The Commonwealth of Langburn is a colossal, socially progressive nation, ruled by President Bear Logan with a fair hand, and renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, and absence of drug laws. The compassionate, democratic population of 3.242 billion Langburnians 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.

The medium-sized, corrupt, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Industry, Administration, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Onita. The average income tax rate is 82.0%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Langburnian economy, worth 697 trillion crowns 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 an enormous, deeply entrenched, fairly diversified black market in Information Technology, Retail, Book Publishing, and Soda Sales. 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 an amazing 215,111 crowns, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Langburnian Standard Vodka is the only drink that bars stock, many marriages go virtually unconsummated, internet moderator is one of the most popular jobs among the nation's more socially awkward citizens, and the saying "when pigs fly" has been changed to "when the lights work". Crime, especially youth-related, is a major problem, perhaps because of the country's complete lack of prisons. Langburn's national animal is the pelican, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution.

Langburn is ranked 3,190^th in the world and 22^nd in Europeia for Highest Poor Incomes, with 188,475.58 Standard Monetary Units.