The Republic of Nova Wallonia is a huge, safe nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service, keen interest in outer space, and punitive income tax rates. The quiet, industrious population of 281 million Wallonians are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Welfare, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 75.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Nova Wallonian economy, worth 7.52 trillion Kerns 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 Trout Farming industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing. Average income is 26,766 Kerns, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Professionals are ready to retire by the time they receive permission to use their credentials, astronomers are flocking to Nova Wallonia to take advantage of its clear night skies, ignorance is considered a politically desirable quality, and Nova Wallonia's free colleges struggle to maintain standards in the face of overwhelming demand. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Nova Wallonia's national animal is the Pegasus, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Nova Wallonia is ranked 98,581^st in the world and 823^rd in Europe for Most Cheerful Citizens, with 50.5 Percentage Of Water Glasses Perceived Half-Full.