The Armed Republic of Vangalis is a colossal, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by Vanilla Vic with an even hand, and renowned for its keen interest in outer space, compulsory military service, and frequent executions. The compassionate population of 7.96 billion Vangalisians are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The medium-sized, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Administration, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of New Baklava. The average income tax rate is 67.2%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Vangalisian economy, worth a remarkable 1,082 trillion Baklavas 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 large, well-organized black market in Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, Tourism, and Book Publishing. 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 135,999 Baklavas, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Signs saying "No Poor People or Weirdoes" are common outside shops and cafés, invasive species are hunted by the gendarmerie, shipping canals are a bit like unimaginative cheese shops -- filled with debris, and small shoes often wash up on the beach. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Vangalis's national animal is the Griphyn, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Catholicism.

Vangalis is ranked 274,050^th in the world and 10,176^th in Lazarus for Most Primitive, scoring -270.68 on the Scary Big Number Scale.