The Kingdom of Untermite is a mammoth, genial nation, ruled by Art Robinson the Bruce with a fair hand, and renowned for its complete lack of prisons, hatred of cheese, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 8.86 billion Untermitesques love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, outspoken morass — juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Old Butte Village. The income tax rate is 100%.

The frighteningly efficient Untermitean economy, worth a remarkable 1,995 trillion Ingots a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is mostly made up of the Book Publishing industry, with significant contributions from Tourism and Information Technology. Average income is an amazing 225,247 Ingots, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

There is an abondance of ackawi and zartschmelzend in every Untermitean grocery store, the regional delicacy of chocolate bombes is deadlier than an unexploded bomb, foreign invaders are putting Untermitean lab rats out of a job, and octogenarian swimsuit models insist that they've still got it. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Untermite's national animal is the Capybara, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Interconnection.

Untermite is ranked 86^th in the world and 2^nd in The East Pacific for Largest Welfare Programs, scoring 23,181.52 on the Safety Net Mesh Density Rating.