The Empire of Shilvend is a huge, orderly nation, renowned for its barren, inhospitable landscape, frequent executions, and punitive income tax rates. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 694 million Shivakoraz are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The large, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Mophaisza. The average income tax rate is 66.8%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The very strong Shilvendian economy, worth 57.1 trillion Fasis a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is broadly diversified, is dominated by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Book Publishing. Average income is 82,303 Fasis, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Only AIs know why the nation is rapidly increasing its semiconductor stockpile, Wolf sanctuaries have been taken over by hydraulic fracturing sites, the military conducts 'training exercises' in prisons, and residents of houses built on a foundation of wishful thinking are prone to an odd sinking feeling. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Shilvend's national animal is the Wolf, which can occasionally be seen sifting through garbage in the nation's cities.

Shilvend is ranked 257,697^th in the world and 4,984^th in the South Pacific for Nicest Citizens, with 0.92 average smiles per day.