The Interstellar Empire of Askralion is a gargantuan, orderly nation, ruled by Divine Emperor Askral III with an iron fist, and remarkable for its keen interest in outer space, aversion to nipples, and avowedly heterosexual populace. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 21.958 billion Askralians are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The relatively small, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized government is primarily concerned with Defense, although Law & Order, Education, and Healthcare are also considered important, while Environment and International Aid aren't funded at all. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Askralia. The average income tax rate is 84.0%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The enormous but sluggish Askralian economy, worth a remarkable 4,006 trillion Askralian Credits 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 an enormous, deeply entrenched, broadly diversified black market in Arms Manufacturing, Woodchip Exports, Uranium Mining, and Information Technology. 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 an impressive 182,480 Askralian Credits, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Victims of crime are viewed as less trustworthy than politicians, Eau de Trashcan has become a wildly popular perfume, the standardised national curriculum requires that all-male classes be taught why they have periods, and the police think a properly conducted criminal investigation is a real pain. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Askralion's national animal is the Ameba, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Askralism.

Askralion is ranked 4,511^th in the world and 183^rd in Balder for Highest Poor Incomes, with 166,642.97 Standard Monetary Units.