a year, is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Furniture Restoration, Uranium Mining, and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 35,288 Ingots, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.4 times as much as the poorest.

Crime is well under control, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Pemberley Down's national animal is the Penguin.

Pemberley Down is ranked 95,286^th in the world and 1,217^th in the Pacific for Most Cultured, scoring 67 on the Snufflebottom-Wiggendum Pentatonic Scale.