The Dissociative State of Hardscrabble is a gargantuan, genial nation, ruled by Dr Norvak Dolokai with a fair hand, and renowned for its multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, unlimited-speed roads, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 13.042 billion Hardscrabblers hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The large, liberal, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Squash Flats. The average income tax rate is 99.6%.

The frighteningly efficient Hardscrabblean economy, worth a remarkable 3,144 trillion gold florgons a year, is highly specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an amazing 241,118 gold florgons, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Human pie shops continue to receive shipments of meat from Spleeny Rodd's, cyclists spend more time unlocking their bicycles than they do cycling, weekly religious services often resemble campaign rallies, and beating enemies to death with a baseball bat is legal if done within nine innings. Crime is totally unknown. Hardscrabble's national animal is the wood shrew, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is The Church Of Charismatic Numismatists.

Hardscrabble is ranked 5,436^th in the world and 324^th in The North Pacific for Healthiest Citizens, with 19.12 bananas ingested per day.