The Republic of Charles B is a very large, genial nation, notable for its compulsory military service, ubiquitous missile silos, and enslaved workforce. The compassionate, devout population of 432 million Charles Bians are prohibited from doing almost everything except voting, which they do timidly and conservatively.

The enormous, moralistic government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Education. The average income tax rate is 56.1%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but inefficient Charles Bian economy, worth 12.8 trillion coins a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient, highly specialized black market in Arms Manufacturing, Automobile Manufacturing, and Furniture Restoration. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 29,634 coins, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Nature magazines featuring stick insects on their covers are sometimes mistaken for fashion magazines, every new building project has to undergo a five-year environmental impact study before it can go ahead, Charles Bians incessantly needle their doctors for relief, and the navy is hoping to hear the enemy shout "you sank my battleship!". Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Charles B's national animal is the animal, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Charles B is ranked 311,210^th in the world and 231^st in Charleslandia for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -10.1 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.