The Greater Hegemony Republic of Bursken is a colossal, genial nation, ruled by Camsin Costello with a fair hand, and renowned for its keen interest in outer space, devotion to social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 7.944 billion Burskonians are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The large, liberal, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Treskon. The average income tax rate is 92.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Burskenian economy, worth a remarkable 1,307 trillion Stavs a year, is quite specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 164,531 Stavs, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

A traveller who once stubbed a toe on an Air Brancaland flight has been offered asylum, bemused citizens are encouraged to sing foreign-language hymns of religions they have never heard of, political satirists and late night comedians weep as the government begins cleaning up its act, and the Burskenian Intelligence Agency relies on internet search engines to know what is happening overseas. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Bursken's national animal is the falcon, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Kadores.

Bursken is ranked 3,682^nd in the world and 43^rd in Europeia for Most Cheerful Citizens, with 63.33 Percentage Of Water Glasses Perceived Half-Full.