The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a colossal, genial nation, ruled by John Koenig with an even hand, and notable for its zero percent divorce rate, frequent executions, and irreverence towards religion. The compassionate population of 9.35 billion Sorrowsians are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The enormous, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Nazarick. The average income tax rate is 95.3%.

The frighteningly efficient Sorrowsian economy, worth a remarkable 1,413 trillion Minoes a year, is quite specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 151,129 Minoes, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Statistics show that terrorists often come from broken families, the government frequently panders to parents with boutique tax credits, rare steaks seem even bluer now, and public hospital staff roll their eyes at anything less than a heart attack. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Obscure Sorrows's national animal is the lion, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Morii.

Obscure Sorrows is ranked 229,843^rd in the world and 4,369^th in the South Pacific for Most Cheerful Citizens, with 48.04 Percentage Of Water Glasses Perceived Half-Full.