The Allied States of Couo is a small, socially progressive nation, renowned for its irreverence towards religion and absence of drug laws. The hard-working population of 26 million Couoans enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The minute, liberal government, or what there is of one, juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Education, and Administration. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 6.0%.

The strong Couoan economy, worth 1.42 trillion XMRS a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is fairly diversified and led by the Trout Farming industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Soda Sales, and Basket Weaving. Average income is 54,742 XMRS, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 172,340 per year while the poor average 13,299, a ratio of 13.0 to 1.

It is against the rules of boxing to hit above or below the belt, cricket farmers use magnifying glasses to fit every member of their herd with tiny tracking tags, same-sex marriages are increasingly common, and citizens are remarkably well involved in the political process. Crime is a serious problem, probably because of the absence of a police force. Couo's national animal is the bull.

Couo is ranked 126,712^th in the world and 76^th in Philosophers for Largest Cheese Export Sector, scoring 1,811.41 on the Mozzarella Productivity Index.