The Confederated Republics of Hydrea is a massive, genial nation, notable for its state-planned economy, punitive income tax rates, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, democratic population of 2.241 billion Hydreans love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The large, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Welfare, and Administration. The average income tax rate is 52.7%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Hydrean economy, worth 62.0 trillion nones a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector is led by the Basket Weaving industry, with major contributions from Door-to-door Insurance Sales, Pizza Delivery, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is 27,662 nones, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Exterminators swarm Hydrean homes, the Smalltopian embassy doubles as an electoral campaign headquarters, saying 'Hi Guys' to a mixed gender group of people at work is a fireable offense, and prolonged government investigations are a common revenge tactic among spurned significant others. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Hydrea's national animal is the Bluefin Orca, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Hydrea is ranked 287,012^th in the world and 359^th in Starlight for Largest Black Market, with 48.0 billion Standard Monetary Units.