The Republic of Heistanstan is a very large, safe nation, renowned for its state-planned economy, ubiquitous missile silos, and punitive income tax rates. The hard-nosed population of 159 million Heistanstanians are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The enormous, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Education, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 68.7%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Heistanstanian economy, worth 3.20 trillion francs a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient, highly specialized black market in Trout Farming and Basket Weaving. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 20,131 francs, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Neighbourhood gossips whip up controversy about those receiving adult merchandise, summer science camps are regularly raided by narcotics police, foreign leaders who don't applaud Leader's speeches are regarded as enemies of Heistanstan, and TV coverage of music festivals consists mostly of backstage interviews. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Heistanstan's national animal is the cobra, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Heistanstan is ranked 263,445^th in the world and 5,644^th in The North Pacific for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -8.49 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.