The Republic of Brightenstein is a small, safe nation, notable for its pith helmet sales, irreverence towards religion, and punitive income tax rates. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 36 million Brightensteinians 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 large, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 59.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but underdeveloped Brightensteinian economy, worth 1.40 trillion baht a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient black market in Trout Farming and Arms Manufacturing. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 38,965 baht, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Native tribes have been driven to extinction by hunting, glancing at the car radio display while driving is treated as attempted homicide, cars have been banned, and men who wear pink are seen as dangerously unmanly. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Brightenstein's national animal is the swan, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Brightenstein is ranked 126,980^th in the world and 309^th in Edoca for Safest, scoring 72.25 on the Bubble-Rapp Safety Rating.