The Federal Commonwealth of Calbout is a mammoth, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by King Edgar II with a fair hand, and notable for its daily referendums, frequent executions, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, hard-working, democratic, devout population of 5.156 billion Calboutians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The large government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Calcadonia. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 73.4%.

The frighteningly efficient Calboutian economy, worth 667 trillion Calboutian Dollars a year, is led by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Retail, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an impressive 129,545 Calboutian Dollars, with the richest citizens earning 5.5 times as much as the poorest.

The government's foreign policy statements are less threatening than a World Assembly cease-and-desist letter, hot dogs have been renamed lukewarm pigs, the new one Calboutian Dollar coin also makes a handy throwing-star, and relations with Merovingia are as cold as Calbout's high-security cell blocks. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Calbout's national animal is the Red Fox, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Calbout is ranked 310,715^th in the world and 327^th in Christians for Highest Unexpected Death Rate, scoring 22.09 on the Bus Surprisal Index.