The Swirling Stars of Merethin is a mammoth, cultured nation, ruled by Iris with a fair hand, and renowned for its compulsory vegetarianism, soft-spoken computers, and restrictive gun laws. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 6.011 billion Merethinians love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Industry, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Merethin City. The average income tax rate is 99.6%.

The frighteningly efficient Merethinian economy, worth a remarkable 1,290 trillion golden coins a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is mostly made up of the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing and Tourism. Average income is an amazing 214,651 golden coins, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Merethinians incessantly needle their doctors for relief, the government's new priority is citizens' access to cat videos, the government prides itself on being smug and condescending to idiots, and Air Merethin is rumored to receive more government funding than the Merethinian Air Force. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Merethin's national animal is the axolotl, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans, and its national religion is Star Sister.

Merethin is ranked 1,572^nd in the world and 8^th in Starlight for Lowest Crime Rates, with 148.79 law-abiding acts per hour.