The Republic of Tarbellville is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by Leader with a fair hand, and renowned for its multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, public floggings, and daily referendums. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 19.524 billion Tarbellvilleans live in a state of perpetual fear, as a complete breakdown of social order has led to the rise of order through biker gangs.

There is no government in the normal sense of the word; however, a small group of community-minded, corrupt, liberal, pro-business, outspoken individuals is effectively ruled by the Department of Public Transport, with International Aid also on the agenda, while Law & Order and Welfare aren't funded at all. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Tarbellville City. Income tax is unheard of.

The large but stagnant Tarbellvillean economy, worth 220 trillion Dollars a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Retail industry, with major contributions from Pizza Delivery, Gambling, and Woodchip Exports. Average income is 11,284 Dollars, but there is a vast disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 93,894 per year while the poor average 269, a ratio of 348 to 1.

Military officials are questioning the policy of ceding the nation's territory in exchange for promises not to invade it, terrorist videos start by thanking their sponsors, schoolyard sandboxes resemble ashtrays due to the large number of cigarette butts, and wait staff claim to like it when odorous customers flirt with them. Crime, especially youth-related, is all-pervasive, perhaps because of the country's complete lack of prisons. Tarbellville's national animal is the Cow, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Tarbellville is ranked 48,400^th in the world and 3^rd in Isolation for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 152.07 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.