The Holy Empire of Nelson META is a colossal, safe nation, remarkable for its public floggings, frequent executions, and daily referendums. The hard-working population of 4.437 billion Nelson METAians are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, moralistic government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Welfare. The average income tax rate is 23.7%.

The Nelson METAian economy, worth 232 trillion Delta Eagles a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Woodchip Exports, Door-to-door Insurance Sales, and Uranium Mining. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 52,390 Delta Eagles, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.7 times as much as the poorest.

Blind students are at a disadvantage now that test papers printed in braille have been discontinued, anything is permissible when wearing latex gloves, search and rescue forces now accept cheques and all major credit cards, and all statues and paintings of dogs are being destroyed to avoid offending cat-lovers. Crime, especially youth-related, is almost non-existent, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Nelson META's national animal is the Kitsune, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Nelson META is ranked 298,914^th in the world and 8^th in Chiba for Largest Trout Fishing Sector, scoring -7.59 on the Nemo Depletion Efficiency Index.