The Emirate of Al Sahel is a huge, genial nation, renowned for its avant-garde cinema, keen interest in outer space, and anti-smoking policies. The compassionate, cynical, devout population of 586 million Sahelis are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Law & Order, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Jasim Island. The average income tax rate is 50.1%.

The frighteningly efficient Saheli economy, worth 70.5 trillion Emreels a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Trout Farming, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is an impressive 120,239 Emreels, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.8 times as much as the poorest.

Cotton candy made from genuine cotton cellulose doesn't quite satisfy, strip mining of rare earth metals is up while back problems are down, the military is slashing spending on conventional arms and diverting it to spending on prosthetic arms, and teenagers are told they're not thinking about sex enough. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Al Sahel's national animal is the Peregrine Falcon, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Al Sahel is ranked 11,908^th in the world and 1^st in The Union of the Worlds Nations for Nicest Citizens, with 28.53 average smiles per day.