The Free Republic of Ponderosa is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by President Walker with a fair hand, and remarkable for its rum-swilling pirates, smutty television, and complete lack of public education. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 23.783 billion Ponderosans live in a state of perpetual fear, as a complete breakdown of social order has led to the rise of order through biker gangs.

The minute, corrupt, liberal, pro-business, outspoken government, or what there is of one, is solely concerned with Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Santa Fe. Income tax is unheard of.

The frighteningly efficient Ponderosan economy, worth a remarkable 8,125 trillion Ponderosa dollars a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Retail, Soda Sales, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is an amazing 341,659 Ponderosa dollars, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 1,437,550 per year while the poor average 52,693, a ratio of 27.3 to 1.

Bar brawls are an hourly occurrence, the best defense is a good fence, spies caught red-handed are served cocktails on their first-class flights home, and an online tea-bagging epidemic is getting worse and (meta)worse. Crime, especially youth-related, is so common that it is unusual to encounter someone following the law, perhaps because of the country's complete lack of prisons. Ponderosa's national animal is the Osprey, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Ponderosa is ranked 285,073^rd in the world and 317^th in Wintreath for Highest Food Quality, scoring 3.58 on the Meeshlin-Starr Index.