The Principality of Flanschell is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Princess with an iron fist, and notable for its closed borders, avant-garde cinema, and pith helmet sales. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 1.453 billion Flanschellers are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized morass — prioritizes Defense, with Law & Order, Education, and Administration also on the agenda. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Flanschell. The average income tax rate is 97.6%.

The frighteningly efficient Flanscheller economy, worth 187 trillion Holy Swords a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is mostly made up of the Arms Manufacturing industry. Average income is an impressive 129,362 Holy Swords, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Conscientious objectors are hanged as traitors, the last thing Flanscheller soldiers hear before charging into battle is a preacher trying to convert them, no personal detail is too tiny for the suede-denim census police, and decreased demand for toilets is saving the prison service a lot of money. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Flanschell's national animal is the Forest Fairy, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Flanschell is ranked 285,810^th in the world and 270^th in The Amaranthine Isles for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring -286.27 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.