The Republic of Ketu is a fledgling, cultured nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service and absence of drug laws. The hard-working, cynical population of 5 million Ketuans enjoy some of the most opulent lifestyles in the region, unless they are unemployed or working-class, in which case they are variously starving to death or crippled by easily preventable diseases.

The tiny government juggles the competing demands of Education, Welfare, and Public Transport. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 6.8%.

The very strong Ketuan economy, worth 321 billion Dens a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Trout Farming, Arms Manufacturing, and Gambling. Average income is 64,146 Dens, with the richest citizens earning 9.9 times as much as the poorest.

Civil servants refuse to enforce government regulations for fear of wider economic impact, a Horizon Tourist Association survey has rated Ketu #1 for number twos, more than one company makes the board game Monopoly, and the government tries to improve relations with hostile countries by sending gift baskets. Crime, especially youth-related, is relatively low. Ketu's national animal is the Crane, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Ketu is ranked 109,638^th in the world and 246^th in Horizon for Nudest, with 157.5 cheeks per square mile.