The Republic of Asderst is a huge, environmentally stunning nation, notable for its museums and concert halls, avowedly heterosexual populace, and triple-decker prams. The hard-working, democratic, devout population of 660 million Asderstians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Asderst City. The average income tax rate is 22.8%.

The powerhouse Asderstian economy, worth 63.7 trillion dollars a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Basket Weaving, and Information Technology. Average income is 96,482 dollars, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.3 times as much as the poorest.

It is a crime to operate a combine harvester while intoxicated, the government mails weekly updates on the new anti-junk mail laws to every citizen, Asderst City's flashy holiday light displays can be seen from space, and jabbing a baby's bottle at officials gets parents waved straight through immigration. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Asderst's national animal is the horse, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Asderst is ranked 177,824^th in the world and 5,124^th in the South Pacific for Healthiest Citizens, with 1 bananas ingested per day.