The Commonwealth of Valkenstein is a titanic, safe nation, renowned for its sprawling nuclear power plants, unlimited-speed roads, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, humorless population of 21.167 billion Valkensteiners are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.

The tiny, corrupt, pro-business government juggles the competing demands of Education, Defense, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Zurik. Income tax is unheard of.

The frighteningly efficient Valkensteiner economy, worth an astonishing 10,031 trillion Syns a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Retail, and Book Publishing. Average income is an amazing 473,931 Syns, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 2,238,072 per year while the poor average 59,470, a ratio of 37.6 to 1.

Children are often observed making 'sand angels' in bunkers, blind dates tend to result in bruised shins, Leader has declared a weed sticking through a crack in the sidewalk to be the nation's newest green space, and bread-gangs raid restaurant waste bins to stockpile uneaten rolls. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown. Valkenstein's national animal is the Pheonix, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Valkenstein is ranked 373^rd in the world and 1^st in Hollenthon for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring 15,082.76 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.