The Dictatorship of Hadlestan is a very large, environmentally stunning nation, renowned for its compulsory military service, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical, devout population of 224 million Hadlestanians 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 government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized morass — juggles the competing demands of Defense, Spirituality, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 74.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but stagnant Hadlestanian economy, worth 3.82 trillion Bakhas a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is led by the Furniture Restoration industry, with significant contributions from Basket Weaving, Gambling, and Retail. Average income is 17,069 Bakhas, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Recent events in Dàguó have been classified 'for Leader's eyes only', every day is laundry day, the Counter-Terrorism Unit has been nicknamed "Big Bad Wolf" for its tendency towards urban demolition, and dandruff and athlete's foot are seen as signs of physical beauty. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Hadlestan's national animal is the Tiger, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

Hadlestan is ranked 243,742^nd in the world and 12,780^th in Lazarus for Largest Trout Fishing Sector, scoring -3.35 on the Nemo Depletion Efficiency Index.