The Federal Republic of The Alterans is a massive, efficient nation, ruled by the Unitary Council with an even hand, and notable for its ritual sacrifices, fear of technology, and irreverence towards religion. The hard-nosed, hard-working, democratic population of 2.28 billion Alteran Ancients have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Atunai Metroplex. The average income tax rate is 22.5%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The thriving Alteran economy, worth 148 trillion MetaUnits a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Retail, Pizza Delivery, and Cheese Exports. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 64,885 MetaUnits, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.4 times as much as the poorest.

Children who display even minimal sporting aptitude are immediately assigned a personal trainer, the flight attendant who draws the short straw is on "cockpit bucket duty", factories are regularly demolished to make way for low-cost housing areas, and the nation honors the inventor of the three-wheeled steam-powered Alteran weed picker. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. The Alterans's national animal is the microorganism, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its national religion is atheism.

The Alterans is ranked 244,071^st in the world and 7^th in Subspace Realms for Most Rebellious Youth, scoring -8 on the Stark-Dean Displacement Index.