The Republic of Bankowiata is a colossal, cultured nation, ruled by Strong AI with a fair hand, and renowned for its state-planned economy, vat-grown people, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 9.095 billion Bankowiatans 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 government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Bankowiata City. The income tax rate is 100%.

The frighteningly efficient Bankowiatan economy, worth a remarkable 3,195 trillion Virtual 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 Tourism and Book Publishing. Average income is an amazing 351,297 Virtual Coins, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Bankowiatan novella fans become unusually flustered when thinking about Strong AI, politicians no longer click with dating app matches, sales of disinfectant wipes have skyrocketed, and t-shirts displaying a photo of Strong AI performing the Full-Monty are selling out. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Bankowiata's national animal is the Hedgehog, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Secularism.

Bankowiata is ranked 316,241^st in the world and 6,067^th in The North Pacific for Highest Disposable Incomes, with zero Standard Monetary Units.