The Greater Hegemony Republic of Bursken is a colossal, genial nation, ruled by Camsin Costello with a fair hand, and notable for its smutty television, national health service, and daily referendums. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 7.812 billion Burskonians are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The large, liberal, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Treskon. The average income tax rate is 92.2%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Burskenian economy, worth a remarkable 1,291 trillion Stavs a year, is quite specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 165,274 Stavs, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The "Underwear of Women in Power" issue of The Treskon Times is sold out, the nation has opened its arms to an influx of refugees, a traveller who once stubbed a toe on an Air Brancaland flight has been offered asylum, and bemused citizens are encouraged to sing foreign-language hymns of religions they have never heard of. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Bursken's national animal is the falcon, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Kadores.

Bursken is ranked 7,331^st in the world and 53^rd in Europeia for Lowest Crime Rates, with 107.45 law-abiding acts per hour.