The Theocracy of Marbolan is a large, environmentally stunning nation, notable for its keen interest in outer space, ban on automobiles, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, democratic, devout population of 171 million Marbolanites 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 Spirituality, Education, and Welfare. The average income tax rate is 64.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Marbolanite economy, worth 4.70 trillion Scapulars a year, is quite specialized and dominated by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Basket Weaving, and Arms Manufacturing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 27,465 Scapulars, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Prisoners can't do number twos without their "toilet buddy" present, one does not simply walk into the tundra, the army insists there is nothing gay about men in uniforms rolling in the mud, and souvenir shops that sell alphorns are taking advantage of gullible tourists. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Marbolan's national animal is the Lion, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Marbolan is ranked 254,603^rd in the world and 10^th in Angelic League for Highest Unexpected Death Rate, scoring 27.65 on the Bus Surprisal Index.