The Scholarites of Shanlix is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by the Daiamid with an even hand, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, irreverence towards religion, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, hard-working population of 1.922 billion Shanlixians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The medium-sized, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Old Shar-lo. The average income tax rate is 60.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Shanlixian economy, worth 295 trillion lixes a year, is broadly diversified and dominated by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Retail. Average income is an impressive 153,968 lixes, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.2 times as much as the poorest.

Treaties are taken to be mere rules of thumb, psychiatrists bizarrely accompany the Daiamid to meetings with foreign heads of state, 'The Anti-Government Hour' is a popular programme on many of Shanlix's radio stations, and coffee cups have grown in size to accommodate the huge ingredients list. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Shanlix's national animal is the owl, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Sajuuk.

Shanlix is ranked 122,155^th in the world and 24^th in Philosophers for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring 864.5 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.