The Demokratik Republik of Alpengau is a massive, orderly nation, renowned for its unlimited-speed roads, sprawling nuclear power plants, and ubiquitous missile silos. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 4.007 billion Alpengauans are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Administration, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Säuling. The average income tax rate is 71.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Alpengauan economy, worth 587 trillion Alpengauen Marks a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is broadly diversified, is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Book Publishing, and Uranium Mining. Average income is an impressive 146,663 Alpengauen Marks, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.5 times as much as the poorest.

Birdsong in the mountains has to be loud enough to drown out nearby jackhammers, arbitrary election rules are considered sacrosanct, belligerent citizens shoot at passing clouds for 'violating their airspace', and UFO sightings are listed daily in the morning news. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Alpengau's national animal is the Wolpertinger, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Alpengau is ranked 95,255^th in the world and 6^th in Kerbin for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring 2,251.57 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.