The Second Laconian Empire of Katadin is a colossal, socially progressive nation, ruled by High-Consul Duarte with an even hand, and renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, keen interest in outer space, and frequent executions. The hard-nosed, humorless population of 8.676 billion Acadians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The enormous, corrupt government is primarily concerned with Defense, with Industry, Education, and Administration also on the agenda, while Spirituality and International Aid receive no funds. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Laconia. The average income tax rate is 85.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Katadinian economy, worth a remarkable 1,477 trillion Credits a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is an enormous, deeply entrenched, quite specialized black market in Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, and Retail. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is an impressive 170,287 Credits, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The best way to be heard in politics is to speak softly and carry a big comedy prop, political scientists despair as the national mascot election eclipses all others in voter enthusiasm, an aboriginal talking stick is used for leaders' debates at election time, and nuclear warheads are frequently launched into space as a warning to invading meteoroids. Crime, especially youth-related, is a major problem, perhaps because of the country's complete lack of prisons. Katadin's national animal is the Moose, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its national religion is The Cult of the Ancient.

Katadin is ranked 287,255^th in the world and 23^rd in The Universal Order of Nations for Lowest Crime Rates, with 36.29 law-abiding acts per hour.