The Golden Grand Duchy of Thexaelen is a huge, efficient nation, notable for its free-roaming dinosaurs, compulsory military service, and pith helmet sales. The compassionate, hard-working population of 624 million Thex are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Nova celes. The average income tax rate is 34.9%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming Thexaelenian economy, worth 66.9 trillion carapeses a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Arms Manufacturing, and Information Technology. Black market activity is notable. Average income is an impressive 107,204 carapeses, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.2 times as much as the poorest.

Leader's speeches are beloved by insomniacs, history textbook pages are used as impromptu tissues by distraught students, local mafias have a tough time disposing of dead snitches without catching the attention of recycling authorities, and the Treasury has been accused of flushing money down the toilet. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, despite the fact that it is difficult to make it through a day without breaking one of the country's many laws. Thexaelen's national animal is the turtle, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Thexaelen is ranked 36,172^nd in the world and 550^th in 10000 Islands for Smartest Citizens, with 43.61 quips per hour.