The Neo-Byzantine Empire of Athant is a titanic, cultured nation, ruled by Basileus Nikolaos Palaiologos IV with an iron fist, and remarkable for its barren, inhospitable landscape, strictly enforced bedtime, and compulsory gun ownership. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless, devout population of 13.506 billion Athantians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic, well-organized government is primarily concerned with Defense, although Industry, Law & Order, and Education are also considered important, while International Aid and Social Policy receive no funds. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Athantinopolos. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 59.9%.

The frighteningly efficient Athantian economy, worth a remarkable 2,129 trillion Rodins a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Retail, and Door-to-door Insurance Sales. Black market activity is rampant. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an impressive 157,687 Rodins, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 572,293 per year while the poor average 30,944, a ratio of 18.5 to 1.

Students and teachers are regularly stopped and searched for symbols of religious affiliation before class, it's normal to start working life with crippling financial debt, raindances intended to summon storms instead attract tourists, and government leaders testify at international tribunals on why the sun went out. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Athant's national animal is the Dolphin, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to heavy metals seepage into national waterways, and its national religion is Verdigrisism.

Athant is ranked 324,516^th in the world and 116^th in Aceon for Nicest Citizens, with 0.31 average smiles per day.