The Most Serene Republic of Ump298 is a massive, efficient nation, remarkable for its ritual sacrifices, disturbing lack of elderly people, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 4.785 billion Ump298ians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Industry. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 68.1%.

The frighteningly efficient Ump298ian economy, worth 965 trillion Golds a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Furniture Restoration, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Black market activity is rampant. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an amazing 201,748 Golds, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 742,952 per year while the poor average 38,699, a ratio of 19.2 to 1.

Disadvantaged youths often commit felonies to enhance their educational prospects, rumours have it that a secret police is responsible for the recent spate of missing persons, kindergartners' favourite dance move is the stop-drop-and-roll, and the saying 'break a leg' is now taken literally. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ump298's national animal is the Giraffe.

Ump298 is ranked 147,884^th in the world and 5,482^nd in Osiris for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring 481.8 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.