The Capitalist Military Republic of TaiRiKu is a huge, cultured nation, ruled by Vaclav Milize with a fair hand, and renowned for its vat-grown people, daily referendums, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, democratic, humorless population of 944 million Coloratas 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 government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Liberte et Igalite. The average income tax rate is 53.2%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming TaiRiKuan economy, worth 116 trillion Magnes a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Tourism, and Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 123,194 Magnes, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.2 times as much as the poorest.

Picnickers are lucky if a few wasps are the only animals that trouble them, an enormous health awareness programme is underway, pandemics are over and done with by the time it takes to pass the nation's stringent border security, and you can't make an omelet without breaking a few legs. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. TaiRiKu's national animal is the Frieren, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

TaiRiKu is ranked 21,178^th in the world and 508^th in the South Pacific for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 271.51 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.