The Community of Casterbrious is a very large, genial nation, notable for its lack of airports, rampant corporate plagiarism, and hatred of cheese. The compassionate, democratic population of 241 million Casterbrions 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.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded, outspoken government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Welfare, and Education. The average income tax rate is 85.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Casterbrion economy, worth 6.15 trillion Pandaks a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is mostly made up of the Information Technology industry. State-owned companies are the norm. Average income is 25,500 Pandaks, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The Gallery of Instasnap is the most popular museum in the country, Dàguó lanterns outnumber streetlights in major cities, artists are pillars of society, and hostage-takers offer loyalty scheme points for prompt payment. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Casterbrious's national animal is the Tafelshrew, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Casterbrious is ranked 12,333^rd in the world and 71^st in Refugia for Highest Average Tax Rates, with 85.85 Effective Tax Rate.