The Republic of Berk-1 is a titanic, efficient nation, notable for its public floggings, keen interest in outer space, and infamous sell-swords. The hard-nosed, humorless population of 19.63 billion Berk-1ians are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Industry, and Defense. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 44.8%.

The frighteningly efficient Berk-1ian economy, worth a remarkable 2,009 trillion $$s a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Door-to-door Insurance Sales, and Woodchip Exports. Black market activity is frequent. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 102,377 $$s, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 525,502 per year while the poor average 10,922, a ratio of 48.1 to 1.

Scorched earth tactics have left many a noble estate in smoldering ruins, gun-wielding gangsters sometimes deal death from as far as ten paces away, programmes of questionable content are shown at peak-hours, and couples kissing on the street are detained for 'unlawful exchange of genetic material'. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Berk-1's national animal is the Death's-head Hawkmoth, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution.

Berk-1 is ranked 304,816^th in the world and 1^st in Berkeley for Nicest Citizens, with 0.88 average smiles per day.