The Union of Socialist States of Swaithlying is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by Katherine De Franco with an even hand, and notable for its public floggings, anti-smoking policies, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, devout population of 18.148 billion Swais are prohibited from doing almost everything except voting, which they do timidly and conservatively.

The large, corrupt, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Wessexville. The average income tax rate is 93.0%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Swaithlyingian economy, worth a remarkable 1,811 trillion Swai Yen a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is mostly comprised of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 99,836 Swai Yen, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The intelligence community is playing 4-D chess with an imaginary spy network, stone wrist watches that weigh 20lb are the latest trend, children prefer to begin their day with push-ups rather than breakfast, and signs at the border tell international drivers where they can put their cars. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Swaithlying's national animal is the Cat, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Catholicism.

Swaithlying is ranked 13,611^th in the world and 17^th in Africa for Nicest Citizens, with 27.68 average smiles per day.