The Republic of Surd is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by Ruben Sierra with a fair hand, and remarkable for its daily referendums, keen interest in outer space, and state-planned economy. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 14.337 billion Surds are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The large, liberal, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Fentanes. The income tax rate is 100%.

The frighteningly efficient Surdic economy, worth a remarkable 5,288 trillion Fioris a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is an amazing 368,856 Fioris, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Visiting dignitaries often end up cuddling in the hot tub with Ruben Sierra, increasing numbers of children in Surd have different eye and hair color to their supposed fathers, bad punctuation has come to a full stop, and a government program is underway to revitalize Surd's beaches. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Surd's national animal is the Robin, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Surd is ranked 290,832^nd in the world and 11,291^st in Lazarus for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring -29.06 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.