The Theocracy of Glossapolis is a huge, cultured nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, compulsory military service, and devotion to social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, devout population of 204 million Glossapolitans are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized morass — juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Welfare. The average income tax rate is 74.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The Glossapolitan economy, worth 8.76 trillion Soldoes a year, is highly specialized and mostly made up of the Trout Farming industry, with significant contributions from Cheese Exports. Average income is 42,919 Soldoes, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.0 times as much as the poorest.

Aeroplanes have been converted into housing units after all air travel was outlawed, would-be emigrants are told "abandon all hope all ye who would exit here", the only way to escape lengthy prison terms is in a body bag, and boys are forced to pair off for the school disco slow dance as the girls are all staying at home. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Glossapolis's national animal is the Lamb, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Glossapolis is ranked 250,377^th in the world and 132^nd in Lands End for Highest Food Quality, scoring 7.61 on the Meeshlin-Starr Index.