The Union of Palpium is a colossal, socially progressive nation, ruled by Johan Hassen with a fair hand, and renowned for its national health service, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 3.099 billion Palpians love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, socially-minded, outspoken morass — juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Palum. The average income tax rate is 96.4%.

The frighteningly efficient Palpiumian economy, worth 377 trillion Palum Marks a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is dominated by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Information Technology, and Furniture Restoration. Average income is an impressive 121,698 Palum Marks, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Hostage-takers offer loyalty scheme points for prompt payment, lifelong celibates are surprised to receive government-issue condoms in the post, hordes of tourists are ruining the environment, and elementary school students are required to master Bach's Chaconne in D before graduation. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Palpium's national animal is the Sloth, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Palpium is ranked 328,853^rd in the world and 7^th in USSD for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -17.72 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.