The Royal Republic of Valtaine is a mammoth, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Queen Alexandria II with a fair hand, and notable for its rum-swilling pirates, museums and concert halls, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 5.496 billion Valtaneans enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

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 Avalon. The average income tax rate is 67.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Valtanean economy, worth 754 trillion Valtanean Crowns a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Book Publishing, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 137,303 Valtanean Crowns, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.1 times as much as the poorest.

Collisions between bicycles and carnival floats are on the rise, the diplomatic corps stinks, police struggle to solve crimes due to the lack of fingerprint records, and the new airport at Mr. Giles' farm is panicking his sheep. Crime is totally unknown. Valtaine's national animal is the Barn Owl, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is None.

Valtaine is ranked 19,478^th in the world and 286^th in Europe for Highest Poor Incomes, with 92,673.88 Standard Monetary Units.