The United Socialist States of Askowa is a very large, cultured nation, renowned for its museums and concert halls, sprawling nuclear power plants, and absence of drug laws. The compassionate, hard-working, democratic, devout population of 481 million Askowalkans enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The medium-sized, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Avelier. The average income tax rate is 28.8%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The powerhouse Askowalkan economy, worth 42.3 trillion liers a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Retail, and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 87,844 liers, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Exorbitant spending on icebreakers breaks the ice at every budget meeting, the country routinely whitewashes uncomfortable parts of its history, scenic mountain valleys are flooded with water as damming projects get underway, and immigrants are asked to leave their cultural traditions and pride at the border. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Askowa's national animal is the raven, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution.

Askowa is ranked 41,780^th in the world and 833^rd in The North Pacific for Highest Foreign Aid Spending, scoring 775.32 on the Clooney Contribution Index.