The Autoritarian Republic of Paltastan is a massive, efficient nation, ruled by Gabriel Alvarez with an iron fist, and renowned for its infamous sell-swords, compulsory military service, and complete absence of social welfare. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless, devout population of 2.192 billion Paltastanians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The relatively small, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Iquique. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 15.7%.

The frighteningly efficient Paltastanian economy, worth 273 trillion Pesos a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Retail, Information Technology, and Automobile Manufacturing. Black market activity is frequent. Average income is an impressive 124,780 Pesos, but there is an enormous disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 774,380 per year while the poor average 8,649, a ratio of 89.5 to 1.

Fixing attendance at women's matches is a matter of "when they go low, we go high... funding", nursing mothers are often arrested for indecent exposure, the nation is devoted to world peas, and the local custom of Biking With The Cars sends tourists home bemused or in body-bags. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force. Paltastan's national animal is the Cóndor, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Católica.

Paltastan is ranked 6,120^th in the world and 428^th in Balder for Highest Disposable Incomes, with 105,190 Standard Monetary Units.