The Republic of Salavanca is a very large, socially progressive nation, notable for its state-planned economy, irreverence towards religion, and punitive income tax rates. The democratic population of 186 million Salavancans love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Administration, Healthcare, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 65.6%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Salavancan economy, worth 5.22 trillion Salavs a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is dominated by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Uranium Mining, Furniture Restoration, and Pizza Delivery. Average income is 28,072 Salavs, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Pareidolic SETI scientists swear there's a message from aliens hidden within pi, coalition governments are essential to passing new laws, the entire entry for Salavanca in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the World reads 'mostly harmless', and children have nightmares about the eerie red glow and constant whirring of newly-installed machines. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Salavanca's national animal is the wolf, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Salavanca is ranked 10,161^st in the world and 283^rd in The East Pacific for Safest, scoring 121.03 on the Bubble-Rapp Safety Rating.