The Federal Republic of Hortizo is a colossal, safe nation, ruled by Ecárdo Vincent with a fair hand, and remarkable for its daily referendums, multi-spousal wedding ceremonies, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, democratic population of 5.091 billion Hortizoans 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 enormous government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Sol Parsío. The average income tax rate is 72.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The very strong Hortizoan economy, worth 395 trillion heiroes 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 Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Book Publishing, Tourism, and Cheese Exports. Average income is 77,679 heiroes, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Atheism is seen as a prerequisite for political power, 'The Anti-Government Hour' is a popular programme on many of Hortizo's radio stations, lobotomised jaywalkers can barely ambulate let alone repeat their offences, and both diets and economic output are growing leaner with recent restrictions to free trade. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Hortizo's national animal is the jaguar, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Nuenoism.

Hortizo is ranked 11,550^th in the world and 66^th in Democratic Socialist Assembly for Nicest Citizens, with 30.58 average smiles per day.