The Republic of Stoneham is a huge, genial nation, renowned for its irreverence towards religion. The compassionate, hard-working population of 674 million Stonehamians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The minute government, or what there is of one, prioritizes Education, with Social Policy, Healthcare, and Law & Order also on the agenda, while International Aid and Defense aren't funded at all. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Heghsendren. The average income tax rate is 6.5%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The strong Stonehamian economy, worth 36.4 trillion Superpounds a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Gambling, Woodchip Exports, and Door-to-door Insurance Sales. Average income is 54,048 Superpounds, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.6 times as much as the poorest.

People who stay late at the office often come home to find their own funeral being planned, 'The Anti-Government Hour' is a popular programme on many of Stoneham's radio stations, mantis shrimp studies is academia's fastest-growing field, and photographers can be found hiding behind the curtains in Leader's bedroom. Crime is moderate, with the police force struggling against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Stoneham's national animal is the Lion, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Stoneham is ranked 222,309^th in the world and 8,704^th in Lazarus for Safest, scoring 25.7 on the Bubble-Rapp Safety Rating.