The Nonexistent Nordic Republic of Cottia is a gargantuan, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its barren, inhospitable landscape and daily referendums. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 29.047 billion Cottians are effectively ruled by a group of massive corporations, who run for political office and provide their well-off citizens with world-class goods and services. Their poorer citizens, however, are mostly starving to death while being urged to go out and get real jobs. The populace has reasonably extensive civil rights, although these are mostly aimed at allowing them to buy whatever they like.

The medium-sized, pro-business government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Spirituality, and Defense. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 18.5%.

The thriving Cottian economy, worth a remarkable 1,426 trillion kronor a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Retail, Book Publishing, and Soda Sales. Average income is 49,117 kronor, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 192,162 per year while the poor average 8,552, a ratio of 22.5 to 1.

Sesame Street has been named as Cottia's national religion, parents live in fear of governmental 'child protection' squads, genetic research is temporarily tied up in government red tape, and abortion is only legal in unusual circumstances. Crime, especially youth-related, is a problem. Cottia's national animal is the polar bear, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its national religion is Sesame Street.

Cottia is ranked 250,046^th in the world and 20^th in Antarctic Oasis for Most Beautiful Environments, with 233.39 pounds of wildlife per square mile.