The People's Republic of Cathartes Aura is a colossal, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Cicero Percy with an iron fist, and notable for its complete lack of prisons, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 8.812 billion Aurans 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 enormous, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Healthcare, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Shining City. The average income tax rate is 85.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Cathartes Auran economy, worth a remarkable 1,017 trillion alceses 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 major contributions from Information Technology and Trout Farming. Average income is an impressive 115,436 alceses, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The people of Cathartes Aura are renowned for their nihilistic attitudes, earthquake sirens are a leading cause of hearing loss, citizens who don't follow Zora are closely monitored for signs of self-harm, and a favorite "life hack" for gap year backpackers is to pretend to be homeless for government handouts. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Cathartes Aura's national animal is the Turkey Vulture, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Zora.

Cathartes Aura is ranked 18,563^rd in the world and 8^th in Alcris for Lowest Crime Rates, with 90.93 law-abiding acts per hour.