The Principality of Hailfront is a very large, cultured nation, remarkable for its museums and concert halls, keen interest in outer space, and public floggings. The compassionate, hard-working, devout population of 155 million Hailfrontians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The relatively small government juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Law & Order, and Education. The average income tax rate is 15.0%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The strong Hailfrontian economy, worth 10.6 trillion Silver coins a year, is broadly diversified and dominated by the Tourism industry, with significant contributions from Uranium Mining, Retail, and Basket Weaving. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 68,216 Silver coins, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.8 times as much as the poorest.

The nation refuses to discard its increasingly useless penny, disadvantaged neighbourhoods have become no-go areas after sundown, trails to natural wonders are littered with trash from reality film crews, and thousands of children die every day from easily curable illnesses. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Hailfront's national animal is the Budgie, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Hailfront is ranked 116,047^th in the world and 2,384^th in the South Pacific for Most Scientifically Advanced, scoring 79.03 on the Kurzweil Singularity Index.