The Buzz about Town of Mantis Barmaid is a mammoth, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Aphid of my Heart with an iron fist, and notable for its compulsory vegetarianism, lack of airports, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless population of 6.176 billion Mantis Barmaids 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 Law & Order, Administration, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Grand Royal Garden. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 36.4%.

The frighteningly efficient Mantis Barmaid economy, worth 717 trillion BARMAID coins a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Woodchip Exports, Automobile Manufacturing, and Arms Manufacturing. Black market activity is rampant. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 116,143 BARMAID coins, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 412,565 per year while the poor average 23,562, a ratio of 17.5 to 1.

Lobotomies haven't been the same after the practice was severed, citizens have voted the song "Aphid of my Heart Smells Like An Aphid On A Leash" as their new national anthem, the cloud has been dealt a fouled hand, and sporting events are the biggest source of funding for Mantis Barmaid schools. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Mantis Barmaid's national animal is the Aphid on a Leash, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Mantis Barmaid is ranked 293,534^th in the world and 16^th in BARMAIDS ltd for Highest Unexpected Death Rate, scoring 23.89 on the Bus Surprisal Index.