The Most Serene Republic of Parauka is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its barren, inhospitable landscape. The quiet, industrious population of 681 million Paraukans have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 21.3%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The Paraukan economy, worth 25.5 trillion Paraukors a year, is led by the Retail industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Furniture Restoration, and Door-to-door Insurance Sales. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 37,389 Paraukors, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.9 times as much as the poorest.

Euthanasia is illegal, the latest Harry Potter book is a bestseller, it is cheaper to die in the wilderness than to survive, and Parauka's children are widely acknowledged as the most foul-mouthed in the region. Crime, especially youth-related, is moderate. Parauka's national animal is the Paraukan, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Parauka is ranked 81,959^th in the world and 1,033^rd in The East Pacific for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring 2,804.81 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.