The Republic of Ascentida is a colossal, safe nation, ruled by Christian Matthew Davis with an even hand, and renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, compulsory military service, and anti-smoking policies. The hard-nosed, hard-working, devout population of 3.474 billion Ascendians 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, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Industry, Education, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Andersonia. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 45.1%.

The frighteningly efficient Ascentidan economy, worth 525 trillion onars a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Retail, Information Technology, and Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 151,229 onars, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 459,180 per year while the poor average 38,706, a ratio of 11.9 to 1.

The government is lending a hand to private industry, exterminator companies deploy nerve gas in turf wars, the Treasury has been accused of flushing money down the toilet, and the government supplies ragtag bands of resistance fighters in exchange for vague promises of future payment. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ascentida's national animal is the Ascendian brown bear, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its national religion is Christianity.

Ascentida is ranked 297,523^rd in the world and 4,385^th in The North Pacific for Largest Gambling Industry, scoring -11.34 on the Kelly Criterion Productivity Index.