The United Socialist States of East Zamden is a huge, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its state-planned economy, devotion to social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate population of 228 million East Zamdenians are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, socially-minded morass — juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Healthcare, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 78.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but stagnant East Zamdenian economy, worth 2.34 trillion kronor 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 Door-to-door Insurance Sales industry, with major contributions from Woodchip Exports, Basket Weaving, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is 10,280 kronor, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Young people suspect their parents might be a little bit stupid, elevator music has been replaced by thrash metal played at maximum volume, it is mandatory to learn evolution in schools, and contestants on East Zamden's Got Talent are screened by the government to make sure that they actually have talent. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. East Zamden's national animal is the Cat, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

East Zamden is ranked 32,884^th in the world and 762^nd in The East Pacific for Safest, scoring 108.15 on the Bubble-Rapp Safety Rating.