The Armed Republic of Cades is a huge, safe nation, notable for its state-planned economy, pith helmet sales, and punitive income tax rates. The hard-nosed, cynical, devout population of 256 million Cadesians are ruled with an iron fist by the dictatorship government, which ensures that no-one outside the party gets too rich. In their personal lives, however, citizens are relatively unoppressed; it remains to be seen whether this is because the government genuinely cares about its people, or if it hasn't gotten around to stamping out civil rights yet.

The enormous, corrupt, socially-minded, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Knossos. The average income tax rate is 73.7%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but inefficient Cadesian economy, worth 11.4 trillion Lire a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is led by the Trout Farming industry, with significant contributions from Beef-Based Agriculture, Arms Manufacturing, and Uranium Mining. Average income is 44,390 Lire, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Excessive wheelchair ramps on government buildings have been compared to theme park attractions, chain-gangs are often seen toting barges and lifting bales, passive-aggressive congratulations cards inform mums-to-be that their pregnancy is their greatest achievement in life, and the armed forces are locked in an expensive and bloody war abroad to stamp out possible terrorists. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Cades's national animal is the Behemoth, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Cades is ranked 170,721^st in the world and 4,136^th in The North Pacific for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 56.49 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.