The Republic of Hydroxides is a massive, orderly nation, renowned for its keen interest in outer space, unlimited-speed roads, and stringent health and safety legislation. The cynical, devout population of 2.572 billion Hydroxidesians 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 medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Industry. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 25.6%.

The strong Hydroxidesian economy, worth 163 trillion Currencies a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Door-to-door Insurance Sales, and Furniture Restoration. Black market activity is frequent. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 63,499 Currencies, but there is a significant disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 197,588 per year while the poor average 15,690, a ratio of 12.6 to 1.

Professional athletes juggle part-time jobs to avoid bankruptcy, 4-year-olds studying for their mathematics exams are anxious that they will be unemployable in adulthood if they fail, vets have been drafted in to help "fix" those who fail the parental license exam, and exorbitant spending on icebreakers breaks the ice at every budget meeting. Crime, especially youth-related, is well under control, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Hydroxides's national animal is the Animal, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Hydroxides is ranked 218,053^rd in the world and 8,589^th in Lazarus for Safest, scoring 27.79 on the Bubble-Rapp Safety Rating.