The Republic of Placeholder 1 is a massive, efficient nation, remarkable for its barren, inhospitable landscape and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 3.695 billion Placeholders 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, is primarily concerned with Defense, although Spirituality, Law & Order, and Education are also considered important, while International Aid and Welfare are ignored. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 5.0%.

The thriving Placeholder 1ian economy, worth 276 trillion pounds a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Gambling, Retail, and Pizza Delivery. Average income is 74,874 pounds, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 265,031 per year while the poor average 15,272, 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. Placeholder 1's national animal is the emu, which can occasionally be seen sifting through garbage in the nation's cities.

Placeholder 1 is ranked 52,058^th in the world and 2,633^rd in Osiris for Most Cheerful Citizens, with 51.48 Percentage Of Water Glasses Perceived Half-Full.