The Federal Republic of Middward is a huge, cultured nation, notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape, compulsory military service, and anti-smoking policies. The compassionate, hard-working, democratic, devout population of 430 million Middwardians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Education, and Spirituality. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Eldermont. The average income tax rate is 14.8%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The strong Middwardian economy, worth 25.0 trillion dollars a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Woodchip Exports industry, with major contributions from Trout Farming, Retail, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 58,075 dollars, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.4 times as much as the poorest.

All telephone traffic is monitored for 'national security reasons', prolonged government investigations are a common revenge tactic among spurned significant others, Middward has designated Eldermont as its capital city, and telling someone to 'break a leg' is considered a criminal inducement to self harm. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Middward's national animal is the golden eagle, which can occasionally be seen dodging aircraft in the nation's cities.

Middward is ranked 216,073^rd in the world and 139^th in The Region That Has No Big Banks for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring -1.41 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.