The Gallant Knight of The Valley of the Shadow is a gargantuan, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its absence of drug laws and spontaneously combusting cars. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 22.481 billion Shadows live in a state of perpetual fear, as a complete breakdown of social order has led to the rise of order through biker gangs.

The medium-sized, liberal, pro-business, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Environment, Education, and Social Policy. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 25.4%.

The strong a Shadow economy, worth 937 trillion Purloined Letters a year, is quite specialized and led by the Trout Farming industry, with major contributions from Door-to-door Insurance Sales, Book Publishing, and Soda Sales. Average income is 41,680 Purloined Letters, but there is a vast disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 283,379 per year while the poor average 2,239, a ratio of 126 to 1.

Crime is a serious problem. The Valley of the Shadow's national animal is the Gold Bug, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

The Valley of the Shadow is ranked 198,563^rd in the world and 1^st in The Shadow Empire for Most Corrupt Governments, with 1.38 kickbacks per hour.