The Empire of Sautu is a colossal, orderly nation, ruled by António da Silva with an iron fist, and remarkable for its keen interest in outer space, infamous sell-swords, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical, devout population of 6.206 billion Sautuans are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The large, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Rei. The average income tax rate is 95.3%.

The frighteningly efficient Sautuan economy, worth a remarkable 1,076 trillion euros a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Tourism, and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 173,523 euros, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.3 times as much as the poorest.

Psychiatrists that date patients are congratulated on their romantic conquests, the Sautuan war navy contains an oddly large number of luxury yachts and cruise liners, foreign 'investors' have been taking a great interest in the new secret shuttle, and the examiners who examine examiners are being examined by examiners. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Sautu's national animal is the horse, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Roman Catholicism.

Sautu is ranked 136,070^th in the world and 2,563^rd in the South Pacific for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector, scoring 1,193.04 on the Henry Ford Productivity Index.