The Desert Town of Shelter Valley is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by The Desert Rat with an even hand, and notable for its daily referendums, rampant corporate plagiarism, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, hard-working, cheerful population of 11.99 billion Shelter Valleyians 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 large, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Education, Environment, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Shelter Valley. The average income tax rate is 98.2%.

The frighteningly efficient Shelter Valleyian economy, worth a remarkable 2,371 trillion dollars a year, is quite specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Retail. Average income is an impressive 197,755 dollars, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 4.5 times as much as the poorest.

History textbook pages are used as impromptu tissues by distraught students, burning twigs to keep warm while lost in the wild is now a felony, torture is illegal, and putting a mustache on a banknote is considered defacing a national monument. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Shelter Valley's national animal is the big horn sheep, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is The Desert.

Shelter Valley is ranked 262,465^th in the world and 10^th in desert for Highest Crime Rates, with 1.63 crimes per hour.