The Kingdom of Afria Thebel is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Franciotto Orsini with an iron fist, and notable for its multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, national health service, and zero percent divorce rate. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 3.427 billion Afria Thebelians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Bawshar. The average income tax rate is 70.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Afria Thebelian economy, worth a remarkable 1,149 trillion dollars a year, is broadly diversified and mostly comprised of black market activity, especially in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Tourism, and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an amazing 335,556 dollars, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.7 times as much as the poorest.

The family summer vacation has become a thing of the past following the introduction of the year-round school year, footballers are doing aerobics in the sauna to build their hot weather endurance, scaffolding is built around scaffolding to give safe access, and Formula One cars in Afria Thebel boast 56 miles per gallon. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Afria Thebel's national animal is the falcon, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Western Rite Orthodoxy.

Afria Thebel is ranked 4,725^th in the world and 122^nd in the South Pacific for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 578.76 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.