The Dictatorship of Taravan is a massive, orderly nation, ruled by Nikolaj Torson with an iron fist, and renowned for its rum-swilling pirates, ban on automobiles, and pith helmet sales. The compassionate, cynical population of 1.98 billion Taravan are ruled with an iron fist by the socialist government, which grants its people the freedom to do whatever they like so long as it doesn't involve getting richer than anybody else or challenging the government.

The large, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Environment, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of UUH. The average income tax rate is 58.6%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but underdeveloped Taravanian economy, worth 70.3 trillion Kittens a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient black market in Soda Sales, Pizza Delivery, Information Technology, and Uranium Mining. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 35,529 Kittens, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Minor code style errors dull the house edge, Loud Patriotic Music Day has been ranked the seventh best new holiday of the year, it's often raining men (hallelujah) in UUH, and diaper-wrapped falafel is a fan-favorite. Crime is totally unknown. Taravan's national animal is the Kitten, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Taravan is ranked 76,614^th in the world and 6^th in Valaryia for Highest Unexpected Death Rate, scoring 38.07 on the Bus Surprisal Index.