The Democratic Republic of Vandermere is a tiny, safe nation, renowned for its compulsory military service, irreverence towards religion, and absence of drug laws. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 8 million Vandermereans are effectively ruled by a group of massive corporations, who run for political office and provide their well-off citizens with world-class goods and services. Their poorer citizens, however, are mostly starving to death while being urged to go out and get real jobs. The populace has reasonably extensive civil rights, although these are mostly aimed at allowing them to buy whatever they like.

The tiny, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Defense, and Administration. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 7.0%.

The strong Vandermerean economy, worth 515 billion Vandermere Guilders a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Pizza Delivery industry, with major contributions from Gambling, Beef-Based Agriculture, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 64,444 Vandermere Guilders, with the richest citizens earning 7.9 times as much as the poorest.

Pigs can fly but only in Economy Class, prisoners regularly escape detention posing as scarecrows, signatures have been replaced with illegible scribbles, and people with hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia faint upon diagnosis. Crime, especially youth-related, is well under control. Vandermere's national animal is the Gray Heron, which can occasionally be seen dodging aircraft in the nation's cities.

Vandermere is ranked 36,185^th in the world and 87^th in Aeternum for Highest Disposable Incomes, with 59,933.18 Standard Monetary Units.