The Holy Federation of New Fernia is a colossal, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Carter Rowland with an iron fist, and notable for its enslaved workforce, suspicion of poets, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 5.631 billion New Fernians are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized morass — juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Spirituality. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Ferncliffe. The average income tax rate is 80.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The large but sluggish New Fernian economy, worth 201 trillion pounds a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is an enormous, deeply entrenched, highly specialized black market in Uranium Mining, Arms Manufacturing, and Beef-Based Agriculture. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. State-owned companies are the norm. Average income is 35,846 pounds, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Poaching has been on the rise after animals from the nation's zoos were released into the wild, squeaky high prepubescent voices recite the patriotic poem "Hail to The Leader!" before each meal, distant and obscure male relatives succeed to the New Fernian throne, and the people are famous throughout the region for their perfect yellow teeth. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. New Fernia's national animal is the mountain dragon, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Fennism.

New Fernia is ranked 345,356^th in the world and 3^rd in Flygon for Smartest Citizens, with 0.27 quips per hour.