The Armed Republic of Valkstein is a massive, cultured nation, ruled by a council of specialists and officials with an even hand, and remarkable for its rum-swilling pirates, keen interest in outer space, and pith helmet sales. The hard-nosed, devout population of 3.63 billion Valksteinians 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 relatively small, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Valkstain. The average income tax rate is 48.5%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Valksteinian economy, worth 738 trillion Reuses a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Information Technology, and Retail. Black market activity is rampant. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an amazing 203,455 Reuses, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.3 times as much as the poorest.

A council of specialists and officials has killer fashion sense, white strait-jackets are the new orange jumpsuits, it is illegal for police officers to carry out searches due to strict privacy laws, and taking hostages is a great way to influence government policy. Crime, especially youth-related, is a serious problem, with the police force struggling against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Valkstein's national animal is the bullfrog, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Valkstein is ranked 11,716^th in the world and 271^st in the South Pacific for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 375.91 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.