The Commonwealth of Kostemetsia is a titanic, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by the First Councillor with a fair hand, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, state-planned economy, and keen interest in outer space. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 22.221 billion Kostemetsians love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, socially-minded government is primarily concerned with Education, although Healthcare, Industry, and Environment are also considered important, while Spirituality and Defense receive no funds. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Yelan City. The average income tax rate is 85.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Kostemetsian economy, worth a remarkable 3,987 trillion pians 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 Book Publishing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology and Tourism. Average income is an impressive 179,460 pians, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Belligerent citizens shoot at passing clouds for 'violating their airspace', late night talk show hosts are having a field day over the First Councillor's questionably sane new coalition partners, voting is compulsory, and students memorise knock-knock jokes for their mandatory twice-a-term Comedy Examinations. Crime is totally unknown. Kostemetsia's national animal is the windsprite, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Atheism Plus.

Kostemetsia is ranked 2,408^th in the world and 102^nd in Lazarus for Highest Food Quality, scoring 258.64 on the Meeshlin-Starr Index.