The Commonwealth of Yalkan is a colossal, genial nation, ruled by King Amias I with a fair hand, and notable for its irreverence towards religion, devotion to social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 8.648 billion Yalken hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Education, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Zeta. The average income tax rate is 75.3%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Yalken economy, worth a remarkable 1,184 trillion Drams a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is fairly diversified, is dominated by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Book Publishing, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is an impressive 136,922 Drams, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The nation's most popular sport is sabotaging foreigners' hopes and dreams, captains must wait until all rats are safe before jumping ship, the nation's police officers are famously miserable-looking, and ice-filled coffins are ominously positioned in the corner of every hospital ward. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Yalkan's national animal is the Dipper, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Yalkan is ranked 200,220^th in the world and 9,659^th in The North Pacific for Largest Mining Sector, scoring -14.28 on the Blue Sky Asbestos Index.