The Federal Republic of Alarastan is a large, environmentally stunning nation, notable for its state-planned economy, irreverence towards religion, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, democratic population of 117 million Alarastanians 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 large, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 67.0%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Alarastanian economy, worth 3.60 trillion Credits 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 mostly made up of the Trout Farming industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is 30,782 Credits, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Leader's speeches are beloved by insomniacs, scenic mountain valleys are flooded with water as damming projects get underway, election ballot papers are so long that unused ones are recycled as toilet roll, and fur coats have become the latest fashion trend. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Alarastan's national animal is the LothCat, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Alarastan is ranked 307,347^th in the world and 3,709^th in the South Pacific for Highest Average Incomes, with 30,782.9 Standard Monetary Units.