The Confederacy of Subkowia is a large, socially progressive nation, notable for its compulsory military service, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The cynical population of 130 million Subkowians are ruled with an iron fist by the socialist government, which grants its people the freedom to do whatever they like so long as it doesn't involve getting richer than anybody else or challenging the government.

The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Administration, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 69.3%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but stagnant Subkowian economy, worth 2.64 trillion coronas 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 slick, highly efficient, quite specialized black market in Trout Farming, Uranium Mining, and Pizza Delivery. 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 20,282 coronas, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The state considers itself the 'third parent' of every child in the nation, hundreds of subterranean tunnels are being built as part of "Project Morlock", children who can't memorize their multiplication tables are sent to the mines, and traumatised refugees have a full bedpan shoved into their hands along with their immigration papers. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Subkowia's national animal is the phoenix, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Subkowia is ranked 185,596^th in the world and 2,391^st in the South Pacific for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring 218.23 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.