The Colony of Tas Bardes is a massive, efficient nation, remarkable for its pith helmet sales, prohibition of alcohol, and absence of drug laws. The compassionate population of 1.652 billion Tas Bardesians enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The enormous government juggles the competing demands of Education, Environment, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 90.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming Tas Bardesian economy, worth 163 trillion Leafcoins a year, is highly specialized and led by the Book Publishing industry, with significant contributions from Basket Weaving, Tourism, and Information Technology. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 98,986 Leafcoins, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

All the world's a stage for Tas Bardesian political theatrics, suburban backyards are seized by the government and turned into national parks, the Ministry of Health has reported a sharp increase in the incidence of delayed menopause, and citizens must pay to enjoy Tas Bardes's pristine beaches. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Tas Bardes's national animal is the Whispering Willow Deer, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Tas Bardes is ranked 293,389^th in the world and 564^th in Concord for Largest Black Market, with 32.0 billion Standard Monetary Units.