The United Socialist Realms of Karsknev is a titanic, orderly nation, ruled by Supreme-Lady Geniveve A Stewart with an iron fist, and renowned for its state-planned economy, suspicion of poets, and devotion to social welfare. The cynical, humorless population of 20.612 billion Karsknevins 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 government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, corrupt, well-organized morass — juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of New Harmonia. The average income tax rate is 91.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The strong Karsknevian economy, worth a remarkable 1,626 trillion Karsnevks a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is 78,921 Karsnevks, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The sound of wooden legs echo throughout Karsknev after the recent introduction of the Foot Tax, billions of Karsnevks are being blown on orbital weapons development, citizens live in superstitious fear of the mysterious glowing clouds that float over Karsknev, and Karsknev's schoolchildren are manufactured into a segregated bunch of soldiers, religious zealots, and computer technicians. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Karsknev's national animal is the Albino Peacock, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is SL Stewart's cult of personality.

Karsknev is ranked 287,341^st in the world and 15,673^rd in Balder for Nicest Citizens, with 2.14 average smiles per day.