The Confederacy of Featherston is a mammoth, socially progressive nation, ruled by President Ferdinand Koenig with a fair hand, and renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape and compulsory military service. The hard-working, democratic, devout population of 7.258 billion Featherstonians 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 relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Education, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Pinkardville. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 14.1%.

The strong Featherstonian economy, worth 443 trillion dollars a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Soda Sales, and Retail. Average income is 61,145 dollars, with the richest citizens earning 5.4 times as much as the poorest.

Crowds of flag-burning protesters tend to accidentally become crowds of burning protesters, abortion is only legal in unusual circumstances, motorway service stations often have a higher population than the hinterland villages that the roads lead to, and board shorts have replaced board rooms. Crime, especially youth-related, is almost non-existent. Featherston's national animal is the alligator, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to heavy metals seepage into national waterways, and its national religion is Christianity.

Featherston is ranked 138,100^th in the world and 21^st in Dixie for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring 1,042.16 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.