The United Federation of Etheinia is a titanic, efficient nation, ruled by Kurt Weigand with an iron fist, and notable for its strictly enforced bedtime, smutty television, and keen interest in outer space. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless, devout population of 18.112 billion Etheinians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The large, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Alestin. The average income tax rate is 78.2%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Etheinian economy, worth a remarkable 2,347 trillion ENCUS a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Automobile Manufacturing. Black market activity is extensive. Average income is an impressive 129,610 ENCUS, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Half-submerged and flooded seaside hotels are technically still next to the beach, kids only know what plants are because they've seen them on the television, the citizenship exam requires years of study to actually pass, and it's illegal to blow things up. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Etheinia's national animal is the Eurasian Eagle-Owl, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution, and its national religion is Various.

Etheinia is ranked 31,310^th in the world and 9^th in Coalition of Crown Albatross for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 245.21 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.