The United Socialist States of Span is a gargantuan, socially progressive nation, ruled by M Shobacus Maz with a fair hand, and renowned for its rum-swilling pirates, keen interest in outer space, and multi-spousal wedding ceremonies. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful, devout population of 46.303 billion Spanners hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, liberal government juggles the competing demands of Education, Environment, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Maz. The average income tax rate is 95.9%.

The frighteningly efficient Spanner economy, worth an astonishing 14,239 trillion spannies a year, is highly specialized and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Tourism and Information Technology. Average income is an amazing 307,519 spannies, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Prime commercial land is being swamped with archaeological teams, there's never a spare chair in the retirement home, televangelists flaunt their expensive cars when they attend charity events, and dubiously qualified Skandilundian barristers keep referring to laws as 'government guidelines'. Crime is totally unknown. Span's national animal is the donkey, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Span is ranked 5,889^th in the world and 298^th in The North Pacific for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 523.71 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.