The Railroad States of Baltanla is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Quoc Phi Nguyen with an iron fist, and renowned for its keen interest in outer space, enslaved workforce, and state-planned economy. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 3.68 billion Baltanians 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 large, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Baltanla City and Hanoia. The average income tax rate is 90.3%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Baltanlan economy, worth 565 trillion Auroes a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient, fairly diversified black market in Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, Furniture Restoration, and Woodchip Exports. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is an impressive 153,570 Auroes, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.3 times as much as the poorest.

Hostage-takers offer loyalty scheme points for prompt payment, Baltanlan police have to pay out of their own pockets for bulletproof vests, handling people's data is proving an immersive experience, and both criminals and civilians are DOA. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Baltanla's national animal is the Balls, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Buddhism.

Baltanla is ranked 10,340^th in the world and 6^th in Concord for Lowest Crime Rates, with 100.42 law-abiding acts per hour.