The PASTRY EMPIRE of The Pastry Union is a massive, genial nation, ruled by The Croissant Crusader with an even hand, and notable for its multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, irreverence towards religion, and restrictive gun laws. The compassionate, hard-working population of 2.22 billion Pastrians enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The relatively small government prioritizes Education, with Healthcare, Environment, and Welfare also on the agenda, while Spirituality and Social Policy aren't funded at all. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of New Croissantia. The average income tax rate is 18.3%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The strong Pastrian economy, worth 113 trillion Pastrycoins a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Uranium Mining, Information Technology, and Beef-Based Agriculture. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 51,267 Pastrycoins, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.3 times as much as the poorest.

Customer satisfaction with online delivery services is at an all time high, students are wary of colorfully decorated new teachers with names like Professor Pipsqueak, radio shows frequently feature people denouncing religion, and Pastrian tourists are encouraged to hand out spare condoms to locals while on vacation. Crime, especially youth-related, is almost non-existent. The Pastry Union's national animal is the Doughy Dog, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Pastryism.

The Pastry Union is ranked 38,274^th in the world and 4^th in One Collective Brain Cell for Safest, scoring 106.03 on the Bubble-Rapp Safety Rating.