The Federal Republic of West Alta is a huge, efficient nation, notable for its flagrant waste-dumping, vat-grown people, and spontaneously combusting cars. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless population of 330 million Altans are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Castelalta. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 48.1%.

The all-consuming Altan economy, worth 37.3 trillion Marks a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Retail, Uranium Mining, and Automobile Manufacturing. Black market activity is extensive. Average income is an impressive 113,110 Marks, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 424,819 per year while the poor average 21,032, a ratio of 20.2 to 1.

The nation is loathed abroad for dumping all of its waste in international waters, epidemiologists happily announce that the reported incidence of depression is close to zero percent, the existence of external reality is tacitly denied, and citizens who become homeless are immediately executed. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. West Alta's national animal is the Horse, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

West Alta is ranked 26,469^th in the world and 182^nd in Europe for Most Advanced Defense Forces, scoring 7,423.9 on the Total War Preparedness Rating.