The State of Artell is a gargantuan, socially progressive nation, ruled by the Governor with an even hand, and remarkable for its punitive income tax rates, devotion to social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The quiet, industrious population of 34.51 billion Artellians enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Education, Welfare, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Westminster. The average income tax rate is 86.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The large but stagnant Artellian economy, worth 156 trillion betales a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is solely comprised of the Book Publishing industry. Average income is 4,524 betales, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The Governor has just been declared ruler of Artell in an international press conference, Artell has designated Westminster as its capital city, shady doctors seem to have impeccable records, and the government pours millions of betales into rehabilitation programs annually. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Artell's national animal is the deer, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Artell is ranked 294,235^th in the world and 1^st in Kingdom of Thailand for Largest Arms Manufacturing Sector, scoring -8.12 on the Charon Conveyancy Index.