The Community of Lacard 5 is a massive, orderly nation, notable for its pith helmet sales, keen interest in outer space, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 2.168 billion Lacard 5ians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The medium-sized, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 35.7%.

The strong Lacard 5ian economy, worth 147 trillion marks a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is broadly diversified, is led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Cheese Exports, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is 68,111 marks, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.1 times as much as the poorest.

The state is footing the bill for billionaires' lawyers, the term cold case has taken on a very literal meaning, popular sunny beaches always have a cloudy outlook, and passionate nomination battles are often as intense as general elections. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Lacard 5's national animal is the swan, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Lacard 5 is ranked 107,590^th in the world and 834^th in the Rejected Realms for Most Developed, scoring 59.85 on the Human Development Index.