The United States of Piedra is a mammoth, efficient nation, ruled by Carlo Del Monte with an even hand, and remarkable for its frequent executions, smutty television, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 8.718 billion Piedrans are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.

The relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Education, Industry, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Vista. The average income tax rate is 27.3%.

The frighteningly efficient Piedran economy, worth a remarkable 1,691 trillion Reais a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism, Retail, and Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 194,026 Reais, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.4 times as much as the poorest.

A degree in Carlo Del Monte Science with a Minor in Awesomeology starts many political careers, citizens are regularly found digging for treasure in their gardens, estate agents justify funky smells by revealing how often the previous owners showered, and businessmen behave differently if their supervisor is watching. Crime is totally unknown. Piedra's national animal is the Eagle, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Catholic.

Piedra is ranked 27,216^th in the world and 200^th in the Pacific for Largest Cheese Export Sector, scoring 5,443.3 on the Mozzarella Productivity Index.