The Protectorate of Shakaz is a colossal, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its barren, inhospitable landscape, compulsory military service, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 5.612 billion Shakazians are effectively ruled by a group of massive corporations, who run for political office and provide their well-off citizens with world-class goods and services. Their poorer citizens, however, are mostly starving to death while being urged to go out and get real jobs. The populace has reasonably extensive civil rights, although these are mostly aimed at allowing them to buy whatever they like.

The minute, pro-business government, or what there is of one, prioritizes Defense, although Law & Order and Education are also considered important, while Spirituality and International Aid aren't funded at all. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 5.4%.

The strong Shakazian economy, worth 345 trillion guilders a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Book Publishing industry, with major contributions from Woodchip Exports, Retail, and Furniture Restoration. Average income is 61,507 guilders, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 304,805 per year while the poor average 7,038, a ratio of 43.3 to 1.

The latest Harry Potter book is a bestseller, earthquake sirens are a leading cause of hearing loss, the country's famous rainforests are being bulldozed by the mining industry, and voting for pro-Bigtopian candidates is voluntary. Crime is a problem, with the police force struggling against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Shakaz's national animal is the cow, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Shakaz is ranked 107,477^th in the world and 1^st in Zulu Strip One for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring 2,573.85 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.