The Empire of Hiola is a tiny, safe nation, notable for its frequent executions, compulsory military service, and public floggings. The cynical population of 18 million Hiolans 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 relatively small, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 18.6%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The Hiolan economy, worth 1.19 trillion Copper Coins a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Beef-Based Agriculture, Cheese Exports, and Uranium Mining. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 66,166 Copper Coins, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Being able to unblock a u-bend pipe is considered a universally essential skill, motorists' locations are constantly tracked by intelligence and law enforcement agencies, the police have been known to wiretap confessional boxes, and doctors accused of having no heart reply that cardiology isn't their speciality. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Hiola's national animal is the Hydra, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Hiola is ranked 314,675^th in the world and 182^nd in Eladria for Largest Populations, with 18.0 million capita.