The Commonwealth of Gresonia is a huge, cultured nation, remarkable for its museums and concert halls, irreverence towards religion, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 998 million Gresonians are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The enormous, liberal, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Greshia. The average income tax rate is 72.0%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The Gresonian economy, worth 42.7 trillion Greshas a year, is quite specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Basket Weaving and Soda Sales. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 42,738 Greshas, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Military funding has been stripped back, only lightning has a chance of striking Leader twice, buses are widely regarded as the safest way to travel, and juvenile delinquents are fitter than ever. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Gresonia's national animal is the Heron, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Gresonia is ranked 114,632^nd in the world and 1,426^th in the South Pacific for Most Developed, scoring 58.81 on the Human Development Index.