The Republic of The Past and The Future is a huge, efficient nation, notable for its smutty television, national health service, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 282 million Past and The Futureans 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 medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Futurum. The average income tax rate is 35.3%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The powerhouse Past and The Futurean economy, worth 22.6 trillion Guldens a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Trout Farming industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Tourism. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 80,138 Guldens, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.4 times as much as the poorest.

Five-year-olds chanting "Little Miss Muffet" are accused of bullying arachnophobes, bike rage is all the rage, The Past and The Future has designated Futurum as its capital city, and talkative students are escorted from schools in second-hand prison buses. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. The Past and The Future's national animal is the Beaver, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

The Past and The Future is ranked 228,116^th in the world and 3,176^th in the West Pacific for Most Cheerful Citizens, with 48.52 Percentage Of Water Glasses Perceived Half-Full.