The Republic of Fish HQ is a large, genial nation, notable for its ritual sacrifices, state-planned economy, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate, hard-working, cynical, devout population of 152 million Fish HQians 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 enormous, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Law & Order, and Defense. The average income tax rate is 68.3%.

The Fish HQian economy, worth 7.53 trillion Cards a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Woodchip Exports, Uranium Mining, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is 49,547 Cards, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.2 times as much as the poorest.

Many parents are becoming frustrated with their children's choices in spouses, all government communication requires the imprimatur of the Truth Police, dubiously qualified East Lebatuckese doctors prescribe ice baths as a treatment for pneumonia, and candidates for public office painstakingly research their family trees to ensure their eligibility. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Fish HQ's national animal is the Card, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Fish HQ is ranked 112,330^th in the world and 1^st in Fish HQ for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 88.81 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.