Historically, Altara lacked political cohesion, with the king or queen holding little real power. At the end of the last Age, however, the Seanchan invasion of the mainland, centred largely in Ebou Dar, served to unite the nation, if under foreign leadership. Though the Seanchan formally retreated following the Last Battle, it took some time for native control to be returned to Altara.

While the period immediately following the Seanchan's departure was fraught with civil strife, eventually a king emerged. Rumoured to be of Seanchan descent, Altorin Quintorille unitrd Altara once more under the force of his rule. While some found his tactics overbearing, he brought peace to the nation; when he died of apparently natural causes, his son took the throne.

The current monarch, Queen Laitah Quintorille, inherited her rule in what has become standard royal succession, though her rule is markedly more lenient than her predecessors'.

Altarans are a fierce people, who pride themselves on their courage. Ebou Dari in particular are famed for their duels, resulting in a culture with a strictly observed set of etiquette. Altarans also celebrate more festivals and feastdays than any other nation; costumes made for these festivals are always ornate, and very often revealing.

Ebou Dar is separated into two parts by the River Eldar. The west side houses the wealthy, hosting large buildings made of either pale white rock or lightly colored marble. The west side is also surrounded by a heavily foritified wall. The east side, also known as the Rahad, is the poorer district. It is made up of lightly colored, stone buildings, painted white to resemble those on the opposite side of the river. The streets are often no more than alleys and cobblestone paths.

Altaran women wear pale dresses to compliment their darker skin; dresses feature tight bodices and full skirts, layered over bright petticoats. These skirts are worn gathered to show off the petticoats; commoners, over one knee, and nobles, lower across both knees. To show off the famous Altaran marriage knives to best effect, the dresses of commoners are often cut deep and narrow at the neckline; those of nobles often feature round or oval cutouts, to the same effect.

Men wear long, elaborate, brightly-coloured vests, often worn shirtless or over pale shirts with wide sleeves. The wealthy also wear a decorative silk coat slung around the shoulders; too small to be worn conventionally, it held in place with chains of silver and gold between narrow, embroidered lapels; a long, narrow sword is often worn with these coats.

Both men and women wear rings and large hoop earrings, as well as curved daggers in the belt or sash, and a work knife. The materials favoured by the wealthy are silks and brocades, while that of commoners is wool.

The marriage knife is probably the most distinctive aspect of Altaran attire; worn by married and widowed women, hung from a choker around the neck (just the choker is worn by women who are engaged), the marriage knife tells much about the wearer. A white sheath means the woman is widowed and does not intend to remarry, while a blue sheath indicates that she will accept offers. White stones on the hilt indicate sons, and red daughters; a red enamelled setting means a son has died in a duel, a white setting that a daughter has died in a duel, and a black setting that the child died of other causes. The marriage knives of nobles are often fashioned from gold and jewels, while those of commoners are made of brass and coloured glass.