The Armed Republic of Simard is a small, genial nation, remarkable for its frequent executions, compulsory military service, and restrictive gun laws. The compassionate population of 36 million Simardians are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, moralistic government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Administration, and Healthcare. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 23.6%.

The Simardian economy, worth 1.97 trillion dollars a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Beef-Based Agriculture, and Cheese Exports. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 54,736 dollars, with the richest citizens earning 7.3 times as much as the poorest.

Scientists are terrified of fabulous new breakthroughs, hospitals fear government fines more than terrorist ransoms, college-level writing classes are taught by undergraduate editors of the school newspaper, and dog owners proudly declare that their pups can predict when the mailman will arrive. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Simard's national animal is the Lion, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Simard is ranked 241,643^rd in the world and 2,123^rd in the West Pacific for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 31.78 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.