The Federal Republic of Asterborne is a massive, genial nation, ruled by Franz with a fair hand, and remarkable for its infamous sell-swords, keen interest in outer space, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 1.186 billion Asterborneans 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 medium-sized, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Northford. The average income tax rate is 74.0%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Asterbornean economy, worth 161 trillion dollars a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 136,553 dollars, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Immigrants are asked to leave their cultural traditions and pride at the border, students are known to arrive at school in their pyjamas, toddlers are wielding machine guns in the name of national defense, and intoxicated AI mobile platforms are sometimes seen crashing through windows instead of being crashed by them. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Asterborne's national animal is the tamaraw, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Asterborne is ranked 10,413^th in the world and 273^rd in The East Pacific for Highest Food Quality, scoring 158.25 on the Meeshlin-Starr Index.