The Great Union of Norbarch is a colossal, cultured nation, remarkable for its state-planned economy, parental licensing program, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate population of 7.454 billion Norbarchians enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The enormous government juggles the competing demands of Education, Environment, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Bæn. The average income tax rate is 92.0%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Norbarchian economy, worth a remarkable 1,003 trillion Euros 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 Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing and Tourism. Average income is an impressive 134,672 Euros, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The treehouse in Owl Park is the tallest building in Norbarch, the military struggles with recruitment, the news is showing footage of Leader bullying an old man to the point of tears, and most of the nation's wealthy aristocrats are dentists. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Norbarch's national animal is the Owl, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Norbarch is ranked 8,951^st in the world and 132^nd in Europe for Lowest Crime Rates, with 103.15 law-abiding acts per hour.