The Empire of Layarteb is a gargantuan, safe nation, ruled by the Emperor with an even hand, and notable for its triple-decker prams, keen interest in outer space, and hatred of cheese. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless population of 49.752 billion Columbians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and look forward to their next free and open election, to be held on an as-yet unannounced date.

The relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Columbia City. The average income tax rate is 1.1%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Layartebian economy, worth an astonishing 10,886 trillion Columbian dollars a year, is led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an amazing 218,819 Columbian dollars, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.7 times as much as the poorest.

Victims of crime are viewed as less trustworthy than politicians, citizens who don't follow a major religion are closely monitored for signs of self-harm, visitors often mistake the toiletplex at music festivals for the main stage, and you can't put down the nation's attitude to pet health. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force. Layarteb's national animal is the falcon, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution.

Layarteb is ranked 6,696^th in the world and 1^st in New York for Most Developed, scoring 92.99 on the Human Development Index.