The Commonwealth of The Starr of Betelgeuse is a huge, efficient nation, notable for its rum-swilling pirates, infamous sell-swords, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, hard-working population of 726 million Starr of Betelgeuseans enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The medium-sized government prioritizes Education, with Healthcare, Administration, and Welfare also on the agenda, while Defense and Spirituality receive no funds. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Cairo Alexandria. The average income tax rate is 27.8%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming Starr of Betelgeusean economy, worth 74.6 trillion Pecunias a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Retail. Average income is an impressive 102,812 Pecunias, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.7 times as much as the poorest.

Employers are never quite sure if graduates' qualifications have any merit or meaning, mall countdown clocks warn that there are only 364 more shopping days until Maxxmas, the tax agency is feared more than serial killers and terrorists, and the needs of the living outweigh the needs of the dead. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. The Starr of Betelgeuse's national animal is the Honey Badger, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

The Starr of Betelgeuse is ranked 276,563^rd in the world and 294^th in Refugia for Most Armed, with 0.16 weapons per person.