The Free Land of Hardepoten is a massive, socially progressive nation, ruled by Neuf Atora with an even hand, and renowned for its daily referendums, state-planned economy, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate population of 1.27 billion Hardees enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, liberal morass — juggles the competing demands of Administration, Education, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Korondor. The average income tax rate is 74.1%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The Hardepotenian economy, worth 56.2 trillion qreches a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is mostly made up of the Book Publishing industry, with significant contributions from Basket Weaving, Cheese Exports, and Pizza Delivery. Average income is 44,270 qreches, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it... Hardepotenian satellites can detect it, nature reserves often contain artificial waterfalls and concrete paths, couples are discouraged from marrying until they can rank their partner on a scale of one to ten, and children's bedrooms are often decorated with posters of successful accountants. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Hardepoten's national animal is the humpback whale, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Hardepoten is ranked 29,950^th in the world and 80^th in Carcassonne for Safest, scoring 108.99 on the Bubble-Rapp Safety Rating.