The Egalitarian Union of Novaray is a massive, socially progressive nation, ruled by Lord Councillor Zera with a fair hand, and remarkable for its museums and concert halls, ubiquitous missile silos, and smutty television. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 4.956 billion Novians love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Union Central. The average income tax rate is 93.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Novarayian economy, worth a remarkable 1,171 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 fairly diversified, is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is an amazing 236,399 Credits, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Artists are pillars of society, citizens living in underground cities have developed a healthy green glow, motorists' locations are constantly tracked by intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and older citizens lament over the loss of law and order. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Novaray's national animal is the Snow Owl, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Novaray is ranked 200,331^st in the world and 9,625^th in The North Pacific for Largest Mining Sector, scoring -14.42 on the Blue Sky Asbestos Index.