The Republic of Starlight Aether is a massive, genial nation, renowned for its avant-garde cinema, frequent executions, and public floggings. The compassionate, cynical, devout population of 2.292 billion Starlight Aetherians are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Industry. The average income tax rate is 45.2%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The powerhouse Starlight Aetherian economy, worth 240 trillion lotuses a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient black market in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is an impressive 104,816 lotuses, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.7 times as much as the poorest.

The new Refuse Hills housing development is under construction, Leader's former secretary was last sighted on her new yacht, exorbitant spending on icebreakers breaks the ice at every budget meeting, and search and rescue forces now accept cheques and all major credit cards. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Starlight Aether's national animal is the moonlark, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Starlight Aether is ranked 286,630^th in the world and 4,410^th in eta for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -7.94 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.