The Global Empire of Syrasia is a massive, genial nation, ruled by Maximilian IX d'Syrasia with an even hand, and remarkable for its punitive income tax rates, devotion to social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The quiet, industrious population of 4.261 billion Syrasians 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 morass — juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Welfare, and Defense. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Pendragon. The average income tax rate is 79.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The Syrasian economy, worth 221 trillion Syrasian Sterlings a year, is quite specialized and led by the Cheese Exports industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Basket Weaving, and Door-to-door Insurance Sales. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 51,920 Syrasian Sterlings, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

'The Anti-Government Hour' is a popular programme on many of Syrasia's radio stations, the secret ingredient is love (and MSG), foreigners are treated with great suspicion, and citizens are allowed to rise or fall based on their own merits. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Syrasia's national animal is the Eagle, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Syrasia is ranked 70,289^th in the world and 121^st in The Region That Has No Big Banks for Highest Food Quality, scoring 28.68 on the Meeshlin-Starr Index.