The Grand Duchy of Zapato is a gargantuan, environmentally stunning nation, notable for its compulsory military service, absence of drug laws, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, democratic population of 29.879 billion Zapatoans love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, socially-minded morass — prioritizes Environment, although Welfare, Defense, and Healthcare are also considered important, while International Aid and Administration receive no funds. The average income tax rate is 80.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The large but sluggish Zapatoan economy, worth 426 trillion Z-pesos a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity. The industrial sector, which is extremely specialized, is mostly made up of the Trout Farming industry, with major contributions from Cheese Exports. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 14,284 Z-pesos, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Scientists regularly clone human beings for research purposes and same-sex marriages are increasingly common. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Zapato's national animal is the zombie, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Zapato is ranked 121,203^rd in the world and 687^th in Europeia for Lowest Crime Rates, with 65.09 law-abiding acts per hour.