The Meander of Oxbow is a mammoth, safe nation, ruled by Thomas Cole with an even hand, and renowned for its daily referendums, pith helmet sales, and multi-spousal wedding ceremonies. The compassionate population of 5.973 billion lakes have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Lake Chicot. The average income tax rate is 35.4%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The large but inefficient lacustrine economy, worth 245 trillion billabongs a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Woodchip Exports, Information Technology, and Uranium Mining. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 41,160 billabongs, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.8 times as much as the poorest.

People who have lived their entire lives in Oxbow are shocked to discover that they are not citizens, Thomas Cole is too busy listening to praise to get any work done, some say that Thomas Cole can't handle the truth but can handle truth-seekers, and fans doing the wave routinely disrupt the finals of Go tournaments. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Oxbow's national animal is the horseshoe, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its national religion is erosion.

Oxbow is ranked 323,605^th in the world and 41^st in Seinfeld for Largest Trout Fishing Sector, scoring -11.87 on the Nemo Depletion Efficiency Index.