The Sovreign State of Rinotu is a colossal, safe nation, ruled by Prime Chancellor Bryanson with a fair hand, and notable for its smutty television, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, democratic, devout population of 6.357 billion Rinotans love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Aaliaria. The average income tax rate is 76.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The very strong Rinotan economy, worth 385 trillion Rinoes 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 Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Automobile Manufacturing. Average income is 60,648 Rinoes, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Prime Chancellor Bryanson is spearheading a new fashion trend of wearing swimming goggles and medieval armour, religious education is a new government priority, political visitors are forced to stop ten paces from Prime Chancellor Bryanson's throne, and citizen radio operators agree that the certification test can open up a world of hertz. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Rinotu's national animal is the Falcon, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Rinotu is ranked 120,698^th in the world and 151^st in The Black Hawks for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 76.81 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.