The Syndicalist Union State of Helsingdal is a colossal, cultured nation, ruled by Aghvardh Nordvall with an even hand, and renowned for its closed borders, pith helmet sales, and complete lack of prisons. The hard-nosed, humorless, devout population of 7.984 billion Helsingis 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 medium-sized, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Education, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Vitterånge. The average income tax rate is 81.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Helsingdalian economy, worth a remarkable 1,703 trillion Ortigs a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a large, well-organized, broadly diversified black market in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Book Publishing, and Retail. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is an amazing 213,361 Ortigs, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Beating enemies to death with a baseball bat is legal if done within nine innings, the nation's atlases tend to go out of date every few weeks, aggravated apostrophe abusers are admonished and assaulted, and the government is washing its hands of alleged corruption. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Helsingdal's national animal is the Lynx, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Asatro.

Helsingdal is ranked 6,556^th in the world and 325^th in Balder for Lowest Crime Rates, with 110.06 law-abiding acts per hour.