The People's Republic of Elaesium is a massive, safe nation, remarkable for its keen interest in outer space, daily referendums, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, democratic population of 2.026 billion Elaesians enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Welfare, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 73.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The strong Elaesian economy, worth 139 trillion crediis a year, is led by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, and Uranium Mining. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 68,923 crediis, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Space shuttles are lying silent on the runway till the Space Agency can work out how to fit a creche and a meditation room into their next spacecraft, hundreds of subterranean tunnels are being built as part of "Project Morlock", school children asked "what is two times two?" are likely to form a symposium to discuss how different answers make them feel, and councils up and down the country wrangle over legal matters. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Elaesium's national animal is the Tiger, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Elaesium is ranked 59,001^st in the world and 46^th in Community for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 127.65 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.