The Lost Weekend of UPC is a mammoth, efficient nation, ruled by Phoebe with an even hand, and notable for its national health service, conspicuous electricity pylons, and compulsory vegetarianism. The compassionate, cheerful population of 9.002 billion Radiants are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, socially-minded morass — juggles the competing demands of Education, Environment, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Urithiru. The average income tax rate is 97.3%.

The frighteningly efficient Radiant economy, worth a remarkable 1,126 trillion Diamond Broams a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is extremely specialized, is mostly made up of the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 125,129 Diamond Broams, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

There has been a rapid increase of noise complaints over the sound of buzzing bees, the importance of winning Olympic gold medals is indoctrinated from an early age, it's a long jump to get onto the housing ladder, and retirement homes are often fitted with luxurious suites. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. UPC's national animal is the Windspren, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is the Church of Honor.

UPC is ranked 329,253^rd in the world and 1,392^nd in Europeia for Highest Unexpected Death Rate, scoring 17.76 on the Bus Surprisal Index.