The Principality of Parentheses is a colossal, orderly nation, notable for its zero percent divorce rate, prohibition of alcohol, and suspicion of poets. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless population of 2.822 billion Parenthesesians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Nooga. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 55.1%.

The frighteningly efficient Parenthesesian economy, worth 380 trillion legendaries a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Woodchip Exports, and Furniture Restoration. Black market activity is extensive. Average income is an impressive 134,736 legendaries, with the richest citizens earning 8.5 times as much as the poorest.

Prison reforms have replaced communal luaus with communal loos, the Parenthesesian Intelligence Agency has put 'Project Quantum Refrigerator' on hold indefinitely, uploading purple prose to social media earns a place on a government watchlist, and the number of students attending university has reached a record high. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Parentheses's national animal is the puppet, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Parentheses is ranked 192,812^th in the world and 153^rd in International Puppet Storage for Highest Drug Use, scoring 106.19 on the Pineapple Fondness Rating.