The United Prefectures of Noronica is a titanic, efficient nation, ruled by First Prefect Trystan Alexander with an even hand, and notable for its digital currency, infamous sell-swords, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, hard-working, humorless population of 23.51 billion Noronnicans have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and look forward to their next free and open election, to be held on an as-yet unannounced date.

The enormous, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Education, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of City of Nolon. The average income tax rate is 95.5%.

The frighteningly efficient Noronnican economy, worth a remarkable 3,753 trillion Cainds a year, is quite specialized and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Tourism, and Arms Manufacturing. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an impressive 159,672 Cainds, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.0 times as much as the poorest.

Libraries are now installed with jacuzzis and mini-bars, people faint regularly as they get stuck with compulsory vaccinations, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal, and corporate 'hostile takeovers' now involve ICBMs and main battle tanks. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Noronica's national animal is the Great White Shark, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans, and its national religion is Presbyterian Protestantism.

Noronica is ranked 11,477^th in the world and 22^nd in The Western Isles for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 400.46 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.