The Federal Republic of Shalinatown is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, complete lack of prisons, and stringent health and safety legislation. The democratic, devout population of 803 million Shalinatownians love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Welfare, and Education. The average income tax rate is 31.4%.

The sizeable but inefficient Shalinatownian economy, worth 34.8 trillion Shalinacoins a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Basket Weaving industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Cheese Exports, and Trout Farming. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 43,349 Shalinacoins, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.1 times as much as the poorest.

One can walk from one side of Shalinatown City to the other without setting foot on Shalinatownian soil, parking's carefree without parking car fees, you can call your arthritic immigrant neighbour for all your roof-tiling and guttering needs, and economics is a shrinking field. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Shalinatown's national animal is the Prygl fish, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Shalinatown is ranked 202,614^th in the world and 4,672^nd in the West Pacific for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring -1.41 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.