The Armed Republic of Luminestra is a huge, environmentally stunning nation, renowned for its zero percent divorce rate, keen interest in outer space, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed population of 239 million Luminestrans are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, moralistic government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Healthcare, and Education. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 34.2%.

The Luminestran economy, worth 14.6 trillion Luminars 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, fairly diversified black market in Tourism, Information Technology, Gambling, and Furniture Restoration. 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 61,237 Luminars, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 173,135 per year while the poor average 17,327, a ratio of 10.0 to 1.

Middle-aged metal fans quite enjoy being called "rebellious youths" by even older politicians, fair-weather fans talk during plays while die-hard theatre enthusiasts stay at home, a bill to outlaw math homework has been submitted, and adultery has been made a capital offence. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Luminestra's national animal is the Astral Griffin, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Luminestra is ranked 75,698^th in the world and 787^th in Europe for Most Beautiful Environments, with 602.82 pounds of wildlife per square mile.