The Layaqua of Pioneer Pool is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by The Grand Layaq Council with an iron fist, and remarkable for its vat-grown people, compulsory military service, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, hard-working, cynical, cheerful population of 10.943 billion Layaqs are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Industry, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of The Lane Pools. The average income tax rate is 97.0%.

The frighteningly efficient Layaq economy, worth a remarkable 4,885 trillion Layaq Flimnyas a year, is fairly diversified and mostly comprised of black market activity, especially in Information Technology, Tourism, Retail, and Soda Sales. Average income is an amazing 446,431 Layaq Flimnyas, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.3 times as much as the poorest.

Tourists are flocking to the newly-built MeteorLand family resort, birds and children's kites are regularly brought down by anti-aircraft fire, the road to capitalism has proved an epic drama of adventure and exploration, and a performance of the hit musical "Mamma Tua" has been delayed after squatters were found sleeping in the orchestra pit. Crime is totally unknown. Pioneer Pool's national animal is the Swimming Instructor, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Life Guardiasm.

Pioneer Pool is ranked 259,370^th in the world and 1,243^rd in Europe for Highest Disposable Incomes, with 13,392.95 Standard Monetary Units.