The Kingdom of Gatcombe is a titanic, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by King Eowa with a fair hand, and remarkable for its keen interest in outer space, devotion to social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 11.695 billion Gatcombers 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 large, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Chillerton. The average income tax rate is 65.6%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The very strong Gatcombean economy, worth 863 trillion vects a year, is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Book Publishing, Trout Farming, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 73,825 vects, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Arguments about toilet seats being left up or down get surprisingly heated, there's a shortage of swinging hot spots as land development grinds to a halt, doctors are learning that red tape makes ineffective bandages, and signs saying "No Poor People or Weirdoes" are common outside shops and cafés. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Gatcombe's national animal is the black panther, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is pagan.

Gatcombe is ranked 322,255^th in the world and 20^th in Vectis for Largest Manufacturing Sector, scoring zero on the Gooback-Jerbs Productivity Index.