The Second Allied Provinces of Laeral is a gargantuan, safe nation, ruled by President Liu Mei-han with a fair hand, and renowned for its keen interest in outer space, smutty television, and daily referendums. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 17.857 billion Laeralites hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, liberal, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Laeralsford. The average income tax rate is 97.7%.

The frighteningly efficient Laeralian economy, worth a remarkable 3,213 trillion marks a year, is quite specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Book Publishing and Tourism. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 179,931 marks, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

War vets look after war animals, the Museum of Blackacrean War Crimes is located on "Blackacre Did Nothing Wrong Avenue", atheist missionaries spread doubt overseas, and the Ministry of Health has reported a sharp increase in the incidence of delayed menopause. Crime is totally unknown. Laeral's national animal is the swan, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Laeral is ranked 80,350^th in the world and 13^th in International Democratic Union for Largest Furniture Restoration Industry, scoring 3,660.43 on the Spitz-Pollish Productivity Index.