The Commonwealth of Whittenhandle is a massive, socially progressive nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, complete lack of prisons, and irreverence towards religion. The compassionate, hard-working, democratic population of 1.773 billion Whittenhandleans hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The relatively small, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Industry, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Whittenhandle. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 12.2%.

The all-consuming Whittenhandlean economy, worth 151 trillion coins a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Automobile Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Uranium Mining, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 85,194 coins, with the richest citizens earning 6.9 times as much as the poorest.

'The Anti-Government Hour' is a popular programme on many of Whittenhandle's radio stations, the internal market is thriving, bemused citizens are encouraged to sing foreign-language hymns of religions they have never heard of, and cash-strapped junkies lick rabbits for a cheap high. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Whittenhandle's national animal is the pygmy shrew, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Whittenhandle is ranked 6,225^th in the world and 90^th in the West Pacific for Largest Cheese Export Sector, scoring 6,474.44 on the Mozzarella Productivity Index.