The Commonwealth of Mint Chip 35 is a huge, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its public floggings, suspicion of poets, and spontaneously combusting cars. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 380 million Mint Chip 35ians are effectively ruled by a group of massive corporations, who run for political office and provide their well-off citizens with world-class goods and services. Their poorer citizens, however, are mostly starving to death while being urged to go out and get real jobs. The populace has reasonably extensive civil rights, although these are mostly aimed at allowing them to buy whatever they like.

The tiny, pro-business, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Healthcare, and Administration. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 7.5%.

The very strong Mint Chip 35ian economy, worth 17.1 trillion kronor a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is led by the Gambling industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Woodchip Exports, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 44,910 kronor, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 163,512 per year while the poor average 8,769, a ratio of 18.6 to 1.

The Man in the Plastic Mask has been imprisoned in the Capital Penitentiary, teachers are dying as they attempt to read 500 word essays without pausing for breath, meat prices are soaring as the farming industry struggle under government-imposed restrictions, and it is illegal to distribute Girl Guide Cookies without an advanced food hygiene diploma. Crime is a serious problem, with the police force struggling against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Mint Chip 35's national animal is the lion, which can occasionally be seen sifting through garbage in the nation's cities.

Mint Chip 35 is ranked 198,091^st in the world and 2,998^th in Artificial Solar System for Largest Furniture Restoration Industry, scoring 532.91 on the Spitz-Pollish Productivity Index.