The Holy Empire of The Gates is a tiny, safe nation, notable for its burgeoning Cardinal population. The democratic population of 10 million Gatesians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The relatively small, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Education, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 13.9%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The Gatesian economy, worth 479 billion bitcoins a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Trout Farming industry, with major contributions from Furniture Restoration, Book Publishing, and Soda Sales. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 47,889 bitcoins, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.1 times as much as the poorest.

Crime is almost non-existent. The Gates's national animal is the Cardinal.

The Gates is ranked 114,414^th in the world and 2^nd in Ruby Empire for Rudest Citizens, with 50.13 insults per minute.