The Ineffable Existential Abyss of Cognosco is a colossal, cultured nation, ruled by The pessimistic ghost of Schopenhauer with a fair hand, and renowned for its national health service, smutty television, and rampant corporate plagiarism. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 6.268 billion Cognoscans 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, corrupt, liberal, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Manentia. The average income tax rate is 98.5%.

The frighteningly efficient Cognoscoan economy, worth a remarkable 1,454 trillion Life Chances a year, is quite specialized and mostly made up of the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an amazing 232,098 Life Chances, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Psychiatrists that date patients are congratulated on their romantic conquests, life is somewhat repetitive, primetime re-runs of The Black and White Minstrel Show are a critical hit, and five-year-olds who refuse to line up on command get gold stars. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Cognosco's national animal is the Cognoscan Eagle, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is High-Spirited Schadenfreude.

Cognosco is ranked 286,583^rd in the world and 169^th in Philosophers for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring -16.43 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.