The Citrus-Scented Republic of Shake Rag is a titanic, efficient nation, ruled by Ned Ryerson with an even hand, and notable for its parental licensing program, compulsory military service, and compulsory gun ownership. The hard-nosed, hard-working, devout population of 13.093 billion Shake Ragians are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Industry, Education, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Tellico Plains. The average income tax rate is 44.6%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Shake Ragian economy, worth a remarkable 1,585 trillion Summer Sausages a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Book Publishing, and Retail. Average income is an impressive 121,112 Summer Sausages, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Whipping posts and lashes have been transferred to the Historical Museum of Shake Ragian Embarrassments, airplane passengers have been known to stuff pillows in their jackets to get extra arm room, textbooks are exactly twice as heavy as they used to be, and all-natural foods are becoming a major fad. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Shake Rag's national animal is the Golden Mosquito, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution.

Shake Rag is ranked 304,968^th in the world and 325^th in Christians for Most Rebellious Youth, scoring -23 on the Stark-Dean Displacement Index.