The Kingdom of Hanover of Hermes Express 123 is a gargantuan, orderly nation, ruled by King George VII with an iron fist, and remarkable for its museums and concert halls, keen interest in outer space, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, cynical, cheerful population of 10.367 billion Hanoverians are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The large, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Administration, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Hanover. The average income tax rate is 98.3%.

The frighteningly efficient Hanoverian economy, worth a remarkable 2,373 trillion Thalers a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Book Publishing, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an amazing 228,950 Thalers, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.1 times as much as the poorest.

Ghost regiments exist only on paper, hospitals fear government fines more than terrorist ransoms, several citizens have complained about scientists abducting their pets for experimentation, and The Pipe Bomb Makers' Pop-Up Book can be found in preschool libraries. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Hermes Express 123's national animal is the White Stallion, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover.

Hermes Express 123 is ranked 5,305^th in the world and 5^th in Gypsy Lands for Most Cheerful Citizens, with 59.47 Percentage Of Water Glasses Perceived Half-Full.