The Republic of Zarlan is a huge, efficient nation, notable for its museums and concert halls, irreverence towards religion, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate population of 536 million Zarlanians enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Zarlan City. The average income tax rate is 40.7%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The thriving Zarlanian economy, worth 43.2 trillion Zaris a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Trout Farming, Tourism, and Cheese Exports. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 80,678 Zaris, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Farmers have taken to hunting billionaires who encroach on their land, evenings at university debating societies often end with everyone acknowledging both sides may well be right, private pharmacies close down as medicinal drugs are given away freely by the government, and scientists pester asteroids with probes until they go away. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Zarlan's national animal is the leopard, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Zarlan is ranked 86,574^th in the world and 720^th in the West Pacific for Highest Average Incomes, with 80,678.96 Standard Monetary Units.