The Galactic Ascendancy of Astrellan is a colossal, safe nation, ruled by Leader Aurelion with a fair hand, and renowned for its keen interest in outer space, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 8.15 billion Astrellans 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 enormous government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Astrelak. The average income tax rate is 82.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming Astrellainian economy, worth 866 trillion Ceraks a year, is led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Pizza Delivery. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 106,364 Ceraks, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The nation's industries are scrambling to switch to biodegradable plastics, water fights now end with thousands dead, anti-government web sites are springing up, and edutainment video games are taking Astrellan's students to the next level. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Astrellan's national animal is the Stellar Wolf, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Astrellan is ranked 236,034^th in the world and 814^th in Europeia for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring -7.35 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.