The Federal Republic of Esquieia is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by The Paintress with an even hand, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, daily referendums, and free-roaming dinosaurs. The hard-nosed population of 1.377 billion Esquieians 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 government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Administration, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Lumière. The average income tax rate is 52.0%.

The frighteningly efficient Esquieian economy, worth 140 trillion Chromas a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Beef-Based Agriculture, Information Technology, and Arms Manufacturing. Black market activity is extensive. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 101,886 Chromas, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 4.2 times as much as the poorest.

Crossword puzzles have been co-opted as a symbol of racial discrimination, newspaper headlines proclaim something happened somewhere at a time, the government has declined to declare any particular religion as its 'official' one, and The Paintress has just been declared ruler of Esquieia in an international press conference. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Esquieia's national animal is the Fran-Fran, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Esquieia is ranked 235,255^th in the world and 3,634^th in The North Pacific for Fattest Citizens, with 8.11 Obesity Rate.