The Republic of Manipulate is a massive, efficient nation, notable for its complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic, devout population of 2.971 billion Manipulateans are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.

The minute, pro-business government, or what there is of one, juggles the competing demands of Spirituality, Defense, and Healthcare. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 5.4%.

The thriving Manipulatean economy, worth 201 trillion pounds a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Cheese Exports industry, with major contributions from Uranium Mining, Furniture Restoration, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 67,712 pounds, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 239,681 per year while the poor average 13,812, a ratio of 17.4 to 1.

Crime is a serious problem, with the police force struggling against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Manipulate's national animal is the kiwi.

Manipulate is ranked 216,481^st in the world and 9,346^th in Balder for Most Subsidized Industry, scoring 282.53 on the Gilded Widget Scale.