The Democratic Republic of Temris is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by Dean Higgins with an even hand, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, compulsory military service, and keen interest in outer space. The hard-nosed, hard-working, devout population of 1.598 billion Temrisians are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Defense, and Spirituality. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Chasewater. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 27.0%.

The strong Temrisian economy, worth 100.0 trillion Solaris a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Tourism, and Woodchip Exports. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 62,555 Solaris, with the richest citizens earning 5.4 times as much as the poorest.

Kids are arrested at gunpoint for playing with toy rifles, people are more interested in gossip about the private lives of politicians than their policies, Cult of Basrodec has been named as Temris's national religion, and research into 'designer babies' is banned. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Temris's national animal is the Pygmy Shrew and its national religion is Cult of Basrodec.

Temris is ranked 36,074^th in the world and 2^nd in The Celestial Empire for Most Pacifist, with 109.83 cheeks turned per day.