The Republic of Ritake is a massive, cultured nation, renowned for its smutty television, national health service, and absence of drug laws. The compassionate, democratic population of 1.344 billion Ritakeans hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The large, liberal government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Welfare. The average income tax rate is 71.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Ritakean economy, worth 163 trillion marks a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Tourism, and Basket Weaving. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 121,731 marks, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.0 times as much as the poorest.

Candidates make campaign speeches at the funerals of former rivals, government ministers have eclectic tastes in curtains, foreign policy is based upon the principle of sieve and take, and all guns must be registered. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ritake's national animal is the swan, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Ritake is ranked 268,930^th in the world and 5,622^nd in The North Pacific for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring -9.55 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.