The Empire of East Lodge is a huge, efficient nation, renowned for its compulsory military service, ubiquitous missile silos, and frequent executions. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 434 million East Lodgeans are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Administration, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of North Colony. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 38.1%.

The thriving East Lodgean economy, worth 37.0 trillion Abydosian Rubies a year, is led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Cheese Exports, Arms Manufacturing, and Basket Weaving. Black market activity is extensive. Average income is 85,151 Abydosian Rubies, with the richest citizens earning 6.9 times as much as the poorest.

Urban graffiti is hand-calligraphed in perfectly kerned elegant fonts, small businesses are gobbled up almost daily by corporate giants, street crime is on the rise as police officers spend most of their time in prisons, and most citizens in East Lodge are abject pyrophobes after extremely graphic pamphlets were mailed nationwide by the government. Crime, especially youth-related, is almost non-existent, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. East Lodge's national animal is the Abydosian Lizard, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

East Lodge is ranked 26,364^th in the world and 774^th in the South Pacific for Largest Manufacturing Sector, scoring 14,905.57 on the Gooback-Jerbs Productivity Index.