The Republic of Vulshine is a colossal, safe nation, ruled by Rajagopal Sharma with a fair hand, and renowned for its daily referendums, complete lack of prisons, and frequent executions. The hard-nosed, democratic population of 5.23 billion Vulshineans enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Education, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Rajapuram. The average income tax rate is 23.0%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The very strong Vulshinean economy, worth 389 trillion Vulshine Dollars a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Cheese Exports, Arms Manufacturing, and Basket Weaving. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 74,507 Vulshine Dollars, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.2 times as much as the poorest.

Referenda can be called for any law at the request of at least one third of the voting population, motorists must pay to enter inner-cities during peak hours, giant no-kill traps baited with Bapst Red Ribbon and vintage bicycles have been popping up in back alleys nationwide, and children grow up long before the paperwork for their lemonade stands can be sorted out. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Vulshine's national animal is the Vulshinian Elephant, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Hinduism.

Vulshine is ranked 3,354^th in the world and 7^th in Lands End for Largest Cheese Export Sector, scoring 6,937.92 on the Mozzarella Productivity Index.