The Keepers of The Shire of The Shirrifs is a massive, genial nation, notable for its irreverence towards religion. The hard-working, democratic population of 1.942 billion Shirrifs 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 relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Education, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 17.1%.

The Shirrif economy, worth 93.4 trillion pennies a year, is led by the Basket Weaving industry, with major contributions from Trout Farming, Pizza Delivery, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is 48,079 pennies, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.9 times as much as the poorest.

Crime is well under control, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. The Shirrifs's national animal is the hobbit.

The Shirrifs is ranked 134,927^th in the world and 1,534^th in Artificial Solar System for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 71.76 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.