The Protectorate of Spice Harvester 288 is a colossal, efficient nation, notable for its rum-swilling pirates, soft-spoken computers, and suspicion of poets. The hard-nosed, devout population of 8.415 billion Spice Harvester 288ians 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 medium-sized, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Education, and Law & Order. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 42.4%.

The all-consuming Spice Harvester 288ian economy, worth 940 trillion spices a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a large, well-organized, fairly diversified black market in Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, Woodchip Exports, and Tourism. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is an impressive 111,748 spices, with the richest citizens earning 7.4 times as much as the poorest.

The freedom to be free is always just out of reach, the nation's government buildings are remarkable for being ugly concrete boxes, the ingredients list for most food products covers the entire surface of the packaging, and many mayors are barely in office before being kicked out for minor parking violations. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Spice Harvester 288's national animal is the sandworm, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Spice Harvester 288 is ranked 149,335^th in the world and 288^th in Jihad Army of the Emperor for Lowest Crime Rates, with 61.06 law-abiding acts per hour.