The People's Republic of Pinto da Costa is a mammoth, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its digital currency, infamous sell-swords, and ban on automobiles. The compassionate, cynical population of 8.477 billion Pinto da Costans are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The medium-sized, corrupt, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Estádio do Dragão. The average income tax rate is 61.6%.

The frighteningly efficient Pinto da Costan economy, worth a remarkable 1,185 trillion Luvas Brancas 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, fairly diversified black market in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. 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 impressive 139,832 Luvas Brancas, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.9 times as much as the poorest.

Voters are one of the nation's top imports, hand-to-hand combat experience is udderly essential for all dairy ranchers, families waiting for delayed pipe installations hope daily for rain, and clergy who start talking about politics are forced to take a holy vow of silence. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Pinto da Costa's national animal is the Dragao do Porto, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Pinto da Costa is ranked 43,001^st in the world and 30^th in Portugal for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 202.42 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.