The Sovereign Federal Republic of Anso is a mammoth, cultured nation, ruled by little blue aliens with an even hand, and notable for its ubiquitous missile silos, daily referendums, and sprawling nuclear power plants. The compassionate, cheerful population of 5.239 billion Ansoans have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Welfare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Burbank. The average income tax rate is 76.2%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Ansoan economy, worth a remarkable 1,015 trillion cowries a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is broadly diversified, is led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Retail, and Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 193,801 cowries, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The new Shark Supremacy Party is faring well in the polls, leading ethologists are being investigated for illegal electoral interference, foreigners "adopt" rotund Sharks to line the pockets of wildlife sanctuaries, and major cities are suffering under water rationing. Crime is totally unknown. Anso's national animal is the Shark, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans, and its national religion is the Power of Friendship.

Anso is ranked 23,313^th in the world and 1^st in Panam for Most Eco-Friendly Governments, scoring 3,076.02 on the Dolphin Recycling Awareness Index.