The Borderlands of Vikstad is a very large, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its irreverence towards religion, compulsory gun ownership, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 222 million Vikstadians 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 minute, outspoken government, or what there is of one, is solely concerned with Defense. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 4.6%.

The strong Vikstadian economy, worth 13.4 trillion doubloons a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Trout Farming, Cheese Exports, and Woodchip Exports. Average income is 60,243 doubloons, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 170,865 per year while the poor average 16,971, a ratio of 10.1 to 1.

Shoppers carry protractors to verify their produce, farmers' market days almost always end in a shooting, the frigatebird is a protected species, and society and government have been organized according to a feudal hierarchy. Crime is a serious problem, probably because of the absence of a police force. Vikstad's national animal is the frigatebird, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Vikstad is ranked 221,407^th in the world and 1^st in Tierra del Fuego for Nicest Citizens, with 10.55 average smiles per day.