The Giant in the Trees of Illahee is a colossal, socially progressive nation, ruled by Harry Henderson with a fair hand, and notable for its museums and concert halls, complete lack of prisons, and digital currency. The compassionate, hard-working, democratic, humorless population of 6.57 billion Squatches hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Industry, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Wahkiakum. The average income tax rate is 73.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Squatchy economy, worth 905 trillion Golden Dentaliums a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient black market in Information Technology, Tourism, Book Publishing, and Retail. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is an impressive 137,827 Golden Dentaliums, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.1 times as much as the poorest.

Criminal rehabilitation takes place in re-education centers, the standard government reply to any query is "there is no spoon", the long arm of the law possesses a rather slow hand, and the "feminist protest" defence is increasingly common for cases of armed robbery. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Illahee's national animal is the Cow, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Gnostic Creationist.

Illahee is ranked 849^th in the world and 1^st in The Sasquatch Republic for Most Valuable International Artwork, with 575.29 Bank.