The Democratic Republic of Karide is a massive, cultured nation, remarkable for its museums and concert halls, pith helmet sales, and ubiquitous missile silos. The compassionate population of 2.598 billion Karideans are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The large, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Sezain City. The average income tax rate is 94.1%.

The frighteningly efficient Karidean economy, worth 424 trillion Karins a year, is led 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 163,234 Karins, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Lovesick people are told 'it's not them, it's you', voting is compulsory, businesses have become paranoid as waves of lawsuits sweep the nation, and organ donation rates have hit a new low. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Karide's national animal is the owl, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Karide is ranked 271,947^th in the world and 3,425^th in the West Pacific for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring -9.98 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.