The Galactic Empire of Afria Thebel is a mammoth, cultured nation, ruled by Franciotto Orsini with an iron fist, and notable for its museums and concert halls, zero percent divorce rate, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless population of 8.467 billion Afria Thebelians are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The relatively small, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Industry, Administration, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Bawshar. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 42.2%.

The frighteningly efficient Afria Thebelian economy, worth a remarkable 3,433 trillion Drachmaes a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Retail, and Book Publishing. Black market activity is rampant. Average income is an amazing 405,470 Drachmaes, with the richest citizens earning 6.6 times as much as the poorest.

Torture is commonly used to extract information from suspected criminals, sibling rivalry has become a favorite topic for developmental psychologists, the government regularly hires contractors to construct high rise apartments, and extraordinary rendition is nothing out of the ordinary. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Afria Thebel's national animal is the falcon, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Western Rite Orthodoxy.

Afria Thebel is ranked 1,166^th in the world and 35^th in The North Pacific for Highest Average Incomes, with 405,470.3 Standard Monetary Units.