The Machiavellian State of Gothic Vandelia is a colossal, cultured nation, ruled by John Kaiser with an even hand, and notable for its unlimited-speed roads, free-roaming dinosaurs, and punitive income tax rates. The hard-nosed, hard-working, humorless population of 5.202 billion Gothic Vandelians 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 medium-sized, corrupt government is primarily concerned with Defense, with Education, Industry, and Administration also on the agenda, while Spirituality and International Aid aren't funded at all. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Deep13. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 91.0%.

The frighteningly efficient Gothic Vandelian economy, worth a remarkable 2,647 trillion Rand a year, is broadly diversified and mostly comprised of black market activity, especially in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Retail, and Automobile Manufacturing. Average income is a breathtaking 508,942 Rand, with the richest citizens earning 9.3 times as much as the poorest.

Military spending is on the increase, the tenet of free speech is held dear, the nation's infamous boot camp is more brutal than most battlefields, and crowded passenger trains are near-silent save for the soft tap of fingers on touchscreens. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Gothic Vandelia's national animal is the Raven, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Norse.

Gothic Vandelia is ranked 497^th in the world and 2^nd in Novus Lucidum for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring 20,102.58 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.