The Dominion of Shimbonil is a titanic, safe nation, ruled by Leader with a fair hand, and notable for its museums and concert halls, daily referendums, and hatred of cheese. The democratic population of 22.849 billion Shimbonilians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, outspoken government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Education, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Shimbonil City. The average income tax rate is 95.3%.

The frighteningly efficient Shimbonilian economy, worth a remarkable 2,190 trillion hammers a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity. The industrial sector, which is extremely specialized, is mostly made up of the Book Publishing industry, with significant contributions from Tourism. Average income is 95,856 hammers, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The family summer vacation has become a thing of the past following the introduction of the year-round school year, there are no more heroes any more, business meetings across the country are interrupted by the sound of squeaking whoopee-cushions, and badgers are frequently shot for looking at people 'in a funny way'. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Shimbonil's national animal is the badger, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Shimbonil is ranked 290,021^st in the world and 11,118^th in Balder for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -10.49 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.