The First Grand Republic of Imperial Cecilia is a colossal, efficient nation, ruled by Chancellor Thomas Wagner with a fair hand, and notable for its museums and concert halls, frequent executions, and keen interest in outer space. The compassionate, hard-working, democratic, devout population of 4.219 billion Cecilians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The medium-sized, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Industry, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Cascade. The average income tax rate is 47.1%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Cecilian economy, worth 677 trillion kanns a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Retail industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an impressive 160,548 kanns, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.0 times as much as the poorest.

The army consists of only generals and grunts, films are funded in accordance with the volume of tears shed when reading the screenplay, the government has cut taxes in the face of widespread tax evasion, and the government guarantees extra-soft tissues to fire-snorting elephants. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Imperial Cecilia's national animal is the Cecilian white harrier, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is any religion but mainly Christianity.

Imperial Cecilia is ranked 18,017^th in the world and 392^nd in the South Pacific for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 326.24 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.