The Republic of Arlis is a small, safe nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, zero percent divorce rate, and national health service. The quiet, industrious population of 26 million Arlisians 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 medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 27.1%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The Arlisian economy, worth 1.10 trillion arils a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Uranium Mining industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Gambling, and Basket Weaving. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 42,178 arils, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.7 times as much as the poorest.

Hell hath no fury like an ocean scorned, people reciting Shakespeare have become a common sight, the nation's prisons are touted as the best weight loss programs money can't buy, and kids refer to anything below the neck as "the parts that shall not be named". Crime is almost non-existent, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Arlis's national animal is the rainbow jay, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution.

Arlis is ranked 80,397^th in the world and 249^th in Horizon for Most Cultured, scoring 68 on the Snufflebottom-Wiggendum Pentatonic Scale.