The Commonwealth of Yalkan is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by King Amias I with a fair hand, and notable for its compulsory military service, punitive income tax rates, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, hard-working, democratic population of 10.31 billion Yalken hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The large government juggles the competing demands of Education, Defense, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Zeta. The average income tax rate is 80.6%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Yalken economy, worth a remarkable 1,317 trillion Drams a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is dominated by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Book Publishing, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is an impressive 127,749 Drams, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The nation's most popular sport is sabotaging foreigners' hopes and dreams, captains must wait until all rats are safe before jumping ship, the nation's police officers are famously miserable-looking, and ice-filled coffins are ominously positioned in the corner of every hospital ward. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Yalkan's national animal is the Dipper, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Yalkan is ranked 193,472^nd in the world and 7,137^th in The North Pacific for Most Armed, with 0.22 Weapons Per Person.