The Union of Zaeli is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by President Zel Roberts with an even hand, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, daily referendums, and irreverence towards religion. The compassionate, democratic population of 2.075 billion Zaelians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The enormous government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Xerum. The average income tax rate is 90.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Zaelian economy, worth 265 trillion Zaelian Credits a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is mostly made up of the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Trout Farming, Arms Manufacturing, and Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 128,095 Zaelian Credits, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The family summer vacation has become a thing of the past following the introduction of the year-round school year, praying before a battle is a court-martial offence, in court almost every witness is a hostile witness, and it is believed that belligerence is a passing phase foreign leaders will soon outgrow. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Zaeli's national animal is the Great Zaelian Lion, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Zaeli is ranked 184,007^th in the world and 7,755^th in The North Pacific for Most Extreme, scoring 10.71 on the Paul-Nader Subjective Decentrality Index.