The Community of New Periapsis is a colossal, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Director Nathan Emari with a fair hand, and notable for its state-planned economy, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 5.505 billion Alterrans hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The large, outspoken government is primarily concerned with Education, with Healthcare, Industry, and Environment also on the agenda, while Spirituality isn't funded at all. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Kelina. The average income tax rate is 78.1%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient New Periapsisian economy, worth 580 trillion Credits 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 mostly made up of the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Tourism, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is an impressive 105,425 Credits, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Pareidolic SETI scientists swear there's a message from aliens hidden within pi, space has been brought down to earth with constellations of cancer cases across New Periapsis, the sound of office water cooler chatter has been replaced by the whirring of computer cooling fans, and soldiers are equipped with multi-million Credit battlesuits. Crime is totally unknown. New Periapsis's national animal is the Crow, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

New Periapsis is ranked 166,937^th in the world and 5,185^th in Lazarus for Most Armed, with 0.26 Weapons Per Person.