The Empire of Valansten is a massive, efficient nation, ruled by Emperor Frederick Albert I with a fair hand, and remarkable for its compulsory military service, irreverence towards religion, and absence of drug laws. The democratic population of 1.366 billion Valanstenians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Healthcare, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Kötenberg. The average income tax rate is 63.9%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Valanstenian economy, worth 168 trillion Steinders a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Cheese Exports, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is an impressive 123,206 Steinders, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.7 times as much as the poorest.

Sleep-deprived officials are known to collapse after late night revision for their examinations, crowded passenger trains are near-silent save for the soft tap of fingers on touchscreens, tourists outnumber citizens two to one, and crackheads chase drug-loaded drones in hopes of a lucky drop. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Valansten's national animal is the Eagle, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Valansten is ranked 106,308^th in the world and 5,005^th in the South Pacific for Most Income Equality, scoring 36.79 on the Marx-Engels Emancipation Scale.