The Flying Thingy of Planes is a colossal, safe nation, ruled by Dan Havilliand with a fair hand, and notable for its keen interest in outer space, national health service, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, democratic, devout population of 7.332 billion Planesians are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Education, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Bombardier-Boeing-Airbus city. The average income tax rate is 90.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming Planesian economy, worth 799 trillion Engines a year, is highly specialized and led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Book Publishing and Information Technology. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 109,021 Engines, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The nation is currently revamping its entire education system, foreign leaders are advising that Dan Havilliand's letters must have gotten lost in the mail, Planesians teach life's not worth a damn 'til you can shout out 'I am what I am', and government ministers have eclectic tastes in curtains. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Planes's national animal is the Syrian Hamster, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Airplane Worship.

Planes is ranked 299,740^th in the world and 11,799^th in The North Pacific for Largest Retail Industry, scoring -25.87 on the Shrinkwrap Consignment Productivity Index.