The People's Republic of Balush is a very large, safe nation, notable for its national health service, punitive income tax rates, and restrictive gun laws. The compassionate, democratic population of 257 million Balushians 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, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Trash Island. The average income tax rate is 81.1%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The Balushian economy, worth 16.3 trillion bills a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Basket Weaving, Beef-Based Agriculture, and Tourism. Average income is 63,358 bills, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The government regularly reassures citizens that there are no monsters under their beds, healthcare workers are flummoxed over the spike in foreign tourists with sudden-onset heart disease, there are no more heroes any more, and nine-year-olds are discovering that they can grow gardens in real life too. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Balush's national animal is the Pallas's cat, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Balush is ranked 117,719^th in the world and 247^th in Starlight for Highest Average Incomes, with 63,358.96 Standard Monetary Units.