The Democratic Republic of Ardok is a huge, cultured nation, ruled by Anthony Lecter with a fair hand, and notable for its national health service, public floggings, and free-roaming dinosaurs. The compassionate, hard-working, democratic population of 772 million Ardokians hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The large, corrupt, liberal, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Suhl. The average income tax rate is 77.5%.

The frighteningly efficient Ardokian economy, worth 86.1 trillion Ardokian leks a year, is quite specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism, Arms Manufacturing, and Retail. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an impressive 111,476 Ardokian leks, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.6 times as much as the poorest.

Government employees have reverted to carrier pigeon due to never-ending virus scans, third world countries are rich in "I Love Suhl" t-shirts, Maxtopian tourists make expensive pilgrimages to Suhl to enjoy their national art, and scientific journals publish third-graders' school essays. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ardok's national animal is the Tiger, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Ardok is ranked 165,271^st in the world and 3,619^th in The North Pacific for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring 395.38 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.