The United Socialist States of Sokolovka is a mammoth, orderly nation, ruled by Joseph Mikhailovich Andropov with an iron fist, and remarkable for its keen interest in outer space, sprawling nuclear power plants, and frequent executions. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 6.689 billion Sokolovkans are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, corrupt, socially-minded, well-organized morass — juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Spirituality. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Zaytsaw. The average income tax rate is 96.4%.

The thriving Sokolovkan economy, worth 703 trillion potatoes a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is solely comprised of the Arms Manufacturing industry. Average income is an impressive 105,152 potatoes, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The treehouse in Wolf Park is the tallest building in Sokolovka, the saying 'break a leg' is now taken literally, Joseph Mikhailovich Andropov has been known to make speeches in fishing waders, and loudmouthed journalists are given the chop. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Sokolovka's national animal is the wolf, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Sokolite Orthodox Church.

Sokolovka is ranked 326,247^th in the world and 50^th in USSR for Highest Disposable Incomes, with 3,785.49 Standard Monetary Units.