The Grand Duchy of The Zio is a huge, environmentally stunning nation, renowned for its stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-working, democratic, devout population of 625 million Ziomen enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Spirituality, Environment, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Vragedis City. The average income tax rate is 17.0%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The strong Zioish economy, worth 40.1 trillion Ziorahs a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Trout Farming industry, with major contributions from Cheese Exports, Tourism, and Book Publishing. Average income is 64,168 Ziorahs, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.0 times as much as the poorest.

The tax agency is feared more than serial killers and terrorists, all footpaths have tollbooths, streakers swamp all public events in order to bare it all, and the government runs a surplus by selling its citizens. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. The Zio's national animal is the Lion, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

The Zio is ranked 36,395^th in the world and 628^th in Europe for Most Beautiful Environments, with 796.35 pounds of wildlife per square mile.