The Unholy Black Dominion of Arcterus is a gargantuan, genial nation, ruled by The Prime Executor with a fair hand, and remarkable for its national health service, multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, and complete absence of social welfare. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 26.712 billion Arcterrans hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The large, liberal, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Installation Heliopolis. The average income tax rate is 88.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming Arcterian economy, worth a remarkable 3,522 trillion Sticks a year, is highly specialized and mostly comprised of black market activity, especially in Book Publishing, Tourism, and Information Technology. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an impressive 131,855 Sticks, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.0 times as much as the poorest.

The nation's leader is normally just referred to as "snuggle-wuggle-huggy-bear", the World Unholy Black Dominion Games have been won again by Arcterus as no other country cares enough to compete, more sidewalk is dedicated to animals than people, and an aboriginal talking stick is used for leaders' debates at election time. Crime, especially youth-related, is so common that it is unusual to encounter someone following the law, perhaps because of the country's complete lack of prisons. Arcterus's national animal is the Lazy Stoned Monk, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Arcterus is ranked 577^th in the world and 1^st in Yggdrasil for Nicest Citizens, with 125.83 average smiles per day.