The Mountainous Muppets of Podium is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by Big Mike with an even hand, and remarkable for its soft-spoken computers, absence of drug laws, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate population of 1.325 billion Poduminians enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Eighburn. The average income tax rate is 73.1%.

The frighteningly efficient Poduminian economy, worth 182 trillion points a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is broadly diversified, is led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is an impressive 137,955 points, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 4.4 times as much as the poorest.

Abortions are routinely performed in the nation's hospitals, prolonged government investigations are a common revenge tactic among spurned spouses, bins outnumber trees in city parks, and souvenir shops that sell alphorns are taking advantage of gullible tourists. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Podium's national animal is the sergal, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Omnism.

Podium is ranked 35,338^th in the world and 1,343^rd in the West Pacific for Largest Furniture Restoration Industry, scoring 3,827.84 on the Spitz-Pollish Productivity Index.