The State of Kobau is a gargantuan, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its absence of drug laws and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 36.682 billion Kobauans hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The minute, liberal, outspoken government, or what there is of one, is solely concerned with Education. The average income tax rate is 6.8%.

The Kobauan economy, worth a remarkable 1,211 trillion betales a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is quite specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Gambling, Woodchip Exports, and Book Publishing. Average income is 33,035 betales, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.6 times as much as the poorest.

The latest Harry Potter book is a bestseller, voting is voluntary, surveillance cameras are banned, and education and welfare spending are on the rise. Crime is a problem, probably because of the absence of a police force. Kobau's national animal is the deer, which can occasionally be seen sifting through garbage in the nation's cities.

Kobau is ranked 136,016^th in the world and 1^st in Xavier for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 78.74 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.