The People's Republic of Xiashang is a huge, efficient nation, notable for its rum-swilling pirates, barren, inhospitable landscape, and compulsory military service. The hard-nosed population of 676 million Xiashangrians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Healthcare, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Beiping. The average income tax rate is 22.6%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The thriving Xiashangian economy, worth 40.7 trillion yins a year, is broadly diversified and dominated by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Woodchip Exports, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 60,268 yins, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.5 times as much as the poorest.

Viewers get headaches from trying to read the screen full of small print warnings that precede most TV shows, anti-riot police are dispatched whenever two elderly ladies gather to complain that prices have increased, government opponents tend to have their patents rejected immediately, and the government is notorious for leaving citizens with almost nothing from their inheritance. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Xiashang's national animal is the Red Panda, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Xiashang is ranked 156,166^th in the world and 23^rd in Anime Nations Against Liberals for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring 597.86 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.