The United Socialist States of Episte is a colossal, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Science with an even hand, and notable for its museums and concert halls, ban on automobiles, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 6.398 billion Episteans enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The enormous, liberal, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Episte City. The average income tax rate is 99.1%.

The frighteningly efficient Epistean economy, worth a remarkable 1,082 trillion gils a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology and Tourism. Average income is an impressive 169,210 gils, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Science's reputation is hard as nails, the aphorism "there's no need to argue" has been dismissed by Episteans, newspapers are celebrating Science saving over a million cats from trees, and the pursuit of wanted criminals ends at the entrance of the pay'n'spray garage as police refuse to enter any private property. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Episte's national animal is the raccoon, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Episte is ranked 6,076^th in the world and 7^th in Cape of Good Hope for Lowest Crime Rates, with 111.88 law-abiding acts per hour.