The Independent Colonies of Aurorae Sinus is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by colonists with a fair hand, and renowned for its rum-swilling pirates, smutty television, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 19.556 billion Martians live in a state of perpetual fear, as a complete breakdown of social order has led to the rise of order through biker gangs.

The minute, corrupt, liberal, outspoken government, or what there is of one, juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Arsia Mons. Income tax is unheard of.

The frighteningly efficient Aurorae Sinusian economy, worth a remarkable 5,307 trillion gigajoules a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and dominated by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Arms Manufacturing, and Retail. Average income is an amazing 271,423 gigajoules, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.3 times as much as the poorest.

Ollie the Oiled Seal welcomes throngs of tourists to the newly opened Oil Oasis Water Park, nose plugs are the latest Aurorae Sinusian fashion accessory, children who can't memorize their multiplication tables are sent to the mines, and in a fit of passion colonists has shredded thirty years' worth of petitions. Crime, especially youth-related, is so common that it is unusual to encounter someone following the law, perhaps because of the country's complete lack of prisons. Aurorae Sinus's national animal is the algae, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Aurorae Sinus is ranked 956^th in the world and 1^st in Mars for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 1,000.33 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.