The Republic of Berneck is a massive, cultured nation, renowned for its disturbing lack of elderly people, public floggings, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, cynical, devout population of 1.097 billion Berneckians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The large, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Education. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 70.8%.

The frighteningly efficient Berneckian economy, worth 111 trillion Ducats a year, is led by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, and Basket Weaving. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 101,819 Ducats, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 344,607 per year while the poor average 22,232, a ratio of 15.5 to 1.

Estate agents justify funky smells by revealing how often the previous owners showered, contemporary art museums showcase the latest in centuries-old art, seven-year-olds debate for weeks on the merits of the Oxford comma, and the nation's mettle is about to be tested. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Berneck's national animal is the Bear, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Berneck is ranked 207,330^th in the world and 366^th in Novaya Zemlya for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -3.95 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.