The Imperatum of The Very Dark Place is a colossal, cultured nation, ruled by HE Sir Cerse Ermanáric with an even hand, and remarkable for its sprawling nuclear power plants, zero percent divorce rate, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, humorless population of 8.611 billion Darkians are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The medium-sized, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Neu Bosehaven. The average income tax rate is 96.8%.

The frighteningly efficient Darkian economy, worth a remarkable 3,292 trillion Imperial Notes a year, is broadly diversified and mostly comprised of black market activity, especially in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Retail, and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an amazing 382,408 Imperial Notes, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Millionaires are surprised to find they are eligible for government handouts, people wouldn't be seen dead without their guns, UFO sightings are listed daily in the morning news, and escargots have lost their charm ever since they started to be called 'cooked land snails'. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. The Very Dark Place's national animal is the Darkian Eagle, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Darkiut.

The Very Dark Place is ranked 1,359^th in the world and 12^th in Confederation of Corrupt Dictators for Most Patriotic, with 110.15 flags saluted per person per day.