The Constitutional Monarchy of New Cobastheia is a gargantuan, efficient nation, ruled by King Edvard Cobastheian II with a fair hand, and notable for its museums and concert halls, anti-smoking policies, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 15.508 billion Cobastheians hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, outspoken morass — juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Cobast City. The average income tax rate is 97.7%.

The all-consuming Cobastheian economy, worth a remarkable 2,114 trillion Basthen Sheets a year, is highly specialized and led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Information Technology and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an impressive 136,350 Basthen Sheets, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Citizens are remarkably well involved in the political process, lobotomised jaywalkers can barely ambulate let alone repeat their offences, a traveller who once stubbed a toe on an Air Brancaland flight has been offered asylum, and machine-peeled candied grapes come in individual packaging for the busy commuter. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. New Cobastheia's national animal is the Grey Dragon Owl, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Atheism.

New Cobastheia is ranked 148,302^nd in the world and 4,239^th in The East Pacific for Most Corrupt Governments, with 1.29 kickbacks per hour.