The Flying Realm of Salaam is a huge, efficient nation, renowned for its closed borders, smutty television, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, devout population of 572 million tengus are rabid consumers, partly through choice and partly because the government tells them to and dissenters tend to vanish from their homes at night.

The minute, corrupt, pro-business, well-organized government, or what there is of one, is dominated by the Department of Defense, although Industry is also considered important, while Social Policy and Welfare aren't funded at all. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Sixth Heaven. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 2.3%.

The all-consuming Salaamian economy, worth 70.9 trillion kronor a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Retail, Soda Sales, and Information Technology. Average income is an impressive 123,908 kronor, but there is a vast disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 1,132,292 per year while the poor average 1,481, a ratio of 764 to 1.

Sales of trenchcoats are on the rise, pedants defending Leader observe that psychopaths and sociopaths aren't exactly the same thing, rebuilding efforts for a recently destroyed cathedral aren't expected to be completed for another century, and belief that Leader is a lizard-person from outer space has reached an all-time high. Crime is all-pervasive, probably because of the absence of a police force. Salaam's national animal is the bloodflower, which is also the nation's favorite main course.

Salaam is ranked 287,908^th in the world and 484^th in Crimson Spire for Nicest Citizens, with 0.29 average smiles per day.