The Retired Delegate of Alsted is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by a federal presidency with an even hand, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, frequent executions, and public floggings. The hard-nosed, democratic population of 35.389 billion Alstedians 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 government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked morass — juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Education, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of San Junipero. The average income tax rate is 84.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The very strong Alstedian economy, worth a remarkable 2,315 trillion Alstedian Dollars a year, is extremely specialized and solely comprised of the Book Publishing industry. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 65,417 Alstedian Dollars, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

New safety regulations require all cars manufactured in Alsted to be bombproof, employers may fire workers without giving any reason, planespotters are emigrating in droves, and corporate lobbying has been outlawed. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Alsted's national animal is the Juniperon Otter, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Alsted is ranked 287,937^th in the world and 1,422^nd in Europe for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring -21.02 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.