The Republic of Brisante is a massive, efficient nation, ruled by President Martin with an even hand, and notable for its pith helmet sales, compulsory military service, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, humorless population of 1.708 billion Brisanteans are prohibited from doing almost everything except voting, which they do timidly and conservatively.

The large, moralistic government juggles the competing demands of Education, Law & Order, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Monteverde. The average income tax rate is 72.4%.

The frighteningly efficient Brisantean economy, worth 216 trillion Reais a year, is dominated by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Arms Manufacturing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 126,551 Reais, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.3 times as much as the poorest.

Treaties are taken to be mere rules of thumb, there's a bright dawn ahead for Brisante, shanty towns have formed around the newly rebuilt commercial district, and prolonged government investigations are a common revenge tactic among spurned significant others. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Brisante's national animal is the Brisantese Deer, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Brisante is ranked 6,489^th in the world and 8^th in Philosophers for Most Beautiful Environments, with 2,037.83 pounds of wildlife per square mile.