The Republic of Brightenstein is a small, safe nation, notable for its compulsory military service, pith helmet sales, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 23 million Brightensteinians are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The large, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 60.7%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The developing Brightensteinian economy, worth 902 billion baht a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient black market in Trout Farming and Arms Manufacturing. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 39,241 baht, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Colonies are told they'll get their sovereignty back when they finish supper, environmental protestors are being rounded up and taken away in sinister black vans as a massive land development campaign gets underway, aeroplane cockpits no longer have altimeters or airspeed indicators, and resident physicians are said to have a silver scalpel in their hands. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Brightenstein's national animal is the swan, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Brightenstein is ranked 227,442^nd in the world and 341^st in Edoca for Largest Welfare Programs, scoring 728.11 on the Safety Net Mesh Density Rating.