The Federal Stratocracy of Arstungry is a colossal, safe nation, ruled by the Federal Council with a fair hand, and renowned for its soft-spoken computers, keen interest in outer space, and otherworldly petting zoo. The hard-nosed, democratic population of 8.25 billion Arstungrians 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 medium-sized, corrupt, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Arstmark. The average income tax rate is 94.3%.

The frighteningly efficient Arstungryian economy, worth a remarkable 1,664 trillion ARTS a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is dominated by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Tourism, and Book Publishing. Average income is an amazing 201,730 ARTS, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Feuilletons can only be deciphered with a Galliennais dictionary, film studios own the rights to actors' likenesses until the next millennium, every new building project has to undergo a five-year environmental impact study before it can go ahead, and the government is paving paradises to put up parking lots. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Arstungry's national animal is the Snake, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Arstungry is ranked 165,776^th in the world and 7,607^th in The North Pacific for Highest Foreign Aid Spending, scoring -4.47 on the Clooney Contribution Index.