The Republic of Urial44 is a colossal, efficient nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, keen interest in outer space, and compulsory military service. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 7.357 billion Urial44ians 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 medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Industry, and Defense. The average income tax rate is 73.8%.

The frighteningly efficient Urial44ian economy, worth a remarkable 1,836 trillion pounds a year, is fairly diversified and mostly comprised of black market activity, especially in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Woodchip Exports. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is an amazing 249,649 pounds, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.7 times as much as the poorest.

For the sake of 'public interest' news programs tell viewers how to home-make Sarin gas bombs, the statue in the Winters Plaza has a solar panel for a hat, throwing garbage out of your house's front window makes it legally someone else's problem, and every day has been a surprise since weather reporters turned to consulting ancient totems for their seven-day forecasts. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Urial44's national animal is the wolf, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Urial44 is ranked 8,968^th in the world and 499^th in Balder for Lowest Crime Rates, with 103.1 law-abiding acts per hour.