The Schlaraffenstaat of Shetl is a gargantuan, socially progressive nation, ruled by Stock Photo Model Ariane with a fair hand, and notable for its state-planned economy, ban on automobiles, and hatred of cheese. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 20.123 billion Menschen love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Environment, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Menschenbad. The income tax rate is 100%.

The frighteningly efficient Menschliche economy, worth a remarkable 5,105 trillion Big Zasters a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is mostly made up of the Book Publishing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology. Average income is an amazing 253,729 Big Zasters, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

From the highest mountain to the deepest cave - one can always count on finding a good cell signal in Shetl, glamping Menschen won't sleep in a tent that doesn't include a Jacuzzi, young and brooding teens are welcomed with open arms to the Dogwarts School of Strangeness and Sorcery, and passengers often cause a stink on public transport. Crime is totally unknown. Shetl's national animal is the Landpony, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Nontheist Quakerism.

Shetl is ranked 291,307^th in the world and 1,436^th in Europe for Most Corrupt Governments, with 0.13 kickbacks per hour.